I n d i a n M u s l i m s L e a d i n g E n g l i s h N e w s p a p e r , p u b l i s h e d s i n c e J a n u a r y 2 0 0 0

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Fortnightly
288 Vol. 13 No. 2

MILLI GAZETTE
16-31 January 2012 24 pages
ZEESHAN HIDAYATI...13 Terrorism Hindutva terror Reservation U.P elections . Media Hinduism AMU Riots Urdu media Gujarat Intelligence J&K

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ABDUL HALEEM OWAIS...12

1,14,15 3,5 11 1,4 1,2,11 2,4,6 2,7,11 9 5 10,15 8 10

Analysis 11 Special Reports 3,13 Issues 2,12-13 Books 19 National 3-22 International 16-18 Speaking Out 14 Newsmakers 12 14-15 Community News Our Publications 20 Islamic Perspectives 21 Classifieds 22 Letters 23

BJP fighting a lost battle in UP?

MOHAMMAD NAUSHAD KHAN
JP camp is already demoralised ahead of polls. The saffron partys political strategy seems to have gone awry. Induction of various tainted leaders expelled from the BSP into BJPs fold mirrors the political bankruptcy of the BJP whose tallest leader not long ago went on a nationwide anti-corruption yatra. On that note, the BJP camp either in states or at the national level appears to be divided more than ever before. With the induction of Babu Singh Kushwaha, Nitin Gadkaris credibility and authority came tumbling down within and without Uttar Pradesh. Surprisingly, BJP until yesterday used to move shoulder to shoulder with team Anna in the fight against corruption but today it has embraced tainted leaders. BJP leaders and cadres are groping in the dark on the fallout of these follies on the polls. The episode shows that for the BJP corruption is only an issue to hoodwink voters. The list of BJP leaders for and against Kushwahas entry is growing by the day. LK Advani, Arun Jaitly, Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh, Uma Bharati and RSS leaders, Menaka Gandhi and Yogi Adityanath are against the move while Nitin Gadkari, Ananth Kumar, Vinay Katiyar, Surya Pratap Sahi and Yashwant Sinha have supported the induction of Kushwaha into BJP. Even ally Nitish Kumar has criticised the BJP on this count. Yogi Adityanath said, The BJP first raised the issue of corruption on the roads and in Parliament. But now it is inducting corrupt leaders who have been sacked by BSP and SP. The BJP is also giving tickets to such leaders involved in corruption and rape cases. RSS in its Hindi publication Panchajanya strongly criticised the BJP for inducting tainted leaders and asked the voters of Uttar Pradesh to defeat candidates facing criminal charges and those who switch sides before elections. Team Anna for the first time has said that the BJP is no different and there will be no takers for its claim that it has zero tolerance for corruption. BJPs poll preparations have so far moved at a snails pace. Ambiguity about the chief ministerial candidate and most of the senior leaders in the poll fray have jeopardised the direction in which the campaign was expected to move. With no leader worth his name in sight capable of turning the tide in BJPs favour, the party fell back on Atal Behari Bajpayees photographs as the face of the BJP. Announcement of the candidate list towards the fag end of the campaign has contributed to the partys problems. Projection of many senior leaders as chief ministerial candidates has resulted in chaos. Break-up of joint understanding with BJPs

MG/Yusuf

most important ally JD-U in UP over seat-sharing has further in Uttar Pradesh without any hindrance. But will Modi do so damaged the partys poll prospects. There is also apprehension when his arch rival Sanjay Joshi has been inducted in the BJP that the present rift between the two might cause some kind of by none other than his party president. Earlier Modi did not ripple effect elsewhere too in the coming days. attend BJPs two-day national executive meet in New Delhi to In its quest of a credible face to attract Brahmins, BJP has register his protest against the party presidents decision to take asked Kalraj Mishra to contest election for the first time in his Joshi back into the party. Even Shatrughan Sinha and Varun long political career and at times he is projected as the chief Gandhi are believed to be upset at being sidelined within the ministerial candidate to woo Brahmins after getting an impres- party and have decided to stay away from election campaignsion that Brahmins are considering deserting Mayawati. ing. Varun in the past six months has stayed away from party Overwhelming support from the Brahmins to Mayawati had last functions and did not even participate in the Jan Swabhiman time tilted the balance in her favour. Mishra in his four decade Yatra led by Rajnath Singh and Kalraj Mishra in the state. long political journey will for the first time contest from Lucknow BJP hopes that Annas campaign against corruption and the East which has been traditionally a BJP seat. Nitin Gadkari is Congress may help it in the assembly election has now diminmaking efforts to ensure he gets through easily. BJP cadre is ished because Anna is not expected to campaign in assembly yet unaware of which issues are to be raised and in what man- polls. In his absence, BJP may try again Baba Ramdev even ner. Rajnath Singh, considered the tallest among all existing after he failed to strike a chord with people earlier. BJP which BJP leaders of the state, is more interested in national politics claims to be the party with a difference is perhaps different in while leaders like Kalraj Mishra, Surya Pratap Shahi and Om one sense that despite being ardent supporter of Anna Hazare Prakash Singh are already in campaign mode in their respec- in his fight against corruption is yet open to embrace graft tainttive constituencies. ed leaders from BSP or other political parties. Unexpectedly, Uma Bharti has failed to make a Hindutva wave. Bharti did try to divide the people on the issue of FDI in retail by saying that she would be the first to burn Wal-Mart in the state. 2005. Muhammad Zarar clarified that Sidibapa Further, she attempted to ABDUL BARI MASOOD is his familys name and the objective of this polarise the minds of the report is to defame him and his family. In reply electorate in the state by New Delhi: Father of Muhammad Yasin to a question by Tehelka magazine, he said that saying that providing reserBhatkali, a youth of Bhatkal (Karnataka) has he is doing business in Dubai for the past 30 vation to Muslims is like sent a legal notice to the English daily The years. He said this article by Pravin Swamy is declaring India a Hindu Hindus editor N. Ram and its associate editor full of canard and malice. It is said in this article nation and it would divide the Pravin Swamy, the self-styled expert on Islamic that I am incharge of all terrorist networks country once again. One terrorism, for describing his son Yasin Bhatkali which subsequently came to be known as may find it difficult to believe alias Zarar Sidibapa the absconding command- Indian Mujahideen. Hence I want to make it as to how reservation to other of the mysterious organisation Indian clear that neither myself nor my son is associaters will unite the country but Mujahideen. In the notice, he has asked the ed with any terrorist network. reservation to Muslims will duo to tender an unconditional apology for When The Hindu editor N. Ram and Pravin divide the country? falsely defaming him, failing which he will file a Swamy were asked about the notice, both With the breakdown of case of contempt against them in court and denied the receipt of any such notice. However, any kind of alliance between claim an amount of Rs. 5 crore as damages. Associate Editor of The Hindus Chennai ediBJP and JD-U before assemIt may be stated in this connection that tion, S. Thyag Rajan admitted the receipt of bly elections in Uttar Pravin Swamy in his front page article in The such a notice and said that the lawyers of his Pradesh, some believe that it Hindu of 1 December 2011 under the heading office are preparing a reply. may pave the way for Breakthrough in 2010 attacks raises fears of It may be stated in this connection that Narendra Modi to campaign renewed jihadist campaign had written that before Azamgarh, Bhatkal was being projected Muhammad Zarar Sidibapa is commander of as a centre of terrorism in some sections of Indian Mujahideen and is the mastermind of Indian media. The truth is that this coastal city, many bomb blasts since 2005 in different cities where Muslims are in a majority, is a thorn in the of the country and is now an absconder where- eyes of communal elements because of its eduas the fact is that Sidibapa is engaged in his cational and economic progress as many of its business. According to the English weekly people, like those of Azamgarh, are employed in Tehelka, Sidibapa is very much living in Bhatkal the Gulf and Arab oil countries. Editor of The and has been doing his business with Dubai for Milli Gazette, Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan, describes the past 30 years. Pravin Swamy as the steno of intelligence In his legal notice sent to The Hindu, while agencies who, whenever any incident of terrorclaiming a reparation of Rs. 5 crores, Sidibapa ism takes place, writes reports after reports in has said that because of wrong and mischie- his newspaper. vous reporting by this newspaper, he is mentalIn Punes German Bakery bomb blast case, ly shocked and disturbed because of being Maharashtra ATS had implicated Yasin Bhatkali described as an absconding terrorist. He said but subsequently he had to be released, though failing to get an apology, he will file a criminal at that time Maharashtra ATS chief suit against them separately. Raghuvanshi had pointed his accusing finger at Pravin Swamy had also written in his article Hindu extremist organisations, in punishment of that Sidibapa, who is the father of Muhammad which, he was shifted from this post. In any Ahmad Sidibapa, also known by the name of case, it is for the first time that a newspaper Yasin Bhatkali, is responsible for a number of report has been challenged which may lead to bomb blasts in the country which started in reining in media witch-hunters.

Notice to The Hindu for defamation, damages

2 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012

ISSUES / OPINION

Thank you, Prof. P. K. Abdul Azis!

When I passed my high school exams in 1993 and started taking interest in AMUrelated affairs, I was told that the Mohamedan Anglo-Oriental College was established for a few hundred students which now has become AMU with over 20 thousand students, a majority of which is Muslim. Going through some books and articles on Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, I was deeply inspired by his thoughts as the message he gave to our downtrodden community was loud and clear: We should make our best efforts for the educational advancement of the community; no one in the community should be deprived of good education only because of their socio-economic status. I was always bothered by this question that even after 100 years of the establishment of Muslim University, as to why we do not have such universities in every state of India whilst even the AMU Old Boys in Pakistan have set up several educational institutions across Pakistan to further Sir Syeds mission. My uncle, who is also a very senior Alig, told me way back in 1994 that there are a few very senior and respectable Aligs in India and abroad who often discuss if we should have branches of AMU in Bihar, Bengal, Kashmir, South India etc which will offer education to Muslim students who do not either have easy access to Aligarh or are hesitant to send their children far away. In 2007, when Prof. Azis joined our alma mater as VC, even before his joining, the selfstyled and so-called well-wishers of AMU started painting a bad picture of him. It was interesting for us to see if a South Indian VC with such an opposition would be able to finish his term in AMU. The day Prof. Azis declared his intention about setting up new campuses in Kerala, Bihar, West Bengal etc., he made many more enemies among teachers and old boys of AMU. Though many of my Alig/Muslim friends and myself felt that its a historical move by Prof. Azis which will definitely leave a great impact on Muslim educational uplift in the long run, and the Alig community should support the VC wholeheartedly, but we were shocked and surprised to see the opposition to the VC by some senior Aligs and teachers on each and everything, even in respect of day-to-day affairs of AMU. Despite facing turmoil in the campus and allegations against him, Prof. Azis did not put off his best efforts to set up these campuses, and finally he is successful in establishing Mallapuram and Murshidabad centres, and another one in Bihar is in the process. He was treated very badly by many of our Alig brothers and teachers almost throughout his tenure as VC. Kudos to Prof. Azis, who is not an Alig, but promoted and strengthened the mission of Sir Syed. He should also be applauded for somehow bridging the gap between Muslims of South and North India, which is of vital importance for the Indian Muslim community as a whole. Our respected Aligs should understand that Aligarh Tehreek is not only about wearing the sherwani and having annual dinners in the name of Sir Syed, but we have to perform other obligations towards the Qaum as well, part of which Prof. Azis has carried out on behalf of all Aligs. We look forward to seeing these satellite centres converted into full-fledged independent universities (Insha Allah) serving our community and the nation in the coming years. Thank you, Prof. Azis. I am sure you will be remembered by the future generations with utmost respect. AHMAD RAZA FARUQI (B.Tech., 2005, AMU) Doha, Qatar - ahmadfaruqi@yahoo.com (First posted on TheAligarhForum)

Objectionable Content on TV9

BIJU ABDUL QADIR
Editor of Bangalore-based Young Muslim Digest, sent this letter to TV 9 Channel:
I would like to, hereby, bring to your notice that a particularly objectionable documentary was aired on TV 9 on Saturday, 24th December 2011, at around 10.30 AM. The programme, with a header that read Terror Starts at School, was a roughly 20minute documentary on the application of Shariah law in some countries around the world like Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Afghanistan. In a global atmosphere so vitiated by negative Muslim stereotyping accentuated by an often deliberately undiscerning media, and where the very word Shariah conjures up images of beheadings, death-by-stoning and amputations, it is the bounden duty of all media houses, in keeping with true journalistic ethics, to not further aggravate the stereotype without, at the very least, providing objective data available on the topic and placing the debate within the correct context and perspective. If not for any other reason, then simply because the members of the community you are dealing with amount to more than one-fifth of the global population today. In the absence of a proper context in discussions on so dangerously misunderstood a subject, it is a foregone conclusion that such a presentation - even when no adverse effects are intended - will do more harm than good to the interests of the Muslim community in India and elsewhere. This is a matter easily understood today, not just by responsible media houses themselves, but also by all well-informed individuals who make up our societys core intelligentsia. It may be argued that what was aired on TV9 was but events as they happened around the Muslim world, and that the channel was doing nothing but reporting on those very events. However, in the face of such argumentation, it must be immediately pointed out that to showcase, with explicit video footage, issues of such gravity in a shady and selective manner, as was so unfortunately done at TV9, is far worse in implication than not showing it at all. This is definitely not to say that freedom of expression must be disallowed. On the contrary, every individuals right to freedom of expression must be honoured, but with the simple, undeniable and natural condition that the exercise of this right does not impinge upon the other, equally valid, rights of other individuals living in the same society, indeed anywhere in the world. Granted this context, it is not difficult to see that the documentary aired by TV9 quite easily trespassed into the sacred space - within and without - of millions of Muslim believers throughout the country, leave alone the negative ramifications for the already batteredbeyond-recognition Muslim image. Displaying selected Iranian movie clips - of offenders being executed - to drive home the point that the documentary was intended to make, is a cheap journalistic gimmick in the wholesale demonisation effort against the Muslim community. Regrettably, this is exactly what TV9 did. Another remarkable display of Islamic justice was the other video clip in the same programme showing the fingers of a boy being run over by a vehicle as a punishment for his having stolen a loaf of bread! This is while, in a historically well-documented incident, the second Caliph of Islam, Umar bin al-Khattab - in a similar case where two young boys were caught stealing bread - first enquired of the reasons for their having done so. When he was told that the boys were forced into stealing because of hunger and because their employer was not paying them their wages properly, the Caliph had the boys released and their employer whipped instead! Such is the legacy of Islamic law gleaned from its original sources, and as exemplified in the life of a civilization and culture that held aloft the light of knowledge, justice and compassion to a Europe then sunk in the night of the Dark Ages. To be sure, a selective display of videos of wayward implementation of the Shariah - if at all they were true - is as sufficient a pretext for the wholesale rejection of Islamic Law as the Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay excesses are pretexts for the rejection of Democracy and Christianity as viable philosophies. Nor, for that matter, can the post-Godhra massacre of hundreds of innocent Muslims in our own Gujarat become a pretext for the wholesale dumping of the Sanatana Dharma as a viable message of peace and harmony: the same Dharma as professed and practiced by that remarkable son of Gujarat - no, not Modi, but Gandhi! But let us leave aside the tragic ironies of history for the moment. However, and quite irrespective of what any religion teaches, in a secular democracy such as the one that India is, no citizen can be allowed to trample upon the religious beliefs of other citizens. If that be so, then it is an even heavier responsibility of every media enterprise in general, and the visual media in particular, to exercise still greater caution in the views, images and stereotypes that it puts out for public consumption. For, if an individual prejudice can create sufficiently alarming discord and disharmony in society, a prejudiced media can, sooner or later, destroy that society completely. Given this very realistic scenario, it is our earnest request that TV9 abstain from such wanton, irresponsible acts of sensationalism, withdraw such offending content from public view, engage the numerous other social issues with which India is seized at the moment and contribute constructively and harmoniously to the making of this nation. Else, I am afraid that the losers will be none but our own citizenry, of which each of us are ourselves members; and none will be the losers other than our very own flesh and blood. And it will be a loss for which our combined complacency, indifference and irresponsibility, both as individual and media house, will have to be held accountable. This is even as the experience of our recent history teaches us time and again. A lesson which we can ill-afford to ignore. And that lesson is this: Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Call/SMS: 09818120669 / 09868656614

Bhagvad Gita
Gita is Jehadi literature. Its as violent as the Old Testament with a totalitarian god, who dictates terms and tolerates none, wrote late Samuel Hunttington. Not just in Russia, such violent scriptures must be proscribed everywhere. Though Im against banning a book, anything that incites violence even subtly, is an anathema to me and all irenic (peace-loving) people. Gita is a catalyst for war. It was instrumental in the deaths of innumerable people, who died at Kurukshetra. And Krishna is the biggest instigator. He perpetrated this sanguinary drama (R C Zehmers phrase to define the battle of Kurukshetra). Violence can never be justified. All arguments justifying violence and killing someone are specious and opportunistic. Buddha solemnly said, Passivity at any price. Be bullied, be outraged, be killed. But do not kill. I wonder, a Russian court has now found Gita to be extremist. It was long back castigated for its dangerous insinuations and proclamations. In fine, Bhagvad Gita is a war manual. Dr. SUMIT S. PAUL, Pune sumitmaclean@hotmail.com

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The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012 3

NATIONAL

Crossing knowledge bridge over an Azamgarh river

ABU ZAFAR
abuzafar@journalist.com Azamgarh (Uttar Pradesh): They wanted their children to get quality education which they were bereft of. So people in a small village of Uttar Pradesh funded a bridge to send their kids to study in a town across the river. The number of students has been increasing in the schools, colleges and madrasas on the other side of the Kunwar river in Saraimeer town, which has several educational and technical institutions and shopping areas. The construction of the bridge at Towa village, 35 km from Azamgarh city and 240 km from Lucknow, started in 2004 but it stopped several times for want of funds. The bridge was finally completed in 2009, but there was no road to link it. It became finally operational in 2010. Towa, which has schools of up to Class 5 only, has a population of 5,000, but the bridge connects around 100,000 people of over 50 villages in the area. The bridge has six pillars and was built with Rs. 65 lakh collected through public donations. The entire construction was supervised by Shakeel Ahmed, a Class 5 passout and resident of Towa, who took the initiative to build the concrete bridge which seems like a knowledge bridge for the nearly 800 students who cross it daily for their studies. He took the lead after a boat containing a dozen students overturned, leaving an eight-year-old student named Saifullah dead and several injured in the flood season in 1998. Preeti Yadav, a housewife of Lahideeh village, sends her five children through the bridge to different schools. She is not worried about their security. I feel comfortable now and send my youngest son and daughter also to school for their bright future. There are two other pathways that lead to Saraimeer town but these are 20 kms long while the road through the bridge is only two kilometres long. Even public transportation is rare in this rural area. Mohammed Arshad, head of the primary section of Madrasatul Islah, a century-old Islamic madrasa, said the number of students

Indore: India Shines made BJP complacent. So want the MP statesmen to believe about the state too. As a proof, giant exercise is on the anvil to have the states name recognised by staging a spectacular surya namaskar on 12 January, Vivekanands birthday. The Guinness Book of Record has issued instructions for counting the participants 48,45,098 to beat an earlier record by Kazhakistans multilocation aerobic show. Detailed instruction by officers of school and principals of higher secondary schools video recording of the entire demonstration has been made mandatory. MP makes name while the Sun shines by showcasing surya namaskar. Build an army of educated people instead of wrestlers Ranchi: Speaking as the chief guest at the 20th AFMI convention at Ranchi, Dr. Syed Ahmed, governor of Jharkhand asked the people to build an army of well-educated people instead of muscle men. He pointed out that a wrestler might overcome a few opponents but an educated person can mould the minds of millions. He reminded that the Muslims had ruled over the globe on the strength of their intellectual powers a few centuries ago. He was speaking at the 20th AFMI award function held in Marwari College, Ranchi. He urged people to devote special care and attention to educating the girl child. Dr. Anwar Khan, Vice Chancellor, Ranchi University, expressed surprised over the backwardness of the Muslim community which, in the past, had been pioneers in intellectual awakening. He reminded the audience that in Islam a seeker of knowledge also becomes a martyr if he dies during his academic pursuit. He mesmerised the audience with his inspiring speech. Dr. A.R. Nakadar, founder president of AFMI, in his inspiring speech urged the youth to undertake a path which everyone else avoids road not taken by all. Congratulating the awardees he believed that they had a brilliant future ahead of them to shape the destinies of people and cross new horizons. Subodh Kant Sahay, Union minister for tourism, praised the zeal of Muslims who at the smallest possible opportunity take a long leap forward. The meet was addressed by among others PA Inamdar also. Unique method of education Gods Grace School New Delhi: A unique method of imparting education through Computerised Inter-active Board was introduced in Gods Grace School, a private school in Okhla Jamia Nagar. For this purpose a large Digital Hall was built and inaugurated in this School on 29 December. In addition to traditional methods of teaching, students are also taught on this computerised inter-active board through modules of different subjects and lessons. Teaching of different subjects and lessons will be done by the teachers of those subjects who will also explain the meanings and ideas clearly so that children could grasp ideas of subjects easily. Delhis Deputy Commissioner of Police P.K. Mishra and other police officers were invited on this occasion who also showed keen interest in this system of teaching. Schools Principal Dr. Naazira Mahmood said that students take great interest in this method of teaching and attentively see and listen to the topics of subjects as if they are seeing their favourite films. D.C.P. Mishra freely and frankly mixed with and spoke to children, encouraged them and advised them, that after completing their education they should join Indian Police Service (I.P.S.) and serve the country by ensuring the safety and security of the people.

Guinness Book record gimmick in M.P. schools

from Towa and neighbouring villages is increasing. There are more students in Islah from the region now. Younger children also take admission now, Arshad told IANS. Earlier, it was very hard for them to attend their classes timely, especially during the rainy season, he said. According to Shakeel, it was not an easy task. It was hard to collect money from people. In the beginning they thought that I will cheat them I used to be out of home because I was collecting money. My elder brother was headman of the village and thought that it was a matter of insult, he added. I couldnt study much, but I wanted to give education to my children, he said. To collect money, Ahmad visited Mumbai, Delhi and Dubai where people from Azamgarh and neighbouring areas go frequently to earn their livelihood. Naeem Akhtar, who survived the 1998 boat accident, reminisced: I cant forget it. I will remember that painful moment my whole life. Whenever I go through that way, my legs shake with fear and the image of Saifullah suddenly comes in front of my eyes. And there are only good words for Shakeel. Shakeel did a marvellous job to spread education and he should be given some award, said Akhtar, who has completed his post-graduation in English literature from Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University in Kanpur. (IANS)

Activists of Hindu right wing arrested for hoisting Pakistan flag

right wing outfits across the state, claiming people belonging to the minority community were behind the incident. Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajarang Dal and other saffron groups observed town-bandh protesting the hoisting of the Pakistani flag. In an effort to exploit the incident, several local political leaders of BJP too entered the fray by holding processions and purifying exercise of flag hoisted area. The protests continued until these arrests which exposed the right wing Hindu groups which were in the forefront of protests. A similar incident had taken place in Bijapur town three years ago, but police failed to book the culprits there so far. Sindhagi (Karnataka): Sindhagi Police of Bijapur district arrested six people belonging to a right wing Hindu outfit in connection with hoisting Pakistani flag on the flag post at the mini Vidhana Soudha premises which houses the offices of the tahsildar and government departments. Police have arrested Rohit Ishwar Navi (18), Sunil Madivalappa Agasar (18), Arun Vagmore (20), Rakesh Siddaramaiah Mata (19), Mallan Gowda Vijay Kumar Patil (19) and Parashuram Ashok Vagmore (20), all are reportedly members of the student wing of the extremist Sri Rama Sene. The flag was hoisted on Saturday, 31 December, at midnight during the New Year celebration in Sindhagi, a small town 60 km away from Bijapur district headquarters. Subsequently, the town became tense after a series of protests by Hindu

Speedy completion of Babri demolition case ordered by High Court

Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court has ordered the Special Judicial Magistrate (Ayodhya case) of Rae Bareilly court for a speedy disposal of the Babri Masjid demolition case. High Courts order was issued on 8 December. It may be recalled that among the accused in this case are L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Ashok Singhal, Uma Bharti, Sadhvi Ritambhra, Vinay Katiyar, V.H.P. leaders Giriraj Kishor, V.H. Dalmia and others. The Bench also ordered that examination and cross examination of witnesses should be done on a daily basis. Next date of hearing of this case has been fixed within seven days of completion of the evidence of last witness. During examination and cross examination of witnesses, the case will not be adjourned unless the witness himself is not able to be present in the court or there are circumstances beyond the control of the court. CBI is directed by the court to present at least some witness or witnesses on the dates of hearing so that the case is not postponed because of the absence of any witness. (NA Ansari)

Quote, Unquote
...all riots, whether in Gujarat, Delhi, Meerut, Bhiwandi, Mumbai, or wherever, take place only when political parties get involved in the action. In fact, for a full blooded ethnic incident to hit the streets it requires the ruling administration to either sponsor, or connive at, their eruption. In other words, riots between religious groups do not occur spontaneously, but are carefully planned and plotted in political hothouses. DIPANKAR GUPTA Mail Today, 28 Dec. 2011

4 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012

NATIONAL
New Delhi: The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) has asked the government to focus on welfare of minorities in the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), a recommendation that comes ahead of the assembly polls in the states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Goa and Uttarakhand in January-February. The move follows the governments December 2011 move to approve a 4.5 percent sub-quota for minorities within the existing 27.5 percent quota for the other backward classes in central jobs and admissions to central educational institutions. Indias designated religious minorities, as per the National Commission for Minorities Act 1992, constitute about 18.4 percent of the total population and number around 189.5 million according to the 2001 Census. The largest among these, the Muslims form 72.8 percent of the minority population. They form around 13.4 percent of the total population and number nearly 140 million (2001 census). In its latest recommendation to the central government, the advisory body said providing basic services like drinking water and sanitation in all minority settlements should be obligatory for the government. This assurance of basic services should be demand-driven in that the appropriate government would be obliged to provide these services on demand from any settlement, within a specified time frame, using central funds, said the NAC communication. To ensure that public money was utilised properly, the advisory body asked the government to operationalise an assessment and monitoring agency under the Planning Commission urgently, which will include experts, academics and civil society members. Citing the Justice Rajinder Sachar panel report, which examined the social condition of Muslims and was tabled in parliament in 2006, the NAC noted these communities suffer from socio-economic deprivation and gross inequality. The report said there was considerable exclusion of the largest minority (Muslims) from Indias progress on key development indicators since independence. Observing that previous five Plans were not able to intervene adequately in the development of religious minorities, mainly due to absence of demographic data, the NAC asked the government to collect such records. Offering solutions to the problem, the NAC suggested the scale of government interventions must be large enough to make a dent into the numbers of the marginalised. Noting that the design and implementation structures of the programmes do not often target minority settlements and people directly and effectively, the NAC suggested mandatory social audits of the multi-sectoral development programmes of the minorities welfare ministry and the prime ministers new 15-point programme for their uplift. (Amit Agnihotri, IANS)

Ahead of polls, advisory panel pushes for Muslim welfare

Ram and Ramayana popularised by Mughals

NA ANSARI
New Delhi: An English magazine in its recent issue has reported that a Kashmiri businessman of Kanpur, Sham Lal Aangda is in possession of a Ramayana in which the story of Bhagwan Ram starts with Bismillah hir Rahmanir Raheem. In fact it is the Persian translation of Ramayana which was rendered by Moghul emperor Shan Jahans son Dara Shikoh. This Ramayana, laced with Quranic verses and passing through different places and hands finally reached him (Sham Lal) who is presently a cloth merchant in Kanpur. According to him, before being obtained by his family in Jammu, this holy book of Hindus was in Rawalpindi. At that time this book was in the possession of his father Ajodhya Nath Aangda when he was a student at Lahore University. Before reaching Sham Lals hands, this book was lying in the familys store room for years. In this book there is also a hand written note of historical importance, of Dara Shikoh on which its title Ramayana is written. This versified translation of Ramayana in Persian language was first published in 1889 by Munshi Chiraghdeen in Rawalpindis Sirajuddin Press. Many Muslim and non-Muslim intellectuals, including correspondent Arjun Sharma had been wondering on the discovery of this manuscript of Ramayana. From their statements and writings it appears that Ramayanas Persian translation beginning with Bismillah and laced with Quranic verses is something unbelievable for them. This is probably because they are judging and observing the India of Moghul period in comparison with todays conditions and thinkings and because of their ignorance, otherwise there was no reason for their surprise and disbelief. Today they need to be enlightened that not to speak of Ramayana, even Ram was popularised greatly by the Moghuls. It was the progenies of Babar who popularised Ram and Ramayana in most parts of the country. Ramayana is the great literary masterpiece of India which was popularised by Moghuls in northern India otherwise the magnum opus which some communalists are carrying today on their heads and are making all out efforts to project progenies of Babar as the enemies of Ram was almost unknown to the common man before coming of Babar to India and in the rule of his progenies. Till that time the original Ramayana (by Valmiki) in Sanskrit and its mythological characters were confined to the limited circle of pundits and Brahmins but today are on every bodys lips because Moghuls popularised them through translations. Ramayanas first translations were made during the period of Akbar. Even Ramcharit Manas was got written by Goswamy Tulsi Das through Rahiman (Abdur Raheem Khankhana who wrote poetry in the language of those days under the pseudonym of Rahiman) and Abul Fazl. The part of the world where Rams stories and adventures and different mythical characters of Ramayana are most popular is Indonesia, a predominantly Muslim country. Before the arrival of Moghuls neither was there Bhagwan Ram nor any temple of Ram. The place in Ayodhya where it is alleged that Ram Mandir existed and for which Muslims are being accused and demonised for demolishing it was in fact, as per historical proofs and records, Buddist vihars and monasteries which were destroyed and demolished by the armies of Rajput kings and princes who worshipped in and patronised the muths and akharas etc. set up by Adi Shankaracharya before the advent of Muslims in India, and not by any Muslim invader. It was in the India of sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and during the Moghul period that Bhakti movement originated and prospered for some time and the stories of Ram and Ramayana particularly of Tulsi Das known as Ram Charit Manas gained extraordinary popularity. As regards Dara Shikoh, he translated not only the Ramayana but more than 50 Upanishads which were in Sanskrit, into Persian because he was very much interested in Hindu classical and mythological literature, Sanskrit and literary assets of Indian languages. According to historical records, he had completed the translations of Upanishads two years before his death in 1657. It is equally interesting and surprising to know that the pictures of Ram, Sita, Hanuman and other characters of Ramayana which are found currently were commissioned by him through the painters of his times. The Persian manuscript of Dara Shikos Ramayana in the possession of Sham Lal also contains paintings and sketches of Ram, Sita, Hanuman and other characters of Ramayana. About this priceless possession of Sham Lal, he says that a few years ago a Swedish orientalist who had heard about this Persian translation and who had deep knowledge about Hindu scriptures, wanted to purchase this book (translated version) and had offered Rs. 10 lakh for it to adorn his personal collections of rare items, books, manuscripts etc. but Sham Lal refused to part with this rare treasure because he used to say that this is the heritage of our family which I received from my father. Why and how should I sell it? He says that this is a rare book which is much more than its religious and historical importance. This Ramayana starts with Bismillah hir Rahmanir Raheem, the verse with which The Holy Quran also begins. This is a lesson and an eye-opener to those fanatics who want to divide people into communities in the name of religions. Sham Lals sentiments and attachment to this manuscript are highly praiseworthy and worth attention, seeing that at a time when people for their selfish and transitory gains are either forgetting their precious legacies and heritages or are destroying them with their own hands, he takes pride in his legacy and preserves it so dearly.

Madrasa students eligible for admission to various courses run by AMU

Aligarh: In order to integrate Madrasa education with mainstream education system, the Academic Council of the Aligarh Muslim University has resolved to declare Madarsa students eligible for admission to various courses run by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences from the next academic session. Presiding over the meeting, Vice Chancellor Prof. P. K. Abdul Azis, remarked that the founder of the institution, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan wanted to integrate religious education with modern education and this decision is aimed at fulfilling his cherished dream. The Academic council has approved the report in this regard submitted by the Dean, Faculty of Theology, Prof. Ali Mohammad Naqvi and also authorized the Deans of the concerned faculties to submit the specific proposal within 10 days to the Controller of Examination.

Thackerays grand-daughter weds a Muslim

Mumbai: Bal Thackerays grand daughter Neha married a Muslim, Muhammad Nabi, a few months ago after reverting to Islam. The marriage for a few months was not publicly announced and was not disclosed to grandpa Thackeray. It was a registered marriage A reception, held by the grooms family, was attended by several members of the brides family. Raj Thackeray and his wife Sharmila, their children Amit and Urvashi, had attended the wedding in addition to Uddhav Thackeray and his wife Rashmi. Others included Smita Thackeray and her son Rahul and Aishwarya. Nehas mother Madhvi, Manohar Joshi, Ram Kadam, Nitin Sardesai etc. were also present. The reception was held in Hotel Taj. Neha and Muhammad Nabi are physiotherapists by profession. They met a year and half ago in a private hospital. Once their relationship developed they decided to marry. The decision was delayed by the elders of the family who finally gave their consent. (AG Khan)

Salman Nadvi blesses 13-party Ittehad Front in U.P.

New Delhi: With the declaration of final dates for assembly elections in five states, every bodys attention is focussed on UP assembly elections. In addition to the traditional political parties like Congress, BSP, SP, BJP etc. a new party i.e. Ittehad Front, an alliance of as many as 13 small parties and groups has emerged. Convener of this party is Maulana Syed Salman Nadwi who is a teacher at Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow and also a member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, both non-political organisations. Though efforts were being made for the past about six months for a united front of many small, regional parties, a formal announcement about this Front was made by him (Maulana Salman Nadwi) on 27 December in the presence of leaders and heads of all the constituent parties of the Front. The constituent parties are: Peace Party of India headed by Dr. Muhammad Aiyyub, Indian Justice Party headed by Dr. Udit Raj, a former government officer who became a convert to Buddism, Qaumi Ekta Dal led by Afzal Ansari (brother of the once well-known Mukhtar Ansari of Mau). Bhartiya Samaj Party led by Om Prakash Rajbhar, National Loktantrik Party led by Arshad Khan, Bundelkhand Congress led by Raja Bundela. The other parties are Ittehad-e Millat Council, Bhartiya Jan Seva Party and so on. All these are regional parties and none of them is of national stature. Dr. Ayubs Peace Party is the most prominent among all these and is fairly influential in many parts of U.P. It may be stated in this connection that earlier, Peace Party of India, Justice Party etc. had entered into an electoral alliance with Chaudhary Ajit Singhs Rashtriya Lok Dal Party but when Chaudhary Ajit Singh (son of late Chaudhary Charan Singh, former chief minister of U.P. and union home minister in the Morarji Desai government) joined hands with the Congress recently, this alliance was broken. The job of coordinating and bringing all the constituent parties together was accomplished by Afzal Ansari. Muhammad Ayub said that seat-sharing arrangements have been finalised among the constituent parties. The Front will contest all the 403 seats of the U.P. Assembly. Maulana Salman Nadwi said in his speech while announcing the 13-party Front that both Nadwatul Ulama as well as Muslim Personal Law Board are educational and religious but non-political organisations, the Front enjoys the blessings of the senior people in these organisations. He also said that this Front or alliance has been formed to give politics a clean image and platform but if and when he sees and finds that it is entering dirty politics, he will keep away from it. (NA Ansari)

Maulana Salman Nadwi

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012

NATIONAL

Jaipur court acquits 11 Muslim youths

Christmas-time attacks against Christians in Karnataka

In two separate incidents, Christians in the southern state of Karnataka suffered violent attacks at the hands of Hindu extremist groups. In the first incident, allegedly a mob of 20 persons on 25 December at about 8:30 pm forcibly entered the house of one Adiveppa Kashennavar, where pastor Suresh of New Life Church, Surathkal, along with his family and a few other believers were invited for a Christmas dinner meal. The mob entered the house with stones, sticks and clubs in their hands shouting abuse and started attacking all of them, including women and children, hitting them, causing severe injuries to their heads and chests. One person, identified as Jason, was hit with a club resulting in leg fracture. Another Christian, identified as Deepak, was hit in his face and his nose began to bleed. The pastors wife Latha was hit on her chest with a wooden club and was wounded severely. Two other persons, identified as Annamma and Roshini, were also hit and suffered head injuries. Several others were badly assaulted. The pastor was beaten with clubs while trying to rescue others. The mob left the place shouting that they would kill the Christians. Though a complaint was registered with the police in the above case, the cop who came to investigate the incident, later questioned the injured about when they became Christians and how many lakhs of rupees were paid to them for their conversion. Shocked by the police behaviour, Walter Maben said, The police are hand in glove with the attackers, no one has been arrested and the Christians are being questioned about their religious conversion. In a separate incident, on 28 December, 2011 at about 8.20 pm, about ten persons entered the Hebron Full Gospel Assembly Church, situated at Haleyangadi, on the Mangalore-Udupi Highway and damaged the premises while the pastors wife, his two children and his mother, his brotherin-law and a family friend were praying inside the prayer hall. The attackers first broke the windows panes of the prayer hall and then entered the kitchen in the pastors home and started breaking all the lights and window panes in the room. When the pastors wife rushed to the living room, the intruders broke open the living room also. The intruders broke the refrigerator, overturned utensils, in which the family meal had been prepared, before they finally left. The attackers were allegedly shouting threats against the church and said that they would not let the church continue at the place. Pastor I. D. Prasanna was not at home at the time of the incident. The police are yet to register an FIR in the incident. Maha. Minorities Commission gets judicial powers Mumbai: Maharashtra cabinet on 28 December approved the proposal of granting judicial powers to the States Minorities Commission. According to a press release issued by the chief ministers Public Relations Officer, the government will amend the 2004 Ordinance relating to the Minorities Commission and add section 10 (a) (1) to it in order to vest it with judicial powers, by virtue of which the Commission will have the power to summon officers, call for official papers and documents etc. and record the statements of concerned officers and persons on oath. The press release also stated that such powers, though on a limited scale, have already been given to National Minorities Commission by the central government and also by some states like U.P., Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh etc. to their respective minorities commissions. Urdu newspapers are third largest in circulation

Eleven innocent youths who were falsely arrested and jailed for three years for their alleged complicity in SIMI activities were found innocent by Jaipurs fast track court and released on 9 December. Additional Session Judge of the fast track court of Jaipur city, Nepal Singh found police allegations of their complicity in SIMI activities totally false and baseless and ordered their release, saying that no solid and reliable proofs against them could be presented by the police. In all, 14 youths were arrested by the police of whom 11 were released but three are still in Gujarats Sabarmati Jail because they are allegedly involved in some other case also. The honourable judge, while admonishing the ATS said that this is a great failure on their part because these people were found neither having any connection with SIMI nor with any other terrorist organisation nor were they found complicit in promoting enmity between different communities. The judge pronounced this verdict after hearing the statements of as many as 48 witnesses. It may also be stated in this connection that these people were arrested by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan police after Jaipur serial bomb blasts in 2008 from Kota, Jodhpur and other places and on different dates. After their release some of these people assembled in Jaipur for a press conference on 10 December and demanded that chief minister Ashok Gehlot should tender an unconditional apology for the pain, trauma and agony that they and their families suffered during the period they were in jail cramped in dingy cells of the Central Jail when jail staff and also hardened criminals tortured them physically and mentally. One of them, Asif said that for our arrest former chief minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje, former home minister Gulab Chand Kataria, former Inspector General of SOG, A.K. Jain and S.P. of SOG Punnochani are responsible and demanded legal action against these people. They intend to file complaints individually against these people. Rajasthan Muslim Forum, an organisation of Muslims, said that it will render its full support to these people. A Forum member said that requests were made to chief minister Ashok Gehlot many times to change the investigating team which was appointed by the former BJP government but he always rejected their requests. According to the English daily Hindu, Suhail Modi and Azam Gajdhar, other acquitted persons, both of whom belong to Jodhpur said while narrating their traumatic experience in Jail that the torture and humiliation they suffered, first at the hands of the ATS offi-

cials and later by the jail staff and even by the criminals themselves (who were already in jail) was some thing they will never forget. They said that during the period of their detention BJP government was replaced by a Congress government but there was no change in the attitude of government authorities. Many of them before their arrests had flourishing business but after their arrests their entire business was destroyed and family members underwent untold trauma and agony. Their family members met senior Congress leaders many times and requested them to review their cases but every time they faced disappointment. Among the falsely arrested persons was an old Unani physician and his son also. The business and livelihood of all of them suffered a great deal and they faced the social stigma of being terrorists and consequently boycott also. Dr. Ishaq Qureshi, the senior physician said that our medical practice is finished and my sons career is ruined (both father and son were implicated and arrested). Azam Gajdhar said that a senior police officer who had ordered his arrest and himself was now in jail in connection with a fake encounter case, had told him (Azam) that he had acted under the state governments pressure to show some result and achieve a certain figure of accused persons to denote success in solving the case. The same paper reports that 2.5 years ago chief minister Ashok Gehlot had stated in a national conference on internal security in Delhi that the horrifying case of serial blasts in Jaipur on May 13, 2008 in which 69 persons were killed was solved with the arrest of radical youths in Delhi and U.P. as well as some members of SIMI in Rajasthan. He gave credit for this to the State (Rajasthan) Anti-Terrorist Squad for cracking this case. Subsequently, Union home minister P. Chidambaram during his visit to Jaipur in 2009 had asserted that the Jaipur blasts case was linked with the controversial Batla House encounter of Sept. 2008. This might have emboldened the jail staff of Jaipur Central Jail. The day after Chidambarams visit to Jaipur was Idul Fitr. The security personnel dragged these people out of their cells and thrashed them when they sought permission to offer Eid prayers alongwith other Muslim prisoners. As stated above, Rajasthan Muslim Forum has supported their move to file complaints against Vasundhara Raje and her minister and police officers. It has demanded an assistance of Rs. 25 lakh for each of them, even though it would be no recompense for their and their families pains and sufferings. (NA Ansari)

VP inaugurates World Urdu Editors Conference

Hyderabad: Indias Vice President Hamid Ansari on 30 December called upon Urdu newspapers to mould taste and cajole their readership in the direction of contemporary issues. Inaugurating the World Urdu Editors Conference here, he advised the newspapers to go beyond catering only to the older age groups and focusing on older and familiar grievances. He asked them not to play down the stories which may be of particular interest to the youths. Ansari noted that despite the overall increase in population, the percentage of Urdu speakers to total population has registered a noticeable decline. Speaking in Urdu, the vice president said the problems confronting the Urdu print media include many of a unique nature with a disturbing dimension. Noting that the demarcation between journalism, public relations, advertising and entertainment has been eroded because of the new media devices available and the commercial considerations involved, Ansari called for developing methodologies of retaining the essence of these attributes in the new surroundings of the newspapers. Other problems of Urdu media relate to resources, advertisements, news gathering methodology and adaptation of new technology, he said. A good newspaper should cater both to public demand and to the need to shape this demand. Only then would it be in a position of opinion-maker. News coverage needs to move away from the purely sectional interests to what would satisfy a wider audience, he said. Referring to Urdu journalisms role in Indias freedom struggle, he said those familiar with the history of freedom struggle recall with pride the May 17, 1857, issue of Maulvi Mohammad Baqars newspaper Delhi Urdu Akhbar that came to be known as the Inquilab edition. Ansari pointed out that the end of British rule and the partition had an unwelcome consequence for Urdu journalism. Eminent Pakistani journalist Tariq Mahmood Shaam stressed

the need for investigative journalism in Urdu to solve peoples problems. The head of the editorial board at ARY Network said though Urdu was the official language of Pakistan, more efforts were being made for promotion of the language in India than in his country. Urdu was supposed to become the language of Pakistans official machinery in 1988 but it is yet to happen and the new date set for this purpose is March 23, 2012, he noted. There are certain villages in Pakistan where Urdu is banned but the language is developing despite this chauvinism. Urdu is the language which links people speaking various languages like Sindhi and Punjabi, Shaam said. According to him, there are 2,000 Urdu dailies in Pakistan. There are also over 60 television channels in Urdu. Even Dawn had to launch a channel in Urdu. But the tragedy is that the organizations using Urdu are becoming richer but the Urdu language is becoming poorer. Andhra Pradesh Governor E. S. L. Narasimhan advised Urdu newspapers to avoid sensationalism and formulate their own code of conduct. He said the newspapers were still relevant and had a greater responsibility of building a society. Zahid Ali Khan, editor of Siasat, mooted the idea of a consortium of Urdu newspapers in India to create a common news pool. He said Siasat is ready to provide the news in Urdu for all Urdu newspapers. This would save time and energy of the newspapers in translating the news into Urdu and they can use it for financially strengthening themselves, he said. Khan also announced an insurance policy of Rs. 100,000 for each of the Urdu journalists who would be part of the proposed consortium. Siasat would be paying the premium for the insurance, he said. Over 40 editors and eminent Urdu journalists from India, Pakistan, Canada, Britain and the United Arab Emirates attended the two-day conference, organised by Siasat.

New Delhi: With a combined strength of 938 daily newspapers, weekly and monthly magazines, Urdu print media i.e., newspapers and magazines stands third in the country in the list of print media of other Indian languages. Hindi tops this list with a combined strength of 7,910 followed by English with a total number of 1406 such publications during the year 2010-11. The growth rate of print media industry this year was 6.25% as compared to the previous year. Circulation wise also, Hindi obviously topped the list with the total number of these publications being 15,54,94,777, followed by English with the total number being 5,53,70,184 and Urdu with the total number coming to 2,16,49,230 copies. Total number of registered newspapers etc. (of all languages) is 82,237. This information was given by Press Registrar T.J. Raj to Information & Broadcasting ministrys secretary Udai Kumar Varma. Other Indian languages in which large numbers of publications are made are Gujarati (761), Telugu (603), Marathi (521), Bengali (472), Tamil (272), Oriya (245), Kannad (200), Malayalam (192).

MG NEWS DESK

6 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012

NATIONAL
Campaign for vacation of illegal occupations of 150 odd mosques in the capital

Salman Khurshid in Vaniyambadi college

Salman Khurshid, Union Minister for Minority Affairs and Law, released two research books authored by Dr. Mohammed Galib Hussain, Emeritus Professor and Rector, Islamiah College Vaniyambadi in Tamil Nadu. These books are: Hindu Values and Managerial Behaviours: Exploring Spirituality in Indian Corporates and Islamic Banking and Finance (both published by (Deep & Deep Publication, New Delhi). A third book, Corporate Culture Organizational Effectiveness (Lambart-Academic Publishers, Germany) with Dr. T. Afsar Basha, Associate Professor of Commerce, Left to Right: Dr. Mohammed Galib Hussain (author), Ghani Jaweed Ahmed, Islamiah College Vaniyambadi as Secretary, Islamiah College Vaniyambadi, C. Khaiser Ahmed, General Secretary, co-author was released by Vaniyambadi Muslim Educational Society, Salman Khurshid and Dr. K. Prem Nazeer, C. Khaiser Ahmed Sahib, General Principal of Islamia College Secretary, Vaniyambadi Muslim Educational Society. On the occasion, Islamiah College presented a set of seven The function, held on 24 December 2011 at the colleges books written by Dr. Mohammed Galib Hussain, Emeritus Allama Iqbal Auditorium, was followed by the 64th Graduation Day Professor and Rector, Islamiah College Vaniyambadi to Minister of the College. Salman Khurshid distributed degrees to 575 grad- Salman Khurshid. Dr. K. Prem Nazeer is the Principal of this cenuates of the college. He advised the students to focus on positive tury-old autonomous college. aspects of life and congratulated them.

New Delhi: There are about 150 mosques in Delhi and its neighbourhood which are desolate but are illegally occupied of government and non-government organisations for whose liberation a new campaign has been announced. For this purpose an 11-member committee known as Masaajid Abad Tahreek Committee (Masjid Rehabilitation Movement Committee) consisting of Muslim personalities and representatives of milli organisations has been constituted. Shoaib Iqbal, M.L.A. from Old Delhi area who is the head of this committee said while speaking to mediapersons that because of government and private occupation of more than hundred mosques of the capital no namaz is being offered there. This shows how insensitive and careless the government is in India regarding mosques and places of worship. He called upon Muslims to come forward for the liberation and rehabilitation of desolate but illegally occupied mosques. Naming some of the mosques like Firoz Shah Masjid, Jamali Kamali Masjid, Masjid Moti Zafar Mahiya, Razia Sultana Masjid, Muhammadi Masjid, Barah Gumbad Masjid, Masjid Moth, Khirki villages Shahi Masjid and about 40 other such mosques, he said that the government has locked all these mosques. Expressing his surprise he said that in these mosques which are under ASI, film shooting is allowed but if some one wants to offer namaz in these mosques he is not allowed to do so. He regretted that though all these mosques were built by Muslims, all and sundry except Muslims are allowed to enter them. Members of Masjid Aabad Tahreek Committee declared that all these mosques will, in any case, be liberated for offering namaz and prayers will be offered in these mosques which are lying desolate and lonely for years. Among the demands of this committee most important is that every effort will be made to rehabilitate the locked and unused mosques. Members of this committee have also decided that this issue will be taken up all over the country under which the first mission will be started from U.P. where assembly elections are to take place very shortly. Committee members said that at the time of the election we want to tell Muslims how sincere, these political parties are about being their well wishers, by either giving them the toy of reservation quota within quota or those who want to garner votes in the name of minorities and dalits. They said that for this purpose first of all they will meet Congress leaders and ask them to vacate their illegal occupation of Masjids which is without any justification. They will be asked why these mosques are locked when there is no logical reason for this. They will be told that these are opened for exhibitions or other purposes but not opened for the real purpose i.e. for offering namaz and why is it so? They further said that if need be, they will go to places and areas where Rahul Gandhi is campaigning for electioneering and tell Muslims about the true position so that they are aware of the sincerity and sympathy of the congress for Muslims.

Elitist Syndrome behind Gita

should have acted as an arbitrator to diffuse the conflict which had emanated out of a family feud. Instead, he chose to aggravate it Lucknow: A Siberian court in Russia has finally withdrawn the into a full blown war and that too without any principles. Gautam expressed his amazement as to what else can be the intended ban on Gita, which understandably triggered a wave of celebration in our country. The move had led to some unruly purported Indian tradition, when the great Mahabharat (war) scenes in our parliament where the government was urged to let stemmed from losing ones wife, in a gamble, to Duryodhana by the sensitivities of Indian people be put across to Russia about a Yudhishtra (a Hindu icon), the eldest brother of Arjun. Gita book considered sacred by millions of Indians while the Russian encourages the scourge of gambling to the extent of putting ones court termed it a book of terrorism and extremism. It seems that own wife at stake. Ironically, this wife was not Yudhishtras sole life behind the scenes and diplomatic moves have won the day and partner, as all of his other four brothers were joint-husbands of the ban was quickly lifted. Indias main argument was that Gita is Draupadi too. Gita prescribes to polyandry in the belief that a a book of universal humanism which teaches morality and culture. smaller number of children would guarantee the consolidation of However, there is an alternative view opposing the dominant power and state into only one or a few selected ones, Gautam pointed citing the example of a perspective propagated through Dalit Eklavya who had learnt the the mainstream media. It says art of the usage of bow and that Gita is a document of fasarrow by camouflage (hiding) as cism, war-ideology, perpetuating he was denied the honour of a line of thought which means becoming a disciple of a winning at any cost, without Brahmin (Dronacharya), and had playing according to the rules of to forsake his thumb as a geswar, said Jagdish Patel, nationture of gift to his tutor as al president of Vishwa Shudra Dronacharya never wanted to Mahasabha, a Lucknow-based impart his lessons to anyone organisation. Shudra is a strata apart from Arjun. of Indian society which lies at the Harnam Singh Gautam Jagdish Patel He forced Eklavya to cut lowest rung of Hindu social his right hand thumb, despite The ideology of all these Hindu scriptures is order. The Brahminical/Hindu Social Order has three elitist just to subjugate and force humankind into a never denying him discipleship in the first place in order to never let a sections and the rest chunk of ending sea of indignation, Jadish Patel says. He about 85 percent people are said Gita was rightly banned as Krishna, the Hindu Dalit gain access to the knowledge of warfare. Thankfully, ordained to serve the elites. god, had forced Arjun, another Hindu icon, to fight a today such an act would be held Hence, they are called Shudras. war against his own will as a crime under the Indian Jadish Patel, however, uses Penal Code. The Brahmin ideShudra as an acronym for Social Harmonic Unity of Depressed and Regressed Associations! ology of total monopoly of the state is no secret. They arrested the His organisation has been running since 2004, and in Jan 2006, imagination of millions of people by putting on air television serials he had shot to fame when he burnt Mahabharata, Ramayana, like Ramayana and Mahabharata, with an eye on capturing Manusmriti and Gita (all Hindu sacred books). He describes all of Parliament. But the era of Brahmin hegemony is now over, said them as documents of perpetual hate, annihilation and obscuran- Gautam. He called it the worst tragedy that the best sports-coaching award of the country is named after this very Dronacharya! tism bereft of an iota of human dignity. The ideology of all these Hindu scriptures is just to subjugate Gautam is the state general-secretary of All India Chamar and force humankind into a never ending sea of indignation, Mahasangh. Chamars are cobblers in the Hindu social order. The Jadish Patel says. He said Gita was rightly banned as Krishna, the organisation was founded in 1965. The third voice calling for a ban on Gita came from Hindu god, had forced Arjun, another Hindu icon, to fight a war Harishchandra Baudh, who indicated that Brahmin forces of totalagainst his own will. The sentiment which ran through Arjun was no-war but annihilation have always been into fray and who want their books Krishna prevailed over him to let loose the worst war in Indian his- of fascism to become national assets? He said Lord Rama (a tory. Krishna did not allow Karna (a Shudra) to be entitled to any Hindu god) beheaded Shambuk, a Dalit, for having had the temersocial status until Duryodhayana (in opposition to Arjun) accorded ity to pray to God. Rama killed him while he was praying and him to be his brother. Karna dedicated his life to Duryodhayana Rama is the best god for Hindus. Gita is a verdict of a totally prejdespite the unsuccessful bids of Krishna to outmaneuvre him. udiced and a pre-conceived totalitarian mindset. The book should Karna had to learn the war skills by impersonating as a Brahmin, have been banned outright, he said. He loathed the way the and was ostracised when his secret came out in the open. All Brahmins look at the millions and millions of Shudras, who are knowledge was limited to the upper three crusts of the Hindu soci- tragically still under the strong arm of fascistic forces despite ety. Knowledge of any kind was never to be the forte of people like democracy and universal freedoms. His organisation, us, who even in this century are scorned upon even if we sport the Dr. Ambedkar Baudh Sanskritik Sannthan, is based in Pratapgarh, best of mannerisms and etiquette. Gita is primarily a book of ultra- UP. It should have earned laurels for Turkey government, which hooliganism and a doctrine of total human cleansing, Patel had banned Gita in 1975, but the then Indian ambassador to Turkey, KR Narayanan, had taken pains to get the ban revoked, added. Harnam Singh Gautam is a Dalit-political activist who devotes which is nothing but laughable as Narayanan was ironically a Dalit his endeavours to articulate the ignominy of the social dehumani- who later rose to become President of India. He gelled well with sation of the Dalits. He expressed his utter displeasure over the his Stockholm syndrome, said Jagdish Patel who spent two withdrawal of the ban on Gita. He said that the Hindu god Krishna months in jail for his act of 2006.

HAIDER ABBAS

Problem of the demolished Masjid Noor lingers on

New Delhi: The dispute around Masjid Noor of Jangpura which was demolished by DDA on objections raised by the localitys Residents Welfare Association (RAW) in January last year (2011) has still not been settled and dates after dates are being fixed by the Delhi High Court. It may be recalled that after the demolition of this mosque, DDA whose employees had demolished this mosque, in order to settle the dispute between RWA and Muslims, had allotted a 400 sq. yard of plot, for solving this dispute, in the same area on which a new mosque could be built. This 400 yards plot was not a gift in lieu of the demolished Masjid Noor but it was rather a sale and purchase transaction and Masjid Noors managing committee or Delhi Waqf Board under whom these mosques fall was to pay the price of this plot which is about Rs. 2,30,000. In the last hearing of this case on 14 December Masjid Noors management committee or the Waqf Board was to pay the price of this plot and DDA was to handover the relevant plot and papers of this plot to the Waqf Board but since the relevant amount could not be arranged, Mahmood Paracha, the common lawyer of Delhi government and Waqf Board made the excuse that since Delhi Waqf Board has still not been constituted, the amount could not be procured and requested the Court for some time in March 2012 by which time the Waqf Board will be constituted and the amount of 2.30 lakh could be arranged. Accordingly the Court fixed 5 March 2012 for hearing of this case when the 400 yards plot will be handed over to the Masjid Noor managing committee. In reply to complaints by the Masjids management committees lawyer Muhammad Sajid that RWA people were always making one mischief or the other because of which understanding and cooperation between them and Masjid committee is not possible, the Hon. Judge asked both the rival parties to come to an understanding and adopt a peaceful approach so that the dispute could be solved amicably.

MG NEWS DESK

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012

NATIONAL

AIM to build English school at madrasa

Washington DC: The Association of Indian school under the auspices of the management Muslims of America (AIM), an NGO of Indian of the Madrasa Islamia Arabia Qasimul Uloom. Muslims who live in the US, has announced The AIM school from KG grade to Grade plans to build an English-medium Junior High VIII with an enrolment of about 150 students School at a madrasa in the town of Tewda in will follow the Indias Central Board of district Muzaffarnagar in Western Uttar Secondary Education curriculum, with English Pradesh. Muslims comprise about 40% of the being the medium of instruction. Under an population of Tewda, which is located about arrangement with the madrasa, the programme 100 kms from New Delhi. The school will be calls for transferring some young students from built at the existing campus of Madrasa Islamia the madrasa to the English-medium school. Arabia Qasimul Uloom, a prominent, modern Instruction in the school will comprise of both and financially sound madrasa owned and Islamic subjects (Diniyat) and regular subjects including Science subjects. In Grade VIII, stuoperated by the Muslim Educational Kaleem Kawaja dents will be given an option to either study Development Association of Muzaffarnagar. AIM will build and equip several classrooms and infrastruc- Islamic subjects to become Islamic scholars on a full-time basis, ture for the English-medium AIM Junior High School on land or regular scientific subjects to pursue careers in science and donated by Madrasa Islamia Arabia Qasimul Uloom at the exist- technology. The construction of the AIM school is expected to begin in a ing campus of the madrasa in Tewda, at an estimated cost of about Rs 25 lakh. AIM is building this project in collaboration with few months upon the completion of construction drawings, receipt the Hyderabad based NGO - Muslim Educational, Social, Cultural of construction permit from the municipal authorities and the Organization (MESCO) which will manage and operate the selection of a construction contractor.

AFMI award function in Lucknow

Agreement signed for AMU Kishanganj Centre land

Aligarh, 30 December able proposal for fund2011: A new chapter of ing of the project and modern education was getting approval of the initiated today in Visitor under Section Kishanganj district of 12(2) of the AMU Act Bihar with the transfer 1981. In the meantime, of 224.02 acres of land the matter will be to Aligarh Muslim brought before the University by the Academic and Government of Bihar Executive Councils for establishing AMU and University Court Kishanganj Centre. for necessary amendThe transfer of documents. He said that the ments along with the project for the certificate for delivery Kishanganj centre will of possession was initibe similar to that of the ated by Revenue and AMU Malappuram Land Reforms Department, Government of Bihar. The Principal Centre and Murshidabad Centre in terms of facilities and longSecretary, Human Resource Department, Government of Bihar, term plans and the AMU Kishanganj Centre will be a state-of-theundertook the delivery of possession and Mr. Sandeep Kumar art centre of higher education with world class facilities and techR. Pudakalkatti, District Magistrate and Collector, Kishanganj deliv- nological support. ered the possession as per the authorization of Bihar government. The Vice Chancellor also assured that if the state governThe land falls under the Kishanganj circle, Mauza Chakla, ment provides temporary accommodation, the University hopes Khata no. 384 and Mauza Govindpur, Khata No. 40, totalling to launch some of its programme in the next academic session 224.02 acres. The land has been transferred to the Registrar, itself. Aligarh Muslim University free from any encumbrances for setting The visiting AMU team inspected the land along with the up a Centre of the Aligarh Muslim University. District Revenue Officer. AMU Vice Chancellor, Prof. P. K. Abdul The Minister Incharge of Kishanganj and Araria districts, Mr. Azis observed that before the fencing of the land, all temporary Brijendra Prasad Yadav, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, settlements should be shifted but all humanitarian principles Energy, Registration should be taken into and Excise, Mr. Anjani consideration during AMU Kishanganj Agreement Day Celebration Kumar Singh, Principal New Delhi: The Delhi-based Aligarh Muslim University Coordination Committee the evacuation. Secretary, Human (AMUCC) on 30 December held a grand reception in the honour of AMU Vice Prof. Azis said that if Resource Development Chancellor Prof P K Abdul Azis for his role in the finalization of the land agree- necessary, 2-3 acre D e p a r t m e n t , ment of proposed AMU Centre in Kishanganj. The programme was organized at patch may be sepaGovernment of Bihar, Community Hall near Churipatti in Kishanganj. Along with AMU Registrar Prof V rated from the land Mr. Brijesh Mahrotra, K Abdul Jaleel, the AMU team was comprised of Prof Ikram Hussain, Prof N A K given to AMU in order Commissioner, Purnea, Durrani, Prof Yasmin, Prof Jawed Hussain and Prof Yahya. to resolve the tempoMr. Rahman Balyavi, The get together was attended by Kishanganj MP Maulana Asrarul Haque, veter- rary settlement issue representing the an Janata Dal (United) leader Mohammad Taslimuddin, Kochadhaman MLA in an amicable way. Government of Bihar, Akhtarul Imaan, local politicians Mujahid Alam (JD (U), Qamrul Hoda (JD(U), District officials said were present during the Syed Mahmood Ashraf (JD(U), educationists, activists and residents of that the land transfer transfer ceremony Seemanchal. has been made after along with Prof. P. K. People thanked the AMU Vice Chancellor for gifting the state of Bihar with a mod- the decision of the Abdul Azis, Vice ern university campus. AMUCC thanked the chief minister Nitish Kumar and Bihar state cabinet. Chancellor, AMU Government for providing 224.02 acres land to build the AMU Study Centre. Maulana Asrarul Haq Prof. V. K. Abdul Jaleel, AMUCC presented a replica of bullockcart as a memento) to Vice Chancellor. Qasmi, Member of Registrar, AMU and Parliament from other officers of AMU. Kishanganj, who was The Minister, present in the meetMr. Brijendra Prasad ing, expressed overYadav assured that all whelming happiness possible support for that with the help of providing the necessary the state and Central infrastructure including governments and the construction of a 30because of the initiameter wide road, 30 KV tive taken by AMU electricity substation Vice Chancellor, his dedicated to the AMU dream of bringing a Centre as well as water modern education to the campus will be centre to Kishanganj provided and the fenchas come true. He ing will also be erected hoped that in the near to make the land and distant future it is encumbrance-free. going to change the Prof. P. K. Abdul fate and face of this Azis, AMU Vice underdeveloped Chancellor assured that region of the country. AMU Kishanganj Mr. Akhtarul Centre project will be put on fast track and within a couple of days Iman, MLA, who played an active role in the identification of the a consultant will be appointed with instruction to submit DFR and land, and a number of distinguished people of the area were also DPR in a months time so that the University can submit a suit- present in the programme.

Lucknow: The American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) organized an Award Distribution Function in association with Parvaaz Foundation to boost the morale of those students in U.P. who have achieved over 70% of marks in Classes 10 and 12 Board examinations. A total of 36 meritorious students were chosen from over 350 applications received from surrounding districts of Lucknow. Dr. A. S. Nakadar, Trustee, AFMI, Dr. Husain Nagamia, AFMI, Dr. Tajuddin Ahmed, AFMI, Dr. Shakir Mukhi, AFMI, Saleem Haq, CEO Reliance (UP & Uttranchal), Anis Ansari (IAS), Javeed Ahmed (Director, CBI, North), and Dr. Abdullah, AFMI, distributed these awards to these students with a cash prize of Rs. 1500 (1st Prize), Rs. 1250 (2nd Prize), and Rs. 1000 (3rd Prize) along with a trophy and a certificate. Dr. Nakadar spoke to the students about the need for quality education among the Muslim community and informed that during past years this number has improved but a lot still has to be done to bring the community to the mainstream level. Notice issued for minorities sub-quota New Delhi: With the government giving its nod to a sub-quota for minorities within the 27 per cent reservation for OBCs, the HRD ministry on 24 Dec. issued a gazette notification for its implementation in all Central educational institutions. The decision would cover admissions in technical institutions such as the IITs, IIMs, NITs and over 40 Central universities and educational institutions like National Institute of Design. The Union Cabinet had on 22 December approved a sub-quota of 4.5 per cent for minorities within the 27 per cent reservation for OBCs, paving the way for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for minorities. The decision will come into effect from 1 January 2012. According to HRD ministry officials, the 4.5 per cent reservation would result in roughly 120 seats earmarked for minorities in the IITs while in the IIMs with a total intake of nearly 3,500 students, 42 seats would go to students from minority communities. Meanwhile, the five-year deadline for Central educational institutions to implement 27 per cent OBC reservation in a phased manner ends next year. Cases against 92 Muslim Aurangabad youths withdrawn Mumbai: Twelve years ago in 1999 on the occasion of seventh anniversary of Babri Masjids demolition some Muslim youths of Aurangabad were protesting and agitating against it. On that occasion as many as 99 of them were arrested by the city police and cases filed against them. Now after 12 years home minister of the state (Maharashtra), R.R. Patil has withdrawn all cases against them on the request of Arif Naseem Siddiqi, Maharashtras minister for minorities affairs and former Chairman of states Minorities Commission. He (Siddiqi) said that the release of all these youths is an old demand of the Commission. He said that he had met R.R. Patil recently and urged that in view of the difficulties being faced by these youths, cases against all the 92 youths filed under different sections of I.P.C. and in different police stations are very old and these should now be withdrawn. He said that home minister Patil, after his intervention, signed all the relevant files for withdrawal of all cases against all of them. M.P. passes stringent Act for Cow Slaughter Prohibition Bhopal: Making the earlier Act (passed in 2004 by Uma Bharati government) more stringent MP has passed Madhya Pradesh Cow Slaughter Prohibition (Amendment) Act 2010 that fixes seven year imprisonment (to the earlier three year term) for the offender. Even transporting a cow outside the state for slaughter has been made punishable under the new Act. The bill has received the Presidents assent after a twoyear-long wait. Court denies bail to Maulana for conversion Ahmedabad: Metro court rejected bail application of Maulana Yusuf Pathan for converting a Hindu girl to Islam, for who wanted to marry one Altaf Khan. The police had arrested the two for conversion following a complaint lodged by the parents of the girl. The two were arrested and produced before the court after the expiry of their remand period.

MG NEWS DESK

8 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012

NATIONAL

Intelligence Reform: Pulling the Wool Over the Eyes of Critics

Indias Executive ordered the intelligence community into existence and is wholly responsible for its oversight. This situation has led to an ineffective and unaccountable intelligence community that resorts to increasingly intrusive tactics without regard to civil liberties and often based on little more than political whim. Manish Tiwari, Member of Parliament and spokesperson for the Congress Party, the main partner in the ruling United Progressive Alliance in India, proposed a private members bill titled the Intelligence Services (Powers and Regulation) Bill (the Bill) ostensibly to increase the intelligence communitys legitimacy by placing it within a legal framework, promising parliamentary oversight, and creating accountability bodies.[1] The Bill, however, falls far short of its ambitions, and instead reflects the drafters intention to retain the status quo of Executive dominance of intelligence operations, oversight and accountability.[2] Impetus for Reform: Indias intelligence community is principally made up of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) responsible for internal intelligence, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) responsible for external intelligence, a military intelligence wing and the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) responsible for technological intelligence gathering. The intelligence community is empowered with nearly unmitigated operational discretion, which it uses regularly at the expense of constitutional human rights guarantees.[3] Yet, even with these powers, the intelligence community has repeatedly failed to gather any information on, much less prevent, numerous terrorist attacks[4] and their lack of coordination has been blamed for such horrific blunders as the failure to prevent Rajiv Gandhis assassination.[5] Perhaps most damning, critics believe that the intelligence failures result directly from the diversion of intelligence resources from counterterrorism to efforts to collect intelligence against political opponents[6] and the lack of inter-agency coordination on a turf war between political appointees seeking Executive favour.[7] So serious are these failures that Indias Vice President recently lectured the RAW on the necessity of parliamentary oversight of intelligence agencies.[8] The Bill: The stated purpose of the Bill is to provide a legal framework for Indias intelligence community that includes oversight mechanisms, power constraints and remedies for civil liberties violations.[9] It provides the legal basis, and therefore democratic legitimacy, for the IB, RAW, and NTRO and establishes a procedure for authorizing property searches and interference with communications to place the agencies under rule of law.[10] The Bill creates the National Intelligence Tribunal (Tribunal) to investigate the publics complaints against the intelligence agencies [11] and an Intelligence Ombudsman (Ombudsman) to decide on internal staff complaints.[12] It also establishes the National Intelligence and Security Oversight Committee, a quasi-Parliamentary body, to examine the administration and compliance of policy laid down under this Act. Despite its lofty goals and the creation of new institutions, the Bills excessively broad provisions filled with vague language do little to regulate the powers of the intelligence agencies and instead consolidate Executive control over intelligence operations, oversight and accountability. (De) regulating the Intelligence Agencies: Ostensibly the Bill seeks to provide a specific mandate and list of functions of the RAW, IB and NTRO to allow for greater operational efficiency and regulation of the intelligence agencies.[13] In reality, it does little to delineate the jurisdiction and functions of the agencies, instead adopting vague language and broad provisions to guarantee that the Executive retains control to determine the role of each intelligence agency. The RAWs mandate is limited only by the requirement that it respond to international or cross-border threats. It has the power to act in the interests of National Security [14] which is defined as Indias sovereignty, territorial integrity, economic stability and upholding of the Constitution,[15] with a focus on defence, security, strategic, economic and foreign policies of . . . India; or on the neutralization of external threats.[16] These broad terms make it impossible to know the boundaries of or restrict the RAWs subjectmatter jurisdiction. The Bill also fails to place any real limits on the RAWs functions. Nothing in the Bill identifies the RAW as primarily an intelligence agency, a ridiculous omission. Nor does the Bill state whether the RAW has law enforcement capabilities, although it later permits the agency to apply for warrants and authorizations to search property and interfere with communications.[17] The Bill is no better at defining the mandate of the IB, as it permits the IB to aid law enforcement potentially without restriction, in addition to protecting national security from internal threats and safeguarding Indias economic well-being.[18] At least, however, it lists intelligence gathering as one of the IBs functions. The NTRO also has a seemingly unlimited mandate as it is permitted to carry out its tasks of monitoring and interfering in communications and collecting information on behalf of intelligence, defence and law enforcement agencies in the interests of National Security, Indias economic well-being and the prevention, detection, interdiction or investigations of ... crimes, as ordered by the Prime Minister.[19] The Bill also seems to permit the NTRO to engage in political intelligence gathering as long as these actions are not undertaken only to further political interests. [20] The Bill is silent on numerous aspects important for regulating and controlling the administration of the agencies, particularly on how staffing requirements, terms of service, and financing will be determined.[21] Presumably, these tasks will remain with the Executive. The only real regulations come from feeble provisions on obtaining authorizations and warrants to search property and interfere in communications. The Bill applies a weak standard to determine the appropriateness of such searches and interference. The designated authority, who must be a Secretary of the government, may authorize such action domestically if the information is considered necessary because it is likely to be of substantial value in assisting the intelligence agencies in its functions and there are no other reasonable means for gathering the information.[22] There is no proportionality requirement that demands that the value of the information be weighed against the severity of civil liberties intrusions. Instead, the Bill simply assumes that any information that is of substantial value in assisting the agencies justifies such violations. The omission of a proportionality standard is particularly egregious as the Bills provisions likely were copied from outdated provisions of the British Intelligence Services Act of 1995 that were replaced with a requirement that a warrant be issued only if it is necessary for assisting the intelligence agencies and the action is proportionate to its goals.[23] Either the drafters of the Bill were inept in their research or they purposely chose a weak standard that had been rejected by the country from which it was copied. The authorization provisions also contain glaring loopholes. For example, a warrant or authorization is not required for monitoring communications, only for property searches and interference with communication. [24] Another important loophole creates an incentive for intelligence agents to act illegally. While information gained without an authorization cannot be used against the person to whom it relates, it can justify authorization for future searches or interferences with communications.[25] Centralized Executive Power: The Bill also fails to achieve its accountability and oversight goals as it consolidates these powers with the Executive. In addition to nearly total control over the jurisdiction, functions, budget and administration of the intelligence agencies, the Bill establishes oversight and accountability bodies wholly dependent on the Executive to function. The Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs make up one quarter of the National Intelligence and Security Oversight Committee (NISOC), ostensibly a parliamentary oversight body.[26] The NISOC reports directly to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary serves as its Secretary.[27] Even its reporting to Parliament is controlled by the Prime Minister who can remove any information deemed prejudicial to the discharge of agency functions from the NISOCs annual report before submitting it to Parliament.[28] The NISOC has little real purpose. It is responsible for examin[ing] the administration and compliance of policy laid down under this Act,[29] which is excessively limited power given how few regulations and administrative provisions are contained in the Bill. Its jurisdiction is particularly limited compared to most democratic countries that, at a minimum, provide for independent parliamentary oversight of intelligence policy, administration, and financing, and, in some cases operations as well.[30] The NISOCs lack of jurisdiction is exacerbated by the fact that it can receive information only after it is first screened by the intelligence agencies to remove sensitive information and then by the Prime Minister who has unlimited discretion to refuse disclosure.[31] As an oversight body, the NISOC is of little worth. Both the Ombudsman and the Tribunal appear to be granted substantial powers to address complaints against the intelligence agencies, but these powers are severely compromised by their lack of independence. The Ombudsman and the members of the Tribunal are political appointees who report to the Prime Minister.[32] For the Tribunal, this creates severe separation of powers issues as two members of the Tribunal may be sitting judges who simultaneously are members of both the Executive and Judiciary. Additionally, the Executive is wholly responsible for the administration and financing of the Ombudsman and Tribunal,[33] as well as their access to information.[34] This permits the Executive unfettered access to their investigations and could allow it to squeeze these bodies by refusing them staff, financing and information anytime it is dissatisfied with its investigations or decisions.[35] (Un)Coordinated Agencies: Exacerbating its weaknesses, the Bill provides almost no regulation of inter-agency coordination although this is one of its express purposes. [36] All the Bill states is that the director of the RAW and IB are responsible for coordinating with each other and other, mostly unspecified, law enforcement agencies,[37] granting them full discretion over how and when coordination will take place. This seems both lazy and inappropriate considering the current situation of turf-wars in which intelligence agencies clutch information to their chests. Conclusion: The Intelligence Services (Power and Regulations) Bill seems to be little more than an attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of the intelligence communitys critics by appearing to reform the agencies while in fact retaining the status quo of Executive domination over intelligence operations, oversight and accountability. (Human Rights Features) Footnotes:
[1] A private member bill is a bill introduced by a Member of Parliament rather than a Minister of the government. [2] This intention is only more evident when considering that private members bills are rarely discussed in Parliament much less passed. According to a study by PRS Legislative Research, no private member bill has been passed since 1970. Only 4% of Parliaments time is spent debating private members bills as only the last 2 hours of Friday afternoon of the Lok Sabhas sitting are allotted for consideration of these types of bills. Rohit Kumar, Vital Stats Private Memberss Bills in Lok Sabha, (2010) 1 available at http://www.prsindia.org/administrator/uploads/general/1265629223~~Vital%20 Stats%20-%20Private%20Member% 20Bills%2021Jan2010%20v02. pdf. In fact, only 14 of the 328 private members bills introduced were discussed in the 14th Lok Sabha. Id. [3] India: Rights organisations face government backlash 10 June 2010 One World South Asia at http://southasia.oneworld.net/todaysheadlines/india-rightsorganisations-face-government-backlash; The Secret world of phone tapping, Ashish Khetan, Bhavna Vij-Aurora and Sandeep Unnithan, m December 9, 2010; India Today available at http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/the- secretworld-of-phone-tapping/1/122693. html; Iftikhar Gilani, the unintelligence of Indias intelligence system, Tehelka 12 Sept. 2011; DIONNE BUNSHA, Fake encounter, Frontline Volume 24 - Issue 9 :: May. 05-18, 2007; Anupam Dasgupta, Indias Secret Torture Chambers The Week, July 14, 2009. [4] No intelligence is also intelligence failure: BJP Sep 8, 2011 Times of India; India: No intelligence failure in Mumbai bombings, MSNBC, 7/14/2011; Mumbai blasts an intelligence failure: R R Patil, TNN Jul 12, 2006 times of india; All groups hostile to India on radar, government on Mumbai blasts The Economic Times, 14 July 2011; Analysis: Bad Intelligence Helped Mumbai Attacks Succeed Sky News, 29 November 2008 [5] Manoj Mitta, The Verma commission A Cover Up Job? India - Today, August 15, 1993, 61-62 [6] Swapan Dasgupta, The Indolent Giant - India must modernize its intelligence gathering machinery The Telegraph, January 9, 2009; see also, Bibhuti Bhushan Nandy, former Additional Secretary, Cabinent Secretariat, R&AW and Direct General (redt), Indo-Tibetan Border Police., R&AW AND THE COOKED, THE Hindustan Times, 21 June 2002 (the IB is unable to realise its full potential because it wastes a great deal of its time, manpower and other resources in political snooping.); Burch, James. A Domestic Intelligence Agency for the United States? A Comparative Analysis of Domestic Intelligence Agencies and Their Implications for Homeland Security. Homeland Security Affairs: The Journal of the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security. Vol. 3, No. 2. June 2007. Available from http://www.hsaj.org/?fullarticle=3.2.2. [7] Bhashyam Kasturi, Intelligence Agencies: no control; the Economic Times, 6 Aug 1994; Aloke Tikku, Manpower crunch plagues IB, Hindustan times, Sept 15, 2008, Rajeev Deshpande and Vishwa Mohan, Playing Politics with Intelligence, The Times of India, 8 October 2007 [8] Honble Vice President of India Shri M. Hamid Ansari at the Fourth R. N. Kao Memorial Lecture January 19, 2010 available at http://intellibriefs.blogspot.com/2010/01/vice-president-deliver-fourth-rnkao.html. While Ansari was speaking about intelligence agencies generally, the implication was this was the concern in India. Shashi Tharoor, a Member of Parliament and former United Nations Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Affairs, and Minister of State for the Ministry of External Affairs, similarly called for independent oversight of Indian intelligence agencies in a 2007 speech before the RAW. Shashi Tharoor, Beyond the Legacy of Secrecy, The Hindu 4 February 2007. [9] The Intelligence Services (Powers and Regulation) Bill, 2011, Statement of Objects and Reasons [10]Part IV. [11] Part VIII. [12] Part VII. [13] Statement of Object and Reasons. (These agencies are operating without an appropriate statutory basis delineating their functioning and operations. This tends to, among other things, compromise operational efficiency and weakens the professional fabric of these agencies. It also results in intelligence officers not having due protection when performing their duties.) [14] Article 3(2). [15] Article 2(7). [16] Article 3(2). [17] Part V. [18] Article 4(3). The IBs mandate is to protect national security from internal threats, but the provision stating that the IB is to act[] in aid to the central and state police agencies including Para Military Organizations and other law enforcement agencies contains no express limitation that these activities be conducted within the IBs national security mandate. At worst, the IB has unlimited jurisdiction to gather intelligence with respect to any potential crime. [19] Artice 6(2-3). [20] Article 7(2)(b)(requiring the Chairman of the NTRO to ensure that it does not take any action that furthers only the interests of any political party or similar interest group). Compare this with the full restriction on the IB and RAW from taking any action that furthers the interests of any political party or coalition of political parties or other such interests groups. Articles 3(4)(b) and 5(2)(b). [21] The Bill does state that each agency will have a director appointed by the Prime Minister. Articles 3, 4, and 6. [22] Article 8(2). There is one other additional requirement to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to protect the information from disclosure. [23] Intelligence Services Act 94 Art. 5(2), which was amended by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (2000) Article 74. [24] Article 6(2) expressly states that eh NTRO is permitted to monitor and interfere with all forms of communication, yet under Article 8(1) an authorization is required only for entering property or interfering with communication. [25] Article 11(2). [26] Article 12(2). [27] Articles 12(4) and 12(5). [28] Article 12(5). [29] Article 12(1). [30] The British Act from which this Bill is derived allows its Parliamentary oversight body to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of its intelligence agencies. Intelligence Services Act 1994 Article 10. See also e. g. United States National Security Act 50 US sec. 413A(a) (Congressional committees have oversight powers to examine policy, financing, and operational decisionmaking of intelligence agencies.). [31] Article 15(1). [32] Articles 16(1), 16(5)(governing the Ombudsman), and Articles 24 and 27(2)(governing the Tribunal). [33] Article 16(2) (governing the Ombudsman) and Articles 27(5), 28 and 29 (governing the Tribunal). The Bill is silent as to how the Ombudsman will be financed and explicitly states that the Executive will be responsible for financing the staff and infrastructure of the Tribunal. [34] Article 17(2)(Ombudsman) and 31(2)(Tribunal). Both provisions state that the intelligence agencies have a duty to disclose information the Ombudsman and Tribunal require without stating who makes the determination of what is required. These provisions can far too easily be read as permitting the Executive to make that determination, particularly since the information lies with the Executive alone. [35] Notably, the staffing and infrastructure provisions governing the Tribunal were taken from similar provisions governing the British intelligence Tribunal that were removed in 2000 reforms intended to provide for greater intelligence accountability. Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act Article 65. [36] The Bill states that its purpose is to regulate the manner of the functioning and exercise of powers of Indian Intelligence Agencies . . . and to provide for the coordination, control, and oversight of such agencies.(emphasis added). [37] Articles 3(4)(c) and 5(2)(c).

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012

NATIONAL

Communal riots 2011

ASGHAR ALI ENGINEER
Riot free India still remains a distant dream. Like every year this past year too (i.e., 2011 several communal riots took place though earlier months did not witness violence and it appeared 2011 may be communally less violent. But during the middle and end of the year frequent riots took place once again shaming India. However, one can, on the positive side, say that riots like the Mumbai riots of 1992-93 and Gujarat like riots of 2002 have not taken place. But there is a reason for this. The Shiv Sena or BJP, even if they want, cannot organize riots on such a major scale. It needs highly emotional and surcharged atmosphere which cannot be generated so easily. It can be generated around some major event like the demolition of the Babri Masjid or some such major event. The account was opened in Umarkhedi, Yewatmahal district in Maharashtra on 13th January when some Hindu boys indulged in eve-teasing of a Muslims girl and stone-pelting started from both sides and people started fleeing leaving their shoes and chappals fearing a major outbreak of violence. But the police officer Mr. Deokatte controlled the violence effectively and called for reinforcements from district headquarters. It shows that if the police is impartial it can control violence effectively and a second thing, that in ordinary things like eve-teasing an incident becomes a communal issue instead of mere law and order issue. On such things we get divided into Hindus and Muslims. Even if a cricket ball hits someone we get communally divided or when some accident takes place we communalise it. It is all the result of constant communal propaganda of communal forces and the way our education system shapes our impressionable minds. On 7th February there arose a dispute between a Christian father and a rickshaw driver and strangely it assumed a communal colour. Some communal elements gave it a Hindu-Muslim colour and entered into a Muslim Mohallah and pelted stones in which 10 persons were injured and they also set several houses and shops on fire and several vehicles were also burnt. This mob did not spare even tribals in the area. But unfortunately the police played a partial role and lathicharged Muslims and Adivasis only. Muslim properties were mostly targeted. Baroda in Gujarat, another extremely communally sensitive area, witnessed communal violence on 16th February when some mischievous elements attacked a gate erected for celebrating Eid and burnt it. Several vehicles were also burnt down. One Chamis Kahar from the fishing community was arrested. Kahars and Muslims often clash in Baroda as some Kahars and some Muslims are in the illegal liquor business. A major riot had taken place between Kahars led by Shiva Kahar and Muslims in 1982 in Baroda. On Monday i.e. 2nd March some communal elements in Sewri area of Mumbai tried to tear flags and posters put up on the occasion of the Prophets birthday and the situation had become tense in the area. On 5th March after someone pushed a child the situation took a violent turn and stoning began from both sides. Some people even molested Muslim women. The police again is alleged to have played a partisan role and instead of taking action against the mischievous elements lathi charged Muslims and arrested many young Muslims. According to the Police Commissioner a communal colour was given to these incidents and he brought about re-conciliation between the two groups. The next incident took place in Aurangabad, another communally sensitive area of Maharashtra. It happened on 20th March when some Muslim boys and girls were returning from S.B. College after appearing for the accounts paper. The Muslim girls were wearing veils and despite this some communal elements threw colour on them and when they resisted they took out knives and guptis and attacked them. Four students were seriously injured The police arrested the attackers including those who had run away from the scene and Vice Chancellor Prof. Pande of Dr.Ambedkar Marathwada University took prompt action against the administration of S.B. College who had refused to take any action against the attackers who were communally motivated. On 6th April there were communal clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Dharavi, Asias largest slum area in Mumbai which is very sensitive and had witnessed a large number of deaths in communal clashes in 1992-93 and subsequently Mohallah committees were formed to bring peace in the area. In this incident four persons were injured. The Peace committee had done commendable work in Dharavi and it was after a long time that communal clashes occurred here. The Peace Committee is no more active. Maharashtra state unfortunately is communally quite sensitive and large numbers of communal clashes take place in this state every year. And in Maharashtra, Mumbai and its suburbs are more sensitive. Maharashtra witnessed largest number of riots in the last decade i.e. from 2001 to 2011. In all 1,192 riots took place in Maharashtra, the highest in India in which 172 persons were killed whereas in U.P. in all 1,112 communal incidents took place in which 384 persons were killed. In Meerut communal violence broke out on 25th April, ostensibly, over a glass of cold water. It all happened in Qazipur village near Meerut on Sunday the 25th April when 3 persons from the village came to Choti Masjid and asked for water. When they were offered tap water they insisted on cold water and on being told there was no cold water the men became violent and beat up the person who had offered tap water, and even the imam of the mosque and some children studying there. They went to the police station to complain but the police did not take any action. Many Muslims gathered outside the police station and began stoning in which the city magistrate and some police officers were injured. The crowd now attacked shops and houses. The crowd set fire to many police chowkies also. As a precautionary measure the police had to order all government and private schools to remain closed. And all this over a glass of cold water. Meerut is also a communally sensitive area and had witnessed horrible communal violence in 1987 in which PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary) had picked up 54 innocent Muslim youth from their houses and shot them dead in cold blood and threw their dead bodies in Hindon Canal. The next incident also occurred in U.P in Moradabad. Some policemen entered into a Muslim house looking for an accused person and at not finding him there misbehaved with the women of the house and seized a Quran from the hands of Nurjahan, a 10 year old girl and turned over the bed on which she was sitting thus throwing away the Quran. This enraged Muslims as it implied dishonouring the Quran and the provoked crowd of Muslims began demanding action against the policeman concerned before dispersing. Police kept on asking them to disperse and the Muslim crowd kept on demanding action against the guilty policemen and they also attacked the police thana and set fire to police vehicles and began stoning policemen. This of course enraged the policemen and they began beating up Muslims and also opened fire in which two Muslim men and one Hindu, an employee of a petrol pump were seriously injured. Curfew was imposed. Most of the people from the village fled to the nearby jungle fearing arrest and more police violence. Even a regional movement, thanks to ABVP, a BJP student wing of Osmania University,. like the Telangana movement got communalized when six Muslims of Adilabad district were burnt alive on 8th July in a village which is located on the border of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Miscreants set fire to a minority house in Watoli village, Adilabad district. Nearby Bhainsa town has a communal history and hence the Government is quite alert. Among those killed in Watile village are Mehboob Khan, Noman, Arsalan, Rizwan, Safiyah Begum and a two-year old toddler Tuba Mahosh. On 12th July Agras Mantola region witnessed communal violence. A truck carrying a sick goat for treatment to a hospital brushed against some people of the other community and argument ensued between the two groups belonging to different religions and soon stones were flying and properties, shops, houses and vehicles began to be burnt and firing also took place. The police also had to return the fire. The DIG on duty escaped by a hairs breadth in the private firing. People were firing from the roofs of their houses. The Police force had to be strengthened in the area including the PAC. The rioting was controlled with great difficulty. Moradabad suffered a series of communal incidents again on 8th August when a procession of Kavaryas (Shiv Bhagats carrying Ganga water) was not allowed to be taken out through a Muslim Mohallah passing by a mosque. First the Kavadyas were confronted with the police and then they began firing on the mosque. Since Iftar time was nearing police was not ready to take any risk and Kavadyas were insisting on passing through the Muslim Mohallah. When Muslims came out for tarawih prayers Kavadyas tried to stop them and then they went berserk and began setting fire to motorcycles and other vehicles and they also set fire to police vehicles. They also stoned a nearby mosque. They also set fire to many trucks parked nearby. Also from below the bridge firing took place which happens to be a majority populated area. This shows it was well planned riot. On 22 August in Jabalpur, a town in M.P., two communities argued over a religious procession and in no time stoning began and police had to clamp curfew in 6 police thana areas. In these clashes a number of persons were injured, some quite seriously. Jabalpur also has a communal history. It had witnessed the first major communal violence of independent India in 1961. .On 25th August Bahraich in U.P. witnessed an outbreak of violence. Bahraich is also a highly communally sensitive area. Some dispute arose between groups from the two communities outside a mosque and soon it turned violent and both the groups started pelting stones at each other and some even resorted to firing in which one person who was seriously injured died while being taken to hospital in Lucknow. Several persons were injured in the rioting. On 25th August communal violence broke out in Titwala, in Thane district on the occasion of Janmashtami. Some Hindu miscreants attacked Muslim youth and started beating them up and damaged several properties and vehicles belonging to Muslims. A Muslim delegation with pictures of the violence met the home minister of Maharashtra Shri R.R.Patil. These miscreants are roaming around in Muslim Mohallahs and Muslims of the area are living in fear of being attacked. The role of the police, the delegation alleged, was also questionable. On 2nd September on the day of Eid communal violence erupted in Newasa in Ahmadnagar district of Maharahtra. The police, it is alleged, played a highly partisan role and those Muslims who went to the police station to file an FIR were themselves arrested under 307 and sent to jail. This happens very often and so Muslims generally avoid even filing FIRs. Many Muslims fled Nawasa and took refuge in Ahmednagar city. In this riot in Nawasa, Muslims were attacked with knives and swords and one Zakis office was totally ransacked and yet the police took no action. On the contrary action was taken by the police against Muslims and several of them were arrested under section 307. On 3rd September a riot broke out in Ujjain, M.P. which has a large Muslim population. In this riot two persons were killed and 16 injured. It is said that a riot broke out in the Daulatganj area of the old city when a shopkeeper installed a Ganesh idol in his shop adjacent to a mosque. But it is not clear whether rioting broke out only over the installation of the idol or something happened around it. Apparently installing an idol in a shop, even near a mosque, should not be cause enough for communal violence. On 7th September communal violence broke out in Aduni Tehsil

of Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh in which hundreds of people were injured of which three were quite serious. The provocation was what happens often - music in front of a mosque. Police had to resort to baton charge repeatedly to disperse the mob. Mobs on both sides resorted to stone pelting. This stone pelting went on for more than 4 hours and then the police had to resort to firing in the air. Ganesh idols were being taken for immersion in a nearby Canal. This procession stopped near a mosque and went on playing music and the whole trouble erupted. Both the groups had brought stones in autos and trucks. Next violence broke out in Nandurbar, a tribal area in Maharashtra on 8th September. This also happened when Ganesh idols were being taken for immersion Two persons were killed and several were injured. The violence broke out mainly because of illegal Ganpati Mandal and Muslims allege that Inspector Ramesh Patil was mainly responsible for this violence and he played a very partisan role and terrorized Muslims. Here too those Muslims whose properties were destroyed and who went to lodge FIR were arrested under section 353,32 Muslims were arrested whereas only 12 nonMuslims were arrested. And under section 302, 6 Muslims were arrested and under section 307, 12 Muslims were arrested. The Muslims of Nandurbar were so terrorized and traumatised that those who had lived for years, are not prepared to go back to their houses. On 14th September the biggest riot of the year took place in Gopalgarh, Bharatpur Rajasthan in which 11 persons were killed and nine of them by one sided police firing on people inside a mosque. Bharatpur is a mainly Meo Muslims area. There was a land disputed over a graveyard which Hindus claimed was a pond of water for their cattle which the Panchayat had wrongly allotted to Muslims for graveyard. Ashok Gehlot has miserably failed in controlling the communal situation in his state. In 2010 also Rajasthan witnessed two big riots in Saroda and Mangal Thana and in both these places police openly played a partisan role. In Saroda, Udaipur district 30 Muslim houses were burnt in the presence of the District Magistrate and S.P., which is a very serious offence on the part of high government officials, and Gehlot did not even suspend them. I personally urged upon him to suspend these officials, a large number of Muslims sat on a dharna outside his office but he took no action,. with the result that communal-minded police officials became very bold and other sensitive places too witnessed serious communal riots. When riots took place in Gopalgarh initially Gehlot dismissed it as a mere land dispute but Mrs. Sonia Gandhi rebuked him and he suspended the Collector and S.P. The communal situation in Rajasthan is very bad and Gehlot has mishandled it very badly. BJP is openly using the communal card to come back to power and Gehlot does nothing. Even the Congress delegation and M.P.s delegation felt Muslims were killed by the one sided police firing. Muslims of Rajasthan are very angry with C.M. Mr. Gehlot and many of them even boycotted his official functions. Though Bharatpur as such is a communally sensitive district, Gopalgarh, a village in that district, had never known communal violence and Hindus and Muslims had lived in peace and harmony. Meo Muslims are even otherwise culturally half Hindus and many have Hindu names and observe all Hindu festivals. BJP often complains that Muslims are not part of the mainstream and that is why communal prejudices remain alive. Though in a democracy, right to live cannot be conditional, in Bharatpur Muslims are very much Hinduised, even if it is a condition. And yet we see such horrible communal violence. Another riot took place in Rudrapur, Uttarakhand, a BJP ruled state. Rudrapur too had no communal history but it saw serious communal rioting. It seems in Rudrapur a deliberate attempt was made to incite communal violence. There was no spontaneous incident leading to communal violence. No one could be identified. Two attempts were made, one failed and one succeeded in inciting violence. In the first incident someone kept pages of the Quran tied in a red cloth as if dipped in blood near a Sani temple on the night of 28th September. When worshippers came in the morning on 29th September they found it. It appeared as if the cloth was dipped in blood. Both Hindus and Muslims were angry but the police controlled the situation arguing with Muslims that Hindus too are angry. But the second attempt succeeded when on 2nd October, Gandhi Jayanti some pages on which Arabic letters were written tied in a green polythyne bag, these bits of papers were mixed with some kind of meat and the bag was kept near the same temple. First a crowd of 150 Muslims gathered around 6-30 in the morning and then the crowd swelled to 800 and became violent. In the violence that erupted some 38 policemen and district officials were injured. Then the Hindu mob came from the other side and the situation went totally out of control. According to the police more than 30 civilians were injured and some 100 vehicles were torched. The Delhi-Nainital Highway was full of burnt vehicles near Rudrapur and mere steel skeletons were left. More than 100 shops were totally looted and destroyed. The FIR had names of 37 persons of whom 24 have been arrested. The situation would have been controlled if the district administration and police had acted promptly on 29th September itself and arrested the miscreants. The state government therefore, replaced DM and IG police to restore peace. This was the account of communal riots which took place during 2011 and it can be seen that all these riots took place over extremely petty issues. It can be seen that eruption of communal violence over such petty issues is possible only because due to constant communal propaganda strong prejudices prevail and there is total lack of confidence in each other. Also the police is prejudiced against Muslims and often sides with miscreants aggravating the violence and thirdly poverty and unemployment makes it possible for large crowds to gather and take part in rioting. Unless these causes are addressed it would be very difficult to ensure total communal peace in our country. (Secular Perspective)

10 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012

JAMMU & KASHMIR

White paper demanded in madrasa scam

AFSANA RASHID
Srinagar: Demanding a white paper on a controversy over the release of central funds to Madrasas in the state, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) December 17 said it involves not just huge financial transactions of a dubious nature but also the reputation of one of the most respected institutions of society. There is a huge gap between the amount released by the Government of India and funds acknowledged by the state government. Where has the money gone?, asked Mehbooba Mufti, party president, adding obvious inconsistencies in financial allocations by the Centre and its devolution to the ultimate users has criminal implication and government must investigate it and come out with the facts and figures. The controversy came to the fore after the department of school education, December 14 said it has ordered the release of Rs 3.47 crore to 362 madrasas across the state, which was not consistent with revelations by Union Human Resources Development Ministry that it had sanctioned over Rs 5 crore for 372 Madrasas for 2010-11 after receiving a formal proposal from the state and has sanctioned Rs 7 crore for MadrasasMadrasas for the current fiscal. Many Madrasas in the list, denied having received any funding. A notification issued by Commissioner Secretary School Education department vide order number 692-Edu 2011 on December 9, 2011 ordered the release of central assistance of Rs 3,47,85,000 in favour of directors of School Education of Kashmir/Jammu for further release to 362 Madrasas for providing quality education and incurring expenditure on salary, teaching learning material, establishment of library and science/computer labs/workshops to fulfill the laid down conditions. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has already released an amount of Rs 5, 38, 60,000 for 372 Madrasas in 201011 and Rs 7 lakh for this fiscal year, said the ministry in response to an RTI filed by Muhammad Sadiq Paswal from Jammu. Commissioner/Secretary Education, Naseema Lanker has been quoted as saying due to some mistake the list forwarded to HRD authorities showed higher number of institutions. There is repetition of some names. It has been clarified now. Muttahida Ulema Ahli Sunnat, a conglomerate comprising of more than 30 organizations and running dozens of Madrassas in the state, December 15 rejected having received or applied for financial assistance to state or central government. Around 60 of our institutions shown as beneficiaries by the department of education had neither sought funding from the government nor have they received assistance in the past. There are around eight institutions in the list that dont exist at all, said G R Hami, chief spokesperson of forum, while addressing the media, adding the image of religious institutions and Madrassas is being tarnished and money is being embezzled in their name. Education department and officials from HRD ministry are involved in a scam. Force (CISF) personnel guarding the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) projects in Kashmir opened fire on people protesting against power shortage in north Kashmirs Boniyar, January 2. As protestors marched towards the project, CISF personnel opened fire killing Altaf Ahmad Sood, 18, son of Bashir Ahmad of BarnaitBoniyar on the spot and injured Parvaiz Ahmad and Abdul Majid. Five CISF personnel allegedly involved in the firing were arrested by the police and the state government lodged a protest with the Union Home Ministry vis--vis the incident. Eyewitnesses say Altaf wasnt part of the protest but happened to be passing by, returning from tuition and was hit by the bullet in his chest. Immediately after the incident, chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted, Tragic beginning to New Year. Inexcusable use of force in Uri Law will now follow course. No protection under AFSPA will be considered since CISF werent on counter-insurgency deployment. The chief minister flew to Boniyar on January 3 to offer condolences to the family. This is no less than a murder. Justice would be given to the bereaved family at all costs, he said. FIR No. 01/2012 has been registered under section 302 RPC (murder) at police station Boniyar and five persons arrested, said Muneer Khan, DIG police, north Kashmir range. Calling for a strike on January 6 in protest against the killing, Kashmir Economic Alliance demanded stern action against the culprits. In the run up to the investigation into the killing, police January 3 seized weapons of the accused paramilitary men allegedly involved in the killing. A high level team of CISF from New Delhi arrived in Boniyar to take stock of the situation. Reacting strongly to the statement of N R Das, DG CISF that Standard Operation Procedure (SOP) was followed; residents January 4 termed it as a brazen lie aimed at protecting paramilitary personnel involved in the killing. CISF insists that its personnel enjoy immunity under AFSPA and it followed SOP. However, investigations carried out by police January 5 said that firing was unprovoked and about 90 rounds were fired by CISF men. The killing evoked massive condemnation from both the mainstream and separatists. Use of brute force by government is to muzzle the voice of the people who are suffering unprecedented problems due to mis-governance, said Mehbooba Mufti, PDP president, while addressing the public at Boniyar, January 3 where she conveyed condolences to Altafs family. Mohammad Yaseen Malik, chairman JKLF while addressing people at Boniyar said that the party would hold a dharna at Lal Chowk on January 6 to protest the killing. Terming the killing brutal and unprovoked Sajad Lone, chairman Peoples Conference said government should own its failure to protect Kashmiris. CPI (M) leader Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami said this is an attack on the democratic rights of people and those responsible must be identified and brought to book. All our dreams have been shattered, said Begum Jan, Altafs mother, adding we used to skip one meal just to provide better education to our child. The family that lives in an uncompleted one-storey wooden house now comprises of Parvez Ahmad, 8, Ishfaq Ahmad, 5, and fouryear-old Masrat.

Student murdered by army unit

A 12th standard student was killed and two persons injured when Central Industrial Security

SIT is like Gujarat police: Suresh

ABDUL HAFIZ LAKHANI
Ahmedabad: Gujarats former CM Suresh Mehta said that SIT is working like the Gujarat polices B team, trying to save Narendra Modi. Any clean chit to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in 2002 riot cases would be a big worry for democracy and criminal justice system of the country, former CM Suresh Mehta said. In a letter to R K Raghavan, Chairman of the Supreme Courtappointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing some of the post-Godhra riot cases, he said a clean chit to the BJP stalwart will also be a critical reflection on the agency. Mehta appealed to SIT to break its silence on recent media reports that Modi had been absolved with regards to the largescale communal violence, triggered by the Godhra train carnage in February 2002. If the media reports are true, then it would be a big worry for democracy and criminal justice system of the country, the former Chief Minister maintained. "SIT's silence on the issue is likely to shake the trust people have in an investigating agency like them, Mehta said and described the media reports as selective leaks. He said SIT was not a judicial court and it was improper for the agency to make any judgemental statements, especially when investigations are yet to be completed. In the letter, the former BJP leader provided a list of points on which SIT needs to investigate and apply its mind. He said if SIT completely ignores riot victim Zakia Jafferys complaint implicating Modi and 63 others in riots, it would be a shameful event in the history of Gujarat. My letter to you becomes relevant as it has been nearly two months since media reports appeared and over three months have passed since the Supreme Court ruling on Zakias complaint (which has been referred to the lower court in Ahmedabad). This raises serious concern as the SIT has still not filed any progress report, said Mehta, who quit the BJP ahead of the 2007 Assembly polls. The former Chief Minister stated that SIT had ignored important points about the riot cases despite letters and statements from several people. to get the votes of the OBCs in state. At the same time he continues to show warmth to Muslims putting Congress in a puzzle. If the political compulsions of Narendra Modi now propel him to embrace the Muslims at public fora, for the secular Congress it is the desperation to resurrect itself that is pushing it to flaunt its stable of sants. The volte face of the principal players, however, has done little to usher in the amity, that both claim to be their gift to the people. On the contrary, Gujarat politics today looks more like a game of trapeze than a battle of political ideologies. While Modis official change of heart made headlines all over, albeit for some wrong reasons, the Congress had started its electioneering from a temple in Kutch during Navratri amid huge fanfare. The grand old party fired its first salvo at Modi accusing him of Brahma Hatya (killing of a Brahmin, in an oblique reference to the murder of Haren Pandya) Stree Hatya (killing of a woman) and Gohatya (cow slaughter). But that was not enough. Recently, GPCC President Arjun Modvadia along with other state Congress leaders met Jagadguru Shankaracharya of Dwarka and Badrinath Math Swami Swarupanandaji during his visit to Ahmedabad. The party followed it up with releasing pictures of the leaders with the sant. Also, the leader of the Opposition showcased a band of sadhus on the stage during his protest fast at Bhavnagar, when Modi held his Sadbhavana fast in the coastal city. Observers tend to concur that the Gujarat Congress suffers from a bankruptcy of ideas. The party appears to have stepped into the trap of reacting to Modis manoeuvres once again by trying to erect a counter edifice against the Sarkari sadhus. The grand old party is vacillating in its stands. Sometimes we are with Muslims, at other times we are touching the feet of Hindu priests and most of the time, we are just not there., said a senior Congress worker. While the bipolar Gujarat polity has not been too accommodative for any third force so far, the gap between the issues on the fields and those on microphones, does indicate the scope for one to spread its roots at least theoretically. However, what remains to be seen is how far that translates into reality. If the Congress is warming up early, its because it took a hammering in the 2002 and 2007 assembly elections. The municipal polls held in four major cities including Ahmedabad didnt change the partys fortune. The only glimmer of good news came from Gandhinagar, where the Congress won the elections to the new Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation. Though Gandhinagar is represented by BJP stalwart LK Advani in the Lok Sabha, the area has traditionally been a Congress stronghold. Mr Modi has also entered election mode. He has been holding communal harmony fasts across the state - Godhra, where the communal riots of 2002 began, is expected to see Mr Modi soon for one of these fasts next month. The blot of Indias biggest riots since independence have kept Mr Modi from moving to the national political landscape. In these elections, he will attempt to prove that he is a leader equally acceptable to Muslims and minorities. He has already spoken against the Central governments decision to create a sub-quota of 4.5% for Muslims. This is a subset of the existing 27% reservation in government jobs and universities for Other Backward Castes. Mr Modi says that by creating a quota within a quota, the Congress is turning under-represented sections against each other. The Congress Party just believes in dividing the society on the basis of caste. They have a single point agenda of decimating society, he said at an OBC convention in Gandhinagar . Gujarat is economically one of the fastest growing states in India. Its GDP per capita income is twice that of the whole of India. Ahmedabad was ranked number 3 in the list of the worlds fastest growing cities in 2010. Gujarat also happens to be the only state in India with surplus electricity according to official Gujarat government data.. Congress was a dominant party in the state from its formation in 1960 to about 1995. Then Bhartiya Janata Party came to power under the leadership of Keshubhai Patel. But in just two years time, BJP leader Shankersinh Vaghela rebelled and formed a Govt with the help of the Congress. Keshubhai Patel was able to become the CM once again in 1998, but after loss of assembly seats in by-polls, he resigned and the Govt went in the hands of Narendra Modi. Currently, after 3 terms now, Narendra Modi is the longest serving Chief Minister of Gujarat. 14 Chief Ministers have ruled Gujarat since its formation in 1960. But Narendra Modis reign has been so far the most productive as well as most controversial. Ever since the Godhra riots in Feb 2002, Congress has been on an offensive, trying to label Modi as a Hindu leader. However, such branding has not yielded positive results for the Congress yet as both Hindus and Muslims are now reaping the benefits of development in the state.

Gujarat in poll mode, quota issue raked

Forthcoming elections in Gujarat, likely to be held in December 2012, have prompted BJP and Congress to try all kinds of political manoeuvering. Modi is attacking reservation for minorities just

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The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012 11

ANALYSIS
Speaking Out
N I L O FA R S U H R AWA R D Y

Reservation Issue: Political Hype!

he political irony linked with voices being raised for and against reservation for Muslims cannot be ignored for several reasons. The issue has never been viewed as an insignificant one but has tendency to hit headlines more for electoral reasons than for the progress of the Muslim community. If Uttar Pradesh assembly elections were not round the corner, in all probability, the issue would not have excited any political attention. Nor would it have contributed to any political debate. And this demands deliberation upon why are certain political authorities still under the impression that the Indian Muslim takes their concern for them seriously. The average Indian Muslim is well aware of the objections raised by certain extremist, right-wing organizations to their being granted reservation in any sector. The mere announcement of reservation of 4.5 percent to Muslims within the OBC quota has prompted these organizations to announce their protest against the same. In other words, if on one hand, the Congress is eager to attract Muslim votes by waving the reservation-carrot, the right-wing rivals are bent on exploiting the issue to create communal polarization. Whenever communal polarization has spread down to the masses, the real loser has been the Muslim, with him being forced to bear the impact of such communal sticks. Isnt it time when hype raised over reservation, whether for or against, around electoral period was strongly checked? In fact, reservation-promise can be viewed as nothing else but a means of bribing the Muslim

voters. Countering the same by raising communal propaganda may be regarded as an attempt to incite masses to the stage of conflict. Neither of these steps can contribute to elections being held in an atmosphere, which may be regarded as politically and socially safe and healthy. Besides, if the politicians concerned about the progress of Indian Muslims are really keen about taking constructive steps in this direction, there is no need for them to wait for electoral season to begin. This point also raises the question as to what prevented them from making announcements favouring the same reservation for Muslims earlier. Also, would it be fair to assume that reservations are the only means that can ensure progress of the Indian Muslim community? The Indian Muslims as well as the politicians are well aware that the reservationrhetoric, at this temporal juncture, can at best lead to political debate, heated comments from those opposing it and plenty of media coverage. Neither of these can, however, help in the progress of the Muslim community. It can also not be expected to be of much political help to parties supporting or opposing the same. The situation may have been different if constructive steps had actually been taken earlier so that their results had been visible much ahead of the assembly polls and not just when the state elections were virtually round the corner. onsidering the degree to which the reservationissue is exploited to, in essence, fool socio-economic groups it is supposed to help progressing, it would be more practical to abandon it totally. Now, abandoning this move does not imply backtracking from the course of helping the weaker socio-economic groups, including Muslims, in their development. Let us accept it, the Muslim population in this country, like other religious

communities, is divided into too many ethnic, regional, religious and other divisions, to correctly decide as to which ones should be viewed as OBCs. This also implies that any announcement of reservation to a certain percentage of Muslims within the OBC quota has the potential to create divisions to the stage of tension and conflict within the Muslim community. Against this backdrop, it would be more practical to announce reservation for classes that can easily be identified as the most deserving. Yes, socially as well as politically, rather than opt for policies that have the potential to lead to tension, it would be more appropriate to consider the ones that may contribute to progress of all communities and the country as a whole. Rather than label any group as OBC, Scheduled or otherwise for the sake of ensuring them reservation because of their social identity, their economic status should be given greater priority. Let us accept it, there are economically unprivileged groups in each religious community, who may be recognized as high-castes but still cannot afford higher education and other basic facilities. If these sections remain sidelined, they cannot ever be expected to be in favour of reservation granted to other groups, whether Muslims or non-Muslims. In this context, serious attention should be paid to including them as recipients of socio-economic schemes ensuring their progress. The economic criteria would also play a major role in removing confusion about which ethnic groups should be considered for beneficial policies or not. Also, as constitutionally, the aim of such policies is to ensure social equality for all, the policy makers should start giving some importance to replacing the term reservation with other words, perhaps scholarship for education, special advantages for employment and other purposes.

Muharram: Tapestries of Harmony

ALI KHAN MAHMUDABAD
bilehra14@gmail.com The first month of the Islamic calendar, Muharram, often brings with it headlines of Shia-Sunni tensions in some parts of the Muslim world. Sadly, this year was no exception and there was news from Iraq, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia amongst other places that Shii gatherings and processions had been attacked. Indeed, these attacks have become so routine that the interior minister of Pakistan, Rehman Malik, publicly thanked the Taliban for not attacking Shias this year! When talking of Sunni or Shii Islam, people automatically think of the Arab Middle East and Iran. The conflation of the politics and religion of these two groups has meant that any real discussion about religion necessarily becomes diluted because of political exigencies. This in turn forces people to see the other as a religious threat whereas in actual fact the threat has more to do with geopolitics. However, there are some places where these tensions are virtually non-existent. On the 6th of December last year, which was the 10th of Moharram, I went to Paintepur, a small village in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. A crowd of nearly twenty five thousand people, mostly Sunni but also Hindu, had gathered there to commemorate the martyrdom of the Prophets grandson, Hussain, his family and his companions by carrying taziyas, papier-mch replicas of the shrine of Hussain in Karbala (Iraq). The battle of Karbala in the 61st year of the Islamic calendar between Imam Hussain and the Ummayad ruler of the time Yazid was a pivotal point in Islamic history and continues to be one of the defining aspects of Muslim and of course Shii consciousness. Uniquely, many Sunni Muslims in India also commemorate the battle and many Hindus also participate in the annual Muharram processions. In some parts of Northern India, Hindu women keep a vigil on the 9th night of Muharram. They sing mournful dirges that often speak of Krishna and Hussain in the same breath and walk barefoot all night, visiting each house in which there is a taziya. They believe participating in Muharram will bless them with a child. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the overwhelming participants are from the Dalit community, who in traditional Hindu hierarchy form the lowest caste. Despite constitutional guarantees and the fact that there is a Dalit Chief Minister in power in Uttar Pradesh, the socio-economic conditions of Dalits have not changed substantially and therefore they are still victims of deep social prejudice. This harmony is perhaps a unique and underappreciated aspect of Islam in South Asia particularly because in many Arab countries Muharram is often associated with sectarian bloodbaths. In Paintepur, the crowd had gathered in a vast open ground, which is locally known as Karbala because every year people bring their papier-mch replicas of the tomb of Imam Hussain and bury them in this field. This year, according to the police, taziyas had come from 36 villages. The multicoloured taziyas had been lined up in a row at one end of the field. On the other side was a derelict building from the 19th century that served as a space where sermons were recited or eulogies sung. The crowd was surging from one end to the other, all eager to get a glimpse of the taziyas. The construction of these replicas is an art in itself because the entire edifice is built by hand and is also then handpainted. However, lack of any sustained patronage and the increasing prices of raw materials has meant that this particular skill is dying out. In the middle of the field, a group was reciting dirges and eulogies in memory of the Imam. I asked a particularly venerable looking gentleman about why so many Sunnis had gathered to commemorate Karbala. He peered at me inquisitively through his thick glasses as if I had just said something outlandish and proclaimed: Shaheed-e insaaniyat (martyr for humanity) before walking off. I then talked to some of the younger men about whether there were any Sunni-Shia tensions in the area. One of them replied: Well, there are some outsiders (in Urdu he said baahar kay lowg) who are spreading divisive propaganda here but look, we live in a small area, we are neighbors and we interact everyday day. This hate you will find more in the cities. Here one knows what the other does and what they believe. Then he smiled, leant over and mischievously continued, even when I was young I was told not to eat food in Shia houses and people said that Shias believe in Ali and not the Prophet but then I made some Shia friends. You know, I think that if some of the mullahs (clerics) didnt encourage these divisions then they themselves would be the objects of our scrutiny. Now who would want that? He elbowed me in the ribs as he said this last bit and disappeared into the crowd. Today there are groups in nearly all major religions that are insistent that their particular interpretation is the only path to salvation. However, in todays increasingly fragmented and often violent world it is our collective responsibility to care for, and preserve such spaces, which seamlessly unite people from different backgrounds and communities.
The author is a PhD student at the University of Cambridge and his fields of interest are the Middle East and South Asia.

Thank Allah for MPs refusal of AMU centre

AG KHAN
There seems to be a blessing in disguise in MPs refusal of an AMU centre. It has saved both parties a lot of embarrassment. There would have been a lot of unpleasant occurrences creating more of ill-will than goodwill. The tussle would have begun with bhoomi pooja. While the culturedons would have insisted on it, the guests would have resented. Each guest would have been welcomed with a traditional tilak at the time of entry. With blowing of conch and breaking of coconut, prasad would have to be distributed. The inauguration programme would have begun with Saraswati pooja and the officers of AMU might have desisted from garlanding the idol. There would have been annual ten-day Ganesh poojas within the premises. Any attempt to skip any such activity might have flared the tempers of the rulers. This again would have inflamed not only Uma Bharati campaigning in U.P. but also Mohan Bhagwat at Nagpur. Protest rallies might have further spoiled the so-called congenial environment built (if any). It is surprising that the education minister did not get any clue about the proposal and its refusal while the Principal Secretary (Education) maintains silence over the affair. So far as higher standards and better opportunities are concerned (as a former alumnus of AMU, who had been VC of Indore University, lamented), suffice it to say that these are undesirable qualities which none bothers to acquire in MP institutions. VCs are shunted not for academic reasons but for non-academic ones mostly as a result of blackmailing tactics of employees. The recent drama at DAUV Indore should warn any prospective proposal. All institutions in M.P. have succumbed to the muscle power of unions simply because no one wants to work here and they would not allow anyone else to work. (This writer had been an insider for 42 years)

Indias English newspapers, howling with front page coverage of arrests of Muslim suspects on terror charges, fall silent when they are freed says, a keen media watcher from Mumbai Indias English language newspapers on 8 January completely ignored the news of Andhra Pradesh government offering compensation cheques of Rupees 3 lakh each to innocent youth freed by courts of all charges relating to Makka Masjid blast. Though Mumbais four Urdu daily newspapers front-paged the news with photos of innocents receiving compensation cheques, not a single English newspaper, including the Times of India, the Indian Express, Hindustran Times, DNA, Free Press Journal, Economic Times, Mint, bothered to carry the news of Muslim youth being exonerated of all such motivated and communalised security crackdown on Indian Muslims; while each and every of these newspapers were in the forefront of maligning and demonising Muslims for terror bombings, possibly at the behest of Indias highly communalised anti-Muslim security agencies. It is time, these newspapers realised how wrongly and how communally they have behaved in targeting innocent Muslims with their ready full-blown propaganda, even carrying such headlines and long front page analysis, without any proof or any evidence. In fact, they have committed a serious crime and are vulnerable to defamation proceeding if Muslims choose to seek justice against them and the security agencies and their personnel for wrongful propaganda and motivated arrests and GHULAM MUHAMMED prosecution, respectively. ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com

Biased Media

12 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012

NEWSMAKERS
MEN & WOMEN IN NEWS
Chaudhari MATEEN AHMAD, MLA from Seelampur assembly constituency was, after a long wait unanimously elected 14th Chairman of Delhi Waqf Board on 3 December. His election on 3 December was only a formality because earlier, after some suspense and uncertainty and Chaudhary Mateens unwillingness to stand for this office, postponement of election two or three times, his election had become a foregone conclusion after chief minister Shiela Dikshits intervention. This was his second election as chairman of Delhi Waqf Board. He was elected chairman for the first time in 2004 and at the end of his term in October 2009, there was no chairman and the Waqf Board was working without its head. RASHEED MASOOD, who recently left Samajwadi Party and joined Congress Party has been appointed a member of Congress Working Committee by Congress Chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi. Since he had resigned as Samajwadi M.P. of Rajya Sabha, it is likely that Congress may support him as a Rajya Sabha M.P. NOORUL AIN, a XII class student of Old Delhis Rabia Girls School, who topped among Muslim girls of Delhi Schools by securing 95% marks in last years CBSE examination was honoured with a Gold Medal and cash prize by American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) at a function held at Ranchi (Jharkhand)s Marwari College on 24-25 December 2011. Many Muslim intellectuals, Jharkhands Governor Dr. Syed Ahmad, union minister Subodh Kant Sahai, Ram Vilas Paswan, Ranchi Universitys V.C., Prof. A. Khan AFMIs authorities etc. participated in this function of AFMI. It may be stated that AFMI, based in USA is taking active part in promoting education among Indian Muslims and encourages poor but promising Muslim students by giving awards and scholarships every year. Three students of AMU, (Ms.) JUVERIA KHAN, SHABANUR RAHMAN and (Ms.) FAUZIA FARIDI, have been selected for Fulbright Language Assistantship under which they will study in USA for one year. Prof. M. KHALID AZAM, Head of the Department of Business Management in AMU has been appointed, and also taken over, as new Dean of the Universitys Management Studies & Research Faculty for a period of two years. He took over his new charge from Prof. Javed Akhtar. MUHAMMAD RAFI of Mahboob Nagar (Andhra Pradesh), a poor but promising boy was selected as Central Intelligence Officer, a rare appointment for a Muslim in such an important government agency. Muhammad Rafi is the son of an ordinary and petty shopkeeper but seeing his intellectual faculties and high aspirations, Ghyasuddin Babu Khan, chairman of Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust gave him educational scholarships for three years from 2007 to 2010 and also financed his preparations for IAS. With his hard work and intellectual faculties he was selected for this important and sensitive post. ABRAR AHMAD AJRAVI, research scholar of JNUs Centre for Indian Languages has been conferred M.Phil degree by this University for his treatise on Resistance Poetry in Iraq: in the Background of Urdu Translations. A Fazil degree holder from Darul Uloom Deoband, he is doing PhD as a Junior Resesarch Fellow. HASAN WAARIS, Director of (Bihar) State Council for Research and Traninig (SCRT) has been appointed Chairman of Bihar State Madrasa Education Board by the state government, in addition to his duties as Director SCRT. Among Hasan Waariss important achievements is to successfully conduct TET examination for about 25 lakh examinees in the state.

OBITUARIES
Dr. JAVED AZAM, President of Jamia Salfia Banaras, a great religious and Hadees scholar died of heart attack in Banaras on 23 December. Earlier, he was assistant professor at Girls College, Damam (Saudi Arabia). He had also done PhD in Hadees from Saudi Arabias Jamia Ummul Qura. He was also president of Janta Hospital, Banaras and associated with many welfare and educational institutions. He is survived by his wife, one son and six daughters. Prof. FARHANA SIDDIQI, former President of Jamia Millia Islamias Department of Arabic died at a Delhi hospital on 31 December 2011 after a brief illness at the age of about 52 years. A student of Jamia Millia itself she joined this institution as a lecturer and ended up as Head of its Arabic Department. She was probably the only lady Head of Arabic Department of any university of India. An author of many books in Arabic and Urdu, she is survived by one daughter and her husband Abdul Moeed Siddiqi. Her book in Urdu Arbi Zaban wa Adab mein Khwateen ka hissa was very popular. A very large number of students and teachers of JMI, JNU and Delhi University participated in her Namaz-e Janaza. She was laid to rest at Jamias graveyard. ADAM GONDVI, a poet of Gonda (U.P.) died in a Lucknow hospital on 18 December 2011 at the age of 64 years. He was admitted to citys Sanjay Gandhi PostGraduate Institute of Medical Sciences when he developed kidney and lever trouble. He died a week after admission. In his poetry he raised voice against poverty and hunger. UPs chief minister Mayawati and former chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav expressed their sorrow at his death. IRFAN ABBASI, prominent poet, author and narrater died of heart attack at his residence in Lucknow on 4 January 12. A prolific writer, he wrote as many as 28 published volumes under the topic Shoraa-e Uttar Pradesh and left six unpblished volumes. In addition to these, he wrote 10 volumes titled Aap Hain (existing poets of UP) and many other books titled Nasr Nigaraan-e Uttar Pradesh, Urdu ke Hindu Shora etc. Whether these books have any literary value or not, his only aim was to collect poetic works of poets of UP who have become oblivious and preserve them at one place so that future generation may know about them. He is survived by his wife and six daughters. He was laid to rest at Lucknows Aish Bagh graveyard. Maulana JAVED AKHTAR NADVI, a senior teacher of Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama died on 4 January 2012 after a prolonged illness, at the age of 57 years. Being himself a man of lively and cheerful nature, one of his important characteristics was to bring joy and liveliness in the lives of sad and afflicted people. Maulana GHULAM MOHIUDDIN SIDDIQI, editor of Lucknows Urdu daily Salaar-e Hind died in a Lucknow hospital on 19 December at the young age of 28 years only. At this young age he was a great religious scholar also. He is survived by his wife, one son, one daughter, parents, brothers and sisters. His body was taken from Lucknow to his ancestral home in Maharaj Ganj for burial.

AWARDS
Maulana MUHAMMAD WALI RAHMANI, Sajjada Nashin of Rahmani Monastery at Munger (Bihar) and a great crusader in social and educational fields was honoured with Sir Sayyad Award by American Federation of Muslims of India which was given to him by Ram Vilas Paswan, former union minister at a function held at Ranchi on 25 December. Presenting the Award, Ram Vilas Paswan said that in view of the great and valuable services Maulana Rahmani has been rendering and the exalted position he enjoys, this Award is too small for him and he deserves Bharat Ratn. YUSUF KHAN alias Dilip Kumar, famous film actor has been honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award 2011 by President Pratibha Patil. In addition to him eight other important personalities including Amitabh Bachchan also have been honoured with this Award which consists of a Trophy, Certificate and a cheque of Rs. 5 lakh. Commenting on this honour, Dilip Kumar who has become 89 this month (December) said that it is a matter of great pride that this Award has been given by the President of India and also that the government of Maharashtra had sponsored his

name for this Award. (Dr.) Syed KALEEM AFROGH ZAIDI, Asstt. Professor at AMUs Polytechnic has been honoured with Best Polytechnic Teachers Award 2011 by the Institute of Technical Society, New Delhi. The Award, consisting of a certificate, Memento and a cash prize, was given to him by Gautam Budh Universitys former Vice Chancellor Prof. R.S. Nirjar at a BBSEC function held at Fatehpur Saheb in Punjab on 23 December. Prof. JAMAL AHMAD, Director of Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Diabetes and an expert on diabetes has been honoured with Medical Sciences prestigious J. Ameer Chand Award 2011-12 by National Academy of Medical Sciences which consists of a Medal and cash prize. The Award was given to him in recognition of his valuable services in the field of Endochrinology and metabolism at a function held at Bhubaneshwar. All India Unani Tibbi Congress announced its International Unani Day Awards 2012 according to which Prof. Hakeem Sayyad ZILUR RAHMAN, Founder and Director of Ibn Sina Academy, Aligarh has been honoured with Nishan-e Tibb Award 2012. Dr S.M. HUSAIN, President of All India Unani Tibbi Congress of Maharashtra has been honoured with Mohsin-e Tibb Award. In addition to them there are six persons who have been honoured

with Masihul Mulk Hakeen Ajmal Khan Memorial Memento 2012. They are KAFEEL AHMAD Siddiqi, Dr. AFZAL MISBAHI, Muhammad JALEES, Dr. SIKANDAR HAYAT, Dr. SAJID NESAR and Dr. RAS BIHARI. These awards will be given to the awardees at a function to be held in Delhi on International Unani Day on 12 February 2012. Syed SAMEER AABDI, a photographer of Delhi-based Urdu daily Inqalab was honoured with Mumbai Movement 2012 Award at a function held at Mumbai Press Club office on 23 December. The Press Club had held a photographic competition, theme of which was Life in Mumbai for which a total of 1200 entries i.e. photos showing different aspects of life in Mumbai were received. Of these, 13 best photos were selected. The photograph submitted by Syed Sameer Aabdi, depicting mad rush of public getting down from a train and running to board another train at the risk of their lives on the same railway platform was selected one of these best 13 photos. The photographers of these best photos were honoured with Awards consisting of a certificate, a trophy and case prize. The Mumbai Press had also declared that the selected best photos will be included for publication in the Clubs Calendar for the year 2012.

Dr Abdul Haleem Owais (1943-2011)

2011 snatched away yet another person who played an important role in my life. After Dr Abdusabour Shahin (see MG, 1-15 November 2010), came the belated news from Egypt that my dear friend Dr Abdul Haleem Owais died on 11 December after a prolonged illness. He was a prominent historian of Islam and served for long as professor of history in the Imam University of Riyadh and Zagaziq University of Egypt. We had known each other for over four decades since we were classmates in Cairo Universitys Darul Uloom College in late 1960s and together started studying for the masters course in Islamic history. In those days, we pooled our meagre financial resources to publish a booklet, Nahwa Bath Islami, a longish article by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan which I had translated into Arabic. It was a blueprint for the social, ideological and ethical revival of the Ummah, which remained a dream for both of us while the author himself moved away to a pacifist and self-projecting approach. Owais soon left Cairo to teach in Algeria while I went to work in Libya. We started meeting again on various occasions and in conferences when he moved to Riyadh to teach in Imam University while I moved to London. I came to India in late 1984 at his strong prodding. I had somewhat settled down in London but he convinced me to move to Delhi to work on the kind of civilisational project we had Dr Owais started visiting India frequently those days meeting people of various institutions and organisations. He developed a good rapport with almost all streams of the Islamic spectrum in the country. These visits later stopped in mid-1990s when he moved to Egypt where he soon emerged as an important voice of liberal and enlightened Islam in the league of Shaikh Muhammad Al-Ghazali and Yusuf Al-Qaradawi. Dr Owais wrote many books in Arabic on Islamic hisotry, particulary on north Africa and edited an encyclopedia of Islamic history in Arabic in which I wrote a number of articles at his insistence. He was the chief editor of AlTibyan Arabic magazine during the last few years of his life. He received many awards for his services including a gold medal for knowledge, literature and arts from the President of Sudan. He died days before he was scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia to receive a similar medal from King Abdullah in appreciation of his services. Al-Azhar University and Shaikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi condoled his loss in highly emotional terms, profusely praising his services. The cause of Islamic minorities was very dear to his heart and repeatedly visited many of their homelands in Asia and Europe. He was a person who lived and died for Islam. May Allah reward him with the best in the Hereafter.

dreamt of in Cairo way back in early 1970s but the whole idea was scuttled by the third person in the equation. In early 1990s, he was intsrumental in inducing me to start Majallah Al-Tarikh AlIslami/Journal of Islamic History. It remains the only quality Arabic journal ever published in India but I had to discontinue it after two years because of the problems of financing, marketing and procuring high standard papers while sitting in Delhi at a time when Internet and emails were still not in vogue.

New Delhi: According to the Report of the Returning Officer Mr A R Shervani today, 3 January 2012, Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan has been elected as the President of the AIMMM for a term of two years ending on 31 December, 2013. He had earlier served as President of AIMMM in 2008-2009 and as Working President of AIMMM since March 2011. The Returning Officer also reported the following 20 AIMMM central body members as elected as members of the Majlis-e Amla (Working Committee) of AIMM for the term 2012-13: Mr. Syed Shahabuddin, Mr. A.R. Shervani, Dr. Abusaleh Shariff, Maulana Asghar Ali Imam Mehdi Salfi, Mr. PA Inamdar, Prof Akhtarul Wasey, Mr. Amanullah Khan, Mr. Bashiruddin Babukhan, Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umri, Hafiz R.A. Choudhury, Mr. Saiyid Hamid, Maulana Ejaz Ahmed Aslam, Dr. S.Q.R. Ilyas, Prof. Humayun Murad, Dr. Arshi Khan, Mr. Abdul Khaliq, Dr. Syed Farooq, Mr. Mujtaba Farooq, Prof. Allauddin Ahmad and Hakim Syed Zillur Rahman. According to the Constitution of AIMMM, the President will nominate a further 10 members to the Markazi Majlis-e Amla. He will also appoint the Vice ZAFARUL-ISLAM KHAN Presidents and General Secretaries.

Results of the AIMMM Election for 2012-2013

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012 13

SPECIAL REPORTS

Maulana Zeeshan Hidayati remebered

Condolence meeting in AIMMM

New Delhi: All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat held a special condolence meeting chaired by Mushawarats President Syed Shahabuddin in its central office here on 27 December to condole the death of Maulana Syed Zeeshan Hidayati who was president of Majlis-e Fikro Amal, Safinatul Hidaya and other organisations and was associated with many other organisations including Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat and Muslim Personal Law Board. He was an active central committee member of both these organisations. He used to visit various parts of the country on his own as well as a member of Mushawarats delegations. Late Maulanas elder brother Maulana Syed Zulqadr Rizvi and younger brother Maulana Syed Aqilul Gharwi and other important members of Mushawarat including the organisations Working President Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan, Vice President Maulana Muhammad Jafar, Jamat-e Islamis secretary Maulana Rafiq Qasmi, Welfare Partys president Mujtaba Farooq, Navaid Hamid, Social Democratic Partys President E. Abu Backer and Popular Front of Indias President E. Abdur Rahman also participated in this meeting. The speakers highlighted the qualities and characteristics of the late Maulana Hidayati. All said that he was an example of a scholar and community worker who lived with the people and had the pulse of the community. They said he was a great religious scholar in practice also. He was a meticulous planner and accomplished whatever he decided to do after giving it a lot of thought. Shia Conference leader Shariful Hasan Naqvi said that Maulana's planning was so perfect as if he was an experienced member of the Planning Commission. He said the Maulana used to organise religious assemblies and meetings every two or three months and he himself followed its decisions and made others also fallow them. A number of speakers spoke about the bold attitude he had adopted in a meeting with J&K governor N.N. Vohra in connection with a brutal attack on a village of Muslim Gujjars near Jammu and its burning and destruction in 2008. The Maulanas outburst came when the governor showed indifference to what had happened to the Gujjar Muslims. The Maulana strongly took the governor to task, admonished him for his insensitivity to the pains and agonies of the people and reminded him of his legal responsibilities. All members of the delegation were surprised at his boldness. The governor quietly listened to what he had told him. In this condolence meeting the speakers praised Maulana Hidayati for his kind heart for the community and for millats unity. He was above sectarian prejudice and was a sincere worker for Shia-Sunni unity. He advised everybody to adopt a moderate course in life. Maulana Aqilul Gharwi said that his brother believed that Shia-Sunni unity and harmony should be at the political as well as academic levels. He said that Maulana Hidayati at various points in his life published magazines in Urdu, Arabic, Persian and English including Islam in the Changing World. During his brief stay in Qum (Iran), he published a monthly magazine in Persian. He said that his mind was a storehouse of planning and ideas. In this meeting, prayers were offered to Allah taala for his forgiveness and highest awards in the Hereafter and to give patience and strength to his family to bear this loss. Many other functions were held at different places in Delhi and other cities to condole his death and rich tributes were paid to him. An important meeting was held at the Safinatul Hidayah in Delhis Jogabai Extension area on 30 December. It was attended by hundreds of mourners. The Iranian ambassador Seyed Mahdi Nabizadeh, Maulana Aqilul Gharwi, Working President of Mushawarat Dr ZafarulIslam Khan and others spoke during this meeting.

Book on life science released

SahilOnline

Bhatkal: A new book, Learning and Beyond by Shazia Saif was released here 24 December. The ceremony was presided over by Dr S A Khan, former scientist, DRDO, and released by Syed Khalil. The ceremony was held at Bhatkal Rabita Society. Around 250 persons attended the function. The book was introduced by its author while reviews on the book were presented by Dr. Naganagouda, Asst. Director, Sri. Narayan, Dy. Superintendent of Police and Dr. Krishna Prasad, Professor, PA College of Engg, Mangalore. The book is a compendium of effective study tips and techniques tested and practiced by meritorious students and the author herself. The practices dealt with are useful to the students community to succeed in their student life. Reviewers said this book is not only good for students but also useful for other people as it teaches the art of life and success. The book is written in simple and understandable language, with good narrations and descriptions. (For more information visit www.lifescience.org.in or email lsfindia@yahoo.co.in)

MG/Yusuf

Prof Jairajpuri honoured

Take this to fill your stomoch
Aligarh: Professor M. Shamim Jairajpuri, INSA Scientist in the Zoology Department, Aligarh Muslim University, has been felicitated with the Life-time Achievement Award in Helminthology in his 50th year of research (1961-2011) for his monumental research work on Nematodes at the 22nd All India Congress of Zoology organized by the Zoological Society of India, held at the University of Lucknow. The Vice Chancellor, Lucknow University, Professor M.K. Mishra, gave away the award to Professor Jairajpuri who had also delivered a lecture in the plenary session entitled Nematodes and Human Welfare. The Punjab University, Chandigarh has also felicitated Professor Jairajpuri on his 50 years of research in Nematology and invited him to deliver its prestigious N.K. Gupta Memorial Lecture-2011 on Nematode Biodiversity. The award along with a cash prize was presented to Professor Jairajpuri by the Punjab University Vice Chancellor, Dr. R. C. Sobti.

14 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012

COMMUNITY NEWS
Qaumi Ittehad conference in Ahmedabad

Declaring the accused people absconders to confiscate their assets

In July 2011 the kanwarias started a new tradition in Muradabad by taking out their annual march through a new route, different from their earlier route, against which the people of Moradbad started a protest and agitation which resulted in a clash and tension leading to communal riots. Police at that time had clamped curfew in six thana circles and had arrested dozens of people for riots and breach of peace. Three FIRs registered by the police implicated many Muslim social workers who were otherwise noted for promoting communal peace and harmony. Hence filing FIRs against these people made many people unhappy. Responsible Muslim people met police officers and insisted that filing FIRs against these people is highly unjustified because these people are helping the police in maintaining peace and on that particular day also they had been trying to prevent people from indulging in violence. Police officers assured them that after inquiry, names of these people will be removed from the FIR. However, instead of removing their names from the FIR, police declared many of these people, including Babri Masjid Action Committees convenor Saleem Ahmad Babri, Atiqur Rahman, Shakir, Dilshad, Kamil, Zaheer, Mustafa Ali etc. accused in the communal riots and absconders on the ground that even after many months these people neither presented themselves in the court nor applied for bail and declared them absconders. Police sent a warning to them that if they did not present themselves in the police station, their properties would be confiscated. With this warning police sent confiscation notices to them. According to the police, notices were sent to them to present themselves in court but they never presented themselves either at the police station or in court. There is a great sense of resentment among the people against these false charges and action against respectable personalities of the community. (NA Ansari) sponsored by Jamia Noorul Islams rector Hakeem Muhammad Islam Ansari. Muslim Personal Law Boards senior Vice President Maulana Muhammad Salim Qasmi participated in this meeting as a special speaker. In this meeting a demand was made to the central government to immediately implement the pay scales of Masjid Imams. The Council also demanded that approximately 8 lakh acres of Shia-Sunni Waqf Boards lands should be returned to them at the earliest. The Council also assured the present U.P. government that if it implements their demands it will support it in the coming assembly elections but if it delays the demands or does not implement on any excuse, the Council will approach the Court. The Council further said that it is a great pity that the state and central governments have not so far enforced the new pay scales of Imams and did not pay any attention to the courts verdict, though the Supreme Court had given its directions in this respect 17 years ago i.e. in 1993. The Council also stated that there are lakhs of Imams in Delhi and U.P. and in Punjab, Delhi and Haryana, after Supreme Courts verdict Imams are being paid a salary of Rs. 9000 per month and salaries of Muazzims also are quite reasonable. Hence the council demands that Supreme Courts orders should be enforced immediately and due rights of Imams should be given to them without any delay. Efforts to popularise Urdu are bearing fruit Gorakhpur: A meeting of Sajid Ali Memorial Committee was held here in which the proposals made in the meeting jointly held by United Muslim of India and Urdu Development Organisation in Delhi on the occasion of Ashfaqullah Khans Martyrdom Day were considered. Secretary of the Committee, Mahboob Sayeed Haaris said that in Delhis meeting the efforts being made by our committee (Sajid Ali Memorial Committee) for the popularisation of Urdu were very much appreciated. He said that in eastern U.P. Sajid Ali Committee is cooperating in every possible way, and will continue doing so, in the Urdu padhao (teach Urdu) movement so that the glorious past of Urdu could and would not only be revived but promoted further also because our culture and civilisation is associated with this language. Another speaker, Hafiz Abdur Rahman said that it is a matter of great pleasure and satisfaction that our efforts are bearing fruit and Urdu Walas are now acutely feeling the need for promoting Urdu and adopting and using it in their daily life. Urdu teaching centres are being opened in different localities and places which augurs well for Urdus bright future. The Principal of Lincoln Public School, Dr. Shabana Sarwar said that members of Urdu Padhaao campaign deserve our congratulations who shook and awakened the sleeping community with the result that people are now taking interest in providing Urdu education to their children. Planning for success by 2025 Ahmedabad: A Bangalore-based organisation, All India Muslim Think Tank (AIMTTA) is optimistic that Muslims in India will succeed in all spheres of life by 2025. An ambitious programme has been launched, claims its general secretary Kutubuddin Naikwadi. Divulging the details he said that a list of Muslim industrialists should be drawn alongwith a list of educated Muslim young men / women. By assessing the needs of industries, problem of unemployment can be solved. A panel of Muslim lawyers will enable people to raise issues like violation of human rights, specially during riots. President of the association Syed Qadir Mohiuddin is charged with the task of monitoring the activities of the organisation whereas director of the association Shaukat Khan Asharfi shall take cognisance of academic activities. Prof. Nazneen Bano has been entrusted with the task of political involvement of Muslims. Waqf Board managing director A.K. Ansari reported on the growth of educational graph. In its meeting held recently Muhammad Yusuf Quraishi former chairman of Gujarat Waqf Board was the chief guest. Delegates from various states Haryana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Delhi, Kerala, U.P., Tamilnadu also attended in large numbers. Expressing his agony as well as anger, Ghiyasuddin Shiakh, M.L.A. representing Shahpur held Muslims leadership responsible for the plight of Muslims. He angrily asked why Muslims do not get their dues when they help in forming the government. He urged the community to rise above sectarian biases. He demanded the establishment of a commission for education of Muslims.

Ahmedabad: Milli Council Gujarat held a one-day Milli Ittehad conference here on 31 December in which Milli Council national president Maulana Abdullah Mugheesi, Vice President Dr Yaseen Ali Usmani, Maulana Adul Wahab Khilji and Swami Adhyatmanand, chairman of Shivanand Ashram, took part. The conference discussed issues of national unity and Muslim problems. Mufti Rizwan Qasmi, convenor of the conference, said the conference was not to oppose or support anyone; instead, it aimed at popularising the message of unity. BJP trying to convert Madhya Pradesh into a Hindu state Bhopal: The Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Government in Madhya Pradesh is trying to convert the state into a Hindu State. Many steps taken by the State Government amount to subversion of Indian Constitution. This was the gist of what a number of speakers said here. They were expressing their views during a workshop on Communal political agenda held on the occasion of release of two books authored by eminent thinker and writer Subhash Gatade. The two books were titled Safforn Condition and Godses Children. The workshop was jointly organised by National Secular Forum and Peoples Research Society. The speakers expressed their serious concern over MP state Governments decision to allow Government employees participation in RSS activities. They suspected that through the teachings of Geeta, state government was trying to convert government schools into Saraswati Shishu Mandirs. Subhash Gatade speaking at the release of his books said: Communalism poses a very grave threat to the integrity and stability to our country. He stressed the need of united struggle against communal forces which are bent upon to destroy the secular fabric of Indian polity. Talking about the content of the two books, L. S. Herdenia, National Convener of National Secular Forum, said the two books throw light on the current socio-political and cultural conditions in the country. Before the release of the two books, Deepak Bhatt of the PRS introduced Subhash Gatade. Bhatt said that Subhash Gatade besides being author and thinker is also an activist dedicated to the cause of Secularism. The speakers who expressed their views in the workshop included former IAS officer Man Dahima; Ibrahim Quershi, former Cabinet Minister and former Chairman of Madhya Pradesh Minorities Commission; social activist Dr. S. M. Hassan, Trade Union leader M. M. Sharma; eminent lawyer Sajid Siddiqui, Dr. Rahul Sharma, Yogesh Diwan, women activists Zulekha Bi and Upasna Behar. Dr. Uday Jain, former Vice Chancellor of Rewa University, was in the chair. (Pervez Bari, ummid.com) Terrorist goons cry cow-slaughter, beat, humiliate trader Bhopal: A Muslim cattle traders son was beaten and part of his head, one eyebrow and half his moustache shaved off by Bajrang Dal workers in Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh after he refused to give them money to allow him to ferry cattle which the attackers alleged were meant for slaughter. Police rescued the 25-year-old victim, Anis Aslam Kureshi, but Anis Aslam Kureshi charged him with unlawfully transporting cattle for slaughter under a state law for preserving cattle, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. A sessions court in Chhindwara ordered his release on bail on 7 January. His attackers, whom the police identified as Bajrang Dal workers, were also arrested, but were charged with minor offences. They were released almost immediately by the Bichhua police station. According to Kureshis father Aslam Kureshi who met Governor Ram Naresh Yadav in Bhopal on 7 January, his son was waylaid by a Bajrang Dal group at Sarangbihari in the small hours of December 31. The men demanded money to allow him to pass, and when Anis refused, they damaged the Bolero pickup he was driving, and dragged him to Goni village some two kilometres away. They took away the Rs 8,315, mobile phone and ATM card that Anis was carrying, and after tying him to a pole, beat and shaved him, Kureshi told the Governor. He was about to be paraded in the village when police rescued him, Kureshi said. Kureshi said the Bajrang Dal workers had torn up the receipt that proved the cattle in Aniss vehicle had been purchased the previous day from a fair in Chandgram. The cattle were meant for sale in Umranala bazaar, the family said, and denied that they were headed for a slaughterhouse. We often give them (the Bajrang Dal) money to escape harassment. That day they asked for Rs 20,000 and beat up and humiliated Anis who refused to pay, Aniss younger brother Salman Kureshi told The Indian Express The local police had to plead with the Bajang Dal leaders to free Anis, said the father.

Medha Patkar delivers K. P. Singh Memorial lecture at AMU Aligarh: Delivering the second K. P. Singh Memorial Lecture on People development and Globalization as part of the University Extension Lecture at AMU, noted social activist, Medha Patkar, said that laws should be made according to the constitution that will promote the cause of the peoples development. This is the real challenge where development will depend on the resources, capacities and needs of the local population rather than dictated by forces o globalization. Patkar said that the issues of capitalization and liberalization, Sensex and GDP have overshadowed the real development of the common people. This is getting destructive since the law-making process favours the special economic zones (SEZ). Patkar said there is an inherent contradiction between the tenets of globalization and the free flow of the global capital to purchase the market and finally control the value of products and mode of production. She said the right to livelihood is also not guaranteed since the liberalization and globalization have halted the peoples movement. She observed that besides Gharibi Rekha, there is a need to demarcate the Ameeri Rekha also. She emphasized the need to preserve the human rights in the process of development. Medha Patkar urged the intellectuals of AMU to take up research assignments based on these issues. She also highlighted the contributions made by Prof. K. P. Singh in the field of social and economic embedded factors related to peoples movement. Municipal Corporation wrecks havoc on people Ahmedabad: Municipal Corporation in its demolition spree wrecked havoc on several families on the pretext of Riverfront squad, levelled even those houses which were out of the Project limit. Without serving any notice houses were destroyed. This includes not only private properties but also mosques and waqf properties. Gujarat High Court bench comprising Chief Justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and J.D. Pardiwala issued notices to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and the state government following a writ filed by Deepakbhai Bawaria through advocate Iqbal Shaikh. The case will be heard on 19 January. Slums and pucca houses were demolished on 20 November. Several houses were built on mosque property. The trustees have submitted legal documents in the High Court. A mosque, property of Shahbaz Khan trust, and 22 houses on the trust property alongwith four shops were razed to the ground. When the trustees reached the police station to register their complaints not only were they refused permission but were implicated in a case under Sec. 188. Muslims urged to support Hindus in Gita ban protests Deoband: Darul Uloom rector Maulana Abul Qasim Nomani urged Muslims to support Hindus in their protest against the ban on Gita. He at the same time emphasised the need of such support from the Hindu community too in support of Muslims agitation against Western Islamphobia. He declared that branding Gita a text propagating violence was without any foundation and highly objectionable. He urged Hindu religious leaders to support Muslims demand on hijab and other issues. Maulana Rashid Firangmahali also asked Muslims to support Hindus in their protest against the ban on Gita. Meeting of Imam Council of India Meerut: An important meeting of the Imam Council of India was held in Meeruts Nau Chandi ground on 25 December which was

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012 15

COMMUNITY NEWS
Tragedy of Karbala remembered

SC rejects Madanis bail plea

New Delhi: Supreme Court on 3 January rejected Peoples Democratic Party chairman Abdul Nasir Madanis bail plea. He is in jail under trial for the last one and a half years in the Bangalore Parappana Agrahara jail. He is accused of being part of the conspiracies of the 2008 Bangalore serial bomb blasts but the evidence against is him is flimsy. Considering his worsening health condition the SC division bench including Justice P Sadashivam and Justice J Chelameshvar ordered Ayurvedic treatment from Bangalore branch of Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Shala. The SC asked the special court to immediately Madani carry out the trial proceedings and has made it clear that in case if proper medication is not provided, Madani can again make an interim bail plea in the SC. Earlier the Karnataka high court too had rejected Madanis bail plea. Madani was earlier victim to a nine and half year imprisonment under trial in Tamil Nadu for conspiracy charges in the Coimbatore bomb blasts and was later found innocent. But after release he decided not to seek compensation and forgave the human rights violations and injustices done to him and their perpetrators. With the dramatic twists and turns in the present chargesheet by the Karnataka police and with those witness statements mentioned in the chargesheet against him being reversed before media, there have been doubts regarding the credibility of the present charges made against him in connection with the Bangalore bomb blast case. Besides, there were instances of even influencing media coverage in to the case, as KK Shahina, the then Tehelka reporter, was charged of making attempts to influence the witnesses of the case, as she immediately after his arrest made a successful attempt to meet the witnesses mentioned in the chargesheet. They revealed that their witness statements were either pressurised, after being tortured or that they were forced to sign under duress statements written in Kannada language after being told by the Karnataka police that that was a mere procedure. Advocate Susheel Kumar, who appeared for Madani in the court said that there is nothing as such in the chargesheet that would prevent him from getting bail. The only accusations against Madani in the chargesheet are that the bomb blast accused called him on his phone and that they were given refuge. For these charges he could only be imprisoned for minority votebank in the region. The Jat-Muslim combination is seen by the Congress as a likely game-changer for the party in western UP. The Congress, which has seen a steady erosion in its minority voteshare in UP over the last couple of decades, bringing regional players like BSP and SP to the centrestage in the politically-crucial state, is leaving no stone unturned to woo Muslims back to its fold. Just a couple of days before the UP poll was announced, the ruling party at the Centre announced 4.5% quota for minorities within the 27% OBC quota. Not only this, it also agreed to the representation of minorities in the proposed Lokpal panel. Masood, who joined Congress along with his nephew and Samajwadi Party MP Imran Masood, rebelled against the SP leadership after being sidelined in distribution of tickets for the forthcoming assembly poll in UP. MIMs Majid Hussain is the new mayor of Hyderabad Hyderabad: Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeens Mohammed Majid Hussain is the new mayor of Greater Hyderabad. Majid was elected in the GHMCs special general body meeting held here at the GHMC council hall at Tank Bund on 3 January. His candidature was proposed by MIMs Doodhbowli corporator MA Ghaffar and former Mayor Banda Karthika Chandra Reddy. Within 20 minutes, the election process was completed and 30-year-old Majid Hussain was declared elected unanimously and Rajkumar of the Congress Party the deputy mayor by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) council. The Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) boycotted the council meet, demanding secret ballot. around three years if found guilty and taking into consideration his health conditions and one and a half year imprisonment under trial, his bail plea should be considered, Susheel Kumar pleaded before the court. And if the court is not willing to grant him the bail he should be provided Ayurvedic treatment from Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Shala of Malappuram district, under police security. The Karnataka government advocates resisted the demand citing security reasons and emotional support of his followers and assured of adequate treatments from the Arya Vaidya Shalas branch in Bangalore as they submitted documents regarding the medication provided until now. Madanis advocates then pointed out that despite the May 13th order from the SC court, the much needed treatment as demanded by the SC was not provided. Earlier this year, while considering the case Justice Markandeya Kadju had questioned the act of keeping an accused having lost his leg, under trial imprisonment for such a long period. He said that as there is no evidence against Madani in the blast case, he should be granted bail, but Justice Gyan Sudha Misra of the bench took a stand against granting bail and so Markandeya Katju held himself back from the bench considering further hearings on the case. Thereafter the case was transferred to a SC bench including Justice MM Panjal and Justice HL Gokhale. PDP organised statewide protests and eminent writers and social activists raised their voice against the series of human rights violations against Madani. Sebastian Paul, the well-known social activist and chairman of the Madani Niyama sahaya vedi (the organisation formed to provide legal aid to Madani) said that the Court has failed in delivering justice. Human right activist BRP Bhaskar demanded the arousal of strong public opinion against the injustice. Senior lawyer of Kerala High Court Kaleeswaram Raj called it a strong case of human rights violation. Well-known writer and columnist Hameed Chendamangallur said that the rejection of bail cant be justified as victimising innocents could only pave way for the further growth of extremism. MN Karasseri, social activist and writer known in Kerala for his anti-extremism stands said that the bail rejection is in a way equal to teasing the democratic and judicial values of the nation. (Abdul Basith MA,TCN) Hyderabad District Collector and the returning officer Natrajan Gulzar announced the election of Hussain and Rajkumar. They succeeded Jaffer Hussain of the MIM and B. Kartika Reddy of the Congress respectively. The two allied parties swapped the posts at the end of two years under the pact they reached after GHMC polls in 2009. MIM ignored strong contenders, including former mayor Mir Zulfiquar Ali, to pick up dark horse Majid Hussain for the top civic post. Hussain represents the Ahmednagar municipal ward. The 216-member council comprises 150 corporators and 66 ex-officio members, including legislators and members of parliament. The Congress has 93 members in the council and they include 52 corporators, while the MIM has a strength of 53, including 43 corporators. In his maiden press conference after being elected as the new GHMC mayor here same day, Majid Hussain listed out several schemes that he proposes to implement in the GHMC limits. He said that there are 1,472 notified slums in the GHMC limits, housing schemes for the poor would be taken up in 290 slums under the Rajiv Awas Yojna in the first phase. He said that the GHMC has already short-listed 70 slums where housing would be tkaen up and another 153 slums would be provided with civic infrastructure facilities at an estimated outlay of Rs 550 crore. Majid Hussain said that it was in 1986 when MIM leader Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi gave the slogan of Shaher Hamara, Mayor Hamara and had its Mayors during 1986-1991. It is almost after 21 years that the MIM has got the opportunity again to have its mayor in the GHMC and Im happy to be elected for the post, he said. Even though GHMC region contributes about Rs 70,000 crore annually to the revenues of the Central and State Government by way of taxes and exports, this premier civic body is not getting its due share of the taxes, he said adding that efforts would be made to get larger share of revenues for the GHMC.

In remembrance of the tragedy of Karbala and martyrdom of Imam Husain and 71 of his loyal companions on 10th Moharram 61 Hijri, poetic tributes were paid by well-known marsia (elegy) reciter Ustad Hasan Imam and group. The group presented the well-known marsia Hussein jab ke chale. Among other poets, Dr. Shane Haider, Waseem Abbas, Samar Naqvi, Payambar Amrohvi, Humayun Haider, Saleem Amrohvi and Ms. N. Nargis paid tributes to the memory of the martrys of Karbala. A scholar from Iran, Maulana M. Agha Mehdvipur said that in the present times the message of Imam Hussein is very important and Karbala is a lesson for humankind. He stressed that Yazid was the biggest terror for Humanity. Eminent scholars such as Maulana Jenan Asghar from Iran and Maulana Jalal from Iraq shed light on Karbala. Nasir Ali, Director of Civil Aviation, and Professor Mohammed Ali offered an introduction of marsiya, a dying classical art. The program was organised by Husan Ara Trust in Ansari Auditorium of Jamia Millia Islamia. AMU to provide transport services to its girl students Aligarh: The Aligarh Muslim University has decided to offer special transport services to the female students of Abdullah Hall, Indira Gandhi Hall and Begum Sultan Jahan Hall of Residence. The decision was taken in a consultation meeting chaired by Prof. S. Mehdi Abbas Rizvi, officiating Vice Chancellor. A committee was constituted under the convenership of DSW with Proctor, MIC (CAW) as members. The meeting was held to discuss the mode of transport services, routes, frequency and the operation of the buses to facilitate easy and safe transportation to the girl students of the University. It was decided at the meeting that private bus operators will be allowed and the charges of the transportation will be borne by the commuters themselves. It was also resolved that Proctor will provide at least one security guard on each bus and no outsider or male will be allowed to ride these buses. The meeting also urged girl students to avail the bus facility from their Hall or Residents to their department of studies. Another consultative meeting decided to provide ATM facility of State Bank of India in the Abdullah Hall and other places in the University campus especially near Purani Chungi University Gate. The officiating Vice Chancellor said that he has already met the Branch Manager of SBI, University Branch, to provide ATM facilities in Abdullah Hall and other places. JUH press conf in Patna

Patna: Jamiat Ulama-e Hind Bihar & Jharkhand held a press conference here on 27 December 2011 in which JUH policy on RTE, Waqf act amendment, communal violence bill, direct taxes code bill and share of women in agricultural property were raised. Speakers included JUH Bihar & Jharkand President Hasan Ahmad Qadri and Maulana Aneesur Rahman Qasmi, Nazim of Imarat-e Sharia Bihar, Orissa and Jharkand. They demanded changes in the RTE act in order to dispel misgivings of the Muslim community. Rasheed Masood is special invitee in CWC New Delhi: The Congress Party on 2 January nominated its newly-inducted Muslim face in western Uttar Pradesh, Rasheed Masood, as a special invitee in the Congress Working Committee. The appointment is being seen as yet another move by the grand old party to showcase its commitment to the minority community in the poll-bound state. Masood had joined the Congress only last month after quitting Samajwadi Party. He had resigned from the post of national executive member of SP and also quit as an MP of the Rajya Sabha. His shift to the Congress corresponded with the announcement of a pre-poll alliance between the Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal. While the Congress-RLD pact is expected to bring about Jat consolidation in western UP, Masood, a Muslim leader in Saharanpur belt, is being banked upon by the Congress to make inroads into the

Its showering medals on Gujarat Muslims

Visually challenged bags three gold medals: Ahmedabad: Dhairya Mankad, a visually challenged girl with only 10 percent visibility, succeeded in passing M.A. (Sanskrit) examination with distinction bagging three gold medals at the 60th convocation of Gujarat University. Daughter of ISRO scientist Bhagirath Mankad, Dhairya till now never stood second in any examination. She is preparing for the NET exam to become a college teacher. Seven Muslims win 10 gold medals: Vadodara: Seven Muslims brought glory to the community by claiming ten gold medals in the recently held 6oth convocation of M.S. University, Vadodara. Rosie Yasin Shaikh claimed three in the faculty of education while Irfan Rathod claimed two in civil engineering. Shamiunnisa Zahid Ali bagged one medal (B.A. Hindi). Other receipients are: Tansneen Muhammad Painter - one - Physical Education (S.Sc.), Sophia Ibrahim - one - B.Sc. (Physics Principal), Abdul Qader Muhammad Hanif - one - B.E. (Metallurgy), Muniruddin Salimuddin Shaikh - one - L.L.B. (Special). Tasneem Vora bagged gold medal: Anand: Tasneem Ameenbhai Vora won a gold medal at the 54th convocation of S.P. University, Vallabh Vidya Nagar. She secured first position in B.Ed. (Economics - English medium), and was honoured by the state governor Dr. Kamala Beniwal. Asma Banu wins three gold medals (MSc Maths): Anand: Asma Banu Hamidbhai of Kodinar bagged three gold medals at the 54th convocation of S.P. University held at Vallabh Vidyanagar. She was presented medals by the state governor Kamala Beniwal. Daughter of a retired primary school teacher she is the only child of the family. She used to commute every day from Kodinar to Vallabh Vidyanagar because of hesitation in lodging a daughter in a hostel. (AG Khan)

16 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012

INTERNATIONAL

Discrimination Against Arabs in Israel

SYED MOHAMMAD RAGHIB
Centre for West Asian Studies, JNU
he conflict between Arabs and Israel is very much visible inside as well as outside world despite many claims by Israelies that they are giving maximum right to Arabs. The whole discussion is based on the way Israeli categorically, systametically crushing Arabs in Political, Social, Religious lines in day to day life. The way Israel behave through their policies breached human right violation and International Law, but there is nothing happened to stop such henious crimes against humanity through International player even world most important peace setup UN is not effective.

Discriminations of Arabs are seen in various places in Israel Arab citizens, on the other hand, feel neglected and discriminated against by the state, particularly on issues of land ownership, resource allocation and political representation. While they enjoy political rights unknown to many in the region, they are largely cut off from the geographical, cultural, economic and political mainstream and subjected to various forms of discrimination. Increased tolerance by the Israeli body politic for extremist rhetoric, combined with hostile legislation and the participation in the Israeli government of parties openly advocating the transfer of Arab citizens out of the country, has further heightened tensions. I think the discrimination was due to wrong partitioned plan for Palestine and Israel on 29th of November 1947, then the UN Resolution No.181 which wrongly recommended the division of Palestine, with the Jewish State allotted 5700 square miles including the fertile coastal areas, while the Arab state was allotted 4300 square miles comprised mostly of the hilly areas (UN Resolution of 181). Palestinian discrimination also started in two faze or two categories of Arab population in Israel, first who was under their control till 1967 war, second is after the 1967 annexation of occupied land from Syria, Jordan ,West Bank and Gaza. So the first of their Arab minority are still there in various places inside Israel they come under different categories and they all are Palestinian national but under Israeli control like Jericho, Hebron, Qaliliya, Neblus, Tubas, Jenin, Tulkarm, Bethlehem, .Jerusalem, Gaza and Jaffa. Religion: As we know that Israel is a country which was created on the basis of Religion and state religion is Zionism. The declaration of the Establishment of the state of Israel (1948) guarantees freedom of religion for all. Each religious community is free, by law and in practice, to exercise its faith, to observe its holidays and weekly day of rest and to administer its internal affairs. Each has its own religious council and courts, recognized by law and with jurisdiction over all religious affairs and matters of personal status such as marriage and divorce. Being a state and member of international Jewish past was ennobled and glorified. It was always they showed that Arab in declined they learned about, never in their greatness; the heroes of the past, the Prophet, the Caliph Harun Al-Rashid and Saladin got perfunctory mentioned. In four years of secondary education Arab children had 384 periods of Jewish history as against only 32 of their own. The study of Old Testament was compulsory, while the Muslim and Christian religions were not taught at all. Due to curfews where the local population is not allowed out for more than an hour or two a day for weeks or months at a time, schools are closed due to that student are confined in their house and did not get access to school which lead to their poor future. Israel many times religiously hearted Palestinian not only on the Issue of Haram Al Shareef (Bait-Ul-Maqdis) but many places were under their strict control. Why second Intifada also called (Al Aqsa Intifada) started on September 28th 2000, due to Palestinians oppose of following Ariel Sharons visit to Al-Haram Al-Sharim and heavy presence of Israeli forces clash with people and brutally killed many Palestinian and violated the International law and law of religious belief. Hebron is also holy for Muslims and Jews to due to tomb of Abraham and his wife, but Israel separated that tomb in two portions without any general consensus. Many others examples show how Israeli attitude is against his own law for Arab Muslims. They cant construct the mosque without permission of the government and there is lot of restriction for them to follow their religious law. Waqf property of Muslims also annexed by the Israeli defense ministry and there will be no compensation for that. Educational: When we start the discrimination against Arab in Israel since last 62 years its really horrific in some cases, like in

Arab population in Israel, a classification: Arabs population in Israel is composed of various groups which. The largest population is of Muslim Arabs predominantly Sunni Muslims. Christians, Druze and Bedouins are other groups. Though the Arab population is identified with single Arab identity, there are lots of variations among the population which opted different political ways in order to achieve their ends. Arab Christian and Druze are seemed least hostile population, while Arab Muslims are still to A growing gulf between Israels Jewish and Arab communities is highlighted in a recognize Israel as country not occupation. Arab critical EU paper which breaks new ground by suggesting that the international Muslims are most active in political life in all organizacommunity has a role in ensuring genuinely equal treatment for the countrys tions ranging from nationalists and Islamic revivalists. Sunni Muslims population is the largest population Arab minority. The confidential 27-page draft prepared by European diplomats and seen by The Independent charts a wide range of indicators showing that and had been at defiant mood since the creation of Israeli Arabs suffer economic disparities...unequal access to land and hous- state of Israel. Though they are recognized Arab citiing...discriminatory draft legislation and a political climate in which discriminato- zens of state of Israel, they are not enjoying full right of ry rhetoric and practice go unsanctioned. The paper also levels criticisms at national minority because most of Muslim Arab popusome Israeli Arab leaders, charging that the most extreme feed accusations of lation still observe Nakba catastrophe instead of celdisloyalty within the majority Jewish community. And it is careful to praise posi- ebrating Israeli Independence day. They still believe tive state measures affecting the Arab community, including on policing. But it that Settlers are sole responsible for their plight. The charges that Israel has addressed few of the recommendations on the socio- same attitude is reciprocated by the state as well by economic causes of Israeli Arab frustration made by the Or Commission, treating them with suspicion and imposed military rule appointed after 12 Israeli Arabs were killed by police during demonstrations 11 upon them for more than two decades after creation of state. The Muslim Arab population is also excluded years ago. from compulsory military service in Israel. Political: According to a poll published at the beginning of the month, fifty-six percent (56%) of Jewish high school students in Israel believe Arabs cannot be elected to the Knesset (Israeli parliament) and forty six percent do not support civil equality for Arabs. Instead of positive response from the state, the manifesto provoked many leaders and they regarded it as sedition and one of member Knesset, Avigdor Lieberman said he who is not ready to recognize Israel as a Jewish and Zionist state cannot be a citizen in the country. But the important thing which was ignored by many was Arabs willingness to live together as the Chairman of the High Follow-Up Committee Shwaki Khatib said I want to live together, and I really mean it, but the Jewish public has still not reached the same conclusion So the problems and counter criticizing is always happened from both side to contain each others. The Israeli problem is they cant deny the right of Palestinian Arab nor they give them the right as others minority like Druze is getting, because of the nature of Israeli face, they think that Palestinian Arabs is a inside threat for state of Israel. States response to the Arab citizens is always international issue and Israelis are in dilemma about what to do with them as the International Crisis Group analyzed that The Arab communitys demographic weight and dual identity as Israeli and Palestinian undoubtedly will continue to strain Israels political and legal systems. Likewise, continued treatment of the Arab minority as second-class citizens presents a serious threat to Israels longterm stability(ICG Middle East Report N 25, 4 March 2004). Three major discriminations are still in practice: in allocation of resources as in 2004 budget which HRW described Prime Minister Sharon acknowledges that education is the most effective tool to reduce gaps in Israeli society, but his budget perpetuates discrimination against children who are Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel, said Clarisa Bencomo, researcher in Human Rights Watchs Childrens Rights Division. This budget does nothing to close the educational gap between Israels Jewish and Arab citizens(Ibid) Most of the rightwing Israelis see the Palestinian population in Israel a time bomb. Israeli historian Benny Morris states The Israeli Arabs are a time bomb. Their slide into complete Palestinization has made them an emissary of the enemy that is among us. They are a potential fifth column. In both demographic and security terms they are liable to undermine the state. So that if Israel again finds itself in a situation of existential threat, as in 1948, it may be forced to act as it did then. If we are attacked by Egypt (after an Islamist revolution in Cairo) and by Syria, and chemical and biological missiles slam into our cities, and at the same time Israeli Palestinians attack us from behind, I can see an expulsion situation. It could happen. If the threat to Israel is existential, expulsion will be justified(Ibid). Conclusion: In the whole I can say that Israeli non seriousness towards the development of Palestinian in both areas before 1948 and after 1967 the situation is going worst and worst. So many committees also voiced concern at an unequal distribution of water resources, a disproportionate targeting of Palestinians in house demolitions and the denial of the right. Many other areas where Israeli is not doing equality like education, employment these are the field which is totally neglected to Palestinian. Even Israel did not provide the employment equality to Palestinian Arabs in Defense, social sector etc but only in low level work like labors etc. They Arabs also denied right to health also, in many cases injured Arabs denied permission to get treatment in Israeli Cities. Chomsky points to official government records of a meeting at the start of the Israeli occupation in September 1967, when Moshe Dayan urged government ministers to tell the Palestinian residents of the occupied territories that we have no solution, that you shall continue to live like dogs, and whoever wants to can leave-and we will see where this process leads. Differing applications of criminal law between Jews and Arabs had caused harsher punishments for Palestinians for the same offence, is very much there. A high number of complaints by Arab Israelis against police officer for there excess use of power are not properly investigated and many Arabs suffer discriminatory work practices and high unemployment also visible to all. Israel argues that the UN committees remit, to ensure compliance with a 1965 international treaty against racial discrimination which the Jewish state has ratified, does not apply to the Palestinian territories it has occupied since 1967. The committee rejects that position. I think the non implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 242 was also a cause of discrimination of Arab in Israel. The problem runs deep and is not easily resolved because it goes to the heart of Israels self-definition as both a Jewish and a democratic state and because of the complex, multi-layered nature of inter-communal relations - an Arab minority living in a Jewish state that is in conflict with its far more populous Arab neighbors. Fear and mistrust deepen the divide between Israels two populations. Mutual perceptions typically have been characterized at best by indifference, at worst by total misunderstanding and hostility. Finally I would like to say as per my own observation that the world most powerful organization (UN) is not much effective, he is effective only on Iraq and Afghanistan not for Israel due to his US support. US also dont like to solve the problems and did not want to take any action despite the violation of international law by Israeli state. Human right violation is very common against Arab in Israel and no organization is going to take or protest against that which will force Israel to behave with its citizen or its people in equal way. Some occupied land where the Arabs are living is also in trouble like all the citizen of Golan Height, West Bank and Gaza. So there is need to mount pressure on Israeli state to behave equally and provide all the right equally from education to health and from employment to religious and political as well. Collective punishment is common in Israel and that could involve curfews where the local population is not allowed out for more than an hour or two hour in a day or months, school are closed and there is no employment. Israel has justified the use of curfews on the basis that confining the Palestinian population to their homes for long periods prevents militants from attacking Jews. The situation is still pathetic due to construction of 1600 new settlements in occupied territory of West Bank, which incite the whole atmosphere there. I think the destruction of Arab Palestinians houses in many occasion is also a kind of aggression and its a kind of collective punishment or I can say that its collateral damage for minority Arab there.

education where all Israeli is getting all educational facilities but Arab is denied to get such facilities, second Arab history became little more than a series of revolutions, murders feuds and Plundering, whilst everything in the Jewish past was ennobled and glorified. It was always they showed that Arab in declined they learned about, never in their greatness; the heroes of the past, the Prophet, the Caliph Harun Al-Rashid and Saladin got perfunctory mentioned. In four years of secondary education Arab children had 384 periods of Jewish history as against only 32 of their own. The study of Old Testament was compulsory, while the Muslim and Christian religions were not taught at all. Due to curfews where the local population is not allowed out for more than an hour or two a day for weeks or months at a time, schools are closed due to that student are confined in their house and did not get access to school which lead to their poor future.

Prime Minister Sharon acknowledges that education is the most effective tool to reduce gaps in Israeli society, but his budget perpetuates discrimination against children who are Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel, said Clarisa Bencomo, researcher in Human Rights Watchs Childrens Rights Division. This budget does nothing to close the educational gap between Israels Jewish and Arab citizens. (Ibid)

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The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012 17

INTERNATIONAL

Every American Needs To Hear This Ex-CIA Analyst

RAY MCGOVERN Though the 9/11 attacks occurred more than a decade ago, Congress continues to exploit them to pass evermore draconian laws on terrorism, with the Senate now empowering the military to arrest people on U.S. soil and hold them without trial, a serious threat to American liberties, says exCIA analyst Ray McGovern.
Ambiguous but alarming new wording, which is tucked into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and was just passed by the Senate, is reminiscent of the extraordinary measures introduced by the Nazis after they took power in 1933. And the relative lack of reaction so far calls to mind the oddly calm indifference with which most Germans watched the erosion of the rights that had been guaranteed by their own Constitution. As one German writer observed, With sheepish submissiveness we watched it unfold, as if from a box at the theater. The writer was Sebastian Haffner (real name Raimond Pretzel), a young German lawyer worried at what he saw in 1933 in Berlin, but helpless to stop it since, as he put it, the German people collectively and limply collapsed, yielded and capitulated. The result of this millionfold nervous breakdown, wrote Haffner at the time, is the unified nation, ready for anything, that is today the nightmare of the rest of the world. Not a happy analogy. The Senate bill, in effect, revokes an 1878 law known as the Posse Comitatus Act, which banned the Army from domestic law enforcement after the military had been used -and often abused - in that role during Reconstruction. Ever since then, that law has been taken very seriously - until now. Military officers have had their careers brought to an abrupt halt by involving federal military assets in purely civilian criminal matters. But that was before 9/11 and the mantra, 9/11 changed everything. In this case of the Senate-passed NDAA - more than a decade after the terror attacks and even as U. S. intelligence agencies say al-Qaeda is on the brink of defeat - Congress continues to carve away constitutional and legal protections in the name of fighting terrorism. The Senate approved the expanded military authority despite opposition from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and FBI Director Robert Mueller - and a veto threat from President Barack Obama. The Senate voted to authorize - and generally to require the Armed Forces of the United States to detain covered persons indefinitely. And such covered persons are defined not just as someone implicated in the 9/11 attacks but anyone who substantially supported al-Qaeda, the Taliban, or associated forces that are engaged in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners, including any person who has committed a belligerent act or has directly supported such hostilities in aid of such enemy forces. Though the wording is itself torturous - and there is a provision for a waiver from the Defense Secretary regarding mandatory military detentions - the elasticity of words like associated forces and supported have left some civil libertarians worried that the U. S. military could be deployed domestically against people opposing future American wars against alleged terrorists or terrorist states. The Senate clearly wished for the militarys law and order powers to extend beyond the territory of military bases on the

theory that there may be terrorsymps (short for terrorist sympathizers) lurking everywhere. Is the all-consuming ten-year-old struggle against terrorism rushing headlong to consume whats left of our constitutional rights? Do I need to worry that the Army in which I was proud to serve during the 1960s may now kick down my front door and lead me off to indefinite detention - or worse? My neighbors have noticed, after all, that I now wear a longish beard and, sometimes, even a hat like Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. And everyone knows what a terrorsymp he was. If you see something, say something! Worse still, a few of my neighbors overheard me telling my grandchildren that President Obama should be ashamed to be bragging about having Awlaki, an American citizen, and later his 16 year-old son murdered without a whiff of due process. If you hear something, say something! (consortiumnews.com)

Invading Iran is invading Russia, China

A political analyst says Russia and China consider a US military action on Iran as an attack on their own borders and a threat to their own national security. The US is assuming that Russia or China will not respond militarily, but theyve been wrong before, Shamus Cooke wrote on the Global Research website. Cooke explained that when former US president George W. Bush gave the green light to the then President of Georgia Mikheil Saakahvili to attack South Ossetia in 2008, Russia surprised everyone by responding militarily and crushing Georgias invasion. Attacking Syria and/or Iran opens the door to a wider regional or even international war, Cooke stressed. Last Month, Major General Zhang Zhaozhong, professor from the Chinese National Defense University, said China would not hesitate to protect the Islamic Republic against a military strike, even if this means the start of the Third World War. Also last week, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin vehemently criticized any plans of attacking Iran, describing the measure as a very dangerous scenario which could lead to a regional catastrophe. The United States and Israel have repeatedly threatened Tehran with the option of a military strike, based on the allegation that Irans nuclear program may consist of a covert military agenda. Iran has refuted the allegations, saying that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Over the past weeks, Israel has renewed its aggressive rhetoric against Iran. On November 21, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that time has come to deal with Iran. Israeli President Shimon Peres also threatened on November 6 that an attack against Iran is becoming more and more likely. Iranian officials have promised a crushing response to any military strike against the country, warning that any such measure could result in a war that would spread beyond the Middle East. If the US becomes militarily involved with Syria and Iran, it is up to the working people of the US to mobilize in massive numbers in the streets to prevent such an attack, Cooke concluded.

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18 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012

INTERNATIONAL

Obamas Iran Dilemma

KARAMATULLAH K. GHORI
The recent Iranian military exercises in the sea close to the strategic Straits of Hormuz, which is the conduit for the sea-borne transportation of 60 % of crude oil for the world, has served a loud and categorical warning to the US military brass. Its only the ultra-right fanatics and Zionist warmongers who are purblind to not being able to read the message. Or is it that they dont want to read? The Iranians could just be posturing, and probably were, but they have let no one in any doubt of what they would do in retaliation for any Israeli-US, or Israel-only, military strike against their alleged nuclear sites. Sinking a couple of ships in the neck of the straits would block it for the passage of oil tankers carrying crude for countries as overtly dependent on oil from the Gulf as China, India and Japan. It would be choking off the booming and bustling economies of these countries and scores of others, something that is enough to send shivers down MG/Yusuf their spines. This is not to mention the spike this would cause in the global oil prices, shooting them literally through the roof and irreparably damaging the fragile economies of not only the developing world. The fright that any prospect of galloping oil prices could cause to Europe is also a case in point and needs hardly any elaboration, given the present turmoil in EU member states, such as Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Ireland, to mention only a few, spawned by their woeful economies. The wobbly British economy itself should be a stark warning to the war-mongers in that country always eager to join their bigger partner from across the Atlantic in military adventures overseas. The red light for Europe couldnt be starker. EU is being bamboozled by the Israelis and their American Zionist cohorts as much as they have been needling Obama to sign on to their dotted lines against Iran. European states with their economies in a tail spin can well understand what a horrendous price in suffering their economies and people are being asked to bear by Netanyahu and his followers just to satiate their hunger to cripple Iran. Striking Iran to cripple its alleged nuclear weapons programme is only a ruse to the bigger objective to effect regime change in that country. Its an old American ambition to sabotage and dismember the present Islamic regime of Iran and supplant in its place a more pliable and co-operative regime. What the American neo cons are after is a regime that would strongly resemble the regime of the discredited Shah, who prided himself on his role as the policeman of US interests in the Gulf. Regime change in Iran is also a dream of the oil-rich Sheikhdoms of the Gulf, headed by Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah of which, according to Wiki-leaks urged his American allies to chop off the head of the Iranian serpent. However, the success of western collusion in the toppling of Libyas Muammar Qaddafi and the extinction of his regime has given a new spur to the Zionists and their cohorts in Europe and US to apply more intense heat on Iran and rally their forces to disrupt the Islamic Republic. So the get-Iran crusade has drawn a multi-faceted and broad-based programme to annihilate the Iranian regime. One aspect of it is to weaken Iran eco-

A principal and prime target on the minuscule list of states friendly to Iran is Syria. The two countries have basked in the sunshine of warmth and camaraderie since the Islamic revolution in Iran. Syria, it may be noted, was the only Arab country that stood by Iran during its epic struggle to contain the Iraqi onslaught, in the eight-year war. Iraq, then under Saddam had the blessings of US and its western allies, as well as the collective backing of the Arab League, sane Syria, of course.
nomically with the expectation that ever-more stringent and biting sanctions would bring the regime crashing on its own feet. Obama has been more than willing to oblige the Zionists and their right-wing cabals in this campaign. US, on his watch, has been progressively widening the scope of sanctions against Iran with the aim of-in the words of a State department spokesperson in the wake of Obama signing into law the latest measures against the Iranian Central Bank-tightening the noose around Irans neck. But Netanyahu is still not happy with Obama and continues to demand more action from him. Ironically, this state of affairs should remind Obama of his constant demand from Pakistan to do more on the front of fighting terrorism in its border region with ern allies, as well as the collective backing of the Arab League, sane Syria, of course. Little wonder, therefore, that US and its European allies are so keen to bring down the Assad regime in Syria, not out of any empathy or love for the Syrian people, oppressed under Assad, but because Assads elimination would, in their sense, deal a crippling blow to Iran. Israel under a rapacious Netanyahu has thrown its full weight behind the movement to topple Basher Al Assad and achieve a regime change in Damascus. He has Obamas unquestioning loyalty in this nefarious campaign. So have Israel and US the unflinching support of oil-rich Arab Sheikhs and potentates in this dastardly game. Qatar, the tiny Sheikhdom with huge ing their tiny weight but bulging pockets to the Zionist and western efforts to topple unsavoury Arab regimes, such as Assad of Syria, they would buy western, particularly American, insurance that such a day wouldnt face them, ever. Its ironic that conservative and undemocratic Gulf regimes that are so niggardly in allowing freedoms to their own people are prepared to bankroll movements for the rights of oppressed Libyans or Syrians. Ironic its also in the case of President Obama that just as he goes on adding to the regime of sanctions against Iran to oblige the Jewish lobby in US, Netanyahu continually goes on raising the bar for him; his goal-post of do more keeps incrementing all the time. Netanyahu feels smugly confident that he has Obama by his tail. A weak and wobbly, vacillating president in the year of election is as good as a ripe apple ready to fall into Netanyahus lap. The Israeli warmonger feels hes in a win-win situation, vis--vis Obama. At the turn of the year, with his re-election bid looming large before him, Obama has but a single-item agenda: get re-elected by any means. He knows, as much as Netanyahu, that crossing the swords with the Jewish lobby in his bid would be tantamount to hara-kiri on his part. So much as he may smirk at Netanyahus agenda of war against Iran he may have no choice but give in to it as the Israeli hawk methodically whittle downs his defences and exposing his weakness in full view of the world. Political pundits are no longer talking of if but focusing on when Netanyahu and the jingoistic cabal around him cast the die against Iran. Ideally from their point of view the Zionists may have drawn a red circle around mid-summer when Obama would be immersed up to his neck in his re-election campaign and could, at best, throw up his hands in disgust at the temerity of the war-mongers. But he will have no guts to take them on or cross their path. The Zionists also feel confident that with help from their conservative Arab friends they will have seen the last of the Assad regime in Syria by that period. Iran, no doubt, has a heavy agenda of mischief from its enemies to deal with. Does its leadership have the wherewithal to deal with these enormous and mounting challenges is the question of the day.

Who poses the biggest threat to world peace after Iraq? Iran!

Afghanistan. The other aspect of the concerted campaign against Iran is to weaken it diplomatically and strategically by eliminating its supporters. A principal and prime target on the minuscule list of states friendly to Iran is Syria. The two countries have basked in the sunshine of warmth and camaraderie since the Islamic revolution in Iran. Syria, it may be noted, was the only Arab country that stood by Iran during its epic struggle to contain the Iraqi onslaught, in the eight-year war. Iraq, then under Saddam had the blessings of US and its west-

wealth of oil and gas has been in the forefront of the western-sponsored movement against Syria, just as it was in the campaign against Qaddafis Libya. Its amazing how effectively this little pigmy has been punching way above its weight with the help of its Al-Jazeera television network that has, over the years, become as much an active cog in the western propaganda machine against the Arab and Islamic worlds as old hands like BBC and CNN. Why is Qatar or any other oil-rich Gulf principality so actively engaged against Syria is not such a mystery. They think that by lend-

Shutting strait as easy as drinking glass of water: Iran

TEHRAN/DUBAI - The US Fifth Fleet said on Wednesday[28 Dec.] it would not allow any disruption of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran threatened to stop ships moving through the worlds most important oil route. Anyone who threatens to disrupt freedom of navigation in an international strait is clearly outside the community of nations; any disruption will not be tolerated, the Bahrain-based fleet said in an e-mail. Iran, at loggerheads with the West over its nuclear programme, said on Tuesday[27 Dec.] it would stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf if sanctions were imposed on its crude exports. Closing the Strait of Hormuz for Irans armed forces is really easy... or as Iranians say, it will be easier than drinking a glass of water, Irans navy chief Habibollah Sayyari told Irans English-language Press TV on Wednesday[28 Dec.]. But right now, we dont need to shut it.., said Sayyari, who is leading 10 days of exercises in the strait. Analysts say that Iran could potentially cause havoc in the Strait of Hormuz, a strip of water separating Oman and Iran, which connects the biggest Gulf oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. At its narrowest point, it is 34 km across. But its navy would be no match for the firepower of the Fifth Fleet which consists of 20plus ships supported by combat aircraft, with 15,000 people afloat and another 1,000 ashore. A spokesperson for the Fifth Fleet said in response to queries from Reuters that, it maintains a robust presence in the region to deter or counter destabilising activities, without providing further details. A British Foreign Office spokesman called the Iranian threat rhetoric, saying: Iranian politicians regularly use this type of rhetoric to distract attention from the real issue, which is the nature of their nuclear programme. (Jordan Times 29 Dec.11)

The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012 19

BOOKS

Sufism and Rishism in Kashmir

Book: Sufism and Rishism in Kashmir: The lesser known aspects of some Sufi Orders Author: Hamid Naseem Rafiabadi Publisher: City Book Centre, Budshah Chowk, Srinagar, Kashmir. Year of Publication: 2011 Pages: 173 Price: Rs 1295 ISBN 81-7976-047-2

The influence of

MUSHTAQ UL HAQ AHMAD SIKANDER

Spirituality has left an indelible mark on the soil of Kashmir valley. The wise words of the famous poet and historian Kalhana that Kashmir can never be subdued by the military might but only by the spiritual forces, still holds as gospel truth for the people of Kashmir because literalist, puritanical, rigid and exclusivist form and interpretation of no religion could take firm root in the valley. The spiritual essence of each religion found the soil of Kashmir conducive for its survival and spread. Islam was no exception to this norm, hence it spread in Kashmir through the selfless efforts of Sufis. Its spread wasnt a result of fanatic zeal of some sword wielding Muslim conqueror. The spread of Islam in Kashmir and the Islamization process by the Sufis has been deliberated, debated and discussed by various scholars, academics and writers, but the lesser known aspects of various Sufi orders, role of Sufism in promoting pluralistic culture in Kashmir, Sufism as a channel of Inter Faith Dialogue, lessons which Kashmiri Sufism offers to the world to make it a peaceful place to dwell. The serious, and sensitive academic studies of Kashmir Sufism have been rare and even neglected, but the present book under review tries to fill this void. Prof Hamid Naseem Rafiabadi and his verve for writing, has penned down yet another well researched book depicting these lesser known aspects of Sufism, and its impact on various fields of life, literature and lives of the common man. The book is divided into four chapters each lucidly written and well researched depicting a certain aspect of Sufi- Islams impact and its various dimensions. In the Preface to the book, Dr Rafiabadi writes, The classical features of Islamic ethos in Kashmir are still intact and we find that spiritual moorings of Islam have been attracting Kashmiri Muslims much more than any other dimension of the otherwise holistic weltanschauung of Islam. And Alhamdulillah Kashmiri Muslims are trying to imbibe and assimilate both the spiritual and mundane dimensions of Islam in their lives in a very harmonious equation and eclectically balanced manner. The influence of Islam also resulted in development of a unique Shivaism philosophy which was an amalgamation of Islamic, Hinduistic and Buddhistic impacts. The Sufism in Kashmir also developed a unique indigenous aspect of its own known as Rishism which then spread through the poetry of Shaikh Nooruddin Noorani and works of his successor rishis. Prof Rafiabadi deliberates about the reconciliation of Sufism with Islam as the great work of Imam Ghazzali of whom Prof. Rafiabadi is an ardent disciple. In the first chapter the role of Sufis belonging to Suharwardi, Naqashbandi and Qadri orders has been elucidated, about whom little academic work has been done. Then he talks about the amalgamation of Sufism with other religious teachings and local culture which gave birth to Rishism whose greatest manifestation is evident in the personality of Shaikh Noorudin Noorani, but the causes of decline of Rishism arent discussed by the learned author. The second chapter is dedicated to the Religious Thought of Shaikh Noorudin(RA): A Detailed Study, which initiates a debate about the co-existence of Mysticism and Scientific Knowledge, throws light on the mystic tendencies of other religions, discusses the different stages of mystic experience, explains the definition of Sufism, elaborates the necessity of following Shariah and Path of Prophet Muhammad(SAW) while traversing the mystic path, and deliberates why most of the Sufis regard Shariah as kernel for the elevation to Sufi states of Fana, Baqa, Murifat, Haqeeqat, etc. Prof Rafiabadi also observes that Islam came to Kashmir much before the arrival of Sufis in the valley while throwing light on the history of Sufism in Kashmir. This chapter is the longest and most awe inspiring one, in the whole volume. The Rishi inspiration and culture owes its popularity to various factors, among them the non proselytizing missionary activities of rishis, little concern towards the establishment of religious madrasas and remaining aloof from the power centres and ruling clique were the characteristics that won the hearts of millions of Kashmiris. Then Prof. Rafiabadi takes on the job of exposing his readers to the religious thought of Shaikh Noorudin Noorani, and baffles his readers by stating that setting the yardstick for the authenticity of verses of Noorudin Noorani is a difficult job, as most of his verses were transmitted orally from generation to generation before being penned down, hence each verse carries with it an exaggerated story with an invented background which makes it difficult to establish its authenticity. The author then takes on a literary survey of the work done on Shaikh ul Alam Noorudin Noorani, by writers, thinkers, academics and scholars, and while appreciating Prof Ishaq Khan, Asadullah Afaqi and Ghulam Nabi Gowhar for their work on Noorudin Noorani, he criticizes some ideas and formulations of G.N Gowhar as formulated in his book Kashmir Mystic Thought

Islam resulted in development of a unique Shivaism philosophy which was an amalgamation of Islamic, Hinduistic and Buddhistic impacts. The Sufism in Kashmir also developed a unique indigenous aspect of its own known as Rishism which then spread through the poetry of Shaikh Nooruddin Noorani and works of his successor rishis. Prof Rafiabadi deliberates about the reconciliation of Sufism with Islam as the great work of Imam Ghazzali of whom Prof. Rafiabadi is an ardent disciple. In the first chapter the role of Sufis belonging to Suharwardi, Naqashbandi and Qadri orders has been elucidated, about whom little academic work has been done. Then he talks about the amalgamation of Sufism with other religious teachings and local culture which gave birth to Rishism whose greatest manifestation is evident in the personality of Shaikh Noorudin Noorani, but the causes of decline of Rishism arent discussed by the learned author.
about Noorudin Noorani, but he still acknowledges that Gowhar has opened new facets regarding Shaikh Ul Alam studies which will surely provide the beacon for future researchers. Prof Rafiabadi is aware of the intellectual apathy, dishonesty and renegadism of some writers, academics and thinkers towards Noorudin Nooranis teachings and life, as they wish to scrap off his Islamic ideals and fervour and project him as some symbol of Hinduism, Buddhism or politically manipulated Kashmiriyat, but Rafiabadi takes such black sheep to task, while introducing to us G.N Adfars new book on Shaikh ul Alam titled The Alchemy of Light or Enlightened Verses of Shaikh Nooruddin(RA), which is an English rendering of his verses as well as comprehensive notes on the same. Prof. Rafiabadi is of the view that like Asadullah Afaqi, G N Adfar too hasnt betrayed the Islamic Spirit of Shaikh ul Alams message and Rafiabadi draws compatibility and parallels between Shaikh ul Alams teachings and Quran and authentic hadith which are a living tes-

timony to the brutally honest fact that Shaikh ul Alam was inspired over and above by Islam and was also a great scholar of Islam. This chapter debunks many myths surrounding the character of Shaikh ul Alam. In the third chapter, Prof Rafiabadi tries to bring about a reconciliation and depicts the impact of Mansur Al Hallaj on Shaikh Nooruddins poetry when he writes on this delicate and controversial subject Nooruddin has made Mansur a symbolic character in his poetry and I think that Nooruddin is the only Muslim poet and mystic who has made Mansur a subject of his various deliberations and has given him representative status so far as Gnostic love is concerned(P-123). Profs writing about these delicate vital issues in the chapter entitled Mansur Al Hallaj in the Light of Shaikh Nooruddin Poetry instills and thrills the readers perception and imagination and this chapter is a living testimony of the fact that the author has the spine and nerve to debate, write and express his opinion on an issue and tread over a path where angels fear to tread. In the present times of material pursuits, cut throat competition and selfishness, and when the clash of civilizations seem imminent, the communal riots, internecine strifes, sectarian clashes, intolerance towards others point of view, injustices by the elite and the totalitarian stance in the garb of democracy making the world full of wars, strives, battles, chaos, driving it irrational anarchy, Sufism offers a ray of hope. To start with, I think one of the greatest need of the hour is dialogue between people of different faiths, something that the Sufis of Kashmir also attempted in their own way. There has always been interaction and dialogue between Muslims and people of other faiths in Kashmir ever since Islam made its entry into our land.(P-155). This need for dialogue, tolerance, love for humanity and pluralism is very well depicted in the works, words and life of these Humane godly persons from Lalla Aarifah to Shaikh Nooruddin Noorani who says about communal harmony Children of the same parents, When will Hindus and Muslims cut down the tree of dualism? When will God be pleased with them and grant them his Grace? We all came into this world as brethren One lives in a palace, another in a hut Still as brothers we came here all, But now we are strangers and foes to each other O God! When will this ever cease? On other occasion he says We belong to same parents, Then why this difference? Let Hindus and Muslims worship God alone. We came into this world like partners. We should have shared our joys and sorrows together. The essence of syncretic culture of Sufism and Rishism runs throughout the book and it is an important addition to the lesser known aspects of endangered and threatened culture, which, still is a distinguishing mark of Kashmiri identity. The author deserves our appreciation for bringing out this timely book, but the shocking price of the book prevents it from being read by everyone, despite the fact that the printing is error free and the cover is quite attractive. Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir and can be reached at sikandarmushtaq@gmail.com

Sitaaron se Aagey
By Naseema Hurzuk
The incredible story of Naseema who, at age 16, became wheelchair-bound and spent days crying and thinking of suicide, but Alhamdulillah, today she runs one of the countrys largest organisations for the physically challenged and has helped thousands of handicapped stand on their feet.
Pages: 272 / Price: Rs 150 Language: Urdu Binding: PB ISBN: 817221054X Publishers: Pharos Media & Publishing Pvt Ltd Ordering details on page 20

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The Milli Gazette, 16-31 January 2012 21

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE

How to Build Islamic Attitude, Knowledge and Skills?

DR. HABIB SIDDIQUI
Stanwood Cobb was a Harvard educated historian who lived and taught in Istanbul, Turkey nearly a century ago. In 1914 he published a book, based on his experiences in the Orient. In his book Islamic Contribution to Civilization, he writes: As I moved among the common people I was particularly struck with their serenity and calm at all times. Along the quai of the Bosphorus, for example, one had an opportunity to see the difference in temperament which set the Muslim trader apart from his competitors. While others were always on the watch for customers, shouting loudly and waving as they saw potential patronage, and often jumping out of their boats in order to induce trade, the Muslim sat in lordly calm, waiting in peace for whatever customer Allah willed to send him. Actually, this attitude was more persuasive to us than the hurry-scurry of the Greek and Armenian boatmen, whom we brushed aside in order to reach the boat of a Turk. This Muslim attitude of immense calm in the midst of the life of commerce was even more noticeable in the Istanbul bazars. There, many of the rug merchants sat in front of their bazars in order to entice passers-by. But the Turkish rug dealers sat calmly on a platform in the rear of their bazars, not deigning to move until you had found a rug you were interested in and asked them its price. It was the custom of the Turk to name a price about twenty-five per cent more than normal, and come down to normal in the course of that bargaining which then was an indispensable element of commercial life in the East. On the other hand, it was the custom of many other rug merchants to name to greenhorns a price three or four times greater than normal. American tourists, having been told that one should always bargain, would take delight in bringing the price down to half the original amount demanded and go away proud of their bargaining skill not knowing that they had paid in the end twice the normal value. The Turks were not only honest as merchants, but they were also honest as servants. It was a common saying among the American missionaries that if one by accident lost an article in a Turkish village, nine times out of ten it would be returned. This was hardly true in other Eastern villages. Common pilfering seems to have been stamped out early in the history of Islam by the very stringent rules enforced against it. I was amazed in a Turkish town, to see a haberdashery stall open to the sidewalk left entirely unguarded on a Friday while the proprietor was attending mosque service. I am talking about Building Islamic Attitude, Knowledge and Skills, with emphasis on Character Development by Collective/Public Organizational Activities. How to do this? There is an African idiom: It takes a village to raise a child. It is absolutely true. You cannot expect to raise a good child without contribution from every major element within your society. It all starts with the family, the parents. It is no wonder that our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, A father cannot give his son anything better than refined manners and fine education. [AlHakem] In the classical work Bahr al-Fawaid it is written, Know that the well-being of children is due to their parents, and their perdition is also due to their parents... The Prophet (pbuh) said, God curse the father whose child is disobedient, that is, may Gods curse be upon that father whose sons are disrespectful. Also: It is related in the [Prophetic] Traditions that on the Morrow of Judgment sons will grasp their fathers skirts, and wives the skirts of their husbands, saying, Lord God, they did not teach us the rules of the Law; therefore we are bound for Hell-fire out of ignorance. For people are destined for Paradise through knowledge and for Hell-fire through ignorance. (Bahr alFawaid). As we consider educating our Muslim brothers, we must make sure that they understand why they were created by Allah (SWT). The Quran says: Had it not been for My worship, I would not have created Jinn and humans. (Az-Zariyat (The Winds that Scatter) 51:56) As we can see, Ibadah or worship of Allah is not limited in Islam to prayer alone, but it is a 24/7/365 affair. It is meant to raise God-consciousness, so that a person is aware that even if he or she does not see Allah, He sees him/her. Let me here relate a story from Tadhkirat al-Auliya of Farid alDin Al-Attar (Rahmatullaahi Alayh). A certain shaykh (Junayd alBaghdadi (R)) favoured one of his disciples over others because of the latters God-consciousness. Other disciples obviously were jealous about the Shaykhs favouritism. One day to prove the point, the Shaykh gave each disciple a fowl to kill it in a place where no one could see him. All the disciples returned after killing their fowls, except the favoured disciple. The shaykh inquired why he had returned with the live fowl. The disciple replied, I could not find a place where Allah would not see me. His God-consciousness did not allow him to be heedless of Allahs presence. The shaykh then told his other disciples: Now you know this youths real rank; he has attained the constant remembrance of Allah. (Habib Siddiqui, A. S. Noordeen, Devotional Stories, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) Our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, Avoiding sinful acts is the mother of worship (Ummul ibadat). (Al-Munabbihat, tr. Habib Siddiqui, IBT, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) Knowledge is essential for character-building. A Tradition says: it is only the erudite ones who can truly worship Allah in the right way. Imam Abu Hanifa (R) said, Worshipping without knowledge is like building on dung. (Habib Siddiqui, Islamic Wisdom, Bikalpa Press, Dhaka). Muhammad (pbuh) said, An Aalim (learned person) is superior to a worshipper as the full moon is superior to all the stars. The ulama (scholars) are heirs of the prophets and the prophets do not leave any inheritance in the shape of dirhams and dinars (wealth), but they do leave knowledge as their legacy. As such a person who acquires knowledge acquires his full share. (Abu Dawud and Al-Tirmizi, narrated by Abu Al-Darda (RA)). Hassan al-Basri (R) said, The ink of a scholar is holier than the blood of a martyr. (Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, Kashf al-Khafa) It is this importance of knowledge which made the Muslim Arabs, the followers of Muhammad (pbuh) become the torchbearers or vanguards of knowledge in an age of darkness, radiating light in all directions. They created an Islamic civilization, driven by inquiry and invention, which was to become the envy of the rest of the world for nearly a millennium. It is this spirit, the unquenched thirst for knowledge, which made Abu Rayhan al-Biruni to ask a question on inheritance law or some other related issue while he was lying on his deathbed. Abu Rayhan al-Biruni was a great scientist, physicist, astronomer, sociologist, linguist, historian, and mathematician whose true worth may never be known. He is considered the father of unified field theory by Nobel Laureate, late Professor Abdus Salam. He lived nearly a thousand years ago and was a contemporary of Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and Sultan Mahmoud of Ghazni. The jurisprudent was quite amazed that a dying man should show interest in such matters. Abu Rayhan said, I should like to ask you: which is better, to die with knowledge or to die without it? The man said, Of course, it is better to know and then die. Abu Rayhan said, That is why I asked my first question. Shortly after the said jurisprudent had reached his home, the cries of lamentation told him that Abu Rayhan had died (Murtaza Motahari, Spiritual Discourses) Unfortunately, the same Islam that was responsible for founding the groundwork for Islamic Civilization, which was to initiate the European Renaissance, is now looked upon as a regressive force in todays world. By many of our own so-called Muslims, Islam is not looked upon as a comprehensive way of life. By vast majority of our people, Islam, like Christianity, is viewed as a casual thing - a Friday affair that is limited to prayer (Salat), fasting (Saum), Zakat and performing Hajj (but the spirit is missing). Islam is often mixed with local non-Islamic culture? The Muslim world is now a backward nation that is behind every other nation on every human index. It has, sadly, become a society that is at ease with crimes and corruption. Most of its governments are corrupt. Worse yet, they are often repressive governments, which are at war with their own people. They have created a society of sycophants or clients, and not of meritocracy where competency rules. The end result is a Muslim world of zeros! As to how to build Islamic attitude, knowledge and skills, with emphasis on character development by collective/public organizational activities, let me share something that may help. In the USA and Canada, the Muslim Students Association (MSA) has been organizing Jumaa prayer in US and Canada University campuses; organizing daily prayers in musallas near the campus; organizing weekly halaqa, discussing Quran and Sunnah, discussing issues of relevance, promoting a Muslim identity in a non-Muslim country, teaching Islamic etiquette and manners, listening to stories from those who converted to Islam, encouraging group activities that foster brotherhood, going together and performing community service, show that Muslims are people who care about others. These activities have allowed many Muslims - indigenous and immigrants alike - to become role models for the society at large. No wonder, their interaction with the local community has helped curb negative stereotypes against Islam and Muslims. And, Islam is thriving in North America. Our Prophet (pbuh) said, As you are, so will you have your leaders. Leadership matters. My hope is that one day each one of our Muslim nation states will have representative leadership that is honest, just and mindful of their obligations, i.e., enlightened and benevolent leadership that promote meritocracy and competence. And that in not too distant a future, we shall be able to reclaim our lost heritage and become once again the torchbearers of progress and enlightenment in our world that still needs a life-saving deen. And Islam is that deen! (risingummah.com)

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REJOINDERS/OPINION/LETTERS
It is distressing to note that our Muslim readership is not supporting enough for the only English publication which is serving them for the past 12 years with eye-opener news items of the Muslim world and critical reviews of the subversive plots against Muslim interests. It is high time they wake up to the call of the MG Editor and help MG to stand on its feet and continue to publish without having to trim its contents. Let us gift generously to our friends and relatives for a year, so they could become regular subscribers in future Dr. Hayath Mohammad Ismail, Bangalore II Comprehensive Coverage and thought provoking articles, concerning the community. Wish you all the success. U.F. Malek, Sarkhej Road, Ahmedabad 380055 ufmalek@yahoo.co.in III Accept my hearty congratulations on completing 12th Year of your esteemed newspaper. In fact, you have made a history in Muslim Print Media by continuously and uninterruptedly publishing the Milli Gazette. I am fully aware of the difficulties which might have been faced by you and your predecessors. Now, time has come when the Muslim India should have their own Daily Newspaper on the line of the Hindustan Times or the Times of India. This should be done on a professional basis covering the important events concerning the Muslims and Islam. It will help in removing the misgivings and misconceptions in the minds of the majority community and it will greatly help in cementing the bonds of inter-religious communities living in the Country. There are few corporate houses which are sympathetic to the cause of Muslims and also a few NGOs who are keen in having a dialogue with the Muslim Intelligentsia. Fortunately we have got many young Muslim journalists associated with the English Media. They would be of great help in this regard. To start with, I request you to call a meeting of eminent Muslims in the four metros and cities such as, Lucknow, Banglore, Bhopal, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, etc. If no other individual or body of individuals come forward, then the MG can embark on this project and I hope that with the goodwill of 12 years, the time has come ripe to take a big leap by starting a newspaper as envisaged by me. Yaseen Momin, Bhiwandi. 421302 yaseenmomin@yahoo.com Army chiefs age: one country, two rules One is amazed at the ongoing drama over Army chiefs age. The crime of having two dates of birth was seen so serious for a Jamia Millia professor (Rasheed Al-Waheedi) about a decade ago that he was told to resign forthwith if he wanted to secure his past dues; if not, he was to be sacked forfeiting all his dues. The poor chap chose to resign instead. And now we are treated by the daily episode of an Army chief who is now preparing to go to the Supreme Court to protect his seniority on the basis of a fudged date of birth. It is a strange case of two rules in one country. Zafarul-Islam Khan, New Delhi (Letter sent to all major Indian newspapers but ignored by all) Our Ulema preach sermons against lavish wedding functions but why do they go to such five star hotels to performn NIKAH.They should refuse to go to hotels for performing nikah.They must preach that Nikah must be in Mosque Also after Nikah is in mosque there is lavish reception in five star hotels.Ulema after performing nikah in mosque go to attend this function where there is intermingling of men and women.Why do they do it?They must also lead by example not only by sermons. They must also remember that hotels serve alcohol. .How can nikah be performed where the air smells of alcohol? There is a saying that Ulema will be questioned on day of Judgement. I want answer to my questions. Wassalaam MZ Chida, Chennai chida@airtelmail.in Hazare movement Anna Hazare deserves praise, for forcing the UPA government to come out with a bill on the Lokpal (no matter it was effective or vice versa) in the lower house of Parliament. But his never-ending myway-or-the-high-way approach has failed to hold his sway over the people for a longer time. This apart, his thoughtlessness to ask the people not to vote for the Congress in the impending assembly elections for the five states has made him to be seen as a stooge of a BJP-RSS conspiracy. Had his associates like Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi played their cards well, Anna might not have faced the ignominy of a lackluster response to his fast in Mumbai which has obviously emboldened the Congress to dump the bill in the Rajya Sabha. Oddly enough, wisdom appears to have finally prevailed upon Anna, when he said: This is the start of a long fight, Maybe it will take 10 to 15 to 20 years for us to succeed. Syed Sultan Mohiddin, Kadapa (A.P) sultan_awaz@yahoo.co.in II It took the Constituent Assembly, a body whose members were elected men and women, three years to produce the Constitution of India. Now we have a small group of individuals, self-appointed at best, or else selected by the Mukhya Fuehrer in Nagpur, seeking to place above the Constitution legislation that appears to have been drafted at the venues of its various fasts over a short period. This is the strangest, most ludicrous demonstration of the power of the people ever seen in world history. Mukul Dube, Delhi 110091 uthappam@gmail.com West sure to re-enact Al-Gerian play in Egypt and Libya? Milli Gazette (Jan 1-15 issue); Dr. Dahlia Wasfis article WE ARE THE TERRORISTS was hitting the steel nail hard on the hypocritical and shaming heads of the HoGs of Western Governments. Events of 1991 Algeria brings out the truth of Dr. Dahlia Wasfis contentions crystal clear to your readers. In 1991, the West supported the coup in Algeria in an effort to prevent Islamic fundamentalists coming to power through the ballot box. It is possible and probable that the Western Governments will try very hard to make Algerian history repeat in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, Libya and possibly other nations that are likely to face more Arab springs. France was in the forefront of pseudo Libyan democracy. The same France violently and unethically killed Algerian democracy in December 1991, because the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), an Islam oriented Algerian political party, had won national democratic elections. Pakistan type democracy is okay but no Jamate Islami labels. A democratically elected Islamist government is unreasonably assumed to be hostile to American hegemonic aspirations in the regionand so considered unacceptable in Washington. This is pri-

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marily because the democratically elected government is unlikely to allow the United States to use Algeria or Libya for instance, as part of its attempts to consolidate its military-economic hegemony throughout the region. Professor Entelis is straight forward on this. More important is the army governments willingness to collaborate with American regional ambitions, which included collaborating with Israel in establishing a Pax Americana in the Middle East and North Africa. Following the violent Algerian coup, thousands of civilians were being mysteriously and regularly massacred by an unknown terrorist group. The newly established military regime adopted by the Algerian regime, which bore an uncanny resemblance to those adopted at the insistence of the CIA by military regimes in South America (e.g. Chile and Nicaragua). The Algerian military regime wanted to show itself as the defender of the West against fundamentalism in Algeria and as an acclaimed partner in defending the French and Western interests in the region. These allegations had been confirmed by the detailed testimony of former special forces officer in the Algerian Army, Second Lieutenant Habib Souaidia, in his marvelous book The Dirty War. Even a hardcore American adversary like the former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Muhammad supported the overthrow of Saddam and regime change in Iraq. And the same Mahathir sheds tears now about the Iraqi tragedy. So Regime Change does not in many ways lead to th4e good of the Ummah .Wallahi; When will the Ummah change? Kodimirpal (via email) Dr Abdussabour Shahin May Allah grant Arrahmah and Almaghfirah to my father. He was indeed a dedicated scholar of the Quran and the language of the Quran like no contemporary of his. Thank you very much indeed Mr. Khan for this account and elegant obituary, I do remember the days when you visited us to work on the translation of the seminal work of your father Rahimahullah with my father even though I was only a child then. Your dedication was exemplary and your achievements in the service of Islam and the language of the Quran are nothing short of remarkable. Jazaka Allahu Khairan. Amr Abdussabour Shahin, Cairo Egypt (via email) Editor: Dear Amr: It is a pleasant surprise to receive your mail this morning. When I visited your house in around 2003 to see your illustrious father and most kind mother, you were in the US and your father was very much worried about your safety after the madness which engulfed the US in the wake of the terrorist attacks there. Kindly convey my personal condolences to your illustrious mother, sister and brother. We have lost a great and towering personality with the absence of your great father from this world of struggle and I am sure what is happening in Egypt today has been somewhat influenced by your father and by that book on which we worked together way back in late 1960s. Please stay in touch and I will visit you when I come to Egypt next time which is not very often now as I have no connection left with Egypt. Even my dear friend Abdul Halim Owais breathed his last recently. With warm regards to all of you, Aal Shahin - jazakumullah khairan fidduniya wal aakhirah. Real culprits of unlocking the Babri Masjid lock In his write-up Mr. Ilyas Azmi has accused Mr. Rajiv Gandhi for unlocking the lock of Babri Masjid in 1986 (The Milli Gazette, 1 Dec. to 15). This is quite against facts. Facts are that Mr. Arun Nehruthe then powerful Union Minister for Home Affairs had through his protg Mr. Vir Bahdur Singh the then Chief Minister got the lock of the Babri Masjid unlocked. Mr. Singh implemented the orders of a district judge for unlocking the lock of the Babri Masjid. Rajiv Gandhi punished both these persons for this crime by removing Arun Nehru from the council of ministers of the Central Govt. and remover Mr. Vir Bahadur Singh from the chief minister ship of the UP. He was very much shocked and died as a result of heart attack in Paris where he had gone to attend an International communication conference as Indian Communication Minister. Dr. M. Hashim Kidwai, Ex-MP, Delhi-110091 Quota for Muslims I have read the letter of Dr. Idrees Quraishi published in the Milli Gazette 1-15 January 2012 and appreciated the contents thereof. There is great confusion in the minds of Muslims about the Quota being accorded to the extent of 4.5% to OBC Muslims by the Government. The question arises whether from the 27% OBC Quota, which is also identified by few rulings of the Honble Supreme Court, the other Minority Communities such as Sikh, Parsi, Jain, Christian, etc. are also entitled to claim OBC Quota from this 4.5%. If that be the case then the Muslims are being cheated by the Government. To some extent, your study on this subject seems to be very authentic and you have gone through the various Circulars & GRs. issued by the Central and State Governments. We are also not aware as to how many Muslims Biradaris have been identified as OBC and whether the Hindus SC & ST who converted to Islam is entitled to benefits of SC & ST on the basis of their being belonging to SC & ST Class. The reports of Sachar Committee and Ranganath Mishra Commission are absolutely clear that educationally, socially, the Muslims are under privileged and they are being denied their due share in the Government service. The Government is shy in admitting the fact that the Muslims are under represented and now after the announcement of 4.5% OBC Quota, even the Prime Minister is saying that they have started the implementation of Sachar Committee Report, which is not true. Unless concerted efforts are being made unitedly by the Muslim Community for their due share in the Government jobs and also in the private sector and other areas, the upliftment of the Community cannot be achieved. Yaseen Momin, Advocate yaseenmomin@yahoo.com Censorship on social networking sites Nilofar Suharwardi has rightly questioned in her article Telecom Minister Kapil Sibals intention to censor social networking sites. Had Sibal intention been truly serious and sincere about blocking dangerous material that could provoke communal violence, he would have not got so late to make his comments on the waywardness of the so-called social media. It is not the first time that the social networking sites have transgressed all the social limits, they have long been showing their true colours by using inflammatory content even against the most sanctified personality of the world, the prophet Muhammad S.A.W and his holy companions. But surprisingly enough no action has yet been taken against those responsible for the most dangerous material on the internet. Interestingly

when it came to criticism of the ruling government and some dirty pictures of the U.P.A. chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mr. Sibal got enraged and displayed his anger and anguish over social networking sites demanding a stern action against them. Ghulam Rasool Dehlavi, New Delhi. grdehlavi@gmail.com Fake Muslim delegation visited Israel Fake delegation of Muslim Imams and assorted clerics visited Israel and hogged media attention in that country. The reason why avowedly Zionist country wants to take hired Indian beards onboard is for creating the impression that Indian Muslims are not averse to Israel. Muslims constitute almost 15 per cent of the total population in India and play an important role in the formation of government in New Delhi. Tel Aviv wants a pliant Indian government so that it toes its disruptive policies in the Middle East. So far the UPA has adopted a nuanced policy towards Israel which does not put it on the wrong foot while supporting the Palestinian cause. The Zionists are increasingly becoming isolated and have lost even a durable friend like Turkey, the only Muslim country that maintained close contacts with Israel. To fill that void, it wants to showcase Indian Muslims as its supporters. But Indian rightists and Muslim baiters seem to be on Israels roll call as they keep visiting that country on a regular basis apparently to learn about dry irrigation and horticulture. However, India is a big country which will soon play a major role in West Asia and that is likely to dwarf Israel particularly when Uncle Sams influence is on the wane. So the tiny country with a huge baggage of violence against Muslim countries wants to enlist Indian mullahs. How ridiculous and naive? Indian Muslim better beware of Zionist intrigues. Yunus Chitalwla,Dhoraji, Gujarat yunuschitalwala@yahoo.com Islamic code of conduct All human beings being equal in the sight of Allah are therefore entitled to justice and equity, the most vital part of Islamic code of conduct. The world has been created as a just and equitable natural order. The beauty of the moon light, warmth of the sun shine, sweetness of rain fall, fragrance of flowers, greenery of vegetation are open to all of us. Islam advocates the reordering of all human relations on the basis of justice. A cruel and stark version of justice is not in consonance with its idea of social order. Quran says, Believers! Be upright bearers of witness for Allah, and do not let the enmity of any people move you to deviate from justice. Act justly, that is near to God fearing. (5:8): we must remember that we all are children of one man Adam a.s. We are not born to fight but born to love each other. Nazneen O.Saherwala, Surat nazsita@yahoo.co.in Bharat Ratna award It is highly important to ponder over the question, Who should get the Bharat Ratna Award? Press Council of India chief Markandey Katju has rightly pointed out that giving Bharat Ratna to cricketers and film stars, who have no social relevance, is making a mockery of the award. The time has come to identify the right fits and to keep the misfits at bay. Problems grow exponentially when we choose the wrong person for such a crowning award. Therefore, it is critical to find the right talent to honour with the most prestigious award of the nation. We should never turn a blind eye to our real heroes, even if they are dead. Figures like Mirza Ghalib and Sharat Chandra Chattopadhya were truly harbingers of our shining composite culture who upheld the noble cause of humanity and harmony and gave direction to the country. Ghuam Rasool Dehlavi, Delhi-110045 grdehlavi@gmail.com Unity Time and again we hear about Shia-Sunni clashes at some place or the other. It is quite disheartening and unpleasant at a time when globally Muslims have been pushed to the wall reeling under socioeconomic and technological backwardness. The imperialistic powers are always on prowl to subjugate the masses to fulfil their nefarious designs. These opportunistic forces are friends of none. History has always witnessed that tyrant rulers always strive to divide the oppressors to sustain their hegemony. This is what was done by Pharaoh in Egyptian Ibn Saba in the times of Khulfai Rashiddin or the Britshers in India. The same policy is being perpetuated by the oppressors in the cotemporary times whether it is in Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Iran or Kashmir. In Islamic history we see when Hazrat Usman (RA) the third pious Khalifa was martyred by some rebels. The Muslim community was quite infuriated and Hazrat Ali the learned and sagacious personality gave a wise and pertinent sermon, a part of sermon is read as, All praise be to Allah, the oppressor and the enemy can be compared to a lion befriending with three bulls with an evil intention of consuming all the three. Then he devised a way to eat them one by one by dividing them on the basis of colour. So my Muslim brethren do not fight. Let us uphold the unity among ourselves. Nasir Hussain Peerzadah, Srinagar Importance of knowledge in Islam First word of Quran heard by our beloved Prophet was Iqra means to read or to learn. Thus knowledge is very important in Islam. Today, unfortunately Muslims are not interested in acquiring true knowledge. They perform Namaz without any understanding; just because they are told to do so. Such people loose their faith in long run. They are driven by wrong religious leaders. These leaders make them believe in different Firqas and teach them wrong things thus making them impatient and not so tolerant. Such things have made Muslims very weak. They do not have debating power to show the world how interesting Islam is, and how benevolent Allah is. We are second largest community in the world but we have failed as true Muslims. We do not have thirst for true knowledge. We are pale without light. Knowledge is power and we must have that. Nazneen O. Saherwala (Surat, India) nazsita@yahoo.co.in Is it nice? Just think is it good if the number of patients also increases with the number of hospital; the number of suicides by farmers also increases with the number of godown of food grains and the number of divorces also increases with the rise in the number of female officers?! S.A.U. Patel Khanpur Deh 392150

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