MG 300 All Pages

State Terrorism 4,13,21
Muslim Vision 6
Terrorism 1,3,13
Reservation 2
Jamaat-e Islami 5
Secularism 6
Gujarat Muslims 7
Muslim politics 7
Mushawarat 8
Modi 6,10
Media 10
J&K 10
Analysis 11
Special Reports 3,13
Issues 2,12-13
Books 21
National 3-10
International 16-18
Speaking Out 11
Newsmakers 12
Community News 14-15
Islamic Perspectives 20
Our Publications 19
Classifieds 22
Letters 23
Indian Muslims Leading English Newspaper, published since January 2000
www.milligazette.com
The Milli GazeTTe
ISSN 0972-3366
Fort ni ght l y
Rs 10 Vol. 13 No. 14 Issue Serial # 300 16-31 July 2012 24 pages
Inside MG
New Delhi: A Hizbut Tahrir (HT)
leader from Palestine visited
Delhi last month masquerading
as Imam and Khatib of Al-
Aqsa mosque. Mosques and
ordinary Muslims opened their
doors and hearts for this fake
Imam of Al-Aqsa, while Muslim
organisations were quick to
smell the rat and did not wel-
come him. Calling himself Abu
Muhammad Al-Hamouri, this
man donning religious robe
urged Muslims to work for
Khilafah, which is the way Hizbut Tahrir makes
inroads into Muslim hearts and minds for its
secretive mission. HT is a clandestine move-
ment banned in all Arab countries but works
openly in Israel which also hosts the internation-
al headquarters of the
Bahais and Qadiyanis.
One wonders why the
Indian government has
allowed a preacher of HT to
roam around in India. The
only purpose could be to
import and induct a new
divisive factor into the
Indian Muslim community.
Very recently, we received
the news from the Valley of
Kashmir that Indian agen-
cies are encouraging dis-
cord within the Muslim community by encourag-
ing and aiding certain sects. Divide-and-rule is
an old imperialist policy. It is a matter of shame
that ruling classes in free India still believe in his
age-old colonial strategy. q
Hizbut Tahrir takes
Indian Muslims for a ride
New Delhi: While India is going ga-ga over
the extradition of terror-suspect Zabiuddin
Ansari, alias Abu Jindal, alias Abu Hamza, to
India from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan has saw it
fit to claim that the Mumbai attackers of 26/11
were helped by 40 Indians.
According to a report in the Pakistani
daily The Express Tribune on 2 July, an
unnamed Pakistani Foreign office official
said, Our information is that there were at
least 40 Indian nationals who helped the
attackers. The official said, India had
always been reluctant to give us the full pic-
ture. He added that when a Pakistani judicial
commission visited India to collect evidence,
it was stopped from cross-examining the wit-
nesses.
India is claiming that the Pakistan pass-
port-holder Zabiuddin Ansari is an Indian
national from Beed in Maharashtra, and that
he was present in a Karachi control room
during the 9/11 attack on Mumbai.
Earlier, on 27 June, Pakisatn interior min-
ister Rahman Malik had implied that 26/11
was an Indian plot. He said, Zabiuddin is
Indian. He was caught in India. He did every-
thing in India. Why are you blaming
Pakistan? He is your citizen. Your agencies
failed to control their (own) citizens. Please
have a look at your system.
So the Pakistan plot is clear. It wants to
wash its hands off 26/11 perpetrated by its
nationals with apparent help from army and
ISI elements. Indian Muslims have nothing to
do with that or other terrorist conspiracies in
hinterland India. The Pakistani theory suits
well the saffron element in the Indian govern-
ment, IB and ATS which want to somehow
implicate Indian Muslims in these terror
activities perpetrated by LeT and JeM with ISI
help and by their Hindutva counterparts on
this side of the border. Indian Muslims are
getting unnecessarily ground between the
two wheels of these two terrorist streams
which feed on each other. Indian Muslims
have no stake or interest in these insane
ultra-nationalistic wars of attrition.
ZAFARuL-ISLAM KHAN
MUsliM vision...6 UnsUng hero...13
After IB and ATS, its now Pakistans
turn to implicate Indian Muslims
Sir! Which one would you like to
hear? Mumbai Terror Attack,
German Bakery or Aurangabad...
White Paper on Terrorism
New Delhi: The All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, the umbrella body of Indian Muslim organ-
isations, has decided to publish a White Paper on terrorism focusing on the fake campaign
against Muslims of India, especially Muslim youths, in the name of fighting terror. The white paper
will be an extensive document dealing with the special laws from TADA to UAPA, IB, ATS, Special
Cell schemes and plans to implicate and ensnare Muslim youths, story of the Indian Mujahidin
fiction cooked by IB, media attitude, human rights violations, encounters, framing up, defamation
of Azamgarh, Bhatkal, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Beed etc, state-wise reports, acquittals, saffron
terror, vested interests which want to keep the heat in the name of counter-terrorism, and the
Hinndutwadi plot to keep Muslims busy in defending themselves in terror cases and thereby
impeding Muslim progress in education and other fields. LK Advani, while Home Minister, had
announced that he will publish a white paper on terrorism but he failed in bringing out a document
on BJP-RSS drive against the Muslim community in the name of terrorism. Now Mushawarat has
decided to take up this challenge which may take six months from now (see page 8 in this issue).
MG/Yusuf
ISSUES / OPINION
2 The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2012
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Indian Constitution does not allow
Reservation on religious grounds
S. FARMAN AHMAD NAQVI
Advocate, Allahabad High Court
Our polity allowed religion-based reservation by using a
Constitutional provision, i.e. article 341 which permits to specify
castes to be added in a list by the President, by issuing a notifica-
tion. One will be surprised to know that when this notification was
issued in 1950, it allowed religion-based reservation in total viola-
tion of the Constitutional provisions, namely article 15. The notifi-
cation called The Constitutional (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950
says in para 3 regarding allowing reservation to only Hindus and
no one else, in the following words: 4 (3). Notwithstanding any-
thing contained in paragraph 2, no person who professes a religion
different from the Hindu [the Sikh or the Buddhist] religion shall be
deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste].
The Presidential Order 1950 rendered Dalit Christians and
Dalit Muslims ineligible for the benefits of affirmative action of
Government. Before Proceeding further, it is appropriate to place
article 15 of Constitution of India herein below:
1. The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of
religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them; 2. No citizen shall,
on ground only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them,
be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to
(a) access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public enter-
tainment; or (b) the use of wells, tanks, bathing Ghats, roads and places
of public resort maintained whole or partly out of State funds or dedicated
to the use of general public; 3. Nothing in this article shall prevent the State
from making any special provision for women and children; 4. Nothing in
this article or in clause (2) or article 29 shall prevent the State from mak-
ing any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educa-
tionally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the
Scheduled Tribes.
Article 15 of the Constitution clearly disallows discrimination on
grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth, except mak-
ing some provisions for the advancement of any educationally and
socially backward classes of citizen as well as for SCs and STs so
far that provision relates to their admission in educational institu-
tions. The Presidential Order 1950 states that the criterion to
define the Scheduled Caste, which reads: Not withstanding any-
thing contained in paragraph 2, no person who professes a religion
different from Hindu, shall be deemed to be a member of a
Scheduled Caste. So religion was used as a criterion to define
who shall be Scheduled Caste. On the basis of that criterion all
other people professing Islam, Christianity and other religions were
left out. In 1956 and 1990 the third paragraph of the Presidential
Order 1950 was amended by Parliament to extend the benefits to
Dalit Sikhs and Dalit Buddhists along with the Dalit Hindus.
The serious question arises here: whether this Presidential
Order is in conflict with Part III of the Constitution of India which
envisages equality to all citizens of India in articles 14 and 16 in all
spheres of life or not? Article 14 says, the State shall not deny to
any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the
laws within the territory of India. Article 16 says that there shall be
equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employ-
ment or appointment to any office under the State.
Numerous studies, most prominently the recent Sachar
Committee Report, have pointed out that Muslims are among the
most economically, educationally and socially backward sections
of Indian society. Undoubtedly, the report is immensely useful for
understanding the magnitude of this problem as are many of the
suggestions that it provides for ameliorating it.
Recently the Govt. of India also constituted the National
Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities which was also
called Ranganath Misra Commission to look into various issues
related to linguistic and religious minorities in India. It was chaired
by a former Chief Justice of India. The commission submitted its
report to the Government on 21 May 2007. Initially, the commission
was entrusted with the following terms of reference:
(a) To suggest criteria for the identification of socially and economically
backward sections among religious and linguistic minorities; (b) To recom-
mend measures for the welfare of socially and economically backward
sections among religious and linguistic minorities, including reservation in
education and government employment; and (c) To suggest the necessary
constitutional, legal and administrative modalities required for the imple-
mentation of its recommendations.
After nearly five months of its work, the Commissions Terms
of Reference were modified so as to add the following to its origi-
nal Terms of Reference: (d) To give its recommendations on the
issues raised in WPs filed in the Supreme Court of India and in cer-
tain High Courts relating to Para 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled
Castes) Order 1950 in the context of ceiling of 50 percent on reser-
vations as also the modalities of inclusion in the list of Scheduled
Castes. Following are the salient features of the recommendations
of Misra Commission: 15% of jobs in government services and
seats in educational institutions for minorities; reserves 8.4% out of
existing OBC quota of 27% for minorities; SC reservation to Dalit
converts; Para 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order
1950 - which originally restricted the Scheduled Caste status only
to Hindus and later opened it to Sikhs and Buddhists, thereby still
excluding Muslims, Christians, Jains etc. - should be wholly delet-
ed by appropriate action so as to completely delink Scheduled
Caste status from religion and make the Scheduled Castes net
fully religion-neutral like that of the Scheduled Tribes.
Although an entire religious group had still not been granted
reservation by the 1950 Order, yet backwardness was considered
a qualification for granting reservation to a religious group by this
order. Applying the same analogy other religious groups can be
identified and granted reservation on the basis of their backward-
ness. As mentioned above, Muslim backwardness had already
been identified and it was found that a substantial chunk of
Muslims is living below poverty line. Then where is the impediment
to provide adequate representation to them in public employment
in view of article 15 (4) of Constitution? By not doing so, discrimi-
nation is extended to the left-out religious groups.
Till today twelve state governments and Union Territories have
recommended to the Union of India to grant the SC status to these
people. In the year 2000, Bihar State Assembly passed a resolution
for granting SC status to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims; in the
year 2006 Uttar Pradesh State Assembly passed a resolution for the
same; in the year 2009 Andhra Pradesh assembly passed a resolu-
tion for granting the SC status to Dailt Christians and Dalit Muslims.
Andhra Governments decision to grant four percent reservation to
Muslims was negated by its High Court on technical grounds. The
A.P. Government approached Supreme Court where the order of
High Court was stayed and the matter was referred to a constitution
bench of seven judges and the reservation of Muslims in A.P. was
allowed to be continued while the matter is pending.
Now the focus has shifted from the political space to the eco-
nomic and educational entitlement, but at the core remains the
grievance of injustice. If reservations are good for virtually every-
one else, why do they become such a terrible idea when it comes
to Muslims? True or false, the Constitution does not permit reser-
vations for religious groups but this is also a fact that article 15
envisages reservations for women and reservation to women is
provided taking advantage of the said constitutional provision. If
State can take advantage of the Constitution to accommodate
women, Dalit Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs, why not educationally
and socially backward Muslims taking advantage of article 15 (4)
of the Constitution?
On the other hand, if the argument is that religious reservation
is not permissible, then how to reconcile with 1950 Presidential
Order which provides reservation to persons who professes Hindu,
Sikh or Buddhist religions? We can hide the truth behind millions
of words loaded with heavy verbiage, but the simple truth is that
reservation on religious grounds was allowed indirectly taking cue
from words of Article 341 of Constitution of India.
MUSHTAQUE MADNI
Immediately after the mysterious fire (I bet, its
cause/s will never never be ascertained) on
Sabarmati Express coach-6 that killed 56
alleged karsevaks (though some who had
reserved seats in that fateful coach are alive and
kicking in their villages) in Feb 2002, the then
Home Minister LK Advani, little realizing his own
third time victimhood after Babri demolition and
Parliament attack, categorically declared: Iss
haadsay ki pratikriya hogi (This incident is
bound to have its repercussions). The state-
ment, that shocked sane people, didnt come
from any VHP, Bajrang Dal or RSS hardcore
blood-thirsty ultra-nationalist but from the
Union Home Minister who is supposed to repre-
sent the entire nation. It also was a powerful
message to the concerned authorities that when
the mass-scale Pratikriya would be unleashed,
the central government would turn a Nelsons
eye. Then ensued, transforming India into a jun-
gle, deaths dance macabre that literally wit-
nessed the parliamentarians, authorities of the
law and order, bureaucracy, military, police and
politicians et al succumbing to the devilish
designs of the State-sponsored pogrom that,
without any qualm or resistance, culminated in
the killing and incineration of more than three
thousand innocent Muslim men, women and
children in a short span of just three to four days.
Indeed, a remarkable exhibition of brute power
and strength was unleashed and initiated by the
mighty Indian state against a helpless minority.
Gujarat carnage 2002 was nothing more
than a straw in the huge Indian ocean of terror
against its vulnerable minorities that began
unfolding its real democratic face immediately
after 1947. The irony, however, with the Indian
state has always been an inbuilt hypocrisy and
consistent denial of its diabolic stance and dis-
criminatory attitude towards Christians,
Buddhists, Dalits, Sikhs and particularly against
Muslims.
Our diplomats, mostly from upper castes,
have been, time and again, found guilty of spy-
ing for Pakistan for material gains but their patri-
otic credentials were never questioned. We
know very well that Ceasers wife must always
be above reproach. On this count Madhuri
Gupta, a middle-aged diplomat went a little
ahead surpassing her predecessors in helping
Pakistan with the sensitive information in
exchange of favours by a handsome ISI agent.
When it comes to journalists, the brave ones like
Tavleen Singh never missed, however, utterly
wrong, an opportunity to tarnish Pakistan and
Indian Muslims. But they conveniently chose
never to write a single word about saffron terror-
ists simply because they all happened to be high
caste Brahmins and deserved respect. And
behold, when Mr. Salman Taseer, a Pakistani
businessman and governor of Pakistani Punjab,
was killed by his own fanatic bodyguard,
Tavleen, surprisingly, chose to ignore the assas-
sination and never wrote a word condemning
Pakistani democracy simply because the
deceased was her former husband, her only
sons father.
Little wonder then after the assassination of
Indira Gandhi, the patriotic crowd, filled with
rabid vindictiveness and supported by the
Congress stalwarts, went berserk chasing every
single innocent Sikh, not differentiating between
men, women and children, killing, raping and
tearing them to pieces right on the streets of
Delhi. But the same sanguinary drama never
repeated itself when Rajiv Gandhi, the visionary
who justified the killings of thousands of Sikhs,
was blown into smithereens by a powerful sui-
cide bomber of LTTE, probably because no one
ever heard of teeth chewing their own lips.
From Hashimpura massacre, allegedly at
the behest of the then minister of state for home
affairs, P. Chidambaram, where over 40 innocent
young Muslim boys were cold-bloodedly shot
dead by the notorious PAC, to Mumbai riots
(1992-93) to Gujarat carnage (2002) to
Kandhamal killings of Christians to faking the
imaginary term Indian Mujahideen by IB, India
never failed to make the Muslims and Christians
believe that they indeed were second class citi-
zens fit to be forever at the receiving end.
In the wake of Gujarat carnage, came well-
crafted sessions of encounters and bomb
blasts with the flagrant signal for democracys
fourth pillar: the media. For this media, every sin-
gle saffron terrorist was nothing short of a deity
worth worshipping who was on a divine mission
of converting black Bharat into
an Aryavart Hindu Rashtra, a
cherished dream of many
Gurujis.
The Indian media, in its crucial role of a cru-
sader against Muslims, eclipsed even the west-
ern media when it came to coining terms and
spreading canards supplied by the Police, IB
and ATS, another Anti Muslim Squad. Scores of
young, well- educated and talented Muslim boys
were either killed in fake encounters or implicat-
ed in bomb blasts actually carried out by the high
caste ultra nationalists.
To bail out Brahmins, who could have been
better scapegoats than Muslims who till now
have been foolishly believing in a justice system
that never failed the majority whether it was
Babri demolition, Mumbai riots, Gujarat carnage,
Kandhmal carnage, bomb blasts or even the
killing of Hemant Karkare during the 26/11 terror-
ist attack.
So, my dear Muslim, Christian, Dalit and
Buddhist brothers and sisters! It is high time we
realized the reality and started living with the
partisan democracy. We should never dare to
claim our secular rights in a nation that is deter-
mined to let us down, for the sake of its majori-
tarian crowd and empty ego. And mind you, this
stark reality of Indian democracy is not unknown
to the UN Human Rights Council which in its
well-researched statement, that shook our
Parliament, categorically remarked, India failed
to protect its Minorities. This is an unvarnished
and naked truth but then truth always has its sar-
torial deviations and digressions. Jai Ho!
The author is Editor, Usool, Pune
Why India is a terrorist nation for its minorities
The Milli Gazette, 16-31 July 2012 3
NATIONAL
Lucknow: A dharna was organised here on 30 June
to remind the Samajwadi Party of the promise it
made in its electoral manifesto that if voted to
power it will release innocent Muslim youths incar-
cerated in the name of fighting terror. Despite the
passage of a hundred days on the inauguration of
S.P. government in U.P., there is no sign of S.P.
redeeming its promise while SP cadres arrested
during the previous Mayawati government have
been promptly released.
The dharna was organised by the U.P. chapter
of PUCL with the active cooperation of Advocate
Muhammad Shoaib who has been in the forefront
in defending the victims of state terrorism and had
borne the brunt of Hindutwadi lawyers attacks in
the past for doing so.
The dharna attracted dozens of the relatives of
state terror victims from across U.P. like wives,
sons, daughters, parents and some of them narrat-
ed heart-rending stories of Police and ATS treach-
ery and their plight in the absence of their bread-
winners.
Speakers at the dharna included Magsaysay
award-winner Sandeep Panday, former minister
and MLA Kaushal Kishore, MG editor Zafarul-Islam
Khan and Indian National League President
Muhammad Sulaiman. They demanded the quick
release of the innocent, release of Nimesh
Commission report, a break on new arrests. They
also demanded judicial probe into the communal
riots in Kosi Kalan and Pratapgarh.
Sandeep Pandey reminded that victims of the
1987 Hashimpura and Maliana massacres are yet
to get justice.
Journalist Asha Singh said that whenever
someone is arrested on charges of terror, the news
is splashed on the front page, but when the same
person is acquitted years later no news is pub-
lished. Former IG Police SR Darapuri said that
intelligence agencies and ATS are functioning as if
they are not representing an elected secular gov-
ernment but working at the behest of Bajrang Dal.
Advocate Shoaib announced that if the government
does not release the innocent by the end of July,
dharnas will be held all over the state.
Advocate Randheer Singh Suman, who too
was repeatedly attacked by saffron advocates for
defending terror-accused, said that the Mumbai
attack was engineered by the US and Israel with
the help of RSS but our government does not have
the guts to say so. He said that that IB people get
their training in Israel and US and do what they are
told by these powers. Former MP Ilyas Azmi said
that many Muslim boys have lost their lives in the
turf war and competition between IB and ATS.
Zafarul-Islam Khan said that we do not remind
the state government of its electoral promise but
remind both the Central and state governments of
the solemn promise given to every Indian citizen by
our Constitution six decades ago that the life, hon-
our and property of every Indian citizen will be pro-
tected and no innocent will be victimised by state
agencies. This promise stands intact today as it
was six decades ago but today the state is devour-
ing its innocent sons and daughters in the name of
fighting terror.
Dharna in Lucknow to remind Samajwadi of its promise
Jaipur: The most dangerous thing for our coun-
try is that the fascist tendency has prevailed
upon all in politics, administration as well as
judiciary, said Muhammad Ahmad, national
secretary of Jamaat-E-Islami Hind.
He was presiding over a Public Hearing,
organised by Jamaat-E-Islami Hind Rajasthan
on 18 June. It is the responsibility of the govern-
ment to provide justice to the citizens but when
it fails to do so, its life span is shortened, he
added. He was shocked over the cruelty that
occurred recently during the riots, they burn
people alive and cut out foetuses from the
wombs.
A Public Hearing was organized here by
Jamaat-E-Islami at Pink City Press Club of
Jaipur, for the victims of police atrocities. The
panel included Sawai Singh, convener of
Sadbhav Manch Rajasthan, Prem Krishna
Sharma, senior advocate and president of the
Rajasthan branch of Peoples Union For Civil
Liberties (PUCL), Engineer Muhammad Salim,
national secretary of Jamaat-E-Islami Hind and
Tek Chand Rahul, retired judge and state head
of Bhartiya Bhodh Mahasabha.
For the last few years, in the aftermath of
bomb blasts and other terrorist activities, the
police have been harassing Muslims in the
name of investigations, by detaining them ille-
gally and by convicting them under false
charges and keeping them for years in jails for
no crime, by sending notices to some of them
and interrogating them unnecessarily, some-
times at their residences, sometimes at police
stations, time and again. This harassment of
the Muslim youth continues till date. It should
be stopped immediately as it is sheer injustice
said Engineer Khursheed Husain, state chief of
Jamaat-E-Islami.
Why the needle of suspicion points
towards Muslims only after every incident of
bomb blast and why it is presumed without any
evidence that there should be some Muslim
person or organization behind the incident,
said Khursheed. He said that Jamaat will organ-
ize a demonstration at national level in Delhi
and will strive to contain this tyranny on political,
social and judicial levels.
Engineer Muhammad Salim, national sec-
retary of Jamaat-E-Islami Hind and head of the
Electronics and Communication department at
MNIT in Jaipur, said that our government treat-
ens Muslims as if they were citizens of some
other country. He said our country is heading
towards destruction, as our government is fol-
lowing the advices of America and Israel. He
was of the opinion that Gujarat CM Narendra
Modi was guilty of carnage of Muslims and he
hoped that this man will soon reach his actual
destination that is jail.
Seven persons, out of the 30 present in the
hearing, shared their agony, how they were
forcibly or by some ploy, taken to police sta-
tions, then to SOG at Jaipur and were detained
for several days and some were later implicat-
ed in false cases. The victims came from Jaipur,
Kota, Baran, Jodhpur, Nagaur, Makrana,
Behter, Gangapur City, Sikar and Khandela.
Remarking as a panelist, Sawai Singh said
that our police, administration and politics, all
have become communal in their hearts. He was
of the opinion that while courts have acquitted
the victims from all charges framed against
them, the police officers guilty of their illegal
arrest and detention should also be prosecuted
according to law. Prem Krishna Sharma sug-
gested forming a high level committee compris-
ing of police and administrative officers as well
as dignified citizens, with fully transparent func-
tioning to save the citizens from such kind of
illegal arrests. Tek Chand Rahul stated that the
police dont happen to be an independent
agency. Instead, they are a tool in the hands of
the state government and act according to its
instructions. He expressed his concern about
the communal discrimination rampant in the
courts of law in our country at present.
Pekar Farooq, senior advocate at the
Rajasthan High Court and state president of
Association For Protection of Civil Rights, elab-
orated the legal aspects of certain cases. He is
also a defence lawyer to Sarvar, one of the Jaur
blasts accused. Farooq said that there is no
concrete evidence against any of the accused
in Jaipur bomb blast cases, but merely due to
prejudice, the court is not granting even bail to
the innocent people.
In the concluding session, some resolutions
were passed. Jamaat demanded that the gov-
ernment should apologize for ruining three and
a half precious years of the acquitted, compen-
sate them with 25 lakh rupees each, provide
government job to those who are within the age
limit of employment and restore their services if
they were in a government job prior to their
arrest, prosecute the officials responsible for
their arrest and torture and deduct the amount
of compensation from their salaries. The
Jamaat also demanded to stop harassment of
the innocent Muslims by frequent enquiries and
notices and all cases regarding the bomb blasts
at various places should be brought to one
place, so that speedy hearing could be conduct-
ed and the innocent may be acquitted and the
guilty be punished at the earliest.
Fascist tendency dangerous for the country
Quote,
Unquote
We need a similar nationalist, self-reliant,
development-oriented and innovation-pro-
pelled approach in solving Indias problems...
Israel is a tiny nation with less than half of
Mumbais population and faces a constant
security threat from its neighbours. And yet,
the government and the people of Israel have
developed self-reliant solutions to meet the
entire populations needs of water, energy,
food, education and healthcare. They have
indeed made Israel a world leader in science,
technology and innovation.
BJP President NITIN GADKARI after a recent
visit to Israel which occupies lands of three
countries considered friends of India
(Palestine, Lebanon and Syria)
VOICE OF ORPHAN BOYS
THE GAYA MUSLIM ORPHANAGE
(A unique famous residential
Institution of its kind of modern and
Islamic Education.)
AN INTRODUCTION
95 years services Many depart-
ments Educational Stages: Nursery to
Matric Department of Quran
Memorization: Matric with Hifz
Every year cent per cent (100%) result of Matric Board Examination Distance
Education: Admission is going on of XIth, XIIth, B.A. Part I, II, III and Library Science (BLIS)
for the session of 2012-13 Computer Education also Under the Kafala Scheme the
annual expenditure of an orphan student is (Rs. 12,000/=) Annual Expenditure: More
than 16 Lakh Rupees Source of Income: Donation of Muslim Ummah The Institution
bears all the expenditure of (125) orphan students. Having co-operated the
institution in possible form get the great compensation from Allah i.e., Zakat
Donation Sadquat Ushra (The Zakat of agricultural production) Chirm-e-Qurbani
or its price The annual expenditure of an orphan student Having
constructed the rooms or halls on the name of your ancestor.
Remember: Here the audit is performed every year. Come and see yourself in the institu-
tion, the great example of uniformity how the orphan and non orphan students live togeth-
er. The construction work of ENAYETH POLYTECHNIC is going on fastly.
This institution is registered under FCRA to accept the amount from Foreign Countries.
Donors from foreign countries may please send their donation
Bank A/C No. 300402010000187 Bank Code No. UBININBBJAM
Union Bank of India (Main Branch, Gaya)
Cheques and drafts to be made in the name of
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Address for Correspondence:
for sending the letters, cheques, drafts and money orders, use the following address.
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Foreign Donors
Local Donors
Relatives of the terror victims at the dharna
NATIONAL
162 children go missing
every day in India
New Delhi: On an average, 162 children go missing
in India every day and one in every three child, who
gets lost, is never traced by the official machinery.
The Indian Home Ministrys latest statistics on
missing children show that between 2009 and 2011,
1,77,660 children went missing in the country. Of
these, 55,470 (31.2 per cent) are still listed in the
government data sheets as untraced. Of those still
missing nationally, 60 per cent (35,605) are girls and
the rest (19,855) are boys.
This trend (of more girls going missing than
boys) is true of entire India except five northern
Indian states - Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttarakhand and Chandigarh and Occupied State of
Jammu & Kashmir (OSJK), where 60 per cent of
untraced kids are boys indicating possibilities of
human organ trade gangs operating.
There are 1,727 boys as against 1,193 girls in
the missing childrens list. It is indicative of potential
human organ trade and trafficking. Gurgaon and
Faridabad have reported kidney transplant rackets in
recent past. They are emerging as huge human traf-
ficking hubs, Rishi Kant of Shakti Vahini, a child pro-
tection organisation helping governments anti-traf-
ficking units says.
West Bengal, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh
and Delhi together accounted for over half of Indias
missing children over the past three years.
In 2009, out of 68,227 children reported missing,
13,099 vanished from Maharashtra; 11,527 from
Bengal, 9,498 from Madhya Pradesh and 5,946 from
Delhi. More worrisome is the growing number of
missing children. The numbers have risen from
68,227 in 2009 (18,166 of them still untraced) to
77,091 in 2010 (23,209 never found).
The percentage of untraced children in Punjab,
Haryana, Uttarakhand, Himachal, Chandigarh and
Jammu and Kashmir is 45 - much more than the
overall 31 percent in India.
According to a recent report submitted by Indian
Home Ministry to parliament in first week of May, the
matter first came to light when mortal remains of chil-
dren were dug out over days from the drain adjoining
D-5 in Noidas Nithari village in New Delhi.
Not much seems to have changed since then as
medias entire focus is on issues like corruption and
other relatively less important issues.
(markthetruth.com)
2,683 FIRs about unmarked J&K
graves
Srinagar: after the Jammu & Kashmir Human
Rights Commission, the state police have disclosed
that it has registered 2,683 FIRs about unidentified
bodies in unmarked graves in three districts of north
Kashmir. This number is 500 more than the figure
given by the state human rights commission.
The disclosure was made in response to an RTI
application filed by the Association of Parents of
Disappeared Persons (APDP) and International
Peoples Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in
Indian Administered Kashmir (IPTK).
These are damning disclosures, Khuram
Parvez of IPTK said. This shows how the state has
been sitting on this information for many years, and
trying to obfuscate the truth.
The J&K Police has said that of the 2,683 FIRs,
the largest number - 492 - was registered at
Handwara police station. This was followed by
Kupwara (396), Trehgam (326), Lalpora (298) and
Vilgam (155). All these police stations are in
Kupwara district.
In Baramulla district, 110 FIRs have been reg-
istered in Sopore police station, and 103 in
Baramulla.
The number of unidentified bodies given by the
police is 527 more than what was revealed in an
independent investigation by the SHRC, which was
first reported by The Indian Express last year.
The response under the RTI Act came after the
J&K Polices Criminal Investigation Department
refused to give information to IPTK.
(The) disclosure of information sought would
be prejudicial to the maintenance of public peace
and tranquillity as the anti-national elements may
use the same for incitement..., the CID had said.
The IPTK has now approached the SHRC
seeking a fresh investigation into all these FIRs.
We urge the SHRC to order a re-investigation
into these 2,683 FIRs... and order the J&K Police to
provide all the FIRs relating to those buried in
unmarked graves from the remaining 17 districts...,
IPTK has said in its petition. (Bashaarat Masood-
expressindia.com)
RAJIV YADAV
Lucknow: He gets a call from the ATS even
today. He is getting these calls for the last four
to five months. He believes that it is because of
the ATS that his entire family life has been
shattered. He feels a kind of satisfaction when
he is allowed to talk to his family members in
jail or allowed to meet them with the help of the
ATS as he thinks that there is no other way out.
He consoles himself that may be this could be
the wish of Allah. On one hand, his elderly
father Mohammad Yusuf dreams of a happy
return of his son, on the other Zainab still
remembers that her son used to fetch water
from outside when she was pregnant. She
used to say how can I believe all this when I
myself know that food was cooked only when
he fetched water from outside. Although such
clarification is meaningless as per the rule
book or law but for his mother Zainab, this is
more than enough to prove that Basheer is
innocent. In those horrific days Zainab lost her
five months unborn child in the womb and wife
of Zainabs brother Ishaqs two months old
unborn child also died in the womb.
Now Ishaq is the only source that puts a
question mark on ATS terror conspiracy. He is
well aware of every conversation and mobile
number that was used to talk to him on his
mobile. He has now handed over all these
details to Akhilesh Yadav, the young chief min-
ister of Uttar Pradesh. He has full faith in
Akhilesh. When enquired that his brother was
nabbed from a Samajwadi party office, he said
the government has assured that all innocent
arrested in the name of terror will be released.
On 5 February 2012, brother-in-law of Ishaq,
Basheer Hasan and on 12 May his brother
Shakeel Hasan were picked up by ATS as ter-
ror suspects. Ishaq is the only evidence and
witness of this conspiracy. His experience
takes this story forward.
According to Ishaq, on 5 February 2012
when his brother-in-law Basheer Hasan was
on his way to Sandeela in Hardoi district from
his house at Wangramu in Unnau district for
the treatment of his three-year-old son who
was seriously ill, he was picked up by the ATS.
Ishaq says, after that incident, an official from
Lucknow ATS using his mobile number
09792103104 called on my mobile number
08948044829 and enquired about my address.
Next day, at 9 am, Tanveer of ATS reached my
office in Lucknows Nadwa College. After
reaching my place, he informed his officer that
he was with me and he arranged a telephonic
conversation with me and his officer. He asked
about Basheer, and I replied according to what
I knew. He then said that if you cooperate with
us, we too will cooperate with you. I said that
my sister Zainab, who is in Bangermau with
two young children, and they are very much
worried, can I keep them with me in Lucknow.
He replied: let them be there for now. Minutes
later he said that he will send someone along
with me and then only I can go and bring my
sister and her children.
From here onwards, this family came in
contact with the ATS which made their life mis-
erable and painful and forced them to live
under constant threat. They started to consider
this phase a curse from the Almighty. The
pains and suffering could well be seen on their
faces and foreheads. When none from this
family confronted this harassment, the ATS
thought that it is a green signal for it to go on
harassing this family.
Later Tanveer of ATS came with car and
took Ishaq to Vangarmau. Ishaq says that after
reaching there, ATS people told the landlord of
Basheer and his neighbours that they should
not move from this place and whenever they
are called they will have to come to Lucknow.
When Ishaq was accompanying his sister and
children to go to Lucknow alongwith ATS men,
Tanveer suddenly took them to the ATS office
at Gomti Nagar. There, Ishaq and Zainab were
interrogated for long hours. ATS allowed them
to leave only when small children started cry-
ing at late night.
A telephonic call by ATS from a PCO vali-
dates that this all was done in an illegal man-
ner like criminals. By doing so they were trying
to avoid creation of evidence of any kind that
could come in their way. Now Ishaq does not
have anything to do except to wait for them.
Basheer says that on 8 February when
Shakeel had come to Nadwa College to meet
him, Tanveer of ATS also met Shakeel and
talked to him for long. Thereafter, ATS took
Shakeel to its office and allowed him to leave
late in the night. Now it has become a habitual
norm and every sound of footsteps is thought
by the entire family to be that of ATS people.
Next day, 9 February, ATS people again came.
They took Shakeel and Zainab but when chil-
dren started crying, they left Zainab near
Nadwa College. Shakeel was interrogated and
stayed terrified for long. This routine continued
for a week. ATS used to call very often or take
them for interrogation. All family members of
Shakeel and Zainab went through mental trau-
ma in this way. Terrorised children became
seriously ill.
Ishaq was hardly aware that ATS was dig-
ging out problems for him equals to a grave.
The process went uninterrupted. Tanveer of
ATS used to come every now and then and on
every such visit Ishaqs family had to face
problems of one kind or another. According to
Ishaq, the pressure of Tanveer kept on mount-
ing on Shakeel and he used to tell him follow
what I say, otherwise you will land in jail.
Shakeel was forced not go out and at the same
time he was asked to keep his mobile phone
switched off. They said if we want to talk to you
we will come to you or will talk to you through
your brother Ishaq.
In this entire episode, ATS Lucknow con-
spired so that Shakeel remains isolated and
aloof from society and his life in isolation was
to be used as a pretext to frame him as a ter-
ror suspect. Shakeel was asked by ATS to live
in Lucknow with his brother-in-law Musheer
Ahmad who lived in Dubagga area along with
his wife Saima Khatoon and three year old
daughter Umm-e-Eman. During his stay here,
ATS called Ishaq on his mobile number
08948044829 or called him out of Nadwa
College. In the meantime, Ishaq received a call
on his mobile from Delhi Police asking him to
meet Basheer and to bring along his clothes.
Ishaq got terrified and called the Lucknow ATS
officer asking him what to do and telling him
that you people keep on asking something or
the other and now Delhi Police too has started
to make calls. He replied, dont go to Delhi
because if you do, they will arrest you. After
receiving calls from both Luckno ATS and Delhi
Police, Ishaq got terrified and became mental-
ly sick. Thereafter, he complied with whatever
ATS Lucknow told him to do.
During assembly elections, ATS Lucknow
visited Ishaqs Qutubpur village in Sitapur dis-
trict. There, they said that they are friends of
Ishaq and Shakeel, that they had had earlier
talked about buying land and now as they are
here for election duty, they thought to meet
them. They enquired about Shakeel and Ishaq
for hours. This became a normal routine as
ATS came there to ask about them or get infor-
mation from people started with the beetle
shop to many others.. They used to send
strangers during the night to his village home.
The process and method of investigation fol-
lowed by ATS frightened the entire family
members. ATS did everything to isolate neigh-
bour and villagers from this family.
Meanwhile, the regime changed in Uttar
Pradesh and new government took charge, but
the style and methods followed by the ATS
remained the same. Samajwadi party regis-
tered a record victory over BSP and through
public platform and media, Mulayam acknowl-
edged that the victory was because of
Muslims overwhelming support but the politi-
cal attitude toward innocent Muslims remained
same despite all promises to release innocent
Muslims incarcerated in jails.
Ishaq said that on 4 May, Tanveer called
him from his mobile number 09792103153 and
asked him to come out of Nadwa College gate
because he wanted to talk something impor-
tant. When Ishaq came out, Tanveer told him:
you all have to come to office once again. The
moment he heard, Ishaq realised the dangers
ahead.
On 5 May, Tanveer came to Ishaqs house
and said that if you want to go to meet Basheer
in Delhi you can talk to his officer. When Ishaq
told him about the letter from Basheer in which
he asked him to bring his clothes, Tanveer said
there is no problem and if he (Ishaq) wished to
go, he (Tanveer) or someone else will come
along with him.
On 10 May, ATS Lucknow asked Ishaq to
go to Delhi by Lucknow Mail train but he
refused to do so saying that he has not got
leave from his employer to do so. His refusal to
go to Delhi, became a big problem for him. On
7 May, ATS Lucknow took the new mobile
number of Shakeel from Ishaq and asked
Shakeel to provide them with a list and photo-
graphs of vagabond boys of Nadwa College.
On 9 May, ATS made a number of phone calls
to pressurise Shakeel to provide such a list but
he refused saying that he is not capable of
doing so. On 11 May, ATS asked someone to
call Ishaq from mobile number 7275265518 to
inform him that he must be extra careful.
Ishaq says that on 12 May, he called
Tanveer to enquire about the whole issue.
Instead, Tanveer told him to talk from a PCO.
When I called from number 7388923992, he
asked about Shakeel. I replied that he is in
Dubagga with his brother-in-law and at that
particular time might have gone for tuition.
Tanveer asked him to enquire about Shakeel.
After this, Ishaq called Shakeel but his mobile
was switched off. When he did not return till
evening, Ishaq called Tanveer to enquire about
him. Tanveer replied that he had already cau-
tioned him (Ishaq) to remain careful and said
that ATS Delhi took him to Delhi. Then Ishaq
called an officer from ATS and asked him about
Shakeel. This officer replied that he does not
know. When Ishaq told him what Tanveer had
said, the officer replied that may be ATS from
Delhi took him along. While trying to clarify,
Ishaq asked that when you (officer) called
Shakeel last February, he met you and you
enquired about everything many times. He was
in close touch with you for the last three
months and if he had done any crime why you
did not arrest him then? And now you have
handed him over to Delhi. Only you people
knew Basheer or you were aware of his mobile
number. He said we did not want him, may be
he was wanted by Delhi so they took him along
to Delhi. Thereafter he disconnected the
phone.
When I was coming out of Ishaqs house,
his elderly father murmured in my ear that
Ishaq was saying, if you people come out to
help then he can be released. Tears rolled
down his cheeks even though he tried hard to
conceal his pain and suffering.
The author is Secretary, UPCL, U.P.
How ATS traps people in its net
Ishaq with his sister and her children
NATIONAL
New Delhi: Agha Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) in
cooperation and partnership with Housing &
Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) is run-
ning three to nine month-long professional training
courses for about 240 young boys and girls of
Basti Hazrat Nizamuddin, a Muslim locality
around Hazrat Nizamuddins Dargah. This pro-
gramme was inaugurated in 2011 by union hous-
ing and poverty alleviation minister Kumari Shelja.
The training courses are in the fields of computer
software, data entry operation, tile making, bag
making, tourism, paper cutting, electrical, elec-
tronic and plumbering etc.
After completion of the training in these pro-
fessional courses, certificates were given to the
trainees by R.K. Safaya, former Executive
Director of HUDCO, at a function held at a M.C.D.
school in this locality on 21 June. Speaking on this
occasion, he said that young boys and girls who
have received training here need not worry about
employment because after training they have
become capable enough for self-employment or
employment in any good organisation. He said
that girls who have received training here can
earn a good income by working from their homes.
He suggested that curio shops should be started
by the government at historical buildings and
monuments where products of arts and handi-
crafts should be displayed from where Indian and
foreign tourists may purchase them, thereby
boosting the business and income of such
trainees. He said that this would resuscitate the
dying arts of the people of this area. Project
Director of AKTC, Ratish Nanda, said that seeing
keen interest of the people of this area in learning
new things and assessing their capabilities we
have started 12 training programmes with joint
finance and cooperation of HUDCO with which
the people of this area are now benefiting.
Another speaker, Ms. Sapna Mudgal of NIIT
Foundation, said that the objective of imparting
vocational training to the people of this area is to
provide them good opportunities of employment
and earning a livelihood. Praising the youth of this
area she said that they are talented people and
are capable of going up in life and they are com-
petent enough to get jobs in reputed Indian and
multinational companies.
Vocational centre in Delhis Basti Nizamuddin
JIH demands adequate
representation for Muslims in security forces
New Delhi: Jamaat-e Islami Hind views with
grave concern the situation that even after six
decades of independence the communal riots
are continuing. Recently, in Kosi Kalan near
Mathura, on the excuse of a small skirmish,
there was a big communal incident in which
three Muslims were killed and widespread loot-
ing and burning of properties was perpetrated.
Likewise, in Asthan, Pratabgarh district of UP,
about 50 houses were looted and burnt. At both
places, Police played the role of silent specta-
tors and thereby encouraged the killers and
arsonists. It is a matter of great shame. It is the
duty of Central and state governments to fulfil
their responsibility and not allow the communal-
ists and their mentors to play the game of death
and destruction. This disturbs peace, spoils
inter-community relations, defames the good
image of the country and obstructs social and
material progress, said Ejaz Ahmed Aslam,
media secretary of Jamaat-e Islami Hind (JIH)
during a press meet held here on 7 July.
Aslam demanded that the government should
take prompt action against the trouble-makers,
disallow moves to disturb peace, take appropri-
ate strict action against officials and policemen
who acted like silent spectators, and pay ade-
quate compensation and reparation to the
affected people. A step towards a lasting solu-
tion of this problem would be providing ade-
quate representation to Muslims in police and
security forces. This has been recommended by
Sachar Committee also, he said.
Speaking about police reforms to shun its
communal attitude, Aslam said, a recent report
about Delhi Police indicates that out of 83,000
persons there are only 1300 Muslims, just 1.8%,
in this force and even this representation is at
the lower levels. The position is worse in some
other states. He suggested that if Muslims are
given adequate representation in police and
security forces, the force will shun communal
attitude and adopt a just attitude and fulfil its
professional duties correctly. It is imperative to
implement the recommendations of different
commissions to reform police and modernize its
working. Aslam demanded that the police
should be trained to be free from communal
virus and act neutrally with a view to upholding
law and protecting the oppressed. This is the
bounden duty of all well-wishers of the country
to make all out efforts to put an end to commu-
nal conflicts once and for all, he added.
Referring to the terror issue, Aslam said,
the illegal arrest of Muslim youth is continuing.
It appears to be a conspiracy to keep the
Muslims away from the task of reconstructing
themselves and the country always worried and
engaged in solving their own artificial problems.
Aslam added that Young engineer Fasih
Mahmood was arrested in Riyadh on 13 May
and subsequently a red corner notice was
issued for his arrest. When dragged to Supreme
Court, the government was taking date after
date and was still not able to explain as to on
whose orders he was arrested in the first place.
Even now it is not in a position to state in whose
custody he is. Likewise, two Kashmiri students
of Jamiatul Falah were abducted in full public
view at Aligarh Railway station. After protests all
over the country, the government was forced to
bring them overground in Kashmir. Even now it
does not find itself in a position to explain who
arrested them and on whose orders the arrest
took place and this is evident from U.P. govern-
ments reply in Allahabad high court.
Aslam said, the Supreme Court has stipu-
lated the conditions and precautions which
should be observed when a person is to be
arrested. According to these guidelines, it is
necessary that the persons relatives, guardian
should be informed when the arrest takes place.
Further, the detainee has the right to take help
from an advocate to safeguard his rights. But
these instructions are flouted and youths are
being arrested everywhere and thus a bad
name is being given to the Muslim community.
Besides, they are being booked in countless
cases with a view to harass the entire communi-
ty. This is a painful situation for the community
and all justice-loving persons. Moreover, it is
spreading among common people the impres-
sion that Muslims are terrorists or at least sup-
porters of terrorism. Whereas the fact is that
Muslims want to live as peaceful and equal citi-
zens of the country, engaged in their duties and
struggling to secure their rights.
Aslam mentioned the recent Tata Institute of
Social Sciences (TISS) report based on a sur-
vey which disclosed that in Maharashtra, where
Muslims form 10.6% of population, 36% of jail
inmates are Muslims. He also cited the Sachar
Committee report which had also revealed this
deplorable situation that Muslims have been rel-
egated to backwardness in the fields of educa-
tion, economy, government services and busi-
ness. Jail is the only place where they are rep-
resented two and three times more than their
share in population. Aslam said, TISS has also
pointed out that most of the Muslims have been
languishing in jail on insufficient allegations and
legal help is not available to them and they are
faced with worst type of discrimination. The
community should take notice of this deplorable
situation and social organisations and govern-
ment must take corrective steps. He further
said, the circle of oppressions and fake
encounters is now extending to other sections of
society. On 29 June, in a village in Bijapor dis-
trict, Chhattisgarh 19 men, women and children
were gunned down in the name of countering
Naxalite terrorism. These were Aadivasi vil-
lagers. Jamaat demands that a judicial inquiry
into this encounter should be conducted.
JIHs Public Relations Secretary Engineer
Mohammed Saleem said speaking at the press
meet, the world is facing a crisis in economy
and our country is no exception. Prices are ris-
ing, cost of living is going up, and every aspect
of life of the Aam Aadmi is in turmoil. The wrong
and exploitative system of economics and
finance followed by a few so-called developed
countries has hit badly not only the rest of the
world but also the majority of their own popu-
lace. It is a pity that the developing and under-
developed countries, along with ours, are still
treading the same path of destruction and it is
natural that they are also suffering in the same
manner. The story is the same, be it the institu-
tional debt crisis of the dollar zone which the
world faced recently, or the sovereign debt crisis
of the Eurozone which we are witnessing these
days. The interest and speculation-based capi-
talist and consumerist system is bringing out its
sour fruits.
Engineer Saleem further stated, a healthy
economy based on interest-free and morality-
based system is available to the world which is
capable of addressing all the woes of humanity.
Islamic scholars including economists have
been presenting the system before the world
and the world is ignoring the sane call at its own
peril. The sooner we pay attention to this sensi-
ble plea the better. We appeal to the leaders of
our country to desist from the suicidal path of
copying everything emanating from the West
and seriously search for an alternative system
of economy and finance and consider the inter-
est-free and speculation-free economy present-
ed by Islam as an option.
Engineer Saleem welcomed the recent
progress in Egypt. He said, the Jamaat wel-
comes the progress of democracy in Egypt and
considers the assuming of power by the first
civilian president as a memorable event in
Egypts history. It hopes that the Parliament
elected in a free election after the popular revo-
lution would be restored at the earliest, a new
constitution would be adopted and enacted and
reconstruction of the country would be done
with an Islamic perspective. The Jamaat
extends from the depth of its heart sincere
greetings to the President of Egypt
Dr. Mohamed Morsi, his Freedom and Justice
Party, Muslim Brotherhood and the people of
Egypt. It hopes that the new phase of Egypt
would be the golden period of obedience to
God, Justice and Humanism.
VOICE OF ORPHAN GIRLS
THE GAYA MUSLIM GIRLS ORPHANAGE
A BIRDS EYE VIEW
(A national level standard Residential
Institution decorated with modern
and Islamic Education for girls.)
The institution has completed 25 years of its
establishment but it could not celebrate even
its Silver Jubilee due to lack of economy.
25 years services 19 Departments
Education: Nursery to Matric Distance
Education I.A., B.A. & Library Science
Adult Education Computer Education also Vocational Centre: Cutting & Tailoring:
(6) Batches (70) students Zari Works: (3) Batches (40) students got the certificates Since
1993 to 2011, (66) orphan girls and (41) Non-orphan girls passed the Matric Examination.
(6) students passed the Matric Examination with Hifz (Quran Memorization) Annual
Expenditure: More than 22 Lakh rupees. Source of Income: Donation from Muslim Ummah
The Institution fulfills all the rquirementsof (120) orphan girls. Under the kafala Scheme, the
annual expenditure of an orphan girl is (Rs. 12,000/=) You also may join to this good deed bear-
ing the annual expenditure of an orphan girl. There are different ways of co-operation i.e. Zakat
Donation Sadquat Charity Ushra (Zakat of agricultural production) Dini (Islamic)
Books Purchasing of land and paying the debts The payment of one(1) month of staff
More than Rs. 100,000/- Having constructed the rooms or halls on the names of your parents or
relatives Donating the construction materials (Cement, bars, bricks or other things etc.) or its
price.
Note: Here accounts are checked every year and audit is performed. Every thing is like an open
book. Come and see yourself in the institution how the orphan and non-orphan girls live together
The Gaya Muslim Girls Orphanage has got the permission from the Home Ministry to take the
amount from Foreign Countries.
Donors from foreign countries may please send their donation
Core Banking A/C No. 300402010009042 Bank Code No (UBININBBJAM)
Union Bank of India (Main Branch Gaya)
Cheques and draft to be made in the name of The Gaya Muslim Girls Orphanage
Address for Correspondence For sending the letters, cheques, drafts and money
orders, use the following addrress.
General Secretary, The Gaya Muslim Girls Orphanage
At: Kolowna, P.O. Cherki- 824237 Distt: Gaya (Bihar) India 0631-2734437 B 0-9934480190
Donors from inside the country may please send their donation to
Core Banking A/C No. 300402010007752 Bank Code No UBIN 0530042
Union Bank of India (Main Branch, Gaya)
Note: Donors through core banking are requested to send their address through E-mail or
by Post so that the receipt could be sent on that address
E-mail: thegayamuslimgirlsorphanage@gmail.corn website: www.gmgo.org
IQBAL AHMAD KHAN, FOUNDER & GENERAL SECRETARY
The institution is awaiting for your generous and sincere co-operation.
Foreign Donors
Local Donors
Engineer M Saleem (left) and Ejaz Aslam speaking to media
NATIONAL
RAM PUNIYANI
ram.puniyani@gmail.com
Nitish Kumar in an obvious
reference to the opposition
to Modis possible projec-
tion as the NDA Prime-
ministerial candidate, in
the next parliamentary
elections said that NDAs
Prime Ministerial candi-
date should be one with secular credentials. His
aide went on to say that Vajpayee had intended
of sacking him in the wake of the Gujarat car-
nage. The NDA lost the 2004 Parliamentary
elections due to the Gujarat carnage and the
role Modi had in the same (June 19, 2012). In
response, Lalu Yadav questioned Nitish as to
how he continued to be part of NDA after
Gujarat happened? The BJP spokesmen talked
at different levels. One of them said that ideo-
logically Vajpayee, Advani and Modi are all the
same. Another one said that Hindutva is truly
secular and liberal so why Modi cannot be the
PM candidate. RSS Supremo Bhagwat but-
tressed the point by asking as to why the nation
cannot have a Hindutvawadi prime minister?
With this the ever continuing debate about
secularism and the nature of Hindutva is in the
social space once again. One concedes that
Kumar is no secular angel. When the BJP
became the largest single party in Lok Sabha in
1996, no one dared to ally with it at that time as
its communal face was starkly obvious due to
its role in the Babri demolition and consequent
violence, which was too fresh in peoples mem-
ory. By 1998 in a similar situation many parties
including Kumars JD (U) could not resist the
temptation of power and arrived at a minimum
common program to share power with the BJP.
Though his JD (U) had a common minimum
understanding with BJP, right under Kumars
nose BJP during the NDA regime communal-
ized the polity no end. Saffronization of text
books was done and introduction of courses like
Paurihitya and Hindu Rituals in the Universities
being just a few examples of the Hindutva agen-
da, were starkly visible. When the carnage
broke out in 2002, Kumar was the minister for
railways and in that capacity he ignored the
investigation of the Godhra train burning, which
was mandatory as per rules. Due to this Modis
concoction that the train burning was a pre-
planned act by Muslims went unchallenged for a
long time. Kumar could have called Modis bluff
about the train burning as being a preplanned
act of Muslims. But Kumar never questioned
this allegation
Nitish was part of the cabinet. What did he
tell Vajpayee at that time one does not know, but
as a secular person, his threat of pulling out of
the Government would have set the house in
order to a great extent. Even today, right under
his nose his ally, the BJP of Bihar, is communal-
izing the polity. Communalism is not just com-
munal violence. Communal violence is just the
superficially visible part of the process of com-
munalization, which aims to abolish secular
spaces and liberal values.
Some of the statements of BJP spokesper-
sons are partly true also. The claim that
Vajpayee, Advani, and Modi (one can add even
people like Praveen Togadia, Promod Mutallik,
Vinay Katiyar and the likes) are similar, is true to
a great extent. They are all ideologically com-
mitted swaymsevaks, (RSS trained Cadres)
working for the agenda of establishing the
Hindu Rashtra, the goal of RSS politics. There
are dissimilarities amongst them also; there is
also a division of labor amongst them. Since
BJP is not hopeful of securing a majority on its
own strength, it has to put up the liberal faade.
Precisely for this reason Vajpayee was the
prime Minister, while the prime mover of the
chariot of communalism through Ram Temple
campaign, Advani, was forced to play second
fiddle. When Vajpayee withdrew from the scene,
Advani decided on a image make over and he
suddenly realized the secular worth of Jinnah. It
is another matter that he overplayed the game
and his patriarch, RSS, decided to clip his wings
and demote him. All the top brass of BJP, VHP,
Bajrang Dal, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and many
other RSS outfits are primarily RSS swayama-
sevaks, which are too well known by now.
When the previous avatar of BJP, Jan
Sangh, merged in the Janata Party in the wake
of the lifting of emergency, the other compo-
nents of Janata party, socialists in particular,
demanded that the Jan Sangh members should
give up their membership-affiliation with the
RSS. For Jan Sanghis breaking their link with
the RSS was unthinkable and they decided to
pull out from the Janata Party and then they
regrouped as Bharatiya Janata Party, as it is
known at present. Vajpayee, in his famous
address to NRI Indians in Staten Island, US,
asserted that he is Swayamsevak first and any-
thing else, PM, later.
In that sense they are on the same ideolog-
ical wavelength but playing different roles at any
given point of time. They are communal to the
core, with their agenda to work for religion-
based nationalism. Hindutva is not Hinduism.
Hinduism is an umbrella of various religious
streams, which flowered and existed in this part
of the world. Hindutva as a concept and political
ideology started emerging during the colonial
period and was later popularized by Savarkar.
He defined it as Whole of Hinduness, a combi-
nation of Aryan race, culture and language. In
particular Hindutva is based on the Brahmanical
stream of Hinduism, subtly promoting caste and
gender hierarchy, reviving the feudal hierarchi-
cal system in the modern idioms.
When the whole nation was coming togeth-
er on the principles of Liberty, Equality and
Fraternity, the upholders of Hindutva, coming
from sections of Rajas, Zamindars and sections
of the upper caste Hindus kept aloof from the
struggle against the British. They came togeth-
er as Hindu Mahasabha and later founded and
supported RSS. Their politics was parallel and
opposite of the politics of Muslim League.
Muslim League also had a base amongst the
landed aristocracy, Nawabs, Jagirdars and later
joined by the educated elite. Hindutva stream,
Hindu Mahasabha-RSS projected the glorious
Hindu past and asserted we are a Hindu Nation
from times immemorial. Muslim League identi-
fied with the rule of Muslim kings and traced
their lineage to the first invasion of a Muslim
King in this part of the world. The National
movement under Gandhi was for throwing away
the yoke of colonial rule and for social change of
caste and gender relations. It articulated that we
are a Nation in the making.
Here one can see the instrumentalist use of
religion by a section of society, elite, who want-
ed to preserve their privileges in the changing
social dynamics. The sharpest articulation of
Hindutva politics came from M.S. Golwalkar,
who in his We or our Nationhood Defined,
eulogized fascism and asked for a second class
citizenship for Muslims and Christians. Today
the RSS cadres unable to swallow the blunt for-
mulation of their policies and politics by
Golwalkar deny the existence of this book. The
dilemma of the RSS and its progeny is to keep
the democratic face till they become a majority
when they will be able to unleash their agenda
on the full scale. Currently too their trained
swayamsevaks are infiltrating in different wings
of the state, media and education apart from
forming organizations like the BJP etc. So who
is secular in the BJP? They claim that they
believe in justice for all and appeasement of
none. This is a very cleverly worded sentence to
hide their intention of continuing the discrimina-
tion of those suffering in the present scheme of
things.
How does one understand the difference
between Hinduism and Hindutva? One has to
take recourse to the example of the father of
the nation to avoid the heavy academic
debates. Gandhi was a Hindu but not a fol-
lower of Hindutva. Godse and the RSS tribe
are the practitioners of Hindutva politics. For
this politics a Hindu like Gandhi is unaccept-
able ideologically as he could reach the
zenith of secular ethos while being the best of
the Hindus! We do realize that while the state-
ment by Nitish Kumar is symbolic of shadow
boxing it also unveils one of the aspects of
the political reality being witnessed by the
nation. (Issues in Secular Politics)
Nitish-Modi Spat: Debating Secularism
When the whole nation was coming together on the princi-
ples of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, the upholders of
Hindutva, coming from sections of Rajas, Zamindars and
sections of the upper caste Hindus kept aloof from the
struggle against the British. They came together as Hindu
Mahasabha and later founded and supported RSS. Their
politics was parallel and opposite of the politics of Muslim
League.
New Delhi: Dr Javed Jamil, noted social scientist and the
author of Muslim Vision of India: Destination & Roadmap
called for a comprehensive approach by Muslims for their all-
round development. He said that Muslims need not only
socioeconomic empowerment but also ideological empower-
ment so that they can come out of the inferiority complex in
which they are being perpetually kept by both friends and foes.
He was delivering the inaugural lecture of the lecture series
organised by All India Muslim Majlis Mushawarat at its central
office here.
Introducing the speaker, Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, President
AIMMM, described Dr Jamil as a physician who is now more
known as a social scientist. He said that Dr Jamils Muslim
Vision of India document has already attracted attention of the
Muslims all over the world and it is high time that the implemen-
tation of the document should be taken in all its earnestness.
Dr Jamil spoke at length about the current status of
Muslims in India and why Muslims should focus on their own
efforts in making themselves a vibrant and dynamic community
that can influence the direction of the national policies rather than
simply holding the begging bowl. He said that it is unfortunate that
even in finding out their issues and the ways to correct the situa-
tion, they depend on the reports and recommendations given by
others, which more often than not ignore the Muslim ideological
perceptions and perspectives. He said that Muslims are not just
a constitutional minority but also the second largest ideological
bloc and part of the deprived majority of the country.
Dr Jamil said that India has about 17 percent of world popu-
lation and Muslims are about 15 percent of Indias population.
They are also about 9 percent of the worlds Muslim population.
India is an emerging economy with more than eight percent
growth rate. Muslims are, therefore, in a unique position where
they can play a meaningful role in influencing the direction of the
economic policies. He said that the economic disparity and com-
mercialisation of human weaknesses are issues that need urgent
Muslim attention because they are having a disastrous impact on
the masses including Muslims. He said that even if just one fifth
of the total wealth of 1000 richest Indians is distributed among the
rest of the country, every single Indian family can become a lakh-
pati. Dr Jamil said that no short term and part measures in tits
and bits will do. An 18 crore population is a country within coun-
try and they require a government within government to run their
affairs. They need a big national plan and a big national-level
mechanism to implement it. A comprehensive plan is to be imple-
mented on all fronts with simultaneity, coordination and cohesive-
ness being the key.
He stressed that apart from education, the emphasis must
now be on economic empowerment. He said that 70 percent of
economy is related to the consumer market. Muslims must not
simply be consumers but also producers, distributors and traders.
He said that Muslims must endeavour for large-scale participation
in all levels of businesses including the corporate sector and
small scale industries. There are a large number of sectors where
the success of any Muslim endeavour is guaranteed. These
include food and catering, tourism including religious tourism,
garments, leather products, construction sector, oral care prod-
ucts, and many more. He said that he has proposed the forma-
tion of a National Muslim Chamber of Commerce which will
mobilise Muslim entrepreneurs to form companies and take mar-
keting and exports in their own hands.
Dr Jamil spoke at length about the need of introducing
Applied Islamics in Madrasas and modern institutions. We need
to study the application of Islam in all the fields including health,
laws, politics, social dynamics, international politics, natural
sciences and economics, he said we need to gather informa-
tion, statistics and make survey on the impact of current poli-
cies on human life. This will lead to an ideological empower-
ment of Muslims, which is the key to their regaining the lost
confidence and lost glory.
If Muslims are ideologically empowered and they under-
stand the dynamics of the current world systems, they will be in
a better position to challenge the exploitative and damaging
policies and programmes of the so-called New World Order.
They must now challenge every single ideological position, pol-
icy, programme, definition, index and parameter that the forces
of economic fundamentalism have been pursuing for their own
interests and hegemony. Freedom of choices has to be
replaced with Freedom of good choices, Human rights should
be replaced by Human security, Democracy should be replaced
by theo-merito-democracy. Dr Jamil said that Democracy is
falsely regarded as Government of the people, for the people and
by the people as in truth it is the Corporatocracy, which can be
defined as the Government of the corporate, run by the minions of
the corporate and for the corporate. Dr Jamil also spoke on the
importance of NGOs and called for the allocation of 20 percent of
all government funds meant for NGOs to be given to Muslim
NGOs. He proposed opening of Islamic Counselling Centres in
every city which will engage in De-addiction, Career and marriage
counselling, Rehabilitation of beggars and prostitutes. There is
also a need for Muslim NGOs in the field of Health and Education.
In response to a question, Dr Jamil said that a big chapter in
his Muslim Vision is related to Health Infrastructure. He said that
the effects of corporates are also clearly visible on health policies
and programmes, which are mainly tilted towards management
rather than primary prevention of diseases.
Mr Mujtaba Farooque, President of Welfare Party, presided
over the function. In his presidential address, he promised total
support to Dr Jamils Muslim Vision. He said that there is no deny-
ing the fact that the release of the document is a historical devel-
opment in itself as nothing like this has been produced before.
He proposed that Mushawarat must play an active role in mobil-
ising support for the implementation of the Muslim Vision
(M Shuayb)
Ideological Empowerment key to Muslim success: Jamil
NATIONAL
J.S. BANDUKWALA
T
he Gujarat Muslim population is about
5.5 million, constituting about 10 % of the
State population. The figures are lower
than those of states like Assam (31 %),
West Bengal and Kerala (25 %) , UP (18.5 %)
and Bihar (17 %). Yet the spread of jamaats is
most unusual. This is one state where Shia com-
munities, though small in number, have yet
played a vital part in the country. Ithna Ashari
Shias are mostly concentrated around
Bhavnagar. Though small in number, they pro-
duced Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Aga Khan Khojas
are equally small, but they have produced Azim
Premji, the richest Indian Muslim. Similarly the
Dawoodi Bohras are about 0.5 million in Gujarat,
but they are highly educated and constitute the
upper middle class to rich people. Among Sunnis,
Memons were the wealthy elite in Saurashtra a
century ago. One of them Dada Abdullah spon-
sored the South Africa trip of the young lawyer,
who later became Mahatma Gandhi. Similarly,
another Memon Abdul Habib Marfani, with busi-
ness connections in Rangoon, financed the
Indian National Army of Netaji Subhas Chandra
Bose, who out of gratitude called him Sevak-e
Hind.
But with partition, these rich and highly edu-
cated Muslims migrated from Gujarat, mostly to
Pakistan or to Western countries. Those who
remained, were poor and mostly illiterate.
Leadership passed easily in the hands of the
ulama, which only compounded the problems of
the community. To add to their plight, being a bor-
der state, so close to Karachi, a reverse migration
also occurred, sharply increasing the communal
consciousness of all people in Gujarat. Other
than Gandhiji, political leadership within the state
was not sympathetic to Gujarati Muslims. The
conditions were ripe for the RSS in the state. It
cleverly used this communal polarisation to unite
all Hindus against Muslims. The weapon was
communal riots that started from 1969, oddly
when the country was celebrating Gandhijis birth
centenary, and Badshah Khan was in Gujarat.
Muslims paid a heavy price, as the police, the
media, intellectuals and top businessmen collab-
orated with the government in the rapes, killings
and destruction in Muslim localities.
This process continued over the next 33
years, with brief interludes of peace and stability.
Slowly, Gujarat became a fortress of the saffron
forces. No wonder top BJP leaders, including
Vajpayee and Advani preferred to contest parlia-
mentary elections from Gujarat, as the urban
seats were very safe for them. Even the
Gandhian movement, with a few honourable
exceptions, began to tilt towards the RSS. What
a tragedy that peace marchers in the aftermath of
the 2002 genocide, were not allowed inside
Sabarmati Ashram.
2002 ultimately broke our back, Muslims. We
were the the orphans of partition. The brutality on
our women, particularly the use of trishuls on their
private parts, for rape and killings will ever remain
imbedded in our psyche. Note that these trishuls
were blessed by Swaminarayan sants in public,
before distribution to VHP and Bajrang Dal killers.
To the shame of the RSS/BJP, the
Government of Narendra Modi was directly
involved in this genocide. The VHP President
Ashok Singhal praised the killings as the will of
Lord Ram. The Gujarat VHP President, KK
Shastri, shamelessly said: our boys did it. This
95-year-old mentally sick man was shockingly
holding at the time the august post of President,
Gujarat Sahitya Parishad, the highest literary
body in the state. This august body was once
presided over by none other than Gandhiji. This
just shows how far Gujarat has fallen from the
sublime to the psychopath. No wonder there is no
remorse, no sorrow for the inhuman behaviour.
Rather, every effort has been directed to cover up
these gory incidents and prevent justice being
done in Gujarat. As expected, this state also has
many godmen. Not one was ready to state in pub-
lic that these rapes and murders carried out in the
name of Lord Ram, amounted to a sin against
Ram.
F
or Gujarat Muslims, this decade has been
difficult, yet extremely fruitful. We have
finally discovered ourselves through faith in
Allah and His Prophet. Our focus has been
essentially on four targets: 1) Justice for the vic-
tims of 2002; 2) Quality education for all Muslims;
3) Business and industry to generate wealth; 4) A
constructive political involvement to make
Muslims a part of Gujarat society.
The first purpose has been substantially
achieved. For the first time, so many criminals
have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the
killings of 2002. Note that this has rarely hap-
pened in India earlier. Most of the guilty are land-
ed Patels who have an unusual hatred for
Muslims. I wonder why? Hopefully, these judge-
ments will temper their Muslim hate. The Muslims
of Gujarat are deeply grateful to social activists
like Teesta Setalvad, who have taken their lives in
their own hands in order to secure justice to our
community. More important is the role of the
Supreme Court without whose paternal concern,
justice would have been impossible. For
Narendra Modi was very successful in blunting
the lower judiciary and even the High Court here.
But he could not get around the Apex Court.
I mention here the manner in which the
Nanavati Commission was totally compromised.
This retired Supreme Court judge was asked to
investigate the riots. Simultaneously, his two sons
were appointed on exceptionally high salaries as
special government prosecutors. No wonder,
Nanavati has done everything possible to protect
Modi.
The chances are his final report will never
see the light of the day, and the Commission will
last as long as Nanavati lives, and then just fold
up. Incidentally, the other worthy judge, Akshay
Mehta, won his position by granting bail to the
notorious Babu Bajrangi so that he does not
spend a single day in jail. Babu Bajrangi is the
only individual whom I can never pardon. This
butcher of Naroda Patiya slashed the pregnant
Kausar Banu to kill her. He then used a sword to
kill and lift her unborn child, proclaiming that while
doing so he felt like Maharana Pratap. It is to the
shame of Narendra Modi and Akshay Mehta that
they are viewed as god-fathers of Bajrangi.
The second issue of quality education is
remarkable. Until 2002, secular education, partic-
ularly for girls, was a low priority for Muslims.
Darul Ulooms, the equivalent of a University,
were everywhere. South Gujarat had 23 Darul
Ulooms, as against just three colleges (that too of
arts and commerce). With 2002, the community
mindset changed totally. Muslims realised that
they can never cope with Hindutva except
through the highest level of education for their
children. This decade saw a sharp rise of Muslim
schools from 250 to about 700. Zidni Ilma
Charitable Trust, a Vadodara-based body
focussed on quality education, is currently spon-
soring 60 medical and 150 degree engineering
students from poor and lower middle class fami-
lies. These are students who in the pre-2002 peri-
od would never have gone to a professional col-
lege due to high costs and also the views of the
community. A greater satisfaction is the large
increase in girls with excellent academic perform-
ance. In Zenith High School, a Vadodara-based
school, ten girls have secured marks between 84
% and 94 % in the Science stream. Inshallah, the
community has a good furture ahead. But it pains
that the level of boys education has not risen to
the same extent. Why?
Third, the community has focussed on wealth
generation. The bias against Muslims is so deep
that it is difficult to get a Gujarat Government job.
At a recent selection of about 980 mamlatdars
and equivalent posts, only about 24 Muslims
were selected. Fortunately this has led Muslims
to self employment. The pressure of competition
has forced them to be the best in their fields. No
wonder, the best car or fridge mechanics, electri-
cians or plumbers, fabricators or sofa-cover spe-
cialists are Muslims. But higher up the same phe-
nomemnon is found. Few know that a defence
specialist in radioactive components is a Gujarati
Muslim. This has led to nationalised banks open-
ing up branches in Muslim areas. Yet the bias
persists. While Muslim bank deposits are about
12 % (higher than their population), yet loan dis-
bursals to Muslims are only 2.6 %. Yet much
needs to be done. There are no top Gujarat
Muslim corporates. Those who have succeeded,
like Azim Premji or Habil Khorakiwala of
Wockhardt, have migrated to other states.
But none can deny the wealth being generat-
ed within the community. This is reflected in larg-
er and posher housing societies that were
unknown just ten years ago. Further, architectur-
al wonders have been created in building many
mosques in these places.
The flip side is the ghettoisation that plagues
all Muslim localities in Gujarat. The fear of riots as
well as the refusal of non-Muslims to sell proper-
ties to Muslims, has forced Muslims into limited
areas in every city. There is a sharp rise in popu-
lation but no place for expansion. To make mat-
ters ugly, the Modi Government has deliberately
divided Muslim areas into different Municipal con-
stituencies, so that a city like Vadodara has no
Muslim corporator. There is no Muslim voice in
the supply of water or road maintainance or
garbage removal or street lightening. It is sad that
once we drive from a Hindu area to a Muslim area
suddenly even the air appears to stink, the roads
are bad, lighting is poor. Water supply per capita
goes down sharply. No wonder all Muslim areas
are ghettos. Yet I am confident that with wealth
Muslims will convert these ghettos into livable
places.
Finally, we cannot ignore political factors.
I have beleived Muslims should avoid fighting
elections as communal polarisation makes it diffi-
cult to win. But Muslims must vote. They must join
poitical parties and express their views as honest-
ly and fearlessly as possible. At the same time let
there be no illusions. The sight of mullas offering
their caps to Narendra Modi, or in one case even
touching his feet, were plain disgusting. I wish I
could persuade the Bohra jamaat leaders to
move away from such close identification with
Modi. After all, the Bohra Syedna claims spiritual
descent from Hazrat Ali and Imam Husain. Both
gave their lives fighting the forces of evil. They
never compromised with evil.
What are the minorities thinking in Gujarat?
Tactical voting strategy has
come of age
SYED SHAHABUDDIN
The Uttar Pradesh Assembly election last March is a historic event
for the Muslim community. For the first time since 1950, Muslims
secured almost their due share in the legislature in proportion to
their state population, primarily because they accepted the strate-
gy of tactical voting, voting unitedly and massively for one selected
candidate in many constituencies of Muslim concentration and not
dividing their votes on the basis of political affinity, sect or grouping.
The Muslim community, according to census 2001, forms 18.5 per-
cent of U.P. state population (and nearly 22.5 percent of the nation-
al Muslim population). By principle of proportional representation,
they should have at least 72 seats in the UP Assembly in a total
strength of 403. For the first time since 1950, in 2012 the figure has
reached 69, close to the marks, while from election to election, it
varied from 23 in 1991 to 54 in 2007.
Perhaps the demolition of the Babri Masjid had a painful
impact on the Muslim community. Its political effect was that it com-
pletely lost its faith in the Indian National Congress which then
formed the government at the Centre. Indeed, it held Prime
Minister Narasimha Rao more responsible for the demolition.
Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Minister in UP Kalyan Singh never
concealed his objective, while Narasimha Rao repeatedly gave
Muslims false assurances about his commitment to protect the
mosque.
Now he appears to have acted clearly in collusion with the BJP
and perhaps for reasons yet to be revealed he deliberately
destroyed the chance of the Congress to come back to power in
UP for many years. The Muslim community has not yet overcome
its anger and alienation. Even the energetic canvassing by Rahul
Gandhi in 2012 could not diminish it. This was a parting of ways
since independence, when the Muslim community had taken shel-
ter under the umbrella of the Congress and depended upon it for
its defense and protection against the rising menace of Hindutva
(Hindu fundamentalism).
In 2012, as in 2007, the main contestants were the Bahujan
Samaj Party (BSP), the Samajwadi Party (SP), the BJP and the
Congress. For two terms in 2002 and 2007 the BSP had secured
an overall majority due to Muslim support and formed the govern-
ment leaving the SP with only 160 seats in 2007. This time the SP
turned the tables and won 224 seats and pushed the BSP to a very
low second position, while the BJP and the Congress retained their
third and fourth positions respectively.
The SP has formed the state government on its own, while in
the past it had taken the support of the BJP or BSP. There was not
much change in the party-wise percentage of vote; SP went up by
4.5 percent to 30.1 percent and the BSP went down by 4.2 percent
to 25 percent; the Congress vote went up by 5.5 percent, while the
BJP was down by 2 percent. Partly because Muslim mobilization
was better now, the voter turnout was the highest ever, with Muslim
women and youth in the forefront. But under the present first-past-
the-poll system no actual party-wise count of Muslim votes is avail-
able, but it is estimated that at least 70-75 percent of the Muslims
voted for the SP by switching away from the BSP. The breakup of
Muslim MLAs is: SP 42, BSP 16, Congress 6, Peace Party 2, two
other so-called Muslim parties 3. The BJP, which had not fielded
any Muslim candidate, had naturally no Muslim MLA.
Some commentators have stated that nearly 10 percent of
Muslim votes went to the BJP. This is an aggregation, but sporadic
Muslim vote in isolated constituencies with small Muslim presence,
for the sake of security, went to it. Surprisingly, the BJP has also
bagged several constituencies with high Muslim concentration,
because Muslim votes were divided among several secular parties
and the BJP has benefited from the division of Muslim votes.
What is interesting is that, apart from the victory of 69 Muslim
MLAs in over 40 seats, Muslim candidates were the runners-up,
losing some seats by very small margins. This shows that Muslim
representation in the Assembly could have crossed 100 with a little
more determined effort in all Muslim concentration seats.
This also shows that, even without reservation or change of
electoral system, Muslims can secure due representation in legis-
lature through what has been called tactical voting, if they vote
massively and unitedly in Muslim concentration constituencies for
selected candidates. The general impression is that the BSP
retained its hold on the scheduled caste and secured the support
of a section of other backward classes and Muslims. The SP by
and large retained its dominance among other non-Muslim OBCs
and MBCs and secured as stated above a much larger proportion
of Muslim votes as well as some votes of the Rajputs. The BJP
attracted high castes as well as Hindutva votes, while the
Congress had a small following in all major social groups. The
Congress got neither high caste nor Muslim nor Scheduled Caste
votes which had been its base since 1950.
In Muslims concentration districts in western UP, Rohilkhand
and eastern UP, Muslims voted solidly for Muslim candidates. On
the other hand, in a few high Muslim-concentration districts like
Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Lucknow, Baghpat,
Shahjahanpur, Varanasi and Pratapgarh their count was dispropor-
tionately low.
Muslim voting in UP has set a pattern which is likely to be fol-
lowed in all Muslim concentration states in future. Muslim candi-
dates of different maslaks and groupings can be selected in a com-
plementary manner from neighbouring constituencies in the same
district for producing a balance.
Success depends on thorough preparation, identification of
districts and constituencies in which Muslims form the dominant
group above 30 % in the population and avoid division among
sects and political parties. What is essential is that at the con-
stituency level Muslim voters should wholeheartedly support the
selected Muslim candidate.
The next test of tactical voting will be the general election of
2014. Muslim representation in the Lok Sabha should reach at
least 70 and it is possible if Muslims identify winnable seats in
every state/district and best available candidates. Political parties
will learn not to impose arbitrary selection in view of the consensus
in the community. Tactical voting will also eliminate the division of
Muslim votes in the newly-born Muslim parties. Once in the legis-
lature Muslim legislators will be under pressure to raise matters of
Muslim interest and project, their feelings and aspirations. Tactical
voting strategy, when this writer first proposed it, was mocked and
ridiculed. Today, it has come of age.
The writer is a senior Indian diplomat-turned-politician. This is a slightly
abridged version of a column which first appeared in Arab News
NATIONAL
New Delhi: The Working Committee of the All India Muslim Majlis-
e Mushawarat held its meeting here on 7 July. Chaired by the
President, Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, it was attended by Janab
Muhammad Jaafar (Vice President), Janab Hafiz R.A. Chaudhary
(Vice President), Janab Mohammad Sulaiman (General
Secretary), Janab Ejaz Ahmed Aslam (General Secretary),
Dr. Arshi Khan (General Secretary), Prof. Hakim Syed Zillur
Rahman, Prof. Mateen Ahmad Siddiqui, Prof. S.M. Yahya, Janab
Abdul Khaliq, Janab Syed Shahabuddin, Mrs. Nusrat Shervani,
Janab Aaris Mohammad, Janab A.R. Shervani and Janab Shafi
Madni (special invitee). The meeting discussed a wide range of
organisational, community, national and international issues.
Particular attention was paid to the issue of random arrests to
Muslim youths in the name of fighting terrorism. It was resolved
to face this issue head on on political and legal levels. The meet-
ing okayed the preparation of a white paper on terrorism in order
to put things in perspective and present a documented dossier of
the authorities, media and human rights organisations at home
and abroad about how Muslim youths are implicated and
defamed in the name of fighting terror.
The meeting paid tributes and prayed for the souls of impor-
tant personalities of the community which passed away recently,
especially: HAFIZ MUHAMMAD Siddiq, an active member of
Jamiatul Ulama-e Hind, former Congress M.P. and a former min-
ster of U.P. died 13 March 2012; HASAN GAFOOR, former Police
Commissioner of Mumbai, died 12 March; SYED SHAH JAFAR
MOHIUDDIN QADIRI, a religious scholar of Hyderabad, died in
Florida (USA) on 22 March; IZHAR WANI, noted journalist of
Kashmir, died in Srinagar on 5 April; MUHAMMAD ZAKIR ALI
KHAN, originally of Rampur, noted litterateur, general secretary of
AMU Old Boys Association, founder of Sir Syed University of
Engineering & Technology, Karachi died at Karachi on 8
February; AIMMM Vice President and President of West Bengal
Unit of AIMMM, Maulana MUHAMMAD IRFANUL HASAINI,
noted religious scholar and Unani physician of Kolkata died at
Kolkata on 16 April at the age of 76 years (condolence meeting
was held at the AIMMM central office on 26 April); SYED GHU-
LAM AKBAR, former finance secretary of Jamat-e Islami Hind
and member of the Jamaats Markazi Majlis-e Shoora, died on
29 April at the age of 76; Justice MURTAZA HUSAIN, former
judge of Allahabad High Court and former Lok Ayukt of U.P., died
on 26 April at Lucknow; AHSAN RAZAKHAN, noted historian and
a member of the Indian Council of Historical Research died at
Shimla on 26 April at the age of 72 years; Prof. ABDUL HAQ
SHUJAAT ALI AZHARI, retired professor of JNUs Centre for
Arabic Language & Studies, died at Gurgaon on 7 May; Dr. NAJ-
MUS SALAM JALALI, physician, social worker and secretary of
Zakat Foundation of India, died at Delhi on 26 May at the age of
58 years; Justice M.A. KHAN, former judge of Lucknow bench of
Allahabad High Court and first Chief Information Commissioner of
U.P. died on 14 June; Maulana MUHAMMAD YUSUF QASMI,
noted religious scholar and calligrapher who took the art of callig-
raphy to soaring heights, died in Delhi on 10 June at the age of
83 years; Maulana AMINUDDIN SHUJAUDDIN, writer, journalist
and teacher of English at Nadwatul Ulama, died at Lucknow on
7 June; ALLAMA SHAKIR NAQAWI AMROHVI, noted Shia schol-
ar and mufassir of the Quran, died on 4 July; WAKEELUNNISA
AAPAJAN, widow of Shaikhuil Islam Maulana Husain Ahmad
Madani and mother of Maulana Arshad Madani and Maulana
Asjad Madani, died at Deoband on 5 July at the age of 102 years.
The meeting passed the following resolutions:
Haj arrangements: The AIMMM recalls recent attempts to import
ideas for Haj management, and notes that though Haj arrange-
ments in India need massive improvement, course-correction and
transparency, it will not be a good idea to privatise these arrange-
ments since past experience has shown how fly-by-night opera-
tors have played havoc with the sentiments and resources of
Indian Muslims in the name of Shariah-compliant schemes. The
AIMMM feels that the Haj arrangements should remain in govern-
ment hands with appropriate oversight and participation of
Muslim community organisations. Moreover, allocation of Haj
seats should be according to the Muslim population in each state.
Haj Subsidy: The AIMMM reiterates its previous stand that the
Muslim community did not ask for Haj subsidy and would instead
prefer more equitable Haj arrangements under which the pilgrims
pay the normal airfare instead of the highly inflated fares charged
by Air India and Saudi Airlines at present. Haj Committee should
float international tenders to obtain realistic airfares for the pil-
grims in accordance with IATA rules.
Resettlement of Pandits in J&K: While wholeheartedly support-
ing the idea of the return of the Kashmiri Pandits to their home-
land, the AIMMM shares the apprehensions of a section of J&K
leadership that resettling Kashmiri Pandits in segregated colonies
will pose problems for the state in future. The displaced Pandits
should be rehabilitated within their own historical habitats and
within the general population of the state. Given the relations of
some of Kashmiri Pandit organisations with extremist saffron out-
fits, it is justified to fear that secluded colonies will become
hotbeds of saffron militancy and terror and a permanent source of
friction in the state.
Militancy in J&K: J&K police chief Kuldip Khada said, while
relinquishing his duties last month, that only 200 militants are
active in J&K now. He said that out of them, 170 are active in the
Valley and 30 are active in the Jammu region. He added that mil-
itant incidents too have come down drastically from thousands a
year to a few hundreds in recent years and that the expected
number of incidents for this year is under a hundred. In this situ-
ation, the AIMMM feels that there is no justification for keeping
700,000 soldiers in the Valley and maintaining the draconian
AFSPA which is anti-democratic and anti-people. The AIMMM
reiterates its demand that the army should be removed forthwith
from all inhabited areas of J&K and relocated either to army
camps or posted on the borders.
Muslims in jails: The AIMMM is alarmed at the survey report
published by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, conducted at
the behest of the Maharashtra Minorities Commission, which
exposed that 36% of jail inmates in Maharashtra are Muslims
while the Muslim population in that state is only 10.6%. The
AIMMM recalls that Sachar Committee too had gathered similar
reports about the Muslim ratio in jail populations across the coun-
try but decided not to include these figures in its report on account
of their sensitivity. AIMMM believes that such figures should be
published and more research should be conducted/commis-
sioned by the central and state minority commissions about this
phenomenon which, prima facie, offers yet another clear proof of
the bias and discrimination suffered by Muslims of India at the
hands of state agencies, which is similar to what blacks are sub-
jected to in the U.S.
Terrorism: The AIMMM believes that certain communal-minded
elements in the Union Home Ministry, IB and ATS teams are
implicating Indian Muslim boys in fake terror cases with a view to
maintain pressure on the Muslim community and to marginalise
it. At the same time, AIMMM is aghast to note that the investiga-
tions started in 2008 by late Hemant Karkare, the then
Maharashtra ATS chief, have slackened, some leading persons
of saffron outfits named by him in the Malegaon and Ajmer blasts
chargesheets have not been interrogated and some of those
arrested are being released on flimsy and technical grounds, that
Sanatan Sanstha, recommended to be banned by Karkare, con-
tinues to function as usual and that arms training venues like
Bhonsla Minlitary schools and Akanksha Resort have not been
touched. Saffron militant organisations like Bajrang Dal, involved
in a number of bomb blasts, are so emboldened now that they are
holding open arms training camps. One such camp was held in
the national capital in the middle of June this year. These facts
smack of an anti-Muslim agenda at the highest levels. Parliament
and secular political parties should pay an urgent attention to
these dangerous indicators.
Muslims of Gujarat: The AIMMM takes note of Janvikas report
which says that out of the 200,000 Muslims displaced during the
2002 pogroms, 16,000 are still languishing in 83 refugee camps
across the state. This is a matter of shame for the state of Gujarat
and Central government. The AIMMM sincerely believes that the
scars of 2002 will never be healed unless and until the state gov-
ernment and its head show remorse, apologise for their acts of
omission and commission, make good the losses suffered by
Muslims during those pogroms and make it possible for them to
move back to their homes, lands and businesses in dignity.
Unless and until this takes place, any talk of Modi becoming
prime minister of India is a cruel joke which will lower the status
and dignity of India in the eyes of the international community.
Communal Riots: Communal riots, though never stopped in
reality, are back again with their previous ferocity and one-sided
murder, burning of victims alive, rape, destruction and torching of
properties with Police inactivity and tacit support or at times even
with active participation of men in uniform as seen in Gopalgarh
and Rudrapur. Recent riots at Kosi Kalan and Pratapgarh show
pre-planned attacks on Muslim localities with active encourage-
ment of local politicians and passive approach of the police. It is
a matter of shame for our secular polity that such barbaric attacks
still take place six decades after Independence. AIMMM calls
upon the state and central authorities to take due note of the
assembling clouds ahead of the 2014 elections as these acts of
criminal violence aim at the old game of communal polarisation
ahead of elections.
4.5% fiasco, Mishra and Article 341: The AIMMM notes that the
central government was never serious about its 4.5% reservation
scheme for minority OBCs out of the OBC general quota. The
hasty action was struck down by the A.P. High Court because the
central government failed to defend it vigorously and the same
scenario is now staring at us in the Supreme Court. The Central
government should come out of its slumber and adopt the recom-
mendations of the Mishra Commission in order to end this vexed
issue once and for all. The AIMMM notes that the intention of the
central government is not trustworthy is clear from its reluctance
to file its reply to the Supreme Courts query regarding the exclu-
sion of Muslims and Christians of SC origin from the SC list by an
executive order since 1950. The AIMMM calls upon the central
government to file its reply at the earliest in order to show its com-
mitment to the secular bases of our constitution and polity and
end this shameful illegal discrimination for ever.
Egypt: The AIMMM welcomes the election of Prof. Muhammad
Mursi as the first elected President of Egypt and felicitates him for
the trust deposed in him by the Egyptian people. The AIMMM
also wishes Egypt to march on the road of freedom, self-reliance
and real democracy. The AIMMM wishes Egypt to re-emerge as
the leader of the Arab and Muslim world, a position it lost after the
Camp David agreements with Israel.
I
N the afternoon of the same day a press conference was held
at the AIMMM central office in which the President Dr Zafarul-
Islam Khan, General Secretaries Janab Muhammad Sulaiman
and Dr Arshi Khan explained the issues discussed during the
Central Working Committee meeting and answered questions
about the resolutions passed.
Mushawarat discusses natl and intll issues
The AIMMM believes that certain communal-minded elements in the Union Home Ministry, IB
and ATS teams are implicating Indian Muslim boys in fake terror cases with a view to maintain
pressure on the Muslim community and to marginalise it. At the same time, AIMMM is aghast to
note that the investigations started in 2008 by late Hemant Karkare, the then Maharashtra ATS
chief, have slackened, some leading persons of saffron outfits named by him in the Malegaon
and Ajmer blasts chargesheets have not been interrogated and some of those arrested are being
released on flimsy and technical grounds, that Sanatan Sanstha, recommended to be banned by
Karkare, continues to function as usual and that arms training venues like Bhonsla Minlitary
schools and Akanksha Resort have not been touched. Saffron militant organisations like
Bajrang Dal, involved in a number of bomb blasts, are so emboldened now that they are holding
open arms training camps. One such camp was held in the national capital in the middle of June
this year. These facts smack of an anti-Muslim agenda at the highest levels. Parliament and sec-
ular political parties should pay an urgent attention to these dangerous indicators.
AIMMM Working Committee meeting
Seen in the photograph - L/R: Syed Shahabuddin, Vice President Muhammad Jafar, President Zafarul-Islam Khan, Vice President Hafiz
Rasheed Chowdhury, General Secretary Muhammad Sulaiman
NATIONAL
AMARESH MISRA
While the Delhi Police is patting itself on the back for the depor-
tation and subsequent arrest of Abu Jundal, one of the alleged
26/11 mastermind, whose voice apparently was instructing the
terrorists on the fateful day of the attack on Mumbai, sections
within the Maharashtra Police, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and
other security agencies do not think Abu Jundal is a prize catch.
"Abu Jundal's arrest is a sham. He has nothing to do with
26/11. He is either an informer of the Mumbai Crime Branch or
the Maharashtra ATS or any other agency connected with the
Maharashtra Police. He helped the police in the Aurangabad
arms haul of 2006. The Delhi Police are settling scores with the
Maharashtra Police-that's all", an IB source revealed on the con-
dition of anonymity.
Another source in the Maharashtra Police said that "there are
so many underworld figures living in Saudi Arabia. But they are
never deported. To me, it seems that Abu Jundal's story is a
frame-up. It is designed to enforce an Indian link in the 26/11
attacks".
This indeed is a serious allegation. Pakistan is already talk-
ing of an Indian link in 26/11. This goes against the Indian case-
buttressed by revelations made by David Headley-that the 26/11
conspiracy was hatched in Pakistan, by Pakistanis-with or with-
out the knowledge of ISI, Mossad and CIA-with sections within
the Pakistani establishment keeping the Government of Pakistan
probably in the dark.
It is incredible that some major figures of the Indian establish-
ment are gleefully rejoicing at Abu Jundal's deportation. In fact,
the incident might end up helping Pakistan to establish an Indian
hand in 26/11 and thus, wash their hands off the entire affair.
Let us expand this argument further: the Indian government
is trying hard to get to the truth in the murky 26/11 saga. Till now,
on the basis of revelations made by David Headley and Ajmal
Kasab, it was assumed that during the 26/11 attack, Pakistani
handlers were talking to terrorists fighting Indian Police and com-
mandoes in Mumbai. Kasab had allegedly taken the name of one
Abu Humza, whose voice was supposedly heard on the transmis-
sions during the 26/11 attacks-Abu Hamza's identity was till now
not clear; most security analysts had painted him either as a
Pakistani national or an ISI mole gone rogue.
Now suddenly, out of nowhere Abu Jundal, a native of Beed
and an Indian national-whose real name is Zabiuddin Ansari and
who has an established, positive connection with the
Maharashtra Police-emerges as the one whose voice samples
are supposed to match those of Abu Hamza! So at least for now,
officially as per the Delhi Police Special Cell, Abu Jundal is Abu
Humza!
To understand the counter view that Abu Jundal's arrest has
nothing to do with 26/11-and that it is related to the intense turf
war currently being waged between various Indian security agen-
cies-one has to bring in two more personalities-Naquee Ahmed
and Qateel Siddiqui-into the equation.
On January 2012, the Maharashtra ATS arrested Naquee
Ahmed, a resident of Bihar, in connection with the July, 2011
blasts in Mumbai. The Delhi Police Special Cell protested official-
ly claiming that Naquee was their man-their source-who was
helping them nab Yasin Bhatkal, an alleged IM operative, wanted
in several terror related cases, including the 2011 Mumbai blasts.
The Home Secretary went on record to say that though Naquee
could have been a Delhi Police Special Cell informer, it is more
likely that he is also a terrorist who got caught by the Maharashtra
ATS.
What is going on? A Delhi Police Special Cell informer is
arrested as a terrorist! The home secretary does not rule out the
possibility of him being a police informer! Going strictly as per the
statements of the home secretary himself, Indian Police forces
are actually harbouring terrorists as informers-if that indeed is
true, why wasn't any action taken against the handlers of Naquee
in the Delhi Police Special Cell? Home ministry officials cannot
have their cake and eat it too-it is unethical to say that Naquee
was a police informer and a terrorist.
Now, during the David Headley saga, US authorities too
claimed that Headley might have been "their man" who then went
rogue and helped Lashkar-e-Toiba in executing 26/11 attacks!
As mentioned above, Abu Jundal too is being seen as a
Police informer who turned rogue!
Are we ordinary Indians fools? Can't we see through the
game being played here by Indian security agencies, US author-
ities, ISI, Mossad and God knows who all?
So many innocent and precious lives were lost during the
26/11 attacks. So many Indians have died in innumerable bomb
blasts and terrorist activities. Whomsoever, is arrested, emerges
as an informer of some agency or the other. So, even if we go by
official versions, most blasts and terrorist actions are being
undertaken by people known to security forces and various state
police forces. So basically, our brothers, sisters and children are
being butchered mercilessly by these modern bhasmasurs-
demons created by security agencies who then turn against their
creators-but wait-no, not against their creators but the ordinary
people of India! At least, I have not heard till date of any near rel-
ative of a security official dying in a major terror incident!
But then there is the other angle-it can also be said that these
bhasmasurs are only paper tigers-that, instead of going after the
real perpetrators, Indian security agencies have made it a habit to
implicate their own informers in terror related cases!
Some years back, a Delhi Court ordered a CBI enquiry into a
case where the Delhi Police had claimed that it caught two terror-
ists. The CBI enquiry confirmed what the accused had been say-
ing all along-that they were not terrorists but informers for the
Delhi Police!
In the December 2000 Red Fort attack case too, the man
who was held guilty went on record stating that he was actually a
Pakistani citizen working for RAW who was implicated, in the Red
Fort case simply out of nowhere. The Peoples Union for
Democratic Rights (PUDR) also took up this case.
The icing in the case of course concerns Qateel Siddiqui, the
alleged IM operative belonging to the so called "Darbangha mod-
ule". Officially Qateel was arrested by the Delhi Police Special
Cell, made an accused in the Jama Masjid firing and other terror
incidents. Then the Maharashtra ATS sought his custody.
Subsequently, Qateel was murdered inside the Pune Yerwada
Jail premises.
The manner, in which Qateel was bumped off, through Hindu
underworld figures, carries the unmistakable stamp of some high
ranking Mumbai Police officers, including Rakesh Maria, the cur-
rent Maharashtra ATS chief. It is well known that as many as
seven Muslim accused in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts were
assassinated extra-judicially by members of the Chota Rajan
gang. This gang supposedly split away from Dawood after the
1993 blasts on "patriotic grounds". Then it went on a killing spree.
Sources in Mumbai Police allege that Chota Rajan's killing
spree had the blessings of officers like Rakesh Maria who is cred-
ited with cracking the 93' blasts case. Salim Khan Durrani, one of
the accused in the 93' blasts-later exonerated of the charges of
conspiracy and harbouring by the TADAspecial court-is on record
for having stated that in 1994, he too, like Qateel in 2012, was
lodged in the anda (high security) cell of a Maharashtra prison
(Arthur Road Jail, Mumbai). In 2012, the entry to Qateel's cell in
Pune Yerwada jail was left unguarded and he was murdered by
Mohol and Bhalerao, two heinous criminals. In 1994, the jail
authorities `forgot' to lock the inner gate of Salim Khan's cell.
Members of the dreaded Ashwin Naik gang tried attacking Salim
Khan at night. He was saved literally by divine intervention as his
screams attracted other inmates.
Rakesh Maria has been accused of horrifying human rights
violations, including parading Muslim women naked, making men
drink urine and eat human faeces' and forcing incest during inter-
rogations.
All of this is documented in a book called `Voices' written by
an anonymous victim of what Amnesty International termed then
as fourth degree tortures (far more brutal than the horrible third
degree torture, the usual norm in Indian jails!).
But why was Qateel killed? A possible answer might lie in the
turf war between the IB and the Delhi Police Special Cell.
Sometime in 2010, some IB officers were probing a fake curren-
cy international network (FCIN) network in West Bengal. They
were looking for a person named Qateel Siddiqui, whom they
thought was a key person in the network.
The IB took help of the West Bengal Police in this operation.
They raided Qateel's house in Darbhanga in Bihar once, but he
managed to escape. Later they kept watch on certain mobile
numbers from the FCIN operators. Success followed as some
persons associated with the FCIN were arrested in 2010. One of
them happened to be Yasin Bhatkal-the most wanted IM opera-
tive. But as per the official version, as Yasin's pictures were not
available then, the IM operative was jailed for a while in the fake
currency case and later released.
The IB team chasing Qateel was not aware of this. In October
2011, the team managed to get leads about Qateel and found out
that he was holed up in Delhi. Naturally, the IB team sought help
from the Delhi Police Special Cell. This innocuous request made
to the Delhi Police proved costly for the West Bengal police and
the IB officers.
Initially, according to sources, the Delhi Police Special Cell
detained Qateel Siddiqui as a person wanted by West Bengal
police. But after a brief interrogation Qateel became an IM oper-
ative with an association to Yasin Bhatkal! The Delhi Police
arrested seven IM suspects from Darbhanga, keeping the West
Bengal police in dark.
Not just that, local media in Delhi carried reports, apparently
leaked by Delhi Police, on how West Bengal police let Yasin
Bhatkal escape. This was a blow which was difficult to digest for
the West Bengal police and the IB group associated with them.
They now started looking for an opportunity to teach Delhi Police
a lesson. The Mumbai operation of the Delhi Police (the Naquee
Ahmed affair cited above) came in handy.
It is equally interesting to understand why the West Bengal
police and a section of the IB, decided to pit Maharashtra ATS
against the Delhi Police Special Cell. The Maharashtra ATS com-
prising of some former senior officers of the Mumbai crime branch
do not see eye to eye with the Delhi Police Special Cell.
Seeds of distrust were sown far back, as Mumbai crime
branch did not take Delhi Police in confidence while looking for
fugitive IM leaders Riyaz and Iqbal Bhatkal when they were holed
up in Delhi in 2008. When the Delhi Police came to know that a
prized catch was holed up in their domain, they launched the
notorious Batla house encounter in which some terrorists' were
killed but the Bhatkal brothers were nowhere in the picture!
Mumbai Police has since blamed the Delhi Police of highhanded-
ness and spoiling their operation.
Of late, just before Abu Jundal's arrest, Delhi Police blamed
the Maharashtra Police of circulating pictures of dreaded
Pakistani terrorists who later turned out to be Lahore based
traders!
Several lessons can be drawn from the Abu Jundal and relat-
ed operations:
1. It is obvious that a strange anti-terrorism competitiveness
(the race to catch an alleged terrorist) between various Police
organs of different States, is violating all constitutional proce-
dures and penal codes of Indian law. This race has reached
absurd proportions.
2. The unhealthy competitiveness is producing a phenome-
non where in a game of one-upmanship, the various security
forces are arresting innocents, particularly Muslim boys, often
their informants, and showcasing them as terrorists.
3. A lot of tax payer money is thus being wasted while ordi-
nary Indian citizens are getting killed frequently. There is no
accountability on part of the security agencies.
4. Indian security agencies cannot be trusted. The Police
charge-sheet filed in Sadhvi Pragya/Raj Kumar Purohit 2008
Malegaon and Samjhauta Express blast case shows that Mossad
and ISI have penetrated Indian security forces with the help of
RSS type organizations .
5. The Maharashtra ATS arrested Naquee Ahmed, an inform-
ant of the Delhi Police. So has the Delhi Police done a tit for tat
by arresting Zabuiddin Ansari, an informer of the Maharashtra
Police, and presenting him as Abu Jundal, the terrorist?
6. An impartial, judicial enquiry should be set up to probe the
Naquee Ahmed/Qateel Siddiqui/Abu Jundal cases.
7. The focus ought to shift back to the line taken by the
National Investigation Agency (NIA), wherein the hand of Sangh
Parivar related terrorists was found in major blasts and terror
attacks that shook India. The NIA probe was leading to the
involvement of Indresh, a high ranking RSS functionary-why has
this line of investigation not progressed? Is it because the current
Home Minister is being blackmailed by the BJP-RSS (to shift the
limelight away from Sangh Parivar terrorism back to innocent
Muslim boys) in exchange for letting the Home Minister breathe
easy in the 2G case and other allegations of corruption against
his family members? If BJP-RSS are actually tolerating corruption
where the Home Minister is involved, only to save their skins in
terror cases, the Sangh Parivar hypocrisy needs to be exposed.
Finally, there can be no compromise on National Security.
Hindu/Muslim/Sangh Parivar or any x, y, z entity, cannot be for-
given. Neither can one community (in this case the Muslims) be
singled out for persecution. WE-HINDUS, MUSLIMS, CHRIST-
IAN, PARSIS, JAINS AS A PEOPLE HAVE LOST OUR
DEAR ONES IN BLASTS AND TERROR CASES. WE CANNOT
TOLERATE THE BUFFONERY OF OUR MAJOR SECURITY
FORCES. WE CANNOT BE HELD HOSTAGE TO TURF WARS
AND SECRET DEALS BETWEEN THE HOME MINISTER AND
THE BJP-RSS. WE DESERVE THE TRUTH AND NOTHING
BUT THE TRUTH.
This analysis first appeared on the authors blog on
blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Abu Jundal: Prize catch or a victim of a turf war?
The NIA probe
was leading to
the involve-
ment of
Indresh, a high
ranking RSS
f unct i onar y-
why has this
line of investi-
gation not pro-
gressed? Is it
because the
current Home Minister is being blackmailed
by the BJP-RSS (to shift the limelight away
from Sangh Parivar terrorism back to inno-
cent Muslim boys) in exchange for letting
the Home Minister breathe easy in the 2G
case and other allegations of corruption
against his family members? If BJP-RSS are
actually tolerating corruption where the
Home Minister is involved, only to save their
skins in terror cases, the Sangh Parivar
hypocrisy needs to be exposed. ...there can
be no compromise on National Security.
Hindu/Muslim/Sangh Parivar or any x, y, z
entity, cannot be forgiven. Neither can one
community (in this case the Muslims) be
singled out for persecution.
NATIONAL
AFSANA RASHID, SRINAGAR
Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani alleges that the gov-
ernment plans to settle RSS and Sangh Parivar members in the
valley under the garb of return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri
Pandits. New Delhi wants to settle non-locals in the valley under
the garb of settling Pandits, said Geelani, while addressing
media here, July 2, adding it has devised a dangerous plan to
trigger a civil war and change the demographic ratio of Muslims
in Kashmir under the garb of return of Pandits.
He added besides, Pandits people from other states partic-
ularly RSS activists would be settled here on the pattern of what
was done in Palestine.
He alleged that the idea of creating fortified safe zone is the
brain child of Israel and its intelligence agency, Mossad. Land for
setting up of separate Pandit zones has been identified. If the
government wont abandon this plan, we would launch an agita-
tion. Geelani maintained that Pandits should return to the valley
and live in areas that they originally belonged to. Visit of director
tourism Kashmir to Israel is part of the conspiracy to bring in
Mossad into the valley.
Talat Pervez, director tourism Kashmir had last month said,
Israel hasnt issued any travel advisory for Kashmir. Maximum
number of Israeli tourists should visit the valley. As such we would
organize a road show in Tel Aviv.
The chief minister on 3 July wrote on Twitter, Glad to see
Geelanis imagination and ability to create fiction hasnt dulled
with age. If he wants to oppose Pandits return, he should say so.
Even Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on July 6
asked the state government to come clean on why and what for
an official delegation had been deputed to Tel Aviv.
Protest over arson in Dargah
Life across the length and breadth of the valley came to a grind-
ing halt as people observed a complete shutdown for almost a
week to mourn the gutting of the two-centuries old revered shrine
of Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani popularly known as Ghaus-ul-
Azam Dastgeer sahab in a mysterious fire here on June 25.
Undeclared curfew was imposed in the old city to thwart the
protest demonstrations. A strike was called by several separatists
groups and the grand mufti of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Bashir-
ud-din. Restrictions under section 144 were imposed on move-
ment of public and transport in six police stations of the city
including Khanyar, Nowhatta, M R Gunj, Rainawari, Safakadal
and Kralkhud. Even journalists were stopped on their way to the
shrine. Fire broke out inside the shrine, June 25. Locals allege
that the shrine would have been saved had fire tenders reached
in time. They said as the fire broke out at 6:30 AM, fire tenders
arrived at 7:15 AM.
Fire tenders came under heavy stone-pelting when they went
to refill their tanks from the nearby Brarinambal water body.
People were aghast as to how polluted waters could be used to
douse the flames. Several people suffered injuries in stone-pelt-
ing and police action.
Senior Hurriyat leaders Shabir Ahmad Shah and Nayeem
Khan were assaulted by some people as they reached the spot.
Joint director Fire and Emergency Services R T Dubi claimed
that 5 to 8 tenders could have easily dealt with the fire but local
interference led to the fire getting out of control. Since the fire
brigade had run out of water, water was pumped from
Brarinambal which the people didnt allow, he said, adding fire
tenders reached in time. 14 fire tenders including Bronto sky vehi-
cle was damaged, a vehicle torched and some men injured.
The Holy relic of Dastgeer Sahab, according to care-takers of
the shrine, was safely retrieved from the fire-proof vault inside
shrine. The blaze destroyed the shrines antique chandeliers and
invaluable wood carving panels and old wooden structure that
housed the mausoleum.
A probe was ordered by the government June 25. Chairman
Mutahida Ulema Ahl-e-Sunnat Maulana Ghulam Rasool Hami,
while rejecting it, said conspiracy behind it cant be ruled out.
Terming it as an unbearable loss to Kashmiri Muslims, Hurriyat
(G) demanded an impartial probe whereas Hurriyat (M) said that
the government has set-up many committees in the past fate of
which is known to all.
Grand Mufti, while addressing media, June 27 said govern-
ment destroyed evidence by removing debris from the site. Fire in
the shrine erupted at three places simultaneously. In case of short
circuit, fire would have erupted at one place. Chief Minister Omar
Abdullah, during his interaction with civil society members July 1
announced that the shrine will be restored within 24 months, to its
original structural characteristics. Apart from extending my grati-
tude to the general public for maturity theyve shown at a moment
of challenge, I want to thank those who dont share our political
viewpoint for working positively to help in maintenance of peace
and brotherhood. Pertinently, the shrine was built in 1182 H by
Hazrat Syed Ghulamuddin Azad whose ancestors had come to
Kashmir from Thatha Sindh to spread the message of Islam.
SHRC order on Al-Faran case
State Human Rights Commission has directed former IGP
Kashmir, P S Gill and IPS officer, Ashkoor Wani to respond to
notices in the Al-Faran case of kidnapping, wherein six foreign
tourists were abducted by gunmen in 1995.
The administrative officer will write fresh reminders to Gill
and Wani impressing upon them that in case their personal
responses arent received by the Commission by or before the
next date of hearing, August 7 adverse inferences will be drawn
against them, said the Commission, July 3.
It warned of coercive orders against officials of the crime
branch in case they fail to file a probe report by August 7.
Commission had on April 17 issued notices to four police officers,
including Gill.
International Tribunal on Human Rights in Kashmir and APDP
had filed an application before the Commission seeking reinves-
tigation into the case following revelations in a recently published
book, The Meadow: Kashmir 1995 - Where the Terror Began
wherein the authors had mentioned that the Indian government
deliberately undermined hostage negotiations and prolonged the
crisis to damage Pakistans reputation and then used its own mil-
itants to take custody of hostages before they were killed.
Pertinently, Hans Christan Ostro from Norway, John Childs
and Donald Hutching of US, Paul Wells and Keith Mangan of
Britain and Dirk Hassert from Germany were abducted in
Pahalgam by Al-Faran militant group. Childs managed to escape
six days after his abduction, Ostro, 27, was killed and his body
was found on August 13, 1995. Other four foreigners remain
untraced.
43,000 killed during militancy: govt
State government puts death count during the past 22 years of
conflict at 43,000 and admits that 3600 civilians have fallen prey
to bullets of state and central forces.
As per data furnished by the states Home department to
SHRC, 43,000 persons including 16,000 civilians lost their lives in
conflicts between 1990 and May 2012. It stated that 3655 civilians
were killed while maintaining law and order and 13,246 civilians
were killed in militant violence. Government further claims that
21,449 militants and 5396 forces personnel were killed, 34,000
persons were wounded and 21,655 militants arrested.
Human rights groups and separatists claim, that more than
one lakh people have died during this period. Hurriyat (G)
spokesperson, Ayaz Akbar said that more than one lakh people
have lost their lives and 90 percent of them were unarmed civil-
ians. About 3400 persons have been booked under PSA during
the past two decades in seven districts of the valley, says infor-
mation acquired in response to an RTI filed by Khurram Parvez,
coordinator JKCCS.
It says 1886 persons have been booked in Pulwama, 1066
persons in Anantnag (excluding period between 1989-1993 and
2000-2003), 239 persons in Baramulla (since 2009) and 225 per-
sons in Shopian, Kulgam, Ganderbal and Bandipora districts.
It added deputy commissioner Srinagar refused to disclose
information citing section 8 of RTI Act and information from
Kupwara and Budgam districts is awaited.
7 out of 10 subscriptions are through WORD OF MOUTH
You know we dont have the resources to advertise & promote ourselves, so
please ask your friends to get their copy now
THE MILLI GAZETTE
First English Newspaper of Indian Muslims. Telling the Muslim side of the story fortnight after fortnight since January 2000
Hurriyat (G) opposes secluded colonies for Pandits
FIRDAUS AHMED
Chetan Bhagats latest column in the Sunday Times (the mast-
head of the Times of India on Sundays redolent of a publication
in UK), The Underage Optimist, is titled And the peoples choice
is (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-toi/all-
that-matters/And-the-peoples-choice-is--/articleshow/1453
9995.cms). He considers two candidates for the answer, Rahul
Gandhi and Narendra Modi. Bhagat exercises his democratic
right in favour of Mr. Modi. There is nothing exceptionable with
either his debunking of the Congress crown prince or his politi-
cal inclination for Mr. Modi. The issue is in his arriving at Mr. Modi
as the peoples choice.
He claims that 82 percent of those voting on a poser from him
on his Facebook page between the two political personalities
weighed in favour of Mr. Modi, helping Modi beat Rahul Gandhi
by an astonishing 16 times. Those who follow Bhagats socio-
political writings in his columns and op-eds as against his best-
sellers are by now familiar with his political predilections. Yet
again in a free country there is no problem with that. It can be
expected that those agreeing with him would also be linked to his
site on Facebook. Therefore, if the vote goes a particular way, it
cannot but be otherwise. From that to stretch the argument and
prejudge the national election two years away is, to quote a
phrase in his article, a bit much.
The matter of using his column for propagating a candidate
as he has been indulging in over the past is also one between
him and his editor. However, it is important to equally consistent-
ly dissect Bhagats argument in favour of his choice, lest through
biased propagation by his influential supporters, Mr. Modi does
end up acquiring the prime ministers chair in the real forum as
against Facebook.
Bhagat, as befitting an IIT-IIM graduate, sensibly builds up
his case as a comment on the manner Mr. Modi is acquiring a fol-
lowing in cyberspace among the youth. He caveats his advocacy
by requiring Mr. Modi get lucky, stay humble, has some genuine
remorse and make the right moves. Getting lucky is meaning-
less. Staying humble is a notably tall order for Mr. Modi, as his
recent campaign against his bete noire in the right wing,
Mr. Joshi, indicates. It is the contradiction between the latter two
- genuine remorse and making the right moves - that needs
interrogation. Genuine remorse cannot be felt and expressed as
part of making the right moves. While remorse is right, it cannot
be a right move. It cannot be taken as a means to an end. It has
to be an end in itself. Genuine remorse in this case would amount
to abdication, not only of the gaddi but also opting for political
sanyas. A life spent thereafter in service of the victims is one that
can efface the blot, since the state and its judicial system have
not deigned to bring justice to bear. However, since neither is not
about to happen, it is best that Mr. Modi be shown the door dem-
ocratically.
Will that happen? Not if the likes of Mr. Bhagat manipulate
their fan following into turning in a majoritarian verdict. Even if
backed by the majority, it would hardly be democratic, since
political theory well knows that majority and democracy are not
synonymous. A graduate with a technical degree such as
Mr. Bhagat cannot be expected to know better.
A decade of uninhibited manipulation of the evidence in the
Gujarat carnage cases using a cowed down state machinery and
docile police has led to Mr. Modi being given the benefit of the
doubt by the likes of the Supreme Court appointed SIT led by
RK Raghavan. However, his supporters are ever willing to keep
skepticism in suspended animation blinded by majoritarian
supremacism.
This does not imply, as Bhagat suggests, a willingness to for-
get someone elses past in order to gain a future. It is instead to
be well aware of the past and not be bothered by it. Bhagats sug-
gestion that the nation should follow such a cohort is to be blind
to their motives going beyond a development orientation as
Mr. Bhagat selectively presents them.
Bhagats selective blindness tells more about him than does his
column. It is for this reason his case needs interrogation. And the fact
that as a youth icon - in the wikipedias words - his words may be
taken as gospel in youth liable to mistake the credentials - IIT-IIM -
as those of Almighty himself. It is no wonder then that Bhagat in his
conclusion advises the BJP to go about mobilizing people to vote.
There remains one last bone to pick. Bhagat in drawing up his neg-
ative contrast of Rahul Gandhi to his champion has Gandhi hiding
whenever there is a national crisis. Bhagat can be forgiven for not
knowing where Mr. Modi was in late February 2002, since Bhagat
was perhaps over in Hong Kong busy with investment banking.
But, where was Mr. Modi hiding during the national crisis in rajd-
harma? Keeping his political buddies in police control rooms,
Mr. Modi was certainly not busying himself with preempting the car-
nage at the controversial meeting on the evening of 27 February
2002 in his residence office. The SIT claims he was not busy precip-
itating it either. The vote on this due in 2014 will surely confine
Bhagats peoples choice as PM of his Facebook page.
CHETAN BHAGAT: CAUGHT AT IT AGAIN
A decade of uninhibited manipulation of the evidence in
the Gujarat carnage cases using a cowed down state
machinery and docile police has led to Mr. Modi being
given the benefit of the doubt by the likes of the
Supreme Court appointed SIT led by RK Raghavan.
However, his supporters are ever willing to keep skepti-
cism in suspended animation blinded by majoritarian
supremacism.
ANALYSIS
Ironically, the alacrity with which ethnic and caste cards
are played during elections at practically all levels, one is
forced to question their usage. Is politics of this nature
leading to polarization of vote-banks or not? Sadly, even
elections to the so-called apolitical offices of the
President and even the Vice-President are not above pol-
iticking of this nature.
The ethnic cards association with Indian political
scenario extends from the stage of melodrama, lobbying,
campaigning to that of rhetoric. Where elections for
offices of President and Vice-President are concerned,
when religious card is not opted for, usually regional card
is played.
The outgoing President Pratibha Patil hails from
Maharashtra in western India. Interestingly, both candi-
dates in the race to be her successor, Pranab Mukherjee
and P.A. Sangma are from the east. As Patil was preced-
ed by a Muslim, APJ Abdul Kalam from South India, polit-
ically the time was not yet appropriate to nominate a
Muslim as her successor on religious and regional
grounds. It may be recalled, religious card was given
greater importance when Kalam was selected as the pres-
idential candidate by the then Bharatiya Janata Party-led
National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Certainly, critics of
BJPs communal and anti-Muslim stand were fairly
stunned at Kalam being nominated as the presidential
candidate. But then BJP was desperate to keep its secu-
lar allies together and also impress upon the country
about its secular stance.
Religious card by the present Congress-led govern-
ment has already been exercised in selection of a Muslim,
Mohammed Hamid Ansari as the Vice-President. His term
ends this year on August 10. Nevertheless, aspirants
hopeful for the Muslim-card being played again for this
post are trying their best to win the approval of the
Congress supremo, Sonia Gandhi. Saifudeen Soz, a sen-
ior Congress leader and Farooq Abdullah from Kashmirs
National Conference are lobbying hard for this position.
Politically, it may not be wise of Congress to repeat
usage of religious card in favour of a Muslim candidate,
without any break. Chances are that in a bid to counter
presidential candidate Sangmas claims for support on
ground of his being from a tribal region, the Congress
may nominate a tribal candidate for the post of Vice
President.
Interestingly, the regional card in Mukherjees favour
as Congress candidate for presidential post may not have
worked if everything gave the impression of going in the
right direction during his stint as the finance minister.
Political gossip indicates that rather than blame
Mukherjee for inflation and other economic problems,
which is also fair as he is not totally and absolutely
responsible for the same, the Congress high command
opted for a safer course. Elevate his political stature to
constitutionally the highest office in the country and thus
pave the way for his graceful retirement from active poli-
tics.
Sadly, politicking indulged in by Sangma and his sup-
porters in the race for Presidents post gives the impres-
sion of their abusing the ethical codes of conduct. The
case would have been different if Sangma had presented
his case before the people on ground of his being a sea-
soned politician, a tribal and a Christian. Quite a few
Christians have taken strong objection to his reaching
out to extremely communal elements for the sake of an
office. In fact, there are reports of a Christian organiza-
tion planning to write to Pope to excommunicate Sangma
as he appears to have shed all considerations while seek-
ing political support of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra
Modi. The Christian group is also angry at Sangma hav-
ing reportedly decided to absolve and exonerate the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh from Odisha pogroms of 2008 when Catholics
priests and nuns were brutally killed and thousands of
Christians made to flee their homes and lands. In the
opinion of this Christian organizations representative
Abraham Mathai, Sangma does not have community
interests at heart but would rather fraternize with the
communal elements who are maliciously targeting the
community. Referring to Sangma reaching out to Modi,
he stated that it was extremely disturbing to see him
stoop so low by compromising his principles to warm up
to Modi, the main perpetrator of the 2002 Gujarat geno-
cide in lieu of his support for his candidature.
In the case of Sangma, the ironic tragedy lies in his
abusing his own political priorities ostensibly based on
the ground of his being a tribal and a Christian. Both
these ethnic cards have been virtually ignored in his
reaching out (for political support) to the same commu-
nal, extremist elements who have brutally targeted
minorities, including Muslims and Christians.
Herein lies the big question, true Sangma has erred
politically as well as ethically, but in essence, why? Isnt
this linked with the degree to which ethnic cards are
played and exploited during electoral season? Yet, it
cannot be forgotten that BJP went overboard by selecting
a Muslim candidate for Presidents office, all for the sake
of donning a secular mask. Sangma has stooped by
being extra-warm towards communal elements, which is
certainly not expected of one desiring to hold countrys
highest constitutional office.
Speaki ng Out
Presidential
Polls & Ethnic
Cards
NI LOFAR SUHRAWARDY
PROF. M. HASAN
A universal belief is that a mosque is always a mosque, cant be sold
or demolished. However, crony capitalism can destroy a mosque and
Muslim soul. Demolition of centuries-old Qalandari Masjid atop Tiranga
Hills, Pur village, Bhilwara, Rajasthan, on 19 April screams about
wheeling and dealing, making Muslims furious.
However, strangely, Muslims protesting as face and voice of their
community during communal violence, kept silent when greedy
Muslims demolished a hapless Masjid. A quiet Prof. SH Quazi, an emi-
nent artist, from Pur, asks in disbelief: How could this happen?, only
to be told: in liberalized India, faith is in growth and money matters, not
in religious sanctity. Ironically, hasty Muslims became cannibals.
Examining correspondence, visit to the place and meeting with
local officers and people, I found, prima facie, all was not well. The
speed and language of correspondence, contrived choreography and
quiet demolition were stupefying, exposing character and functioning
of Muslim institutions.
In Dhulkhera, near Pur, Muslims had shifted an Idgah to a new site
for Rs. 35 lakhs from mining giant, Jindal Saw Ltd. Enthused by this
success story, an Anjuman of Pur and the same firm agreed for a deal
to sell/demolish the Qalandari Masjid for Rs. 65 lakhs for mining rights.
The deal was clothed with a religious sanctity, a contrived fatwa by an
imam: the site was a mazar (grave), not a mosque! Mazar can be shift-
ed, said the imam, quoting a dubious analogy, without understanding
geographies, situations and differences, between protecting of a mazar
threatened by floods of Tigris river in Iraq and a mosque by mining in
Pur.
The Committee contacted the Rajasthan Wakf Board on 17 April
for directions, obliquely writing about a so- called mosquewithout
water and staircasesnone seen praying therethreatened by min-
ing and mentioned a respectable agreement. The chairman, an
experienced police IG, replied the very next day without seeking clari-
fication about the agreement and legal advice from Boards legal and
administrative sections. Curiously, his reply alludes to a chabutra plat-
form, whereas, the Board record mentions: Qalandari Masjid, a pious
place for prayers.
The Committee interpreted this letter as a permission for agree-
ment, payment and demolition the very next day in the presence of the
imam. Hell broke loose. The news spread like wild fire. An FIR was
lodged, four accused arrested and amount recovered the same night.
A triumvirate of chairmen WB, Minority Commission and Madrassa
Board rushed to Bhilwara, given the nature of the tsunami. The WB
asked district administration for the mosque reconstruction and strict
action against the violators. Still, the episode, like the Gopalgarh
mosque firing, raises many disturbing questions.
Why didnt the Anjuman, Imam and Jindal Saw inform the district
administrative and judicial authorities, given the sensitive nature of the
matter? The Anjuman isnt a registered body, with no rights over the hill
and mosque. The demolished mazar didnt contain bones. Readers
may recall the Imams noisy protest after a controversial statement by
Rajasthan state minority minister Amin Khan that a Masjid ceases to be
so if prayers were not offered there. He regretted and withdrew the
statement by tendering unqualified apology after the controversy.
The debate on the credulity of the fatwa and the authority of the
Imam is irrelevant, not mitigating the crime of desecrating a religious
place. Imams supervision of the demolition made people allege: the
contrived fatwa and supervision were contributions for the reward! He,
unwittingly, made a statement on 20 April to the Additional District
Magistrate: neither he talked to the Jindal Saw nor he took money!...
Unnecessarily, I have walked into the jhanjhat, he admitted to
me, looking wizened. Strangely, the Wakf chairman didnt smell quid
pro quo in the Anjumans letter, even if unaware of the fatwa and
Wakfs screaming records. He should reinvent the Board and keep his
eyes and ears open and pen in order. A marked contrast in the lan-
guage/diction of the chairmans letters (18 and 23 April) is inescapable.
Did the legal and administrative sections scrutinize the correspon-
dence? Or, the crony capitalist cake was too tempting?
Jindal Saw Ltd., an influential corporate house of Haryana, has
extensive mining rights around Pur. Companys inaugural function was
attended by high profile politicians. Emerging India is obsessed with
growth trajectory, playing down ecology, tribal and rural aspirations
(food, education, health, and shelter), enabling crony capitalism canni-
balize common property resources causing extensive displacements
and destruction. Rajasthan has joined the league of Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, and Odisha developmental worldviews and strategies
against their voiceless and unprotected hinterlands. Rajasthans min-
ing and tourism are limited and fickle sectors. Its long range sustain-
able development, balance between ecology and economy, is in con-
serving and protecting the precarious land, waters, pastures, forests,
agriculture and animal resources, not in deepening social chasm due
to crass consumerism, blind mining, industrialization and tourism (late
Bhairon Singh Shekhawats obsessions), promoted by nexus of busi-
nessmen, bureaucrats and politicians. The Rubicon of politics and
ethics be respected. An avowed Gandhian, chief minister Ashok
Gehlot, must reverse the fast track cannibalization of Rajasthans pre-
carious resources with transparent pro-people policies and pro-
grammes as demonstrated firmly by free medicine scheme.
The author is president of IRADA, member, Rajasthan State Rajiv Gandhi
Social Security Mission, Jaipur and a former, AMU Academic Council.
In Dhulkhera, near Pur, Muslims had shifted an
Idgah to a new site for Rs. 35 lakhs from mining
giant, Jindal Saw Ltd. Enthused by this success
story, an Anjuman of Pur and the same firm agreed
for a deal to sell/demolish the Qalandari Masjid for
Rs. 65 lakhs for mining rights. The deal was
clothed with a religious sanctity, a contrived
fatwa by an imam: the site was a mazar (grave),
not a mosque! Mazar can be shifted, said the
imam, quoting a dubious analogy, without under-
standing geographies, situations and differences,
between protecting of a mazar threatened by
floods of Tigris river in Iraq and a mosque by
mining in Pur.
The ethnic cards association with Indian
political scenario extends from the stage of
melodrama, lobbying, campaigning to that of
rhetoric. Where elections for offices of
President and Vice-President are concerned,
when religious card is not opted for, usually
regional card is played.
Masjid, Money and Muslims: demolition of Bhilwara Mosque
43 die in police
custody daily: UN study
According to a recent report on human rights in India, a
study of 47 districts over a period of more than two years
shows that on an average 1.8 million people are victims of
police torture and violence in India every year. The release
of the report, prepared by the Working Group on Human
Rights in India and the UN (WGHR), a coalition of human
rights bodies, coincided with Indias Universal Periodic
Review on human rights at the United Nations. The report
cites data released by the National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC), which reported an average of 43
deaths in police or prison custody every day in the decade
2001 to 2010. These figures represent only a fraction of
the actual number of deaths in custody as they reflect only
the cases registered before the NHRC, says the WGHR
report.
The report points to the widespread and routine use
of torture in conflict areas, leading to both physical and
mental disabilities as well as impotence. Common meth-
ods of torture in Kashmir and the North-East include
assault, placement of an iron rod on the legs on which
many people sit, placement of a burning stove between
the legs and administration of electric shocks to the geni-
tals, adds the report.
A recent case that has caused a lot of international
uproar involves the brutal custodial torture of Soni Sori, a
35-year-old adivasi teacher in a government-run school
for tribal children in Dantewada, at the hands of the
Chhatisgarh police. Sori was arrested on October 4, 2011
on unproven allegations of being a Maoist sympathizer
and acting as a conduit to extort Rs 1.5 million for the
banned CPI (Maoist) from the Essar group.
The letters written by Sori from the prison tell a very
disturbing story. She said that she was pulled out of her
cell at the Dantewada Police Station on the intervening
night of October 8 and 9, 2011 and then taken to SPAnkit
Gargs room, where on his orders, three men stripped her,
gave her electric shocks and inserted stones into her pri-
vate parts, making her lose consciousness. ...A few
months later, SPAnkit Garg, far from being questioned for
his role in the Soni Sori case, was awarded a Police Medal
for Gallantry by the government for his role in a counter-
insurgency operation in 2010, says the WGHR report.
India does not have a domestic law to address torture
and has not ratified the UN Convention Against Torture
(1984). A couple of years ago, the Prevention of Torture
Bill was drafted and cleared by the Lok Sabha, but it had
so many loopholes that human rights activists launched a
campaign in protest. The bill was withdrawn and a new
one was drafted. The revised bill is now stuck in some
dark corner of a deep freezer. (Excerpted from a report in
articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
Dr. ABID HUSSAIN, economist, former
bureaucrat, Indias ambassador to USA and
a connoisseur of Urdu language and civiliza-
tion died of heart attack in London on 21
June at the age of 85 years. He served in
Indian government in different capacities
such as secretary in the ministries of com-
merce and heavy industry, member of
Planning Commission and a great champion
of economic liberalisation which started in
early 1990s before which little thought was
given to it. It was during his posting in the
Planning Commission that he was honoured
with Padma Bhushan for meritorious servic-
es. In subsequent years he served as
Chairman of Ghalib Academy, New Delhi,
Vice President of Jalauddin Rumi
Foundation, Chancellor of English & Foreign
Languages University, Hyderabad, member
of UNESCO Panel, Professor Emeritus at
several institutes including Indian Institute of
Foreign Trade and Foreign Service Institute
of ministry of external affairs. He is survived
by his wife, two sons and one daughter.
TAMANNA JAMALI, noted poet who was
honoured by government with Padma Shri
Award died on 26 June after a prolonged ill-
ness. He worked all his life for nurturing and
promoting Urdu literature. In addition to
Padma Shri he was also honoured with
many other honours and awards like Sant
Kabir Das, Firaq Gorakhpuri and Khumar
Barabankvi awards in recognition of his serv-
ices to Urdu literature. He was 80.
Allama Syed Shah NAEEM ASHRAF
Ashrafi Jilani, religious and Islamic scholar,
Sajjada Nashin of Aastana Ashrafia, Jaes
and preacher of Islam died of heart attack on
27 June morning in Lucknow. He spent
greater part of his life in Tabligh of Islam. His
body was taken in the afternoon to his native
place, Jaaes (in Rae Bareili district) (the birth
place of famous epic poet Malik Muhammad
Jaaesi) for burial. Author of many books
among whom Mahboob Yazdani is most
famous which has also been translated in
many languages. He was around 90 and is
survived by six sons, one daughter and a
large family.
SHARIF AHMAD Mansoori, a senior jour-
nalist who worked with Urdu dailies like
Pratab, Awam, Faisal, Qaumi Awaz etc. died
of heart attack on 28 June at his residence in
Kairana at the age of 65 years. He leaves
behind his wife, two sons and one daughter.
Allama QAMAR RAZA KHAN, a religious
scholar who was well versed in Urdu,
Persian, Arabic and English died of heart
attack on 26 June early morning in his sleep.
He was a patient of diabetes and belonged to
Ala Hazrat Imam Ahmad Raza Khans family.
Mufti Maulana OBAIDUR RAHMAN
MADNI, a great religious scholar and former
Mufti of Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees died on
25 June at the age of 62 years. He belonged
to a scholarly family of Mau (U.P.). He is sur-
vived by his wife and three sons.
Begum VAKILUNNESA MADNI, wife of
(late) Shaikhul Islam Maulana Husain Ahmad
Madni and mother of Jamiatul Ulama chief
Maulana Arshad Madni died early morning
on 5 July at Deoband at the age of 102
years. Because of old age and weakness
she was confined to bed for a long time. A
pious, generous and kind hearted lady, pop-
ularly affectionately called Aapa Jaan by the
entire household, she survived her religious
scholar and freedom fighter husband for 55
long years after his death in 1957. She
leaves behind two sons, three daughters and
a large household of grandsons-daughters
etc.
Syed MUHAMMAD SHAKIR HUSAIN
Naqvi, famous Shia religious scholar,
researcher, philosopher and Vice Principal of
Madrasa Nazimia, Lucknow died of heart
attack in Lucknow on 4 July at the age of 83
years. An author of 8 books all of whom are
in Arabic and are on topics of fiqh (jurispru-
dence) and philosophy. His body was taken
from Lucknow to his home town in Amroha
for burial on 5 July. He leaves behind two
sons and two daughters. He was also an
exegesist of the Quran.
Dr. MUJIBUR RAHMAN KHAN, Head of AMUs
Plant Protection Department has been honoured
with the prestigious Fellowship by National
Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) in the
field of Plant Protection (Plant Pathalogy and
Nematology) on the Academys Foundation Day
on 5 June. The Fellowship was given to him by
NAASs President Dr. R.B. Singh and D.G. of
ICAR. An author of seven books in different fields
published in India and foreign countries, he has
worked in many foreign specialised institutions
and honoured with many prestigious national and
international awards.
Prof. M.L. BABAR, Head of Plastic Surgery
Department of AMUs JN Medical College and
Prof. S. Manazir Ali, Head of this Colleges
Department of Childrens Diseases have been
appointed Members of University Court on the
basis of seniority.
MUHAMMAD RAEES Idrisi, national secretary of
Idrisia National Foundation who is also member
and patron of many milli, religious and academic
institutions and organisations has been appointed
a Member of Delhi Minorities Commissions
Advisory Committee on Muslim affairs in view of
his keenness and activities for the service to
Muslim community. He has also set up technical
centres for imparting technological and vocational
education and training to Muslim boy and girl stu-
dents for their bright future.
Hakim ZIAUDDIN AHMAD NADWI, Deputy
Director of Central Council for Research in Unani
Medicine (CCRUM) retired on 30 June after put-
ting in 32 years of service in this Councils differ-
ent offices. Under his supervision a Dictionary of
terms of Unani medicines and human diseases
and ailments was compiled and prepared with
financial cooperation of UNs World Health
Organisation (WHO) which is presently under
publication.
P. Syed HAIYDR ALI SHAHAB Thangal and
K.P.A. MAJEED have been re-elected President
and General Secretary respectively of Indian
Union Muslim League, which is a partner in
Keralas ruling United Democratic Front (UDF)
coalition government. Their re-election was made
at the Partys 4-day conference which ended at
Kozikode on 1 July.
Prof. SHOHAB INAYET Malik, President of Raza
Javedani Memorial Literary Society (RJMLS) and
Head of Urdu Department has been appointed a
member of NCPUL (Literature and
Encyclopaedia). His name was recommended by
HRD ministry to NCPUL in view of his great serv-
ices to Urdu language and literature in J&K and
the country as a whole. An author of 17 books and
a fine administrator, he participated in many
national and international seminars regarding
Urdu language and literature.
RUQAIYYA USMAN Balvah, a student of
Anjuman Khairul Islam Girls High School, Mumbai
with Urdu Medium passed High School examina-
tion with 95.27% marks. Originally from Gujarat
and with Gujarati as her mother tongue, after her
familys shifting to Mumbai she faced great diffi-
culty in learning Urdu but with diligence and will
power she acquired proficiency in Urdu without
any tuition etc. and secured an aggregate of
95.27% marks. She wants to be a doctor and treat
poor people with minimum charges.
Dr. SHARIF AHMAD Quraishi, Chief Proctor of
Government Raza Post Graduate College and
Associate Professor in its Urdu Department has
been conferred D. Litt. Degree by MJP
Roohelkhand University, Bareilli on his research
treatise Urdu Kahavaton ki Jama Farhang
(Comprehensive dictionary of Urdu sayings). An
author of 13 books, a large number of researched
and critical articles and critical reviews of about
20 books, he has also been honoured with U.P.
Urdu Academys and many other awards like
Meer Award, Meer Anees Award, Bihar Urdu
Academys Abdul Moghni Award, U.P. govern-
ments Shikshak Shri Samman etc.
Maulana NEYAZ FAROOQI, advocate and secre-
tary of Jamiatul Ulamae Hind has been appointed
a member of National Monitoring Committee for
Minorities Education (NMCME) re-constituted by
HRD ministry in December 2011 for overseeing
the implementation of central government
schemes for the educational (academic as well as
technical and vocational) progress of Muslims
and other minorities and pointing out lapses or
non-implementation of these schemes.
NEWSMAKERS
MEN & WOMEN IN NEWS
OBITUARIES
Sikar: Hindustan Times, in association with Tata Tea, initiated a
thought-provoking India Awakened - Agents of Change with a
series of Soch Badlo real life stories of common men and
women who have been change-makers in Indian society. The
series covers the works of 25 such men and women who have
courageously and selflessly given of themselves, and with their
personal resources actively worked towards a cause that has
changed the course of many lives in the small towns, villages and
tribal areas of India.
A coffee table book with these stories was launched in
New Delhi last month at a well-attended event, where these
25 persons, mainly less known and unknown, were felicitated
by Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of Rural Development.
Among these is WAHID CHOWHAN, the founder of
Excellence Knowledge City for Girls in Sikar, Rajasthan, for
his untiring and relentless efforts, even in the face of stiff
opposition, to provide education for the girl child hailing main-
ly from the minority and backward sections of society (for an
earlier report see MG, 1-15 June 2012). Fifteen years ago,
Wahid Chowhan started the Excellence Girls School with only
30 students. Today Chowhans institutions have nearly 3000
girls hailing from minority and weaker sections, irrespective of
religion, caste and creed, all of them receiving completely free
education, uniforms, books etc - a phenomenal task for one
man who himself hails from a middle class family. Wahid
Chowhans efforts have acted as a catalyst, bringing about a
revolution in girls education in the Shekhawati district. As a
result, when 15 years ago there was not a single school for
girls hailing from minority and socially and economically weak
sections of society in the entire Shekhawati belt, today nearly
50,000 girls are going to formal schools in Shekhawati, avail-
ing of mainstream education. (Ashafaque Kayamkhani)
MUHAMMAD KHALIL, noted scientific journalist, author and
columnist was honoured by the President of India Mrs. Pratibha
Patil with Atma Ram Award for 2008 in recognition of his scien-
tific services in Hindi language. It may be stated in this connec-
tion that he has been writing articles on scientific matters and
facts in simple language in Urdu and Hindi magazines for more
than three decades for children and elders on topics like environ-
ment, energy, animals, health, life of famous scientists and many
other natural phenomena etc. which people observe in daily life
without knowing their causes etc. He had been an editor of
CSIRs popular magazine Science ki Duniya in Urdu and Hindi
for a long time.
President of India Mrs. Pratibha Patila had recently (on 19 June
12) awarded 53 scholars of Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian and Pali
languages with Presidential Awards for their distinguished serv-
ices and knowledge in these classical languages for the years
2010 and 2011. Among these scholars were Prof. S.M. TALHA
RIZVI Barq, Prof. MUHAMMAD IQBAL of Jamia Millia Islamia,
Prof. (Dr.) SHAHID NAUKHEZ Azmi of Urdu University
(MANUU), Dr. MUHAMMAD YUSUF, former head of Zakir
Husain College (Delhi University) (Persian), Maulana ZAINUS
SAJIDEEN, Meerts City Qazi for his proficiency in Arabic lan-
guage and literature. The Award, known as Maharishi Badrayan
Vyas Award consisted of Rs. one lakh and a Scroll of Honour.
Sitar Maestro Ustad AMJAD ALI Khan is among the three
famous artistes who have been honoured by Delhi chief minister
Shiela Dikshit with Lifetime Achievement Awards at a function
held at Delhi Secretariat on 22 June. The other two awardees
were (Mrs.) GIRIJA DEVI (Thumri artiste) and RUSKIN BOND,
who has written novels in English. The Awards consisted of
cheques of Rs. 11 lakh each.
SAMI KHATEEB, prominent industrialist of Mumbai and former
Chairman of Anjuman-e Islam, Mumbai was honoured with
Lifetime Achievement Award by A.B. Vaidya, Chairman of Indian
Education Society (IES), Mumbai which has been running 42 dif-
ferent institutions in Mumbai. Sami Khateeb was earlier associ-
ated with many central government organisations like Drugs
Technical Advisory Board, All India Council for Technical
Education, Maulana Azad Education Foundation and so on. He
was also honoured with Vijay Ratn Award in 1991 by the then
Prime Minister of India for his valuable services in the field of
rural progress and development.
Dr. SALEEM ALTAF WANI of Northern Railway Central Hospital
was honoured with Scholar of the Year Award 2011 by Brown
Medical Foundation Trust in recognition of his valuable academ-
ic research in the field of Medical Science. He is from Kashmirs
Badgam district.
Dr. MUHAMMAD KHALIL ABBAS SIDDIQI, eminent 83-year
old intellectual, sociologist and anthropologist has been selected
by Indias famous think tank Institute of Objective Studies (IOS)
for being honoured with Eighth Shah Waliullah Award for 2011.
This Award consists of Rs. one lakh, memento and a certificate.
Born in a Bhagalpur (Bihar) village in 1929, he authored more
than a dozen famous books based on researches in different sci-
ences and fields. He is also the editor of Encyclopaedic
Compendium of Muslim Communities in the World compiled and
prepared by IOS, running into six volumes.
Thirty-two boy and girl students of Delhis URDU MEDIUM
SCHOOLS who secured aggregate of 80 percent or more marks
in this years CBSE Boards 12th class examinations were hon-
oured with awards at a function sponsored by the social and edu-
cational organisation Anjuman on 23 June at Ghalib Academy
chaired by Delhi Urdu Academys Vice Chairman Prof. Akhtarul
Wasey. According to Ms. Shabana Nazeer, the Anjumans
Organising Secretary, the awards consisted of a Scroll of
Honour, a shield and Rs. 1500 in cash each. A special award in
addition to these, of Rs. 5,100 in cash, Nishan-e Rifat Sarosh
and a Special Shield was given to Ms. Arshi Hasan who had
topped in Urdu in the whole of Delhi. Another girl student of
Shafiq Memorial School Zeenat Jahangir who had secured 98%
aggregate marks in 10th Class Board examination was also
given a special award in addition to other awards as well a
cheque of Rs. 2200 separately by a young businessman.
AWARDS
Wahid Chowhan Felicitated
Chowhan (middle) receiving award from Minister Jairam
SPECIAL REPORTS
ABDUL BARI MASOUD
New Delhi: While demanding the dismissal of
Union Home Minister P C Chidambaram, lead-
ers of various political parties and social and
human rights activists announced here during a
convention on 9 July that they will launch a
nationwide stir against the targeting of Muslim
youths in the name of fighting terror.
Speaking at a public meeting on Politics of
Terror: Targeting the Muslim Youth, they said
that there was rising concern across the country
about the large-scale arrests and harassment of
Muslim youths by the security forces. They
urged the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to
dismiss Chidambaram from his cabinet. Calling
upon the UPA government to take immediate
measures to prevent the harassment and victim-
ization of the innocent minorities and to set up
fast track courts for the speedy disposal of the
cases of terrorism slapped against a large num-
ber of innocent young Muslims who are in prison
for years without trial.
Veteran CPI leader A B Bardhan said he did
not consider Chidambaram as the Union Home
Minister. Condemning the massacre of poor
tribals in Chhattisgarh, he said that the Home
Minister was not a sensible (maqool) person.
Echoing his views, noted social activist Swami
Agnivesh said the Home Minister was chiefly
responsible for the victimization of Muslim
youths. When innocent tribals were killed, the
very next day he (Chidambaram) announced
celebration. Questioning the need of the
NCTC, CPI secretary and MP D Raja has criti-
cized the govern-
ment for its insen-
sitivity towards
the victimization
of minorities. He
pointed out that
Chi dambar am
only said sorry for
the killing of inno-
cent tribals, which
reflects the atti-
tude of the gov-
ernment.
M e m b e r
P a r l i a m e n t
M o h a m m a d
Adeeb lamented
that the UPA gov-
ernment has no
gut to take on the
communal forces as it fears that it will be
accused of appeasing the minorities. Lok
Janshakti Party leader and former union minister
Ram Vilas Paswan said they would take the bat-
tle inside and outside the Parliament.
Earlier addressing the conference Union
Minister Farooq Abdullah said the Union Cabinet
will soon discuss the issue of Muslim youths
being falsely implicated in terror cases. A solu-
tion will be worked out, he said while the audi-
ence hooted him for keeping mum over the
ongoing harassment of Muslim youths across
the country.
He, however, said majority of Hindus in the
country understand the plight of Muslims being
targeted by security forces on terror charges but
the minorities must take part in the legal process
to ensure timely delivery of justice.
The Convention noted that young men are
being picked up without explanation, taken into
police custody, beaten and tortured and eventu-
ally thrown into jail awaiting trial for years on
end. Several such detainees have died in cus-
tody, the latest case being of Qateel Siddiqui
who died under mysterious circumstances in
Punes Yerwada high security jail. He was arrest-
ed last November for a case of fake currency in
which his complicity had still not been estab-
lished.
There has been silence about the disap-
pearance of Fasih Mahmood, the engineer
picked up in Saudi Arabia at the behest of Indian
authorities. Except for denying any
knowledge of his whereabouts, there
has been no response from the UPA
government about efforts to trace an
Indian citizen whose family is now run-
ning from pillar to post in search of
justice. Senior journalist Mohammad
Ahmad Kazmi remains in jail on
charges of terrorism, with the police
still to file a chargesheet against him.
These are just a few cases of
hundreds, with official reports now
admitting that a majority of prisoners
in Indian jails are Muslims. The situa-
tion today is such that minorities no
longer feel safe in their own homes.
Passing a resolution, the leaders
urged the UPA government at the centre and
state governments to set up fast track courts for
the speedy disposal of the cases of terrorism
slapped against a large number of innocent
young Muslims who are in prison for years with-
out trial and to take immediate steps for the
rehabilitation and compensation for those acquit-
ted by the courts after years in jail for terror
attacks they did not commit. It pledged to ensure
that pressure continued to be exerted on the
authorities to make them more sensitive and
less authoritarian in dealing with the minorities in
this country by raising the issue of illegal arrests,
wrongful detention, and open torture of the
Muslim youths, at different levels including
Parliament.
It announced the formation a fact-finding
committee of eminent citizens to examine and
report on the targeting of Muslim youths by the
central and state governments as part of an
overall effort to make the state accountable for
the victimization and harassment of the minori-
ties and to set up a working group to monitor the
situation, collect and update data and sensitize
the media and Parliamentarians on the issue
through continuous interaction with them. It will
also approach the National Minorities
Commission and the National Human Rights
Commission on a regular basis on this issue.
Moreover, it will also provide basic legal coun-
selling to the families of the victims. On the occa-
sion a number of victims narrated their tales of
woes.
MG/Yusuf
Patna: A high level delegation of Markazi Jamiat Ahl-
e Hadees led by general secretary Maulana Asghar
Ali Imam Mahdi Salafi toured Bihar areas affected by
the current terror by ATS in the name of counter-ter-
rorism, especially Barhsamaila village. The delega-
tion visited victims
homes in
Darbhanga and
later held a press
conference here on
9 July.
Maulana Salafi
condemned the cur-
rent drive and
stressed that Islam
is a religion of
peace which abhors
terrorism and injus-
tice of all kinds. He
reminded that the
Jamiat from the
very beiginning con-
demned terrorism including state terrorism through
fatwa, statements and conference.
He said that the special laws enacted to fight ter-
rorism affect many innocent people and families and
this is why earlier laws were allowed to lapse before
their natural death although still people arrested mis-
using those laws, like Tada and Pota, are languish-
ing in jails. He said that during this past year only
many innocent Muslim youths have been arrested
without clear proof. These unfortunate youths
include Qateel Siddiqui who was murdered last
month in Pune Jail. He said the Muslim community is
t er r or i sed
today as a
result of
t h e s e
d e v e l o p -
ments and
it is felt that
law no
longer is
supreme in
this coun-
try; justice
has been
made very
c o s t l y
which is
beyond the
reach of the poor families. He asked the central and
state governments to speedily try those found guilty
and demanded that the state officials who implicate
innocent youths should also be tried, fined and
jailed. He asked the central government to end the
current atmposhere of fear and insecurity and
restore peoples confidence in law and order.
Convention demands dismissal of Chidambaram
SYED ATHAR HUSSAIN
Syed Athar Husain Asraf was an unsung hero. He
was a man who derived pleasure from people's hap-
piness, and pride from people's achievements. He
came to Delhi from Bihar a little under two decades
ago and first made his mark by giving a facelift to the
pages of Nation and the World, a fortnightly. Later he
used his skills to good effect for Radiance and Milli
Gazette. He was always associated with
magazines/journals that espoused the Muslim cause.
The cause of the community burnt bright in his heart.
With his skillset he could have easily landed a plum
job with a frontline media group but he preferred to plough the anonymous furrow for the
community. Later, when he got a chance to guide the next generation of students, he
again, almost predictably opted for Jamia Millia Islamia.
In between he kept the fire in him burning by designing books for various publication
houses including National Book Trust (NBT). Such was his mastery over the medium that
he could think on his feet, innovate and improvise in the middle of a page.
At another level, he was Athar Bhai, simply an elder brother for youngsters who
came from Bihar and indeed elsewhere. They could confidently walk up to him, seek his
guidance, use his hospitality and even ride on his sources and resources. Athar bhai had
that generous streak about him. Not a trace of ego, not a hint of lethargy, he was active,
on the ball. All so selfless. Not blessed with the best skills for expression, however, he
made the maximum use of his limited assets and communicated in a unique mix of Hindi,
Urdu, English to which all he added a Bihari hue. Never once did he stoop to ask for a
favour for himself. He was too rich a man to seek personal favours.
As a brother and father, he believed in the value of modern education. But all along
he kept the fire of faith simmering inside and worked to arrive at a balance, give his near
and dear ones the best of modern western education and Islamic values.
At the young age of 50, he passed away following a massive heart attack and was
laid to rest at the Batla House cemetery. He died young. But he shall not remain unsung.
His countless admirers and friends have to ensure that somewhere down the line Athar
bhai gets his due. In death, if not in life. ZIAUS SALAM
Athar bhai was MGs designer from the very first issue until the previ-
ous one - he never missed an issue. Even when he went on holidays to
Patna, he made it a point to return in time for the next issue. We miss
you Athar bhai (MG family).
Listen everyone!
Pranab is good
Kalam is a liar
UPA govt is good for
nothing
Maulana Salafi speaking at the press conference in Patna
Jamiat Ahle Hadees demands justice
for terror-accused
COMMUNITY NEWS
Buried Mughal era mosque found
New Delhi: Remains of the extant Akbarabadi Masjid, a Mughal
era mosque said to have been demolished by the British during
the 1857 revolt, were found during the process of digging and
excavations for Delhi Metro rail last month. When the news about
the discovery of the remains of this mosque became public,
Delhis MLA Shoaib Iqbal started a campaign for recovery and
rebuilding of this mosque. In letters written to Delhis chief minis-
ter Shiela Dikshit, L.G., Union home minister, ministry in charge of
archaeological survey of India and even to the prime minister he
demanded that the mosque be retrieved and rebuilt. He said that
when he had visited the place where the digging was going on,
the remains of the mosque were clearly visible but in order to con-
ceal the remains it was covered with dug-out earth and a barri-
cade was erected around it. He said that though the digging has
been suspended, the government is trying to conceal its remains.
In response to his letter chief minister Dikshit held a meeting
in Delhi Secretariat on 13 June when in addition to her, Shoaib
Iqbal, Delhi Metro Rails chief Mangloo Singh, Delhis chief secre-
tary P.K. Tripathi, Delhis ASI chief K.K. Muhammad and other offi-
cers were present. In this meeting Shoaib Iqbal presented many
important documents and proofs regarding the existence of this
mosque, including a map of the mosque of 1850 which, accord-
ing to him, he had obtained from London Museum. After perusing
all the relevant documents, maps etc. chief minister said that her
government has no objection in digging for recovery of remains of
the mosque and its rebuilding. She said that the digging process
for recovery of the mosque will be started under the supervision
of Shoaib Iqbal, chief of Archaeological Survey of India and
Deputy Commissioner and will be completed within a week.
Shoaib Iqbal also said that this mosque was built by Emperor
Shah Jahans wife Ezazunnisa Begum alias Akbarabadi Begum
in the year 1650 and hence it is a historical mosque but was
demolished by the British in 1857. He further said that he has
been fighting for this mosque since 2007 and for this he has col-
lected various important documents and proofs. He said that
since this mosque was the centre of the activities of the war of
independence and both Hindus and Muslims used to meet here
to plan the strategy against the British, so they had demolished it.
Chief minister Dikshit said that if it is proved by ASI that this was
indeed the mosque, there is no problem. We do not want to hurt
the religious feelings of anyone; Metro station will be built at some
other place. Metro Rails chief Mangloo Singh also expressed his
willingness and said that we shall build the Metro station at some
other place.
Guj. stand against compensation for religious places rejected
New Delhi: Supreme Courts 2-judge Bench of Justice
K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice Deepak Mishra rejected
Narendra Modi governments petition against Gujarat High
Courts order asking the state government to pay compensations
to rebuild about 500 dargahs and other religious buildings that
were destroyed in the February-March 2002 communal riots of
Gujarat. The state government had filed a petition in the Supreme
Court pleading for stay of Gujarat High Courts order of payment
of compensations for rebuilding the destroyed religious struc-
tures. In other words, the Modi government wanted that it should
not have to pay compensations for rebuilding of dargahs,
mosques etc. that were destroyed by rioters. In addition to reject-
ing the appeal for staying HCs order for payment of compensa-
tion, the S.C. bench also asked the Gujarat government to furnish
details about the number of such religious places damaged or
destroyed as well as the cost of rebuilding these structures. The
Bench also asked the state government to let it (S.C.) know if any
survey was conducted to assess the actual damage or destruc-
tion of holy places during the riots.
Gujarat governments defence lawyer Tushar Mehta, addi-
tional advocate general and counsel, Hemantika Wahi described
HCs order as erroneous and unconstitutional in view of the fact
that under the Constitutions secular principles, government or
public money cannot be spent on the construction, repair of any
religious place or building etc. It may be stated in this connection
that a Gujarat NGO, Islamic Relief Committee of Gujarat had filed
a petition in the Gujarat High Court saying that more than 500 reli-
gious places were destroyed by rioters during the riots and hence
the court may direct the state government either to rebuild them
or give compensations for their reconstruction. In response to this
petition the High Courts acting Chief Justice Bhaskar
Bhattacharya and Justice J.B. Pardiwala in their verdict of
8 February 2012 not only pulled up the state government for its
inaction and negligence during the 2002 riots but had also direct-
ed it to pay compensations for the reconstruction of the destroyed
structures within six months. The state government had chal-
lenged this order of the High Court in the Supreme Court.
Outstanding performance of Muslim girls
Ahmedabad: Outstanding performance of three Muslim girls
ensure them bright careers in the days to come. Minaz M. Sheikh
scored 99.65 percentile at the XII examination and is determined
to be a chartered accountant. Malek Nafisa with 99.31 percentile
also is keen to be a C.A. to fulfill the dreams of her father
Muhammad Razzak who is a rickshaw driver and supports a fam-
ily of six children. Anam Javed scored 99.94 percentile and
desires to pursue M. Sc. (I.T.).
No sadhbhavna for minorities
Gandhi Nagar / Surat: Gone are the days when people used to
say Fools rush where angels fear to tread. Some Muslim lead-
ers of Gujarat refuse to deviate to sensibility and rush to attend
sadbhavna meetings without a formal invitation. This was seen at
Sanand where a meeting of 700 BJP volunteers had gathered for
a sadbhavna drama. Some shoe licking leaders of the communi-
ty assembled there, but they were bluntly told to leave with the
pretext that a special meeting of the minorities would be con-
vened and they should attend that programme. While Imtiyaz
Pathan claims that he was invited but could not attend the meet-
ing, because of his engagements elsewhere Mehboob Ali says
that he was not invited to that meeting and would attend the meet-
ing to be specially convened for the minorities.
Translation of ITI syllabus into Urdu
New Delhi: National Council for the Promotion of Urdu Language
(NCPUL), in its efforts to promote Urdu and to associate it with
employment and earning ones livelihood held a 24-day ITI work-
shop at its office in Farogh-e Urdu Bhavan at Jasola, New Delhi.
On the concluding day of the workshop on 14 June NCPULs
Director Khwaja Ikram said that the Union HRD ministry has
taken many revolutionary steps not only for the Promotion of Urdu
but also for enabling Urdu students to acquire technical education
and training and to get employment in factories and industrial
establishments or to engage in self employment. ITI schools are
spread all over the country including in those areas where
Muslims are living in fairly large numbers whose mother tongue is
Urdu. For such Muslim students NCPUL plans to get technical
books of various trades translated into Urdu and published so that
Urdu students may be able to attend the professional classes in
Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). To begin with, the NCPUL will
get technical books of ITI syllabus in 18 different trades translat-
ed and published in Urdu to enable Urdu students to seek admis-
sion in ITIs and get training in these trades which are for (1) fitters
(2) electricians (3) mechanics of motor vehicles (4) wiremen
(5) turners (6) diesel mechanics (7) cutting and sewing (8) Tractor
mechanics (9) machinists (10) radio and T.V. mechanics
(11) computer operating and programming assistants (12) refrig-
eration and A.C. mechanics (13) Sheet metal workers (14) Tool
and die making (15) Information Technology and electronics sys-
tem maintenance (16) Draughtsmen mechanics (17) Electronic
system maintenance and (18) plumbers. All these trades are
approved and recognised by Directorate General of Employment
& Training, Ministry of Labour, Govt. of India Chennais National
Instructional Media Institute (NIMI). NCPUL had given the respon-
sibility of the translation of 52 books of ITIs 18 trades (which are
in English) into Urdu which include theory, practical and assign-
ment / Text to University Polytechnic of AMU, Aligarh. In this
whole project ITIs 52 books in English were translated into Urdu.
Of the 52 translated manuscripts. 41 manuscripts are complete in
all respects. Expert translators of Urdu, English, Mathematics and
Commerce participated, they will review and vet the translated
books / manuscripts before publication.
Muslim girls, beware: Mughal bridegroom on the prowl
Mumbai: Zubair Mughal, a 40 year old married man, duped 11
fiancees with promise of marriage, but absconded after collecting
jewellery and cash. He has been arrested by the Nagpada police
after receiving complaint from one of the victims who lost her
credit card and cash. Running a website for matrimonial alliance
in the name of Rehan he would seduce the prospective brides
to wed him. He would persuade them to present him with expen-
sive gifts such as gold chains on his birthday. Claiming himself
to be a former executive from UAE he was running a business in
South Mumbai. The last one did not have any gold to gift hence
Zubair escaped with her credit card and cash. She, however, lost
no time in reporting the matter to the police which nabbed him
before he could buy anything worthwhile.
Muslim washerman returns gold chain worth Rs. one lakh
Viramgaon: Rajjab bhai ekes out a humble living by washing /
ironing clothes for the past 35 years. He has been continuing the
family profession with his four sons. One of his regular customer
Vikrambhai Bharwad brought a bag full of clothes for ironing for-
getting to remove a 35 gram gold chain worth Rs. one lakh. While
the family of Bharwad was in tears over such a big loss Rajjab
bhai kept the gold chain in safe custody awaiting its owner. A
weeping Vikram bhai who enquired about the missing chain was
overwhelmed with joy when he received his gold chain. Though
he tried to gift a sum of Rs. 5000 to Rajjab bhai for his honesty he
failed to do so. Rajjab bhai politely asked him to donate the
amount to any charitable organisation. Over the years Rajjab bhai
has been firm not to accept any reward or gift while returning
expensive jewellery.
Saffron terrorist surrenders
Mumbai: A young man who was brainwashed and given training
in use of fire arms and explosives surrendered to the ATS squad
claiming that he had a change of heart and did not want to carry
out the orders of the outfit. The police is trying to seek good jobs
for all such people who have surrendered who want to return to
normal life. Initially indoctrinated, provoked and prepared for ter-
ror training, he was sent on a 15-day session where he attended
lectures and was trained in the use of fire arms. He was, later on,
selected for advanced training in handling explosives. Inspite of
brainwashing and training the person was reluctant to resort to
violence and decided to surrender. (AG Khan)
Urdu Arbi Farsi University to be named after Chishti
Lucknow: Manyawar Kanshi Ram Urdu, Arbi Farsi Universitys
name will be changed and it will be named after the famous Sufi
saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. Official sources, giving this infor-
mation said that Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is a highly respected
saint for all classes of people. His other distinction is that he has
written many books too. Some other names were also being con-
sidered, such as those of Amir Khusroo, Allama Iqbal, Mirza
Ghalib, Shah Waliullah Dehlwi etc. for this University but by
selecting the name of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, the gov-
ernment has tried to satisfy all classes of people because after
publication of this news in the media people belonging to different
classes were suggesting the names of their liking for this univer-
sity. It is considered that Khwaja Moinuddin Chishtis name for this
University will be acceptable to all classes of people. For chang-
ing the name of this University, the government will have to
amend the University Act now which will be decided in a cabinet
meeting. It is worth mentioning that this is a unique university, one
of its kind in U.P. which is being set up, alongwith assisting Urdu,
Arabic and Persian colleges and recognising them, to start mod-
ern and professional courses too. Because of non-availability of
the required budget, construction of its buildings has not yet been
completed and because of non-approval of the posts for teaching
and non-teaching staff, imparting of education has not yet started.
In this University not only Urdu, Arabic and Persian will be taught
but 5-year L.L.B. course, management, translation, BCA, BA,
BEd., B.Com, Mass Communication and Journalism and voca-
tional training courses also will be started. In addition to these,
distance education is also planned to be initiated with the cooper-
ation and assistance of IGNOU. For this purpose Anis Ansari had
met U.P. chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on 7 April and requested
him to release the balance amount of the previous budget. As
many as 15 buildings including academic block, administrative
block, Community Centre, Vice Chancellors House, hostel etc.
are incomplete. An amount of Rs. 171 crore has already been
spent on all these buildings and because of non-availability of
funds, building actively in the University has stopped since
October 2011.
New Mushawarat Team in Gujarat
New Delhi: The Gujarat state unit of the All India Muslim Majlis-e
Mushawarat held an extraordinary meeting at Ahmedabad under
the chairmanship of Prof. Juzer Bandukwala. The meeting unan-
imously elected the new state functionaries of the AIMMM Gujarat
as follows: Maulana Habibur Rahman Matadar, President; Janab
Iqbal Husain Shaikh, General Secretary; Janab Asif Shaikh,
Assistant Secretary and Janab Abdur Razzaq Shaikh as
Treasurer. The remaining office-bearers will be elected durig the
next meeting of AIMMM Gujarat in order to ensure a proper rep-
resentation of the whole state in the new committee which will
function for the next two years.
New Delhi: Union minister for urban development Kamal Nath
assured Chaudhary Mateen Ahmad, chairman of Delhi Waqf
Board who was member of a delegation of Delhi government
consisting of Delhi chief minister Sheela Dikshit, Delhi state min-
ister for urban development Ashok Walia, Mukesh Sharma,
Naseeb Singh and dozens of other members that he is fully
aware of the problem of 123 Waqf properties of Delhi and these
will soon be handed over to the Waqf Board. During the meeting
Chaudhary Mateen had raised the problem of these Waqf prop-
erties and said that even several years after High Courts verdict
in favour of Delhi Waqf Board about 123 Waqf properties, these
properties could not be handed over to the Board so far. He told
the minister that according to the High Courts verdict these prop-
erties should have been transferred to the Board. On hearing this
the minister Kamal Nath assured him that these will be handed
over to the Waqf Board soon.
It may be stated in this connection that at the time of the
countrys partition, Darya Ganjs Masjid Paltan Wali was demol-
ished. In 1984 when the question of rebuilding of this Masjid was
being raised, a controversy was raised after which V.H.P. had
obtained a stay order over 123 waqf properties spread all over
Delhi. For 27 long years the case of these properties had been
lingering on because of the stay order on these properties.
Finally in February last year i.e. 2011 Delhi High Court in its his-
toric verdict had directed the central government that all restric-
tions and handicaps in the transfer of these properties should be
removed within six months and all these 123 waqf properties
should be handed over to the deserving owners i.e. Delhi Waqf
Board; but after six months central government requested the
High Court for more time for fulfilling its order in response to
which the High Court granted another six months time which
ended in April 2012 but even on completion of this period the
concerned properties were not handed over to the Waqf Board.
It was then that Chaudhary Mateen Ahmad complained to the
minister about non-handing over of these properties to the Waqf
Board and his (ministers) assurance was on this complaint. No
details or even mention was made about any of these 123 Waqf
properties.
The Delhi governments delegation to Kamal Nath was in
fact in connection with the central governments approval or
authorisation of Delhis more than 1200 unauthorised colonies.
The minister also assured the delegation members that all
encumberances and hindrances in authorisation of these unau-
thorised colonies will be removed. (NAAnsari)
Ministers assurance to hand over 123 Waqf
properties to Delhi Waqf Board
COMMUNITY NEWS
IDB keen to help Auqaf in India
New Delhi: Institute of Objective Studies (IOS) held a reception
in honour of a six-member-delegation of Islamic Development
Bank (IDB), Jeddah headed by its Chairman Dr. Ahmad
Muhammad Ali on 18 June in its office in Delhi. Speaking on this
occasion chairman of IDB while laying emphasis on the need for
Muslims to move forward in field of education said that with this
objective in view, IDB has started the scheme of giving scholar-
ships (to students). In addition to this, IDB has also started pro-
viding support to schools i.e. madrasas as well as schools impart-
ing modern education, he said, and sought the views and advice
of IOS how these objectives i.e. support to schools and educa-
tional progress of Muslims in India can be achieved in a better
and effective way. With reference to Auqaf i.e. different waqfs, he
said that IDB is also keen to know how their workings can be
improved so that their earnings also could be increased. He said
that the role of Auqaf in Muslim as well as other non-Muslims
countries including India has been very important. IOS chairman
Dr. Muhammad Manzoor Alam, while welcoming the members of
IDB delegation said that IOS is working in the country as a think
tank in setting new trends. Highlighting its role he said that IOS
recently celebrated its Silver Jubilee which continued for one
year during which period it had organised 14 conferences in dif-
ferent parts of the country through which messages were given
to policy makers that Muslims are prepared to play, and are play-
ing, a very constructive role in the development and progress of
the country. At the same time a message was given to non-
Muslim majority of this country that Islam is a peace loving and
peace promoting religion and is based on justice and equality.
Speaking about the IDB scholarships and Islamic Banking
Conference held with its support and cooperation, Dr. Alam
hoped that in future also IOS will continue getting IDBs support
and cooperation. IDBs former Director, Dr. Ausaf Ahmad said
that both India and Saudi Arabia are ancient countries and their
mutual relations and contacts also are old and strong.
Government silent on building of illegal temples
New Delhi: Supreme Court in its order about a couple of years
ago had forbidden the construction of any religious building or
place of worship on any government land, road, footpath, park,
lane or bylane etc. but in clear violation of this order men of the
saffron brigade very cleverly and without any fear of law enforc-
ing authorities are fulfilling their plans of building temples illegal-
ly anywhere, whether it is Waqf land, PWDs footpaths, M.C.D.
parks, roads etc. As far as Delhi is concerned, the capital of India
the number of temples illegally built at places in this state is much
more than any other city or state of the country.
Administration is fully aware of these illegal places of reli-
gious worship but violation of court orders is allowed because
these are places of worship of people belonging to the majority
community and thereby a feeling of inferiority complex is nurtured
among the people belonging to the minority community. Such
places of worship are built gradually and in instalments. Initially,
some broken idols or photos of temples etc. are kept at selected
or intended places. Then some poor old people are made to sit
there for a few days and then in course of time a small temple is
built there with the connivance of law enforcing authorities. It is
important to note that the number of such temples built illegally in
the country is more or less 7 lakh and from this point of view Delhi
stands at No. 1. In this way Delhi is becoming the city of illegal
temples. Local administration, civil as well as police, is fully
aware of this but no attempt has ever been made to demolish or
remove them. On the contrary their number is increasing by the
day and by the month. No one seems to be giving any thought
that these can lead to some big trouble some day and govern-
ment may face great difficulty in removing them.
The process of building an illegal temple was seen near
Majidia Hospitals bus stand when some broken idols, flowers
and garlands etc. were placed at this place. This process was
repeated at many other places. In this way in open and clear vio-
lation of the Supreme Court order by some people of the majori-
ty community, surfeit of illegal temples is indicative of the weak-
ness of secularism and smacks of a biased attitude of the admin-
istration. The trend that was started about two years ago in this
respect is still going on and is being overlooked by the authori-
ties. A small temple that was built sometime ago on the B.R.T.
corridor red light at Dr. Ambedkar Nagar Terminal has become a
big temple today and has become not only the cause of big traf-
fic jams but because of police favour shown to some people, has
become a good source of business to them and the road has
been encroached upon to build a mobile shop, S.T.D. booth,
restaurant, juice corner etc.
Similarly, the attitude of the administration towards the tem-
ple built near Gate No. 2 of LIG-RPS Colony also smacks of dou-
ble standards. Another temple that is being built illegally may cre-
ate big problems and if the government pays no attention to this,
it will become extremely difficult, if not impossible, to solve the
problems that may be created because of this. Such chains of
illegal temples are spread everywhere whether it is Jamal Abdul
Nasir Marg, Delhi IIT Gate Bus Stop, Nehru Place D.T.C. Bus
Terminal, Safdar Jung Airport Bus Stand, the temple in front of
Jahan Panah City Forest Park, the temple built inside
Tughlaqabad Fort, the temple built at Tughlaqabad Railway
Colony, the one built at the main road of Lal Kuan Pahari Gaon,
many temples built in Badarpur etc. etc. Such chains of illegal
temples are spread all over the city. The follower of any religion
will never insist that his place of worship should or may be built
on any illegally occupied place lest it becomes an object of dis-
pute but authorities are silent on the question of temples.
WB Urdu Academy to set up model Urdu schools
Kolkata: Free Coaching Centre for classes 8th to 10th was inau-
gurated in Womens Department of Kolkatas Islamic Orphanage
on 18 June when West Bengal Urdu Academys Vice Chairman
Syed Manal Shah Al Qadiri announced the setting up of three
Model Urdu Schools at Kolkata, Asansol and Islampur. He said
that the standard of these schools would be equal to that of
renowned English medium schools and for this the services of
the principal of St. Martins School will be obtained. In this Centre
initially the coaching of English and Mathematics will be provided
and orphan children will be imparted free coaching and the
teachers providing coaching will be given a special allowance by
the Academy. Prof. Manal Shah Al Qadiri, quoting a verse from
the Quran, said that religious education alongwith education and
knowledge in other fields was the duty of every Muslim child.
Chairman of Islamic Orphanages education department,
Iqbal Javed said that in todays competitive age, children are pay-
ing a lot of attention to English and mathematics and ignoring
Urdu with the result that they are doing well in English and math-
ematics but their Urdu is very poor which is a matter of great con-
cern. He made a request that alongwith English and maths,
coaching in Urdu should also be provided from class VI. Urdu
Acadamys member Mukhtar Ali said that till date coaching cen-
tres for Urdu students of Madhyamic (matric standard) have been
set up at 60 places and more of such centres would be set up at
other places. Manal Qadiri said that in Asansol talks were going
on for land for a big school and in Islampur there were chances
of getting government land for the School. As regards Kolkata, no
land is so far available for the school but the search was going
on.
Former VHP leaders name missing from chargesheet
Ahmedabad: Though the verdict of Ahmedabads special court in
the Naroda Patiya Massacre case has been postponed, in which
97 Muslims were slaughtered in the 2002 Gujarat riots, it appears
that SIT and other investigating agencies of Gujarat are trying to
save some important criminals. One of these criminals is VHPs
former general secretary Dr. Jai Deep Patel because his name is
missing from the list of persons chargesheeted in this case. This
chargesheet was prepared and filed by SIT. He (Jaideep Patel)
was found to be constantly in touch with rioters and he was the
person who had played an important role in publicly parading the
bodies of more than 50 karsevaks killed in the Sabarmati train fire
to incite the public. It was found that he was in constant touch
with the rioters and their masters including Babu Bajrangi, Maya
Kodnani etc. on phone during 27 February to 3 March 2002. Jan
Jagran Manch, after studying the list of telephone calls prepared
by D.I.G. Rahul Sharma said that Dr. Patel is responsible for the
violence that had taken place in Gujarat at that time and his activ-
ities attract different sections of IPC. In view of his activities, the
removal of his name from the chargesheet prepared by Supreme
Court appointed SIT headed by CBIs former Director Raghavan
raises doubt on its impartiality. It would be pertinent to point out
in this connection that Raghavans recent Ahmedabad-London-
Ahmedabad journey was financed by the Gujarat government. In
the light of this fact, the role of SIT chief is questionable. It may
further be stated that Dr. Patel was in constant touch with the
chief ministers office and Gordhan Zadafia, a minister in Modi
cabinet on phone. SIT however had arrested him (Patel) in the
Naroda Game case in which 11 persons were killed.
18th extension to Nanavati Commission to submit its report
Ahmedabad: Gujarat government, while explaining the reason for
the delay in submission of the report by Justice G.T. Nanavati
and Justice Akshay Mehta Commission which is enquiring into
the riots that had erupted in Gujarat after the Godhra train fire,
said before the High Court on 29 June that if the Commission
considers that it needs more time for arriving at the final conclu-
sion, the state cannot fix any time. In reply to a public interest
petition against granting further extension to the term of the
Nanavati Commission the state government said that if the com-
mission thinks that it needs further information and details before
finalising its report the state government cannot fix a date for the
commission to submit its report. It may be stated that the state
government while extending its term for the 18th time allowed the
commission to submit its report by 31 December 2012.
Students of AMUs Urdu Dept succeed in NET/JRF test
Aligarh: As in the previous year, 30 (boy and girl) students of
AMUs Department of Urdu have been successful in UGCs Net /
JRF tests held in December 2011. Of these, 17 have been select-
ed for JRF and 13 for NET. President of AMUs Urdu Department,
Prof. Muhammad Zahid said that this is for the second time in the
Universitys history that such a large number of boy and girls stu-
dents have achieved success and hoped that in future larger
number of students will achieve success and bring name and
fame to this department and the University.
Korean general to lead U.N. mission in Kashmir
South Korean Army Major General Choi Young-
bum will lead the U.N. Military Observer Group in
India and Pakistan. Choi is the third Korean gen-
eral to lead the mission that oversees U.N.
peacekeeping operations in Kashmir. Choi will
assume the post from July 1. Choi was selected
to head the mission for the area because of his
experience with other peacekeeping missions, the ministry said.
In 2000, Choi headed the operations of the Korean military's
medical support unit in Western Sahara. He also served with the
Zaytun Division in Iraq for six months in 2006. The U.N. Military
Observer Group in India and Pakistan began operations in
January 1949. Korea has been sending military observers since
October 1994, and currently has seven personnel in the area.
English sermons at Hyderabad mosque
Hyderabad: A mosque, tucked away in a
quiet corner of Banjara Hills here, has set
a new trend: offering sermons in English.
The plush interiors of the centrally air con-
ditioned mosque on Road No. 8 Banjara
Hills and with prayer carpets to sink one's
feet in, the mosque is a hit with the affluent.
Worshippers vouch for the mosque's com-
fortable ambience which they say is con-
ducive to religious learning. They add that unlike the traditional
mullahs, the mosque offers lectures and sermons on topical sub-
jects by professionals working with various firms who have a
practical approach to religion. Further, a large number of foreign
students throng the mosque during Ramadan as lectures are
given in English. What clicks with the smart phone-wielding
believers here is the contemporary tone of sermons and the prac-
tical approach to Islam. Worshippers at the mosque said that
understanding the Friday khutbah at other mosques across the
city has become increasingly difficult as it is in Urdu. Syed
Zaheeruddin, a 28-year-old assistant manager in an MNC in Hi-
Tec City said, "Everything the young Muslim does is in English.
We were educated in schools with English as the medium of
instruction. We discharge our professional duties in English. And
despite Urdu being our mother tongue, we speak to our children
in English at home too. So, everything taught here sinks effort-
lessly." The mosque witnesses around 400 worshippers every
Friday out of which around 100 are women. Insiya Abdul
Raheem, a 23-year-old psychology graduate said, "I am more
conditioned to listening to English and understand it better than I
understand Urdu. And since I have a thirst for understanding reli-
gion, it makes sense that I come to this mosque." Officials say it
was important they reinvented and thus started at the very first
step of religious instruction - communication. They added that for
Muslims to be able to discharge religious duties, it was important
that they understood them first. Mirza Yawar Baig, an IIM-A grad-
uate of 1985 batch and a management guru serving as both as
imam and khateeb of the mosque, said, "The principle of commu-
nication is the transmission of ideas and knowledge. English has
become the language of the world and of education of the youth.
Ironic as it may seem, it made perfect sense to disseminate
knowledge of the faith in English. It is important that I speak in a
language that people understand since many understand English
better than they understand their own mother tongue. The khut-
bah aims to help Muslims to understand their lives and current
events in the context of the Quran, Sunnah (life and teachings of
the Prophet) and Islamic history. The purpose of the khutbah is
defeated if people don't understand it." (Syed Mohammed, time-
sofindia.indiatimes.com)
Mumbai: Hira Shah Mosque situated at Wadala Antop Hill was
damaged by a builder on the pretext of developing Bethi Chaal
under S.R.A. scheme which generated great resentment among
Muslims of the area. Kerala Muslim Jamat of Mumbai and a
responsible person of Indian Union Muslim League, Abdur
Rahman said that on 18 May Evergreen Developers while
demolishing Behti Chaal tried to demolish this mosque also but
refrained from doing so on protests by local Muslims. However,
some portions of the mosque, including wazoo khana (place
where ablutions are done / performed) and some other portions
were damaged and broken. Musclemen from Evergreen
Developers detained Masjid Imam for many hours and when
they released him, he alongwith some members of the Masjid
Committee went to the police station to lodge a complaint, but
the police not only did not take any action against the develop-
er and his men but on the contrary slapped a notice on him (the
Imam) under section 149 by which the Imam was prevented
from going to the mosque and its surroundings. Also, the police
did not arrest any body for damaging the mosque inspite of the
complaint.
It may be stated in this connection that in 1981 Bombay
High Court had entrusted, after the death of Hira Shah Baba of
the Masjid, the responsibility of looking after this mosque and its
Dargah to two persons. According to the courts order, this
mosques land could neither be sold to any body nor purchased
by any body without the High Courts permission. The two per-
sons concerned called administrators were Ram Pyaray
Nageshwar Bhagat and K.V. Abdullah Ali Muhammad. After Ram
Pyaray Bhagats death, the second administrator K.V. Abdullah
Ali Muhammad, in violation of the courts order and without its
permission, gave a NOC to Messrs Evergreen Developers to
develop the place under S.R.A. Scheme who, in the process of
developing the place demolished part or whole of the Masjid.
Abdur Rahman said that he met the D.C.P. and also Additional
Commissioner in connection with the demolition of the mosque
but received no help from them. On the other hand, he is also
getting threats from the developers. He further said that though
the second administrator K.V. Abdullah Ali Muhammad commit-
ted contempt of court by giving NOC without the courts permis-
sion, no action is being taken against him also. (NAAnsari)
Historical mosque demolished in Mumbai
INTERNATIONAL
Future Scenarios for the Arab Uprisings
DR. MOHSEN MOH'D SALEH
The state of anxiety and skepticism regarding the future of the
Arab uprisings has prevailed widely to include the ordinary man
in the street, the leaders in the region and foreign powers
besides Israel. The uprisings still witness competing tracks
drawn by opposing forces, hence, it is difficult to tell what the last
outcome will be.
Notwithstanding our belief that the change movements would
eventually fulfill peoples' aspirations for freedom and dignity, the
objective reading of the current events reveals four possible
tracks which might be achieved to certain extents according to
the countries where the change has taken place.
First Scenario: Change and Reform within the Internal-
Regional Context of the State
This scenario is based on the idea of changing the structure
of the political system into a democratic one, while being preoc-
cupied with internal economic, security, development and social
concerns.
Any burgeoning regime, should it succeed in overcoming the
challenge of the change, will have to face the intertwined, discor-
dant forces which cannot be appeased all together and which will
seek to be a partner in decision-making demanding at times
more than what they actually deserve or trying to foil the system
in case their demands were not fulfilled.
At the same time, many will not be able to differentiate
between chaos, lawlessness and political opportunism on one
hand, and freedom and responsible conduct on the other hand.
Concurrently, opposing forces will try to impose the model of
state which suits their vision, be it Islamic, nationalist, liberal or
leftist till one side prevails or all parties get used to respecting the
rules of the democratic game.
The new regime will face different economic, social, educa-
tional, military or judicial institutions that have decayed under the
former regime and that need rehabilitation in order to launch the
reform plan. Ultimately, the new regime might be opening
Pandora's Box especially upon dealing with the sides whose
interests intersected with those of the former regime. It might
then need some years to found an effective, transparent system
to run these institutions and integrate them within the reform
process.
The new regime will need some "magic formula" to accom-
modate cheap partisan bickering and external pressures and to
deal with the remnants of the old regime and its centers of power
within the state. At the same time, it will need to present the
masses with fast accomplishments on the political, economic and
security levels.
This scenario means the creation of weak, unstable democ-
racies whose leaders would plunge into their local aspirations
and fear for themselves from external intervention or regional
conflict. They will also try to appease super powers by vowing not
to trespass certain "red lines," while pursuing timid improvements
regarding their external policies concerning national issues.
Second Scenario: Reform and Change within an Arab-
Islamic Unitary Uprising Project
This is the most optimistic and ambitious scenario. The lead-
ers of change movements mostly represent Islamic and national
trends who realize that their uprisings must not only be domestic
projects rather they must be a part of a unitary project to face the
nation's weakness and fragmentation.
The success of any change movement depends on the suc-
cess of other movements, their integration and unity in face of the
remnants of the old regimes, and on preventing international hos-
tile powers from controlling any side.
According to this scenario, the uprisings did not break out
only to express the need for bread but to restore the nation's dig-
nity, recover decision making far from external hegemony and to
emphasize that its first enemy is the Zionist project. Thus, the
revolutions should embrace the nation's need for unity and its
aspirations for liberating Palestine.
Although this scenario seems logical, yet the ideological
change movements preferred to focus on domestic concerns,
appease Western powers and highlight common concepts of
freedom, democracy and human rights.
However, such conduct was not because these currents
changed their convictions but because they realized the need to
move within a gradual peaceful process (as in Egypt, Tunisia and
Yemen); as changing the infrastructure of the old regime needs a
long time during which they can enhance their status and then
seek what is beyond uprising and unity projects.
In fact, these movements are aware of the magnitude of
internal and foreign forces seeking to foil their efforts; thus, they
cannot rush into the last stages before they can strengthen their
position.
Even those who came within a revolutionary change formula
realize that the uprisings are at risk in an environment which
urged them to seek help from regional and international powers
to achieve change in their countries. Accordingly, their "revolu-
tionary" conduct will be limited to regional change.
Nonetheless, no matter how much the Arab and Islamic
movements give reassurances, they will eventually face enor-
mous internal and external challenges that may shake their posi-
tion, unless new revolutionary spirit provokes their audience and
expresses their aspiration, not for a loaf of bread, but for libera-
tion and unity.
Third Scenario: The Corrupt Regimes Will Reproduce them-
selves yet in New Appearance
This scenario assumes that the change that took place has
only affected the head of the regime, as was the case in Tunisia,
Egypt and Yemen, whereas its institutions and web of interests
remained intact especially on the security, economic and judici-
ary levels. These institutions
form the core of the "deep state"
and they own tools of power and
pressure and the ability to
thwart any root changes that
might threaten their presence.
Consequently, these forces will
seek to accommodate the
change movements and absorb
the manifestations of the revolu-
tionary tide.
They might show some
patience regarding the change
that took place but they will
eventually try to foil it through
security lawlessness, economic
deterioration, antagonizing
external powers and media
incitement.
Then, they will present their
saviors anew whether on the
back of tanks through a military
solution or based on the World
Bank formula through economic
solution. Consequently, the
hopes to achieve the project of
uprising and liberation will be
frustrated.
In both cases, some quick
wins will be presented in coordi-
nation with the Western forces
that will support those options
concordant with their policies.
However, these options will be
reshaped to extend the life of the
corrupt regimes before uprisings
break out once again.
Under this scenario falls the
state of enormous confusion wit-
nessed in Egypt; the efforts by
the Supreme Council of the
Armed Forces (SCAF) to derail
the uprising, presenting Ahmad
Shafiq as presidential candidate, the abolition of the first genuine
People's Assembly in the history of Egypt and the attempt to strip
the president-elect of his authority.
Fourth Scenario: Fragmenting the Region on Sectarian and
Ethnic Basis
This scenario is related to the power of foreign influence to
form the map of the region and the region's susceptibility to eth-
nic and sectarian divisions. It is also based on the vision that the
revolutions have led to undermining central governments and
their internal security. Accordingly, those from the same ethnicity
and minorities would unite to protect themselves.
This vision is also based on the idea that some ruling pow-
ers (old and the new ones) will resort to their caste or minority
group to protect themselves and enforce their influence.
Consequently provoking other sides to form their parties and
control their areas and thus deepening the rift in the region.
In this case, Israel and other hostile forces will only have to
encourage the state of division on the political, media, security
and military levels and enhance feelings of hatred under the pre-
text of defending the rights of minorities and sects.
This scenario was discussed by many Zionist and Western
authors and intellectuals including Bernard Lewis and Aluf Benn.
And for them, it heralds transforming Israel into a natural entity
since a "Jewish state" would not be deemed an anomaly when
surrounded by Alawite, Sunni, Shiite and Maronite countries.
The Likely Scenario
Defining the probable scenario depends on a number of fac-
tors, the most notable among these are:
1. The ability of the change movements to maintain the rev-
olutionary momentum and the masses' support till completing the
change.
2. The ability of the change movements to present charis-
matic popular leaders capable of leading the change course and
filling the political vacuum.
3. The ability of the change movements to form wide nation-
al alliances that overcome political blackmail, foil the return of the
old regime and prevent fragmentation and internal wars and con-
flicts.
4. The ability of the change movements to isolate the foreign
factor (especially the American side) and curb its influence on
national decision making.
5. The ability of the change movements to present the mass-
es with tangible successes especially on the tracks of security,
economy, facing corruption and enhancing freedoms.
6. The ability of the change movements to address national
issues, especially the Palestinian issue, in a way that reflects
popular will and the aspirations of the nation.
I
t is difficult to fathom and analyze the intertwined factors in
every country. However, tracking a general course shows the
following:
1. The peaceful change process in Tunisia, Egypt and
Yemen helped maintain the "deep state" to a large extent in addi-
tion to keeping the remnants of the old regime in influential posi-
tions.
2. The ability of the US and Western powers in security,
media, political and economic fields is still high in the countries
that pursued peaceful track or revolutionary one alike.
3. The change forces could not achieve decisive results in a
number of countries and their parties or trends could not achieve
wide majority that allows them to fulfill their programs without
impediments by other forces. Nor were they able to present
charismatic leaders that enjoy the consensus of the masses.
Accordingly, the scenario for the foreseeable future will most
probably be heading towards:
1. A limited change process towards the formation of unsta-
ble democratic regimes.
2. Accommodating the Islamists who will be facing double-
edged challenges. Thus, it would be a chance to develop their
abilities, increase their expertise and expand their popularity.
Otherwise, they will shrink as a result of some mistakes or prac-
tices not to mention the external attempts to demonize them and
foil their efforts.
3. A state of skepticism regarding the future of the region due
to the competition between the change forces on one hand and
the remnants of the old regime and external forces on the other
hand.
Yet, the state of instability does not only open the way for the
return of the old regimes in new form or appearance, but it also
paves the way for a wide state of depression and violent reac-
tions in the form of new revolutionary tide which is stronger and
more decisive.
Regardless of our wishes for the uprisings to fulfill their mis-
sion through a revolutionary, unitary project which establishes a
free state that reflects the nation's will, religion and culture, the
current facts undermine the crystallization of this scenario and
make it closer to wishful thinking. But one can never tell! A year
and half earlier, thinking of these changes was a sort of craziness
or mere wishes according to those working in the field of strate-
gic studies.
The original Arabic article appeared on Al Jazeera.net on
22 June 2012
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PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
"On October 21 (1948) the Government of Israel took a decision that
was to have a lasting and divisive effect on the rights and status of
those Arabs who lived within its borders: the official establishment of
military government in the areas where most of the inhabitants were
Arabs." - Martin Gilbert, Israel: a History
I had given up on finding an American with a moral conscience and
the courage to go with it and was on the verge of retiring my key-
board when I met the Rev. Thomas L. Are. He is a Presbyterian pas-
tor who used to tell his Atlanta, Georgia, congregation: "I am a
Zionist." Like most Americans, Rev. Are had been seduced by Israeli
propaganda and helped to spread the propaganda among his con-
gregation.
Around 1990 Rev. Are had an awakening for which he credits
the Christian Canon of St. George's Cathedral in Jerusalem and
author Marc Ellis, co-editor of the book, Beyond Occupation.
Realizing that his ignorance of the situation on the ground had
made him complicit in great crimes, Rev. Are wrote a book hoping to
save others from his mistake and perhaps in part to make amends,
Israeli Peace Palestinian Justice, published in Canada in 1994.
Rev. Are researched his subject and wrote a brave book. Keep
in mind that 1994 was long prior to Walt and Mearsheimer's recent
book, which exposed the power of the Israel Lobby and its ability to
control the explanation Americans receive about the "Israeli-
Palestinian conflict."
Rev. Are begins with an account of Israel's opening attack on the
Palestinians, an event which took place before most Americans alive
today were born. He quotes the distinguished British historian,
Arnold J. Toynbee: "The treatment of the Palestinian Arabs in 1947
(and 1948) was as morally indefensible as the slaughter of six mil-
lion Jews by the Nazis. Though nor comparable in quantity to the
crimes of the Nazis, it was comparable in quality."
Golda Meir, considered by Israelis as a great leader and by oth-
ers as one of history's great killers, disputed the facts: "It was not as
though there was a Palestinian people in Palestine and we came
and threw them out and took their country away from them. They did
not exist."
Golda Meir's apology for Israel's great crimes is so counter-fac-
tual that it blows the mind. Palestinian refugee camps still exist out-
side Palestine filled with Palestinians and their descendants whose
towns, villages, homes and lands were seized by the Israelis in
1948. Rev. Are provides the reader with Na'im Ateek's description of
what happened to him, an 11-year old, when the Jews came to take
Beisan on May 12, 1948. Entire Palestinian communities simply dis-
appeared. In 1949 the United Nations counted 711,000 Palestinian
refugees. [United Nations General Assembly Appendix 4, No. 15 ].
In 2005 the United Nations Relief and Works Agency estimated 4.25
million Palestinians and their descendants were refugees from their
homeland.
The Israeli policy of evicting non-Jews has continued for six
decades. On June 19, 2008, the Laity Committee in the Holy Land
reported in Window Into Palestine that the Israeli Ministry of Interior
is taking away the residency rights of Jerusalem Christians who
have been reclassified as "visitors in their own city."
On December 10, 2007, MK Ephraim Sneh boasted in the
Jerusalem Post that Israel had achieved "a true Zionist victory" over
the UN partition plan "which sought to establish two nations in the
land of Israel." The partition plan had assigned Israel 56 percent of
Palestine, leaving the inhabitants with only 44 percent.
But Israel had altered this over time. Sneb proudly declared:
"When we complete the permanent agreement, we will hold 78 per-
cent of the land while the Palestinians will control 22 percent."
Sneb could have added that the 22 percent is essentially a col-
lection of unconnected ghettos cut off from one another and from
roads, water, medical care, and jobs.
Rev. Are documents that the abuse of Palestinians' human
rights is official Israeli policy. Killings, torture, and beatings are rou-
tine. On May 17, 1990, the Washington Post reported that Save the
Children "documented indiscriminate beating, tear-gassing and
shooting of children at home or just outside the house playing in the
street, who were sitting in the classroom or going to the store for gro-
ceries."
On January 19, 1988, Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin,
later Prime Minister, announced the policy of "punitive beating" of
Palestinians. The Israelis described the purpose of punitive beating:
"Our task is to recreate a barrier and once again put the fear of death
into the Arabs of the area."
According to Save the Children, beatings of children and women
are common. Rev. Are, citing the report in the Washington Post,
writes: "Save the Children concluded that one-third of beaten chil-
dren were under ten years old, and one-fifth under the age of five.
Nearly a third of the children beaten suffered broken bones."
On February 8, 1988, Newsweek magazine quoted an Israeli
soldier: " We got orders to knock on every door, enter and take out
all the males. The younger ones we lined up with their faces against
the wall, and soldiers beat them with billy clubs. This was no private
initiative, these were orders from our company commander. . . . After
one soldier finished beating a detainee, another soldier called him
'you Nazi,' and the first man shot back: 'You bleeding heart.' When
one soldier tried to stop another from beating an Arab for no reason,
a fist fight broke out."
These were the old days before conscience was eliminated from
the ranks of the Israeli military.
In the London Sunday Times, June 19, 1977, Ralph
Schoenman, executive director of the Bertrand Russell Foundation,
wrote: "Israeli interrogators routinely ill-treat and torture Arab prison-
ers. Prisoners are hooded or blindfolded and are hung by their wrists
for long periods. Most are struck in the genitals or in other ways sex-
ually abused. Most are sexually assaulted. Others are administered
electric shock."
Amnesty International concluded that "there is no country in the
world in which the use of official and sustained torture is as well
established and documented as in the case of Israel."
Even the pro-Israeli Washington Post reported: "Upon arrest, a
detainee undergoes a period of starvation, deprivation of sleep by
organized methods and prolonged periods during which the prison-
er is made to stand with his hands cuffed and raised, a filthy sack
covering the head. Prisoners are dragged on the ground, beaten
with objects, kicked, stripped and placed under ice-cold showers."
Sounds like Abu Gharib. There are news reports that Israeli tor-
ture experts participated in the torture of the detainees assembled by
the American military as part of the Bush Regime's propaganda
onslaught to convince Americans that Iraq was overflowing with al
Qaeda terrorists. On July 23, 2008, Antiwar. com posted an Iraqi
news report that the Iraqi government had released a total of
109,087 Iraqis that the Americans had "detained." Obviously, these
"terrorist detainees" had been used for the needs of Bush Regime
propaganda. No one will ever know how many of them were abused
by Israeli torturers imported by the CIA.
Rev. Are's book makes sensible suggestions for resolving the
conflict that Israel began. However, the problem is that Israeli gov-
ernments believe only in force. The policy of the Israeli government
has always been to beat, kill, and brutalize Palestinians into submis-
sion and flight. Anyone who doubts this can read the book of Israel's
finest historian Ilan Pappe, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine
(2006).
Americans are a gullible and naive people. They have been
complicit for 60 years in crimes that in Arnold Toynbee's words "are
comparable in quality"
to the crimes of Nazi
Germany. As Toynbee
was writing decades
ago, the accumulated Israeli crimes might now be comparable also
in quantity.
The US routinely vetoes United Nations condemnations of Israel
for its brutal crimes against the Palestinians. Insouciant American
taxpayers have been bled for a half century to provide the Israelis
with superior military weapons with which Israelis assault their neigh-
bors, all the while convincing America- essentially a captive nation-
that Israel is the victim.
John F. Mahoney wrote: "Thomas Are reminds me of Dietrich
Bonhoeffer: an active pastor who comes to the unsettling realization
that he and his people have been fed a terrible lie that is killing and
torturing thousands of innocent men, women and children. Not with-
out ample research and prayer does such a pastor, in turn, risk
unsettling his congregation. The Reverend Are has done his home-
work and, I suspect, has prayed often and long during the writing of
this courageous book."
Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran theologian and pastor who was exe-
cuted for his active participation in the German Resistance against
Nazism. Professor Benjamin M. Weir, San Francisco Theological
Seminary, wrote: " This book will make the reader squirm. It asks you
to lend your voice in behalf of the voiceless."
Americans who can no longer think for themselves and who are
terrified of disapproval by their peer group are incapable of lending
their voices to anyone except those who control the world of propa-
ganda in which they live.
The ignorance and unconcern of Americans is a great frustration
to my friends in the Israeli peace movement. Without outside support
those Israelis, who believe in good will and do not share their gov-
ernment's belief in Lenin's doctrine that violence is the only effective
force in history, are deprived, by America's support for their govern-
ment's policy of violence, of any peaceful resolution of a conflict
began in 1947 by Israeli aggression against unsuspecting
Palestinian villages.
Rev. Are wrote his book with the hope that the pen is mightier
than the sword and that facts can crowd out propaganda and create
a framework for a just resolution of the Palestinian issue. In his con-
cluding chapter, "What Christians Can Do," Rev. Are writes: "We
cannot allow others to dictate our thinking on any subject, especial-
ly on anything as important as Christian faithfulness, which is tested
by an attitude towards seeking justice for the oppressed. It's a
Christian's duty to know."
Duty, of course, has costs. Rev. Are writes: "Speak up for the
Palestinians and you will make enemies. Yet, as Christians, we must
be willing to raise issues that until now we have chosen to dodge."
More than a decade later, President Jimmy Carter, a true friend
of Israel, tried again to awaken Americans' moral conscience with his
book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. Carter was instantly demo-
nized by the Israel Lobby.
Sixty years of efforts by good and humane people to hold Israel
accountable have so far failed, but they are more important today
than ever before. Israel has its captive American nation on the verge
of attacking Iran, the consequences of which could be catastrophic
for all concerned. The alleged purpose of the attack is to eliminate
nonexistent Iranian nuclear weapons. The real reason is to eliminate
all support for Hamas and Hezbollah so that Israel can seize the
entire West Bank and southern Lebanon. The Bush regime is eager
to do Israel's bidding, and the media and evangelical "christian"
churches have been preparing the American people for the event.
It is paradoxical that Israel is demonstrating that veracity lies not
in the Christian belief in good will but in Lenin's doctrine that violence
is the effective force in history and that the evangelical Christian
Zionist churches agree.
The author is former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
in the Reagan administration.
Are You Ready to Face the Facts About Israel?
INTERNATIONAL
KARAMATULLAH K. GHORI
Those who know Pakistan need no further
telling or reminding how corrupt and moral-
ly bankrupt its rulers are. However, for
those still entertaining shades of doubt
about the veracity of this conclusion the
latest Pakistani sell-out to the U.S. on the
reopening of blocked transit routes for
NATO convoys to Afghanistan across the
Pakistani territory should be ample
reminder of Islamabads incorrigible rulers total subservience to
their western mentors.
For seven long months, these Pakistani rulers had kept their
nation in a state of frenzy, vis--vis the U.S. They pretended to
have taken the high moral ground on an issue drummed up by
their votaries, the news media, as well as politicians from the
camps in opposition to the ruling elite, as a challenge to the
nations honour and dignity. They kept up a faade of standing up
to, and confronting, a super-power as powerful as the U.S. But in
the end they only pitifully proved that beggars cant be choosers.
This old adage translated itself in crystal clarity on 3 July
when Pakistan quietly informed the Obama administration that it
was ready to reopen the transit route across its territory for NATO
supplies to Afghanistan, which had been blocked since
November last year. Typically for the Pakistani rulers given to the-
atrics, whatd started with a bang ended with a whimper.
Pakistan had reacted with fury, last 26 November, when 24 of
its soldiers were killed-at the Salala military check-post close to
the border with Afghanistan-in a night raid by U.S. air force. In
swift reprisal, Pakistan clamped down on the transit facility of
NATO and bottled up vital supplies to the 130,000 coalition forces
in Afghanistan, thus precipitating a tense stand-off with
Washington that unexpectedly stretched on for more than seven
months, testing nerves all around.
Pakistan refused to budge from what it described as its prin-
cipled stand. Islamabad deemed the U.S. night raid as a deliber-
ate manoeuvre aimed at testing the Pakistani resolve. For recom-
pense, it demanded an unconditional apology from Washington,
which wasnt forthcoming. However, Islamabad kept harping on
the apology demand which, according to its spokesmen, was a
question of Pakistans sovereignty, dignity and honour.
The Pakistani rulers-both civilian and military-didnt want to
own the policy of defiance to the U.S. all by themselves and
decided to share the responsibly of it with the parliament, the pre-
sumed representative of the people of Pakistan. It was reckoned
to be a smart move. The crisis was no longer just an impasse
between the government of Pakistan and the U.S., but had mor-
phed into a dispute of such sensitivity that the whole nation had
become involved in it. That, incidentally, was also the ground real-
ity in Pakistan where popular opinion at the grassroots level had
long been agitated by a series of humiliations heaped on Pakistan
by the U.S. whose constant needling betrayed utter lack of sensi-
tivity to Pakistani sensibilities.
The parliament, once the ball had landed in its court, dove
into the issue with vengeance. After nearly three months of
debate, it came up with a set of 14 recommendations that clearly
raised the ante for the parties involved. Besides insisting on an
unconditional apology, the parliament also demanded an end to
the nightmare drone attacks against targets inside Pakistan,
which was entirely in keeping with the peoples anger on the
drone visitations. It also demanded, inter alia, that NATO should,
henceforth, pay Pakistan adequate compensation for its transit
facility. The new fee demanded was said to be $ 5,000 per con-
tainer as against the previous nominal charge of just $ 250. The
Pentagon Chief, Leon Paneta, angrily decried this demand as
being close to extortion, if not highway robbery.
But in the thicket of all the verbiage emanating from
Islamabad and Washington, the real sticking point was just one:
Pakistans demand of an unconditional apology from Washington;
all other issues had been reduced to just peripheral and the
Pakistani minions-most of whom owed their rise to fame and for-
tune to American patronage and largesse-kept assuring their
mentors that all other pieces of the puzzle would fall in their
places once the issue of apology had been adequately
addressed to the satisfaction of the Pakistani man on the street.
Politicians in Pakistan had a field day and went to town in
whipping up a popular hysteria on the U.S. brinkmanship. They
knew theyd been given a big handle to beat the government with,
especially with the ruling elites unenviable reputation of being
lackeys of Washington. That shoved the rulers into a corner,
where theyd little choice but to play to the tune set by their adver-
saries. The popular sentiment said national honour had been
bruised by the Americans and nothing short of a public apology
would mollify the popular sentiment of hurt on the Salala incident
that had snuffed life out of 24 Pakistani soldiers.
But while both Islamabad and Washington were playing to
the gallery in public, they also kept talking behind the scenes to
resolve the issue. However, inordinate delay in coming to terms
compounded misunderstanding between the interlocutors and
worsened the ground realities.
Using the alternative supply route-called the northern route
- through Central Asia was costing Washington dearly in terms of
expenses, as much as 100 million dollars a month extra, in addi-
tion to long delays in terms of time. It was estimated that the
northern route costs three times as much as the route via
Pakistan. No wonder that Pentagon went running to Congress,
just days before Pakistans faade of resistance cracked, plead-
ing for an additional $ 8.2 billion in funds to meet the extra costs
unexpectedly heaped on it.
Pakistan, however, was in a worse predicament because of
the stand-off with U.S.
Both civil and military arms of the government felt the
squeeze on their resources as spin off of the crisis because
Washington had turned the tap off on budgetary support for the
government and weapons for the military; the latter, responsible
for triggering the confrontation with the U.S. in the first place was
feeling the heat of the funding freeze, in particular. Pakistans
unwitting bravado was testing its ruling elites resilience to the
breaking point. It was for this reason that most political pundits
were convinced that it was only a matter of time before Pakistan
would be compelled to blink; which it ultimately did, unabashedly,
on 3 July.
In the end, the long drawn-out process of haggling turned out
to be a balloon without air for Pakistan; it received precious little
of what it thought it should be exacting from Washington as com-
pensation for the wounds inflicted on its national sovereignty and
honour.
The bits of the deal that have been made public should
come as cold comfort to any Pakistani or those sympathetic to
Pakistan. All that mountain of insistence from Pakistan that U.S.
should tender an unconditional apology for its wanton violation of
Pakistani sovereignty-and he lives of 24 of its soldiers-has fizzled
out in one stroke of arrogance from the Americans.
Washington hasnt apologised. Forget about a formal apolo-
gy, verbal or in writing from Washington. All that Pakistan has
been given, obviously as a sop, is an expression of regret con-
veyed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and not by President
Obama, in a phone call to her Pakistani counterpart, Hina
Rabbani Khar. For their home consumption, the Pakistanis may
claim-and thats precisely what the client government is doing-
that Hillary has apologised. However, all that she conveyed was
one sentence: We are sorry for the losses suffered by the
Pakistan military.
This cryptic expression of regret by Hillary stands in marked
contrast to the public apology Obama had tendered to a puppet
regime, like Hamid Karzais in Kabul, only two months ago when
scores of Afghan civilians had been killed-in yet another raid by
American aircraft. One can well imagine the humiliation that ordi-
nary Pakistanis must have felt seeing the abject incapacity and
failure of their supine leaders to exact a formal apology from
Obama or his cohorts.
Hillary didnt even mention Salala, the principal point of dis-
cord with Pakistan, in her much trumpeted apology. And her allu-
sion to the losses suffered by the Pakistan military doesnt mean
much. The Pakistan army has been incurring heavy losses in the
years since it struck a common cause with the U.S. in the war
against terror and virtually surrendered its sovereignty to the U.S.
whims.
By the same token, Washington has furnished not a shred of
assurance to Islamabad that drone strikes would be halted. Atotal
of 22 drone strikes have taken place since the Salala incident
killing dozens of Pakistanis. Both the government and people of
Pakistan would be nave to believe that drone strikes are a thing
of the past. Obamas minions are on record for saying that drone
strikes furnished a tactical advantage in the war against terrorism
that couldnt be given up.
Not only that the Obama team brushed aside the Pakistani
concerns and demands with disdain, its members seemed intent
on implicating Pakistan itself in the crime committed against its
soldiers. The American version of Hillary Clintons telephone dis-
cussion with her Pakistani counterpart stated that Rabbani Khar
agreed with Clinton that mistakes had been committed on both
sides.
But, despite all this insult added to their injury, so anxious
were the Pakistanis to reopen the transit facilities for NATO and
the U.S. that they even waived, in a gesture of magnanimity least
expected of a pauper state teetering on the verge of economic
collapse, any transit fee on the convoys using its territory. This
was a complete u-turn on Islamabads official position that NATO
trucks had badly damaged Pakistani roads and infrastructure and
Pakistan needed funds to repair them.
The rulers in Islamabad, in the end, pleaded Washington to
give them just a fig leaf which they could flaunt before their peo-
ple as victory won against a superpower. In doing so, they
abjectly ignored the categorical stand taken by the Pakistani par-
liament, which insisted that an apology was non-negotiable and
Pakistan needed to be adequately recompensed for its losses.
So overawed were the elite of Islamabad that they conveyed
their concurrence to Washington on the reopening of the transit
route even before the Cabinets Defence Committee accorded its
blessings to the deal. The news of it was broken first in
Washington, and later in Islamabad.
What was the catalyst forcing Pakistan to lump its pride, for-
get about its bruised ego and settle for the barest minimum
expression of regret, and not an apology, from Washington is a
question that can easily send pundits scrambling to their crystal
balls.
One credible conjecture has it that Pakistan was fazed by
some recent tactical moves in the U.S. Congress that toyed, pub-
licly, with the idea of declaring the likes of the notorious Haqqani
networks as terrorist groups. If that had gone through, Pakistan
wouldve found itself in the dock condemned as a sponsor of ter-
rorism. That wouldve turned the tables, entirely, on Pakistan and
consigned it to the league of countries like Iran: another pariah in
the world.
Pakistans pusillanimous rulers had also been worked upon,
in recent weeks, by emissaries from NATO and EU, knocking fear
of collective western reprisals in their minds. The visit by the
British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, to Islamabad, last
month, may have been decisive in softening up the cowering
Pakistani leaders whose devotion and loyalty to their erstwhile
masters from the Raj remains redoubtable.
How the people of Pakistan are going to react to this abject
and ignominious surrender of their leaders to American diktat isnt
a question of rocket science. The latest PEW Centre survey of
public opinion in Pakistan-conducted in June-revealed 84 %
Pakistanis regarded U.S. as Pakistans biggest enemy and threat
to its sovereignty. Their backlash would, assuredly, be harsh and
furious. Political parties arrayed against the ruling clique would
certainly exploit the public fury to their advantage and stoke the
flames of protest to the utmost. It could be nasty, to say the least.
The rulers of Islamabad have struck a costly bargain that may
return to haunt them sooner than later. For the moment, though,
they mayve reason to congratulate themselves that theyve pre-
sented their mentors in Washington, on a silver platter, the best
July 4th gift they could under the circumstances. However, the
people of Pakistan dont suffer from the slavery syndrome of their
rulers and know, without an iota of doubt, that their nations digni-
ty and their lands sovereignty arent negotiable or open to deal-
making. At the same time they know that theyre being punished
for their sins in the form of rulers who dont blink an eye in selling
their honour and dignity, even when the price isnt right.
Another sell-out by Pakistani rulers
Washington hasnt apologised. Forget about a formal apology, verbal or in writing from
Washington. All that Pakistan has been given, obviously as a sop, is an expression of
regret conveyed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and not by President Obama, in a
phone call to her Pakistani counterpart, Hina Rabbani Khar. For their home consumption,
the Pakistanis may claim-and thats precisely what the client government is doing-that
Hillary has apologised. However, all that she conveyed was one sentence: We are sorry
for the losses suffered by the Pakistan military.
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SHAKEEL AHMAD
shakeeluae@gmail.com
Apart from many spiritual and medical benefits cited by most of
us, I feel Ramadan is far more than rituals that bring us closer to
the Almighty, raise our claims to a seat in Jannah, or, makes us
physically fit, and healthier. Through the various control mecha-
nisms, Ramadan could easily make us more emotionally intelli-
gent. Before we could answer how, let us understand what
Emotional Intelligence means.
Who does not have feelings? Who is without emotions? Do
we not feel sometimes confident, sometimes nervous; sometimes
happy, some other times sad? How do we manage to hide our
sadness or happiness when we know others might not like it?
Don't we manage them? What makes us feel at the top of the
world one moment and at the great depths of depression the other
moment? What makes us win people in a few seconds and what
makes us ruin an age-old relationship in another few seconds?
What makes one individual a winner in every negotiation and
another a miserable loser all the time? What makes a leader and
what a dumb follower? Are good scientists and professors good
managers and leaders also, and successful leaders good teach-
ers or parents? Why can't all intelligent persons make use of their
intelligence to the same extent, i.e., have the same level of IQ,
and thus be successful to the same levels? Can the most intelli-
gent Computer lead an organization, an institution, or a country?
Sad Girl
Emotion, perhaps, is the most important characteristic that could
distinguish between the most intelligent and the most successful
persons. Emotions are so important because our bodies need to
communicate with us, and with others, to tell us what we need.
Emotions also help us establish our boundaries. Additionally,
emotions have the potential to unite and connect us. Emotions
serve as our inner moral and ethical compass. Decisions affecting
humans cannot be perfect using analysis or calculations alone;
emotions are essential for good decision-making.
Intelligence is just one characteristic of the human being. And
just one characteristic cannot make an individual a leader, man-
ager, professor or scientist.
Because we are humans and humans are not without emo-
tions, being intelligent is not enough for us to be able to succeed
or lead. Because we have to deal with humans in all our roles, we
must also learn to manage our emotions and guide them to a pos-
itive use. Unguided emotions are most likely to fail us whereas
when channelized prudently and intelligently, the same emotions
definitely could lead us to success every time.
L
ike all the ingredients of a product, just by virtue of being put
together in a place, cannot make a product, we can realize that
all the characteristics already present within us cannot make us
become what we wish to become. Through the science of
Emotional Intelligence, an attempt is being made to make best
use of the two most significant human characteristics, Emotions
and Intelligence. In the words of Salovey and Mayer, who coined
the term "Emotional Intelligence" in 1990, it is "a form of social
intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and oth-
ers' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to
use this information to guide one's thinking and action." In anoth-
er place, they describe it as "the ability to perceive emotions, to
access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to under-
stand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively reg-
ulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual
growth".
In the early 1990s Daniel Goleman made the concept popu-
lar through his book, Emotional Intelligence. Goleman made EI
easy to understand, by dealing with its five main components in
details:
Smiley Sadangry
1. Self-awareness: Allah tells us our lowly status [created you out
of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of
a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed (Qur'an,
22:5)] or our status as the best of creatures [Qur'an, 3: 110, 95:5],
commands us to be aware of what is right and what is wrong
2. Emotional literacy (label emotions precisely, and be able to talk
about feelings with others): Qur'an advises us to talk to Allah, seek
strength or refuge, guidance or forgiveness, i.e., communicate our
emotions with the belief that Allah answers all our prayers (Qur'an,
40:60).
3. Empathy and compassion (ability to feel and understand the
emotions of others): Throughout Qur'an, Allah asks to care for our-
selves, our families, our neighbours, poor and destitutes, wayfar-
ers, the indebted and the weak, animals and all other creatures.
Empathy
4. Balance (to make decisions using a healthy balance of emotion
and reason): Allah asks us to be moderate (balanced) in all our
actions [2: 43, 2: 143, 31:19, 17:110], and promote fairness and
justice.
5. Responsibility (taking primary responsibility for our own emo-
tions and happiness. Not saying that others "made" us feel the
way we feel): Allah crowns us the leadership of mankind (khalifa
of Allah, on earth, e.g., in 2:30, 2:143, 3: 110, 22:78, and 38:26)
which is given to only those who realize the importance of respon-
sibility.
If we term Qur'an as the first book on emotional intelligence, it
should not be an exaggeration. But, if we claim Qur'an is just
about that, it could be limiting the value of Qur'an drastically,
because Qur'an is far more than that. But yes, Qur'an definitely
deals with the "emotional intelligence" aspects of human beings,
and guides through emotionally intelligent ways to gain absolute
and permanent success, making the best use of our emotions and
intelligence (hikmah); being masters of our emotions or intelli-
gence rather than being their slaves. Let us take a simple exam-
ple from Qur'an, referring to anger (an evil):
[Qur'an, 41: 34-36] Nor can goodness and Evil be equal (1*).
Repel (Evil) with what is better (2): Then will he between whom
and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate (3)!
And no one will be granted such goodness except those who
exercise patience and self-restraint (4),- none but persons of the
greatest good fortune. And if (at any time) an incitement to discord
is made to thee by the Evil One, seek refuge in Allah (5). He is the
One Who hears and knows all things.
*The numbers indicate the Goleman's component of EI that
the part of the verse may be considered as referring to. Applying
wisdom, reflecting at the above verse, and at most verses of
Qur'an, it becomes easy to understand that Allah wants us to be
the best of people, that which He created us initially (in the state
of fitrah, i.e, purity), emotionally intelligent and much more.
"Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining
what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah. If
only the People of the Book had faith, it were best for them:
among them are some who have faith, but most of them are per-
verted transgressors." [Qur'an, Chapter #3, Verse #110)
Sadness
It seems Goleman and his ilk understood Qur'an better than those
who seek Allah's blessings reciting it day and night, particularly
during Ramadan! Why do we miss the bus in all spheres of knowl-
edge and the worldly life? Considering this life to be the laborato-
ry for Jannah, is it an emotionally intelligent behaviour? Ramadan
being the month to practice all the components that would raise
our EQ (Emotional Quotient, the measure of EI) level, shall we
wait for another Ramadan? Practice must result in internalizing
those habits so that they become part of our culture; we see a lot
of these traits in "others". Does it mean we don't practice what we
preach? Allah helps those who help themselves (Qur'an, 13:11),
so let's do our best to become the best of people.
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Emotional Intelligence, Ramadan and Muslims
It seems Goleman and his ilk understood Qur'an better than those
who seek Allah's blessings reciting it day and night, particularly
during Ramadan! Why do we miss the bus in all spheres of
knowledge and the worldly life? Considering this life to be the
laboratory for Jannah, is it an emotionally intelligent behaviour?
Ramadan being the month to practice all the components that
would raise our EQ (Emotional Quotient, the measure of EI) level,
shall we wait for another Ramadan? Practice must result in
internalizing those habits so that they become part of our culture;
we see a lot of these traits in "others". Does it mean we don't
practice what we preach?
BOOKS
PROF. ALI SUKHANVER
The Meadow: Kashmir 1995 - Where the terror
began is a book recently released. Adrian Levy &
Catherine Scott-Clark are the authors of this book.
The authors say they spent a long time on doing
research and investigations and finally succeeded in
finding out the reality that the Indian government
itself was behind the long story of human rights vio-
lations in Kashmir.
Commenting upon the kidnapping of six western
tourists in 1995 from Anantnag, the authors say, It
appeared that there
were some in the Indian
establishment who did
not want this never-
ending bad news story
of Pakistani cruelty and
Kashmiri inhumanity to
end, even when the
perpetrators them-
selves were finished.
The writers claim
kidnapping of six west-
ern tourists in 1995
including two Britons,
two Americans, one
German and one
Norwegian tourist in
Anantnag district was
carried out by a group
of Kashmiri militants
who worked for the
Indian Army.
The tourists were
kidnapped by a terrorist
organization Al-Faran,
which initially demand-
ed the release of 21
persons including
Harkat chief Maulana
Masood Azhar and
Omar Sheikh. Later,
Azad Nabi, a pro-govt.
militant bought four of
these abductees from Al
Faran for 4 lakh rupees
and shot them dead on
24 Dec 1995.
In all this story of
abduction and cold-
blooded murder, the
most interesting thing is
the demand of the
release of Harkat chief
Maulana Masood Azhar,
who in fact had nothing
to do with Al-Faran. His
name was included in
the demand list just to
drag Pakistan into the
affair and to give the
world a false impression
that Pakistan was
behind this abduction.
Indian authorities are
still projecting the
thought that Al-Faran,
which claimed responsi-
bility for the abductions, was part of the Harkat-ul-
Ansar militant group but Harkat denies any ties with
Al-Faran.
The Indian government is in a habit of using its
own militants to kidnap and kill foreign tourists and
blame Pakistan for this heinous act of terrorism par-
ticularly in a paradise like Valley of Kashmir. For
more than half a century, Kashmiris have been suf-
fering a lot due to the extremely brutal Indian poli-
cies.
Since 1988, over 80,000 civilians including
women and children have died, mostly at the hands
of the Indian army and paramilitary forces. The peo-
ple of Kashmir are being punished for their desire for
freedom. This is their crime.
More pathetic is the fact that their basic human
right of freedom is always being neglected and
ignored by the world peace-makers and even by the
UN.
The people of Kashmir are entangled into the
unseen strings of politics of terrorism. The govern-
ment of India which claims to be the care-taker of
their basic human rights, is itself involved in the vio-
lation of these rights. High ranking military officers
posted there are busy planning how to make the
lives of the Kashmiri people more painful whereas
the lower military officials are doing all their best to
act upon their plans.
To counter the struggle for freedom in Kashmir,
the government of India has introduced different ter-
rorist groups in the garb of Islamist extremist
organizations like Ikhwan which is made of surren-
dered militants who work for the Indian security
forces. These fake organizations not only defame
the preaching and teaching of Islam but also gener-
ate hatred against those who are actually busy in the
real fight for freedom.
The story of
kidnapping of six
western tourists in
1995 as exposed
by Adrian Levy &
Catherine Scott-
Clark is this kind of
story. By adopting
such immoral and
unethical tactics,
Indian forces kill
two birds with one
stone. On the one
hand, they crush
the freedom move-
ment and on the
other hand they
shift the blame to
Pakistan. Such
tactics are surely
not the new ones.
India has been fir-
ing all her blame-
shots towards
Pakistan since
1947.
According to a
recently issued
report, India has
erected an impen-
etrable wire along
its border with
Pakistan and the
Line of Control in
Kashmir. Yet, for
each security fail-
ure of seven lakh
strong Indian mili-
tary force in
Kashmir, India
finds an easy
scapegoat in form
of cross-border
terrorism.
Instead of
wasting all her zeal
and zest in playing
blame game
against Pakistan,
India could have
made situation far
better by concen-
trating upon the
remedy of actual
issues which com-
pel the people to
revolt against the
government.
Naxilite movement and the uprising for freedom
in seven north-eastern states is no more a hidden
story. Even Dr. Manmohan Singh, the honourable
prime minister of India, once admitted in 2009 talk-
ing to mediamen that India is facing the worst threat
from the Naxilite movement.
He said with severe distress and anguish,
Naxilite movement is the biggest internal security
threat for India. The seven north-eastern states
including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya,
Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura are also
the worst example of Indias home-grown terrorism.
These states cover an area of about 250,000
km2 which amounts to 7 percent of Indias total area
and about 3.8 percent of Indias total population. A
continuous state of disturbance and disorder in such
a vast area could never be a negligible reality.
Instead of targeting Pakistan, India must pay
attention to this biggest internal security threat.
Indian authorities must also be aware of the nexus
between the Indian security forces personnel and
the so-called militants they claim to fight against;
with the passage of time this coordination is getting
stronger.
Meadows of 1995 - where the terror began
Sachar
Committee
Report
English Rs 1000
Hindi Rs 1000
Urdu Rs 1000
Ordering details on page 19
The Indian government is in a habit
of using its own militants to kidnap
and kill foreign tourists and blame
Pakistan for this heinous act of ter-
rorism particularly in a paradise like
Valley of Kashmir. For more than half
a century, Kashmiris have been suf-
fering a lot due to the extremely bru-
tal Indian policies.
Since 1988, over 80,000 civilians
including women and children have
died, mostly at the hands of the
Indian army and paramilitary forces.
The people of Kashmir are being pun-
ished for their desire for freedom.
This is their crime.
Sectarianism, Politics and
Development
This volume is a compilation of 11 essays by academics, social Workers and human
rights activists. It examines the impact of sectarianism; politics in the name of religion on
politics and development with a focus on Gujarat. The politics in the name of religion has
been a major phenomenon in India in general and in Gujarat in particular. This sectarian
politics has had great impact on various aspects of civic and political life of the state. The
book contains essays which give the backdrop of political developments of the state dur-
ing last more than five decades. The dynamics of social classes has seen a major tran-
sition during these decades and the emerging upper caste-affluent sections have domi-
nated the low castes-deprived sections of society by various social-economic mecha-
nisms. These new dominant castes have assumed the role of subjugating the weaker
sections of society by resorting to the politics in the name of religion, Hindutva. This pol-
itics has affected the lives of dalits, Adivasis and other marginalized sections in the state
by further marginalizing them in the process of development. It has also affected the ecol-
ogy of the state very adversely. The impact of violence on the lives of women, particular-
ly minority women is also examined. The human rights of the large sections have been
pushed back and the process of marginalization and resultant insecurity of minorities has
intensified. In this scenario the process of rehabilitation and reconciliation has been also
examined. The essays are in-depth studies and also cover the pattern of land acquisition
and agrarian struggles in the state.
The contributors include. Sarbani Chatterjee, Kiran Desai, Lancy Lobo, Harsh
Mander, Anand Mazgaokar, Uday Mehta, Arjun Patel, Girish Patel Cedric Praksh and
Ram Puniyani
Contents: Preface; Introduction;
Section I: Backdrop; 1. Gujarat: Making of a Hidu Rashtra: Uday Mehta; 2. Hindutva and
Human Rights: A Case of Gujarat: Ram Puniyani
Section II: Development Model: 3. Guajrat: Screaming Fiction and Mute Facts: Anand
Mazgaonkar
4. Development Induced Agrarian Displacement: Lancy Lobo
5. Agrarian Struggle in Gujarat: Kiran Desai
Section III: Marginalized Sections
6. Dalit Movement in Gujarat: Arjun Patel
7. Dalit Adivasis and Hindutva Politics: Ram Puniyani
8. Gender in Hindu Rashtra- Sherbani Bannerji
Section IV: State of Human Rights
9. Minorities: A Struggle for Justice: Cedric Prakash
10. Some Paths to Forgiveness: Harsh Mander
11. Human Rights Violations; Case Studies: Girish Patel
Editors: Uday Mehta and Ram Puniyani
Pages 194, Rs 825, Rawat Publications
www. rawatbooks. com - info@rawarbooks.com - Tel. 0141 2651748
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CALAMITY RELIEF FOUNDATION, ASOM
(Regd. No. KAM(M) / 240 / A-23 / 267)
18 P.D. Chaliha Road, Hedayethpur, P.O. Silpukhuri, Guwahati-781003, Assam, India
AN APPEAL
Over 2.5 million families are worst affected in 27 districts of Assam as a result of the current devastating floods. Lakhs of affected people
have taken shelter on embankments. The ongoing rescue and relief operations are not enough to meet the needs of the affected people.
The flood-affected displaced people are crying for help. CALAMITY RELIEF FOUNDATION, ASOM, a Regd. NGO formed in 2007, has
engaged its workers in helping the flood victims in different parts of the state. To carry out our mission, we appeal to the benevolent peo-
ple to donate generously to our NGO. The contribution / donation may be made by cheques, drafts and money order payable to Calamity
Relief Foundation Asom and send it to following address: The President / Secretary, Calamity Relief Foundation, Asom 18, P.D. Chaliha
Road, Hedayethpur
P.O. Silpukhuri, Guwahati - 781003 Assam.
We accept all kinds of donations including Zakat
Bank Details: A/c No. 30249039011 IFSC: SBIN0001518
State Bank of India, A.T. Road Branch, Guwahati, Assam
Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhary, President - Mob: 09435011330 S. S. Farooque, General Secretary - Mob: 09435043966
Modis unique qualities
Gujarat Today shows a sari-clad Narendra Modi with bangles in
hand. Such posters were, reportedly, displayed in Rajkot. Also
shown therein were pictures of two Hindi film actrresses: Shashikala
and Lalita Pawar. What is written on these posters in Gujarati lan-
guage reads: Modi the mother-in-laws disruptive deeds have sur-
passed those of Shashikala and Lalita Pawar; Modi caused fight-
ing between Keshubhai and Shankersinh; Modi created Hindu-
Muslim quarrels; Modi divided Sangh into two factions and Modi
bifurcated VHP.
Sultan A.U. Patel, Khanpur Deh - 392150
Porn worms
People take pride in discussing vulgarity. Why Muslims are not
speaking against it ? Pornography is common and they call such
films adult films! Do the adults behave in such shameless manner ?
They call people working in porn film as porn stars. They are not
stars, they are worms from filthy mud. Pimps and prostitutes are get-
ting respect these days. It is dangerous and harmful to the society.
Muslims must raise voice against it. Ayyame Jahilliah (age of igno-
rance) is here once again. It is duty of every Muslim to light the can-
dle of spiritual knowledge.We must wipe the ignorance before it
wipes us.
Nazneen O.Saherwala, Surat
nazsita@yahoo.co.in
Humiliation in the name of Arabic and Persian University
Ms. Mayawati established Arabic and Persian University in the name
of Kanshi Ram. No Muslim leaders dared to oppose the move that
Sri Kansi Ram did not know Arabic and Persian. In Bihar Laloo
Yadav established a university for Arabic and Persian development
at Patna in the name of Maulana Mazharul Haque. It was kicked
from one government flat to another. Now Nitish government gave it
marching orders from Bailey Road flat where a museum is going to
be built. But Muslim leaders here are silent. Bihar cabinet decided to
recruit 3500 college teachers (25 June cabinet) in nine universities
but Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian Universitys name
is missing. Muslim leaders are maintaining pin-drop silence and
Muslim media is busy in printing political news praising Nitish. It is
not politics but humiliation. The community which enjoys humiliation
will always be subjected to humiliation.
S. Haque, Patna
Compromising with our Ethos and Culture
Why does the Court bans commercial activity and declares no-man
zone to certain area of ecological importance? The answer is to
protect and preserve their originality, beauty and sanctity. All this at
the cost of valuable resources which directly affects the economy,
thus compromising with the economy of that area. When an organi-
sation (Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu and Kashmir) demands a dress
code for tourists coming in the Kashmir valley, the Tourist
Department out rightly rejects their demand. Why? Because, it will
affect the economy of the valley. Tourist Department, J&K says, the
economy of the valley is largely dependent on the tourism sector
and we cannot compromise with the economy. The beauty of
Kashmir attracts national as well as international visitors. Now the
questions is this, if the tourists are really interested and appreciate
the beauty of Kashmir, then why dont they compromise with their
dress and behaviour which are alien and objectionable to the host?
Kashmir valley dominated by Muslims has their values, culture and
tradition. The international tourists (encroachers) pose a threat to
such values. Are these values of no use today? We see a lot of hue
and cry to protect the physical environment but nobody cares to pro-
tect the ever-degrading and deteriorating social environment.
Md. Maroof Azam, JNU, New Delhi-110067
evs.maroof@gmail.com
I.B. alert
Regularly I.B. sounds terror alerts and these warnings immediately
catch media attention. Media airs them alongwith many previous
threats with some bomb blast scenes displayed. All intelligence alert
is officially secret so how it is distributed among media which creates
terror among people. First time in India, I.B. terror alert is going to
quizzed by CBI of the I.B. alert sounded regarding LeT plan to attack
some BJP leaders leading to fake encounter of Ishrat Jahan by
Gujarat police. If I.B. warning is an official secret then how it reach-
es media? What is the intention behind distribution of official I.B.
secret alert to media? In CBI investigation these hidden question
must be considered.
S. Haque, Patna
Caste devastation in Karnataka
Brahmins, Lingayets ,Vokkaligas,and Kurbas are the major castes
involved in Karnataka.The MLAs want that the power of the state
should be in the hands of their community. If they can become the
chief minister of the state they think that everything is alright and the
whole state will progress. The BJP wants to support a Brahmin can-
didate. They using the policy of divide and rule. To unite all the
castes they are trying to portray Muslims as their common enemy.
They are arresting Muslim youths on the false charges of terrorism.
Pakistan being a Muslim country is the good subject for their pur-
pose. The mentors of the Hindu society should think how long they
can rely on the negative devices to build nation. Muslims are 20
crores, their religion and faith and their history is very much known
by the educated youth. Bias and prejudice towards Islam has put the
country in the cog mire.
Maqdoomi, Hyd. drmaqdoomi@yahoo.com
Reservation for Muslims
They say reservation should not be based on religion. This opinion
is wrong and unjust. Article 341 of the constitution and the
Presidential Order of 1950 state that only Hindus, Sikhs and
Budhists can be called Dalit. Is it not based on religion? Why double
standards? In fact Article 341 violates the fundamental right to
equality. Justice Rajendra Sachar and Justice Rangnath Mishra
commissions reports bear testimony to the fact that Muslims are
economically, educationally and socially most backward.
Reservation for Muslims is necessary for social Justice. It will also
end the sense of alienation and discrimination in Muslims, the
largest minority of India. In fact 4.5 percent quota for Muslims is
insufficient. Justice Mishra had recommended a much higher per-
centage for Muslims. In the 4.5 percent sub-quota case, the A.P.
High Court has said that Assistant solicitor-general has failed to pro-
vide data on minority backwardness. Hence proper presentation of
the case before supreme court is the need of the hour. Constitution
was amend for 3 percent Sikhs of India. It can also be amended for
15 percent Muslims of India.
G. Hasnain Kaif, Bhandara, Maharashtra
Money can buy votes in the USA too
Is the U.S. a democracy or a plutocracy? Zionists in the U.S. con-
tribute millions to make sure that more pliable candidates win and
occupy political offices It is money that can make Obama win or lose
in 2012. Obama for instance surpassed all other presidential rivals
in a record-setting 2008 U.S. election campaign that generated $1.7
billion (Rupees 8,500 Crores) in spending by candidates. Poor
Palestinians: It is impossible for them to bribe American politicians
Here is one good example from 2012 campaign Sheldon Adelson is
an American casino billionaire and owner of conservative Israeli
daily newspaper Israel HaYom. He is famous for spending $10m on
Newt Gingrichs presidential bid. Anyway, Adelsons generous con-
tribution to the Gingrich effort came after the then-candidate pro-
claimed that the Palestinians were an invented people. The cam-
paign failed to convince Republicans that scandal and profligacy are
good for the party, and when Gingrich failed, Adelson found a new
champion in Romney. NYT reported that he offered an additional
$10m to the Romney campaign. The money came after a sugges-
tion that the billionaire may be willing to spend up to $100m to defeat
Obama. To be sure, $100m is only 0.4 per cent of $25bn, Adelsons
estimated net worth. So this is also not a big deal. In an interview
condemning Adelsons contributions, Senator John McCain said that
obviously, maybe in a roundabout way, foreign money is coming
into an American campaign. All the big money and Israeli interfer-
ence is coming at a time when US neoconservatives are pushing
hard for a new war. So, to summarise: Israelis are helping write US
laws, funding US campaigns, and helping craft US war-making pol-
icy. What is left for Americans to do? Well, to fight the wars, of
course to protect and please Israel. Kodimirpal (via email)
Narrow minded broadcasters
Is that VOICE not devil's choice and that CORPORATION Satan's
machination which call upon listeners to believe whatever they sug-
gest and also dance on their tunes like dolls?!!
Sultan A.U. Patel, Khanpur Deh - 392150
Awards to dubious personality character
ToI crest reported that the police stripped and raped Soni Sori, adi-
vasi teacher and inserted stones in her vagina and rectum and gave
electric shocks (MG 16-30 June 2012 / P-11). For this sorry state
responsible S. P. has been given gallantry award Indira Gandhi Nari
Shakti Puraskar which had a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh and a citation
given to Jaswanti Narwal rana shelter home for girls in Rohtak,
Haryana open to sexual abused where police were frequently visit-
ing Daya Nayak and many encounter specialist were given awards
but many are languishing in jails. Importance of awards are dimin-
ishing because the awards are given to dubious character personal-
ities.
S. Haque, Patna
Both Sides Are Killing People in Syria
A significant majority of the world has sympathy with the rebels in
Syria and many all want the regime to fall. According to a report the
accusation that the May massacres in Houla, where 108 people
were killed, including 34 women and 49 children, were not the work
of pro-regime militias as widely reported. Surely the situation is con-
fusing as the reports keep accusing both sides. These kind of expla-
nations that are coming in every day through the media, are less and
less credible - nobody is on the ground to verify it. It has become
impossible for the Ummah to take sides as it did earlier in Egypt.
There is no denying that the Syrian regime is an oppressive police
state, but that does not excuse wilful myopia when discussing the
tactics that rebels are using. With the opposition becoming more mil-
itarised, deaths among the Syrian military and supporters of the
regime are increasing. Several report suggest that the rising law-
lessness is being used as a cover for revenge and religiously-moti-
vated killings. Some speak of a media monopoly by the armed oppo-
sition groups that want western intervention, pushing aside non-
armed groups that prefer the west to stay out. Everyone in a war is
telling lies as Syria is witnessing a proxy war between the West and
its Gulf allies against Iran-supporting Assad - with Russia also stak-
ing its claim. In this context, it is fair to assume that there is propa-
ganda war where you cant take anything at face value. You have to
criticize both sides as the opposition and Bashar Al-Assad are
killing people. Please join me in praying to Allah SWT to bring this
Fitnah to an end and to a peaceful resolution
P A Mohamed Ameen (via email)
Black hearts in white houses
Despite having names like those of the followers of the two great
Holy Prophets Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them) they are
doing what the enemies of the Messengers of GOD did, that is,
inflaming war instead of establishing peace. The Holy Quran shows
the selfish hearts deviations from the original teachings of both the
Holy Torah and the Holy Bible for every sincere person who wants
to see. S. Akhtar U.A. Patel, Khanpur Deh - 392150
Summoning of women and children in police stations
All praise for D.G.P. Naryana Mr. R. S. Dalal for issuing instructions
to all police stations in that state not to summon women and children
and weaker section of the society at police stations for questioning.
It is to be noted that issuing of instructions is one thing but its imple-
mentation truly is another which is hardly noticed materialising in our
country. Our criminal law has a clear provision which prohibits
policemen not to call or detain women at the police station after twi-
light but everybody knows not only the women and children are
called at the police stations by the police but they made to sit there
late in the night. Every one is aware that in the case of violation of
laws, directions and instructions the sub-ordinate policemen are well
protected by their superiors or even by the governments. Thus fram-
ing of law or issuing of instructions have no sanctity unless their
implementation is followed with all sincerity and honestly.
Faheemuddin, Nagpur
Open letter to RSS supremo
My heartiest congratulations to Prof. Shamsul Islam for the mind-
boggling open letter in the previous issue of MG which is in fact an
eye-opener not only for Muslims but for all Indians. Hinduism is not
a religion but a way of life where caste system plays a major role by
the Brahimins since ages. We see a lot of discrimination between
high caste and low caste people even in these modern days.
Inequality is everywhere in Hinduism, while Islam preaches and
practices equality in all sects. I hope the Sangh Parivar will reply to
the points raised by Dr B R Ambedkar who was vexed by Hinduism
and converted to Buddhism.
Mohd. Azam, Karimnager, Telangana
deomohdazam70@gmail.com
Despite the different agricultural technologies helping India to
increase its grain production in the past five years, yet with all this
surplus food there is no solution to the countrys hunger problem. As
per a report, more than 3000 children die on a daily basis due to ill-
ness caused by malnutrition. Yet a huge amount of rodent infested
rice and wheat is rotting in the field all across the nation.
Unfortunately, dearth of better storage facilities and corruption inef-
ficient, corruption-plagued public distribution system has caused this
situation. Ironically Indias storage facilities have not kept up with the
grains pace of development. Consequently, grain surpluses are now
being stored outside, where the chances of rotting drastically
increase. This inefficient system has lots of fatal consequences.
Instead of the grain filling the stomach of a large amount of poor
people in our country, it is feeding rodents and insects, growing fun-
gus, and decomposing. According to Reuters, this year, officials esti-
mated that 6 million tons of Indias grain worth $1.5 billion could
become inedible. Analysts say the losses could be far higher as
more than 19 million tons are now lying in the open, exposed to
scorching summer heat and monsoon rains. If this trend continues,
then the figure of children dying due to malnutrition will simply grow.
Can we afford such situation?
Mohd Ziyaullah Khan, Jafar Nagar, Nagpur- 440013
writeziya@gmail.com
Bastar encounter
Chhattisgarh Congress and Human rights activists on one side and
Raman Singh the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh on the other may
differ on what transpired in the Bastar encounter. The fact remains
that a number of innocent and defenseless tribals were killed.
Raman Singh is one man to whom the only solution to the Naxal
problem is the military solution. He is on record stating that Salwa
Judum held by the Supreme court as illegal and unacceptable - is
the only answer to Naxalism. Not too many days ago he has vowed
to institute a no holds barred fight against the Naxals. The Home
minister P. Chidambaram is the father of Operation Green Hunt. If
the fight against Naxals is fought in the way these two wish, the state
will end up being a destructive power. There cannot be any military
operation without mistakenly killing a number of innocent tribals. The
bigger the operation the larger the number of innocent killed. This
can only push the tribals into the ranks of naxalites, thereby increas-
ing their strength. In any case, the killings of our own people cannot
just be dismissed as the collateral damage. Why are the Central as
well as the state governments so averse to exploring the avenues
for dialogue?
Dr Mookhi Amir Ali, Mumbai 400054
drmookhi@hotmail.com
Mohammad Mursi Zindabad
In the KHLAFAT period of Umar Bin Abul Aziz ,during the night hours
the caliph was taking the accounts of the Baitul mall in a light of a
candle .When the account over the accountant started some per-
sonal matters ,the immediately extinguished the burning candle and
kindled another candle .The accountant asked about the matter as
to why he extinguished and burned another Caliph Omar told that
so far the accountant was showing the accounts the governments
candle was being used .When the work was over the accounted
started talking personal matters the caliph lit another candle which
was his personal .In the history of Khilafat such examples are in
hundred .Which show the honesty and integrity of the Islamic rulers
who ruled hundreds of years ,Mahatma Gandhi praised this type of
rule and wanted to establish such rule in India after gaining inde-
pendence .The Ikhwanul Mulimeen of Egypt and the Jamat-e-islami
of India have the goal and they working since last sixty to seventy
years .They think Islamic laws which are mentioned in The holy
Quran are divine Laws >They are not man made The parliament or
the president are not authorized to alter or amend .For example
Wine is Haram(forbidden) it cannot be permitted in any case or
made halal to some VIP.Debautury or extra marital relations are
punishable crimes .The rapist should be punished by stoning to
death .The hands of thieves are amputated .The code of zakat is
implemented .Usury is band . The ladies has to wear scarf and
Purda in case they go for some work outside the house .opposite
sexes are not allowed to intermingle.Mursi will watch the proper
enforcement of divine Laws .He can be called by Quazi or judge and
can enter in his office without prior permission of Quazi .Judgment
is not done in piecemeal .There will not be higher and lower courts.
The litigants need not wait years to gather for judgment The details
of governments are crystal clear .Prophet Mohammad is a role
model He has brought all the laws of Quran into practice .Those who
oppose the Islamic Laws they think this world is for making merry
.No one can object them to have illicit sexual relation or on their
cocktail parties .They can rape abduct any beautiful girl ,rape and kill
Bhanori Devi is an example .The Islamic laws apprehend such rulers
and give them deterrent punishment .If any leader want to have a
keep he has to marry and then consummate her India is badly in
need of such rule .The country has become the hub of crimes .The
ladies are not safe even in the capital of Delhi .Rapes and gang
rapes are common abduction and killing has become the fashion of
our youths .The government of India should send a government del-
egation to Egypt to examine the modus operandi of the function of
the Islamic government .Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are not Islamic
governments .They are governments run by Muslims as Moghals
ruled India for 800 years The Indian rulers should be prevailed by
US and Israel , other European countries
Dr AH Maqdoomi Hyderabad
drmaqdoomi@yahoo.com
REJOINDERS/OPINION/LETTERS P.O. Box 9701, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025 Email: letters@milligazette.com
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DNA Replication within wombs revealed in Quran
With best compliments from
Kaleem Kawaja , Washington DC
Salaah (prayer)
transliteration and translation
Make the intention of praying then raise hands to ears and
say: Allaahu Akbar (Allah is the greatest!)
Subhaanaka Allaahumma wabi hamdika wa
tabaarakasmuka wa ta'aala jadduka wa laa ilaaha
ghayruka. Glory be to You, O Allah, and all praises are
due unto You, and blessed is Your name and high is Your
majesty and none is worthy of worship but You.
A'oodhu billaahi minash-Shaytaanir-rajeem
I seek Allah's protection from Satan the accursed.
Bismillaahhir-Rahmaanir-Raheem
In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionalte and the
Most Merciful.
Alhamdul lillaahi rabbil 'aalameen; Ar-rahmaanir-
raheem; Maaliki yawmiddeen; Iyyaaka na'budu wa
iyyaaka nasta'een; Ihdinas-siraatal mustaqeem;
Siraatalladheena an'amta 'alayhim; ghayril maghdubi
'alayhim; waladdaal-leen. Ameen
Praise is only for Allah, Lord of the Universe; The most
Compassionate, the Most Merciful; The Master of the Day
of Judgement; You alone we worship and to You alone we
pray for help; Show us the straight path, the path of those
whom You have blessed, who have not deserved Your
wrath, nor gone astray.
Qul huwallaahu ahad, Allaahus-Samad. Lam yalid
walam yoolad. Walam yakullahu kufuwan ahad.
Say: He is Allah, the Only One. Allah helps and does not
need help. He did not produce a child, and He was not
born of anyone. There is no one equal to Him.
Subhaana Rabbi-yal Azeem: "Glory to my Lord the
Exalted". Samia Allaahu liman hamidah: Allah listens to
him who praises Him": Rabbanaa lakal hamdu: Oh our
Lord, all praise is to You. Subhaana Rabbiyal A'alaa: Oh
Allah, glory be to You, the Most High."
Athahiyyaatu lillaahi was-salawaatu wattayyibatu.
Assalamu alaika ayyuhan-nabiyu warahmatullaahi
wabarka'tuhu. Assalamu alaina wa'alaa 'ibaadillaahis
saa'liheen. Ash'had'u alla ilaha illallahu wa ash'hadu
anna Muhammadan abd'uhu ea rasooluh. All compli-
ments, all physical prayer and all worship are for Allah.
Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Allah's mercy and
blessings be on you. Peace be on us and on all righteous
slaves of Allah. I bear witness that no one is worthy of wor-
ship except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is
His slave and Messenger.
Allaahumma salle alaa Muhammadin wa'alaa' aale
Muhammadin kama sallaiyta alaa Ibraheema wa
'aAlaa Aale Ibraheema. Innaka Hameedum Majeed.
Allaahumma baarik alaa Muhammadin wa 'alaa aale
Muhammadin kama baarakta ala Ibraheema wa 'alaa
Aale Ibraheema. Innaka Hameedum Majeed. Oh Allah,
send grace and honour on Muhammad and on the family
and true followers of Muhammad just as you sent Grace
and Honour on Ibrahim and on the family and true follow-
ers of Ibrahim. Surely, you are praiseworthy, the Great. Oh
Allah, send your blessings on Muhammad and the true fol-
lowers of Muhammad, just as you sent blessings on
Ibrahim and his true followers. Surely, you are Most
Praiseworthy, the Exalted.
Assalamu alai'kum warah'matullaah: Peace and mercy
of Allah be on you.
Mumbais Foodsmiths
Specialised turnkey catering services for all occasions Parties,
Wedding, Corporate, Non Veg Cuisine, Biryani, Continental,
Birthday Parties, Exotic Cakes & Consultancy 09820114771
Cup Cakes enquiries from Delhi are welcome
Printed, published and owned by Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan and printed at Vibha Publication Pvt Ltd., D-160B, Sector-7, Noida, U.P. and published at D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I, New Delhi 110025.
Editor: Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan
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Students Assembly at Alliance School - Murshidabad A Tailoring class at our Vocational Training Centre
Food packets distribution in Murshidabad Construction Work at Alliance School this June

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Alliance School run by Charity Alliance was founded in

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