8-in-10 people identify with religious faith

ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 1In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

32 Pages Rs. 15 Bangalore English MonthlyJanuary 2013 Vol. 26-1 No. 313 Safar-Rabiul Awwal 1434 H

8-in-10 People Identify with Religious FaithThe Global Religious Landscape

Muslims and Hindu populations world over have far more younger people among them than other religious groups. Average age of Muslim is 23 while it is 26 for the Hindus. 99% of Hindus and

Buddhists and 66% Muslims live in Asia-Pacific region. 99% Hindus and 77% Muslims live in Hindu majority and Muslim majority countries respectively.

Washington D.C.: Worldwide, more than eight-in-ten people identify with a religious group. A comprehensive demographic study of more than 230 countries and territories conducted by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life, estimates that there are 5.8 billion religiously affiliated adults and children around the globe, representing 84% of the 2010 world population of 6.9 billion.The demographic study, released on December 18, 2012, based on analysis of more than 2,500 censuses, surveys and population registers, finds 2.2 billion Christians (32% of the world’s population), 1.6 billion Muslims (23%), 1 billion Hindus (15%), nearly 500 million Buddhists (7%) and 14 million Jews (0.2%) around the world as of 2010. In addition, more than 400 million people (6%) practise various folk or traditional religions,

including African traditional religions, Chinese folk religions, Native American religions and

Australian aboriginal religions. An estimated 58 million people – slightly less than 1% of the global population – belong to other religions, including the

Baha’i faith, Jainism, Sikhism, Shintoism, Taoism, Tenrikyo, Wicca and Zoroastrianism, to

mention just a few.At the same time, the new study by the Pew Forum also finds that roughly one-in-six people around the globe (1.1 billion, or 16%) have no religious a f f i l i a t i o n . This makes the unaffiliated the t h i r d - l a r g e s t religious group worldwide, behind Christians and Muslims, and about equal in size to the world’s

Catholic population. Surveys indicate that many of the unaffiliated, hold some religious or spiritual beliefs (such as belief in God or a universal spirit) even

though they do not identify with a particular faith. The geographic distribution of religious groups varies considerably. Several religious groups are heavily concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region, including the vast majority of Hindus (99%), Buddhists (99%), adherents of folk or traditional religions (90%) and members of other world religions (89%).Three-quarters of the religiously unaffiliated (76%) also live in the massive and populous Asia- Pacific region. Indeed, the number of religiously unaffiliated people in China alone (about 700 million) is more than twice the total population of the United States.The Asia-Pacific region also is home to most of the world’s Muslims (62%). About 20% of Muslims live in the Middle East and North Africa, and nearly 16% reside in sub-Saharan Africa.

Of the major religious groups covered in this study, Christians are the most evenly dispersed. Roughly equal numbers of Christians live in Europe (26%), Latin America and the Caribbean (24%) and sub-Saharan Africa (24%).A plurality of Jews (44%) live in North America, while about four-in-ten (41%) live in the Middle East and North Africa – almost all of them in Israel.Living as Majorities and Minorities Nearly three-quarters (73%) of the world’s people live in countries in which their religious group makes up a majority of the population. Only about a quarter (27%) of all people live as religious minorities. (This figure does not include subgroups of the eight major groups in this study, such as Shia Muslims living in Sunni-majority countries or Catholics living in Protestant-

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ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 2Educational Awareness among West Bengal Muslims

Al-Ameen Founder Fires the ImaginationBy A Staff Writer

Bangalore: The 10-day tour by the educational delegation led by Dr. Mumtaz Ahmed Khan in the rural parts of West Bengal has fired the imagination of the community.In a chat with Islamic Voice, Dr. Mumtaz Ahmed Khan, founder of the Al-Ameen Educational Society, said the visit by the delegation had boosted the morale of the community and created awareness about modern education, the lack of which had led to extreme backwardness among Muslims who constitute 24% of the State’s population. He said the 34-year reign of the Marxist rule in the State had pushed the Muslims into abject poverty.Dr. Mumtaz said he advised the community members to concentrate on setting up primary and secondary schools on a priority basis rather than thinking of medical or engineering colleges. He also told them to muster their own resources to start schools instead of looking towards official help. He informed that a core group had been set up under the leadership of Mushtaque Hussain, managing director of Pataka Beedi. The groups would soon be visiting Bangalore and other parts of Karnataka and South Indian states to review the educational progress of Muslim community in these areas.The delegation members addressed an educational conference in Kolkata on December 2, 2012.

The delegation thereafter visited the Muslim institutions in Islampur, Domkal, Jalangi, Dhani Rampur, Behrampore, Barolpara, Harihar Para, Amtalla,

Baildanga, Pancharam, Sheraloor, Kalikundi, Mahalandi, Lalbagh, Lalgola, Raghunathganj, Umarpur, Dhaliyan, and several other places in the district of 24 Praganas North and South districts.The caravan included J. Shafiulla, Jt. Secretary, Al-Ameen Educational Society and Zameer Pasha (IAS retd). They visited and interacted with Haroon Rasheed of Al-Falah Mission, Behrampore; Nasir Ahmed of M. M. Foundation; Md. Suleman Khursheed of Muslim Institute, Kolkata; Gulam Mohammad, Hony Secretary, IDB, West Bengal; Prof. Shamsuz Zaman, Principal, Jaisaganj College; Sheikh Abdus Subki, Al-Falah Mission, Dhanirampur; Abdur Rasheed Sarkar, Dhuliyan; Sheikh Alauddin of Jangipur; Shahnawaz Alam, Malda; Noorjahan Shakeel, President of the All Bengal Muslim Women’s Association; Abdur Razaq, Zakir

Memorial Society, Kolkata. Amanat Welfare Foundation organised the tour schedule and made arrangements for the caravan.

Ahmed Hassan Imran, Editor, Daily Kolam and Mr. Mushtaque Hussain were conferred the Mumtaz Ahmed Khan Award at the educational conference held at Kolkata.Dr. Mumtaz recalled his old association with West Bengal and said the Al-Ameen Education Society had donated a sum of Rs. 9 lakh for the construction of the building of Al-Ameen Degree College for Women nearly 25 years ago. It is the only degree college managed by Muslims in the city of Kolkata whose 18% population consists of Muslims.Dr. Mumtaz Ahmed Khan assured the various delegations which called upon them of moral, material and logistical support from Al-Ameen Society in Bangalore. He hoped that within 10 to 15 years, if the tempo of the current awakening is maintained, there will be a mass movement for education among the State’s Muslims. n

One-year Course in Info-Tech By A Staff Writer

Bangalore: Applications have been invited by the Majlis Millia Islamia (MMI) and the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language (NCPUL) which are jointly conducting a one-year course, useful for jobs in the IT sector. The course includes learning of IT tools and business, internet and web designing, financial accounting using Tally and personality development, Multilingual DTP, Programming and problem solving through C Language

and practical and project work besides introduction to ICT resources. Course fee is Rs. 5000 for the whole course. NCPUL is a Government of India body under the Ministry of Human Resources Development. The course certified by the DOEACC under the Union Ministry of Information Technology. The admissions begin in January 2013. Aspirants can contact Majlis e Millia Islamia, 109-Millia Building, N. R. Road, Bangalore-560002, Phone: 22222885, 22221158.

ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 3

By A Staff Writer

Bangalore: The Mamoor Welfare Trust based at Koramangala disbursed scholarship to 462 students in the financial year

2012-13, according to its annual report titled Mamoor Times released on the eve of the annual lecture held on December 2. The Trust which focuses on upliftment of slum population around Koramangala, has

so far been instrumental in producing over 60 graduates in medical, engineering and other disciplines from the lower strata of the society during the last 13 years, adds the report.

The Mamoor Clinic located in the nearby Rajindernagar slums has so far treated 2.5 lakh patients, belonging to all castes and communities. Interestingly, all trustees and members of

Mamoor Welfare Trust

Mamoor helping 462 Students

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MSO felicitates StudentsBangalore: The Muslim Students Education and Welfare

Organization (MSO) felicitated 150 meritorious Muslim students for scoring 90% and above marks in the SSLC (Class 10th) and Pre University examinations in 2012

at a function on December 16. Eminent space scientist from the

United States Dr. Nazeer Ahmed, who is presently the Executive Director, World O rg a n i z a t i o n for Research and Education in USA, was the chief guest. While address-ing the gather-ing, he asked

students to develop scientific spirit in them through an inquisi-tive approach under the light of the Quran and Hadith. He asked the students to make attainment

of knowledge a lifelong mission rather than merely passing the exams. Others who participated included Syed Tanveer Ahmed of Karnataka Muslims, Azam Shahid, professor of Economics, Taj Mohammed Khan, Secretary, Rifaul Muslimeen, Mysore and Prof. Maher Mansoor, former Official from the Indian Postal Services.Moulana Ashraf Ali Rashadi, Khateeb, Masjid-e-Meraj, Bangalore presided. Syed Shahid Ahmed, President, MSO received the dignitaries, Mr. Mohamed Ziaulla welcomed the guests and Mr. Asif Ali, Gen. Secretary, MSO conducted the programme. n

Annual Day Celebrations of Jamiul Uloom

Bangalore: The annual day celebrations of Jamiul Uloom Group of Institutions, (managed by Jamia Masjid Muslim Charitable Fund Trust) was held here, along with a prize distribution ceremony which was graced by governor of Karnataka, Mr. Hansraj Bharadwaj on December 13, 2012. On the occasion, Mr. Syed Rasool, superintendent of the Institution was honored by the governor for completing 20 years of his service for the institution. Maqbool Ahmad, president,

Central Muslim Association (CMA), R Roshan Baig, MLA,

Ateeq Ahmad, secretary, Jamia Masjid-o-Muslim Charitable Fund Trust and Abdul Qadeer, secretary, Shaheen Group of Institutions, Bidar also attended the programme. n


Halal Homes in NetherlandsAmsterdam: Dutch news-paper Parool last month, covered designs for Amsterdam apartments by the Eigen Hard housing corporation which accommodate the needs of some Muslim families. The apartments feature cupboards for shoe storage, additional water taps for ritual cleansing, and dividing doors around the kitchen.The paper described the

apartments as ‘halal homes’, but the housing company stressed that the designs could be suitable for many occupants, also suiting the needs of students and those with a physical handicap.Home affairs minister, Robert Plastkerk commented in response that he has no problem with housing corporations taking the wishes of Muslim tenants into account during renovations. n

Hamburg Recognises Three Muslim HolidaysHamburg: The State of Hamburg, Muslim associations and the Alawite community have signed a treaty. They agree to implement and recognize religious-related holidays, including school holidays,

religious education and burial rituals for Muslims.The State of Hamburg has recognized three official holidays: Eid ad-Adha, Ramadan and Ashura. Muslim teachers will be allowed to teach

American Muslims Launch Campaign to Reclaim ‘Jihad’Chicago: US Muslims have launched an advertising and social media campaign in the

hope of reclaiming the word ‘Jihad’ from extremists, who insist on equating the spiritual quest with terrorism. The campaign features Muslims describing their personal struggles, the meaning of Jihad, on bus ads, Twitter, Facebook and a dedicated website: myjihad.org. “My Jihad is to build friendships across the aisle,” says one ad showing an African American man leaning on the shoulder of a Jewish

friend. “MyJihad is to march on despite losing my son,” says another ad, featuring a portrait

of a mother with her three remaining c h i l d r e n . “MyJihad is to not judge people by their cover,” says a third, framed by two women in headscarves. It was sparked by a series of hateful

ads calling Muslims “savages” and urging people to “defeat jihad” that were plastered on buses and trains in New York, Chicago and San Francisco. But it also speaks to a larger frustration among “mainstream” Muslims with how a basic tenet of their faith has been distorted and demonized, said Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. n

religious education, once they have passed the state exam and given that the course is cross-confessional, the equality of men and women is a premise.The signatories also include the

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ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 6Sufi Comics

Medieval Wisdom RetoldSome youth from Bangalore have teamed up together to impart a new mould to the

sufi teachings through comic strips.

By Maqbool Ahmed Siraj

Sufis were men of piety and wisdom. Much is known

about their piety but wisdom remains wrapped in obscurity. With reading habits plummeting by the day, few of us have patience and time to look into the malfoozat (documented

literature), Irshadat (sayings) and maktoobat (letters) from these Sufis. Most of the volumes of this extant literature gather dust in the archives of their hoary hospices and madrassas. The younger generation, hooked as it is on cartoons, electronic gadgets and browsing devices, has little patience and time to dust off these volumes and access the treasure of knowledge,

let alone striving to extract wisdom. They often would insist on audio-visual clips and nutshellised formats. Little

effort has been invested in this direction. Consequently, much of this wisdom stays beyond the reach of the modern day youth. But thanks to two brothers, M o h a m m e d Arif Vakil and Mohammed Ali Vakil, some of this distilled wisdom

is now accessible through comics. Comics have their own limitation, given the emphasis on hilarity and mirth underlying this genre of expression. The duo had received their basic

level Islamic instructions at Madrassa Muhammadiya in Dubai where they spent their childhood. In those days of print journalism, Amar Chitra Katha, Tintin and Tinkle were the only cultural links with home. As they grew up with heavy mythological imagery, they thought of transferring some of their own Islamic cultural heritage to the younger generation. What other medium

could suit the purpose better than comics! While content took a few years to shape into the balloons reserved for the dialogue of comic strip, the images had to wait till Ali learnt

the art online. Webcasting the early 20 comic strips helped them gain some useful and helpful feedback from readers who propelled the duo into compiling them into a book.Lo and behold! The first book 40 Sufi Comics came out in 2009 and won wide acclaim leading to a second edition shortly thereafter. Encouraged, the duo began the work on the second collection i.e., The Wise Fool of Baghdad, dedicated entirely to Bahlool, an 8th century figure from Baghdad. Those were difficult times. Tyrant emperors had no stomach for dissent and those who dared to dissent, were put to sword. Bahlool feigned madness and went about teaching wisdom through his antics. Free from

culpability, he roamed through the streets of Baghdad, passing even snide remarks against the king and his brutal diktats.Joining the duo this time were Rahil Mohsin, a full

time artist and renowned calligrapher from Bangalore, Muqtar Ahmed. Muqtar has added some ornate plaques of Quranic verses with themes resonating with the wisdom from the historic incidents.Says Arif, “Drawing of images of holy figures being prohibited in Islam, it is a bit challenging to come up with comic strip i.e., sequential art, involving sages of the past. We have therefore left images of the holy men faceless”. Adds Ali, “Some of the episodes are funny too, but it is not merely fun that comes your way. More of it is wisdom, wit, and light humour.” Sufis spoke sparingly. But whenever they did, they would come out with extremely

valuable gems of wisdom, gift-wrapped in an idiom that was simple, riveting, profound and penetrating. The essence of Islamic mysticism lay in imparting to their disciples techniques in crushing the ego, attaining knowledge, developing humility, enhancing consciousness of God, adopting an austere lifestyle, keeping away desires, avoiding temptations, inculcating charity and hospitality, conserving the natural resources, keeping away desires, and imbuing each action of life with sincerity. These sufis, saints and mystics had little by way of material resources. Compassion and love inspired and informed their message. All that they could do was to preach to a small body of disciples who in turn carried their messages far and wide. Credit for Islam’s spread to vast parts of the world goes to them rather than the powerful empires that Muslim conquistadors built.Vakil brothers’ attempt to impart new life to this literary heritage and make it relevant to times we live in, has very rightly drawn encomiums from several circles. Last month, Michael Perez, who teaches popular culture at the University of Washington, Seattle ordered for 200 copies of these books. Arif can be contacted at [email protected] or ph: 98452-61092, website: www.sufistudios.com. n

Mystics had their own way of conveying wisdom. Arif and Ali Vakil have opted for comic strips to

bring their essence to modern audiences.

Arts & Culture


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Centre for Religious Dialogue Opened in ViennaAustria, Spain and Saudis come together to Fund the Centre

Vienna: United Nations chief, Ban Ki-Moon opened the King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz International Centre for Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) here on November 27. The Centre is sponsored jointly by Saudi

Arabia, Austria and Spain with the Vatican acting as “founding observer”. The sponsors say it will build bridges between faiths.The Centre’s board consists of three Christians, three Muslims, a Jew, a Buddhist and a Hindu. Backers hope it will promote increased tolerance not only in Europe, but also in Saudi Arabia, where the powerful clergy has

resisted reforms. Though there are fears that the Centre would be used for the propagation of Wahhabism, the rigid doctrine followed by the Saudis, Austrian foreign minister Mr. Michael Spindelegger defended the establishment of

KAICIID in Vienna, saying it is my deep conviction that there is no alternative to this dialogue. KAICIID also allayed such fears saying that it would not be promoting any one religion.Ban Ki-Moon said: “Too many religious leaders have stoked intolerance, supported extremism and propagated hate. Yet we know that blaming the other is not a political strategy for a

healthy country, continent or world. Religious leaders have immense influence. They can be powerful forces for cooperation and learning. They can set an example of interfaith dialogue.”Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal, Spanish Foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia

Margallo, Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger and Indian social activist and scholar Swami Agnivesh attended the opening ceremony.Muslim World League chief, Abdullah Al Turki who also spoke at the occasion hoped that the Centre will support the international effort to issue an international law criminalizing

Brunei, Malaysia Launch Islamic tour package

London: Malaysia and Brunei have jointly launched Brunei-Malaysia Islamic Tour Packages here in November 2012. Director of Islamic Tourism Centre, Malaysia, Abdul Rahman Shaari said the tours are specially tailored for those

who are interested in the Islamic way of life in South East Asia and would like to ‘discover a new cultural experience’. The package offers Muslim friendly facilities such as hotels, halal restaurants, mosques, Islamic monuments etc. n

Symposium on History of East Africa

We have moved to the new premisesKarnataka Electric Corporation(Trusted name in electrical goods in Mysore for 50 years)M 95, 157, K. T. Street, Opp. Green Complex, Mysore - 570001

Ph:0821-2430586, 98451-10491Email: [email protected]

Visit us for all electric accessories, LED lightings, lamps, fanoos, geysers, fans, or electrical contacts

for homes, shops and factories.

Istanbul: The OIC Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) will organize an international symposium on the ‘History of the Islamic Civilisation in Eastern Africa’ in Zanzibar,

Tanzania on September 3 to 6, 2013. It will be held in collaboration with the National Records & Archives Authority of the Sultanate of Oman and the Zanzibar University.


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Hussain Day Held in BangaloreBy A Staff Writer

Bangalore: Karbala television is creating ripples by breaking the stereotype of Islamic channels across the world. The directorial chief of Karbala television, Hamza Al-Hadidi was in Bangalore to shoot the programme on ‘Hussain Day’ on December 23, 2012.A congregation of Yaum-e-

Hussain was held at the Shia Eidgah at Richmond Town, with scholars from all over India narrating their thoughts on Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA). The programme was attended by Syed Sibtey Razi (former governor of Jharkhand, Orissa and Assam), former minister, R Roshan Baig, N A Haris, Rev Father Ronnie Prabhu S J, Moulana Y S Usmani, Dr Taqi Abedi from Canada, Dr Gautam Allahabadi and Shakeel Hasan Shamsi (Editor in Chief of the daily, Inquilab North India).Rev. Father Ronnie Prabhu said, that the day is remembered as a victory of truth against evil. He stated that Hazrat Imam Hussaim became immortal with his martyrdom at Karbala

without bowing before the enemy. The programme was presided over by Moulana Syed Kalbe Jawad from Lucknow. He said that the time has come that we not just remember and recall the events of Karbala, but also start thinking on the lines of Imam Husain who stood by the truth.Hamza Al-Hadidi

is a hardcore television professional, having an eye for detail and expects nothing short of just perfection in work. It was his first visit to India and he shared his experiences with the Indian crew who helped him in setting up the spot studio during ‘Hussain Day’ at the Shia Eidgah on Hosur Road in Richmond Town in the city. His 20 years stint with the television industry, first began as an actor for the play ‘Tamanus Huriya’ (the cost of freedom) and ‘Al-Bahath an-Saeed-o-Adeeb’ (Search about the Audib, the king). This sad story took him to greater heights in proving his mettle in channels like Al-Iraqia, Al-Hurriya and other channels.

Hamza says, “With Karbala television, I am able to contribute to the community and to the world of Islam in a more polished way.” His current work on Karbala Tv, ‘Karbala Kant Hunak’ is a popular series which has brought a

sea change in the television programs, particularly in Iraq. He says, the series, ‘Minkum-wa-alaikum’ has become a household programme across the Middle East which deals with

useful information for public use by women moderators. This programme features reports, interviews and conversations about life. n

Hamza Al-Hadidi

Muslim Leaders Condemn Gay MosqueParis: A Muslim prayer centre, which has been dubbed Europe’s first gay-friendly mosque, opened in Paris on December 2. Its founder described it as the first step in breaking “prejudices in Islam”, but it has been criticised by religious leaders for going “against the spirit of Islam”. The new “mosque”, opened on Friday in a small room inside the house of a Buddhist monk. But the prayer room located in the eastern suburbs of Paris is not supported by any formal

Former US Marine Burns MosqueToledo (Ohio-US): A former Marine from Indiana admitted that he broke into a mosque in Ohio and set fire to a prayer rug because he wanted revenge for the killings of American troops overseas. Randy Linn pleaded guilty

to hate crime charges, saying hehad become enraged after seeing images of wounded soldiers in the news. “Every day you turn on the TV, you see Muslims trying to kill Americans,” said Linn, a truck driver from St. Joe. n

Muslim institution and many imams in France oppose it.While a handful of gay-friendly mosques now exist in Canada, South Africa and the United States, Zahed believes his project is breaking new boundaries in France and Europe. It now boasts over 300 members.French government spokesperson Najat Vallaud-Belkacem has condemned the inflammatory language used by the Union of Islamic


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updAte

What the Social Activists Say

Yunus ChitalwalaArchaeologist (Retd) & Social ActivistRajkotThe Congress’ “KHAM” (Kshatriya, Harijans, Adivasis and Muslims) theory brought about a backlash of the upper caste communities by going over to the BJP. This left Muslims isolated and vulnerable. Even the Congress began to play soft Hindutva to maintain its hold on its traditional supporters like the Patels who had begun to change sides. This downslide ultimately resulted in the first BJP government in Gujarat in 1995. This situation was compounded by the absence of any credible Muslim leadership. This void was filled by men of the ilk of Abdul Latif Sheikh who was promoted by the Congress.

This gave a handle to the Hindutva brigade to further malign the Muslim community. This way, Gujarat’s civil society got polarised and Muslims got increasingly marginalised.As has been pointed out, Gujarati civil society has remained highly unsympathetic to the lot of Muslims. Even if Modi shifts his base to Delhi, things are likely to remain the same. Muslims live like sleepwalkers. They do not introspect nor do they throw up an enlightened leadership. They can do a lot more for themselves if they form institutions of learning and make acquisition of education their sole aim. Of course this will not happen overnight. They should bury their petty differences and come together with the sole aim of uplifting the

There are indications that Muslims have started voting for the BJP in Gujarat. Abdul Hafiz

Lakhani in Ahmedabad

Narendra Modi has retained his seat in Gandhinagar, but success in his march to the PM’s seat is uncertain. His victory in Gujarat 2012 elections was a foregone conclusion. The simple

reason being that he succeeded in reinforcing the fear psyche of Hindus through shrewd manipulation of a lot of issues. Though Modi has never openly declared his ambition to be the prime minister, with victory for the third consecutive term, he will be increasingly seen as angling to lead the BJP into the 2014 national elections. But many in the BJP itself would remain wary of Modi, fearing that his rise would make the prospects bleak for many an aspirant of the prime ministerial chair. Modi has thrived on Muslim-phobia since his rise. The 2012 elections was no exception. Though he has mellowed down considerably, he minced no words in painting his adversaries as ‘Muslim appeasers’. He was all through seen robed in

saffron attire, a reminder to the majority that he was their biggest defender. The reference to Ahmed ‘Miyan’ Patel and the allegation that the Congress was keeping its plan to install Ahmed Patel, a secret came to be played with gusto. Though he himself refrained from

repeating it in every rally, the task was transferred to BJP foot soldiers.Another strategy was to paint anybody who challenges Modi’s development claims as ‘anti-Gujarat’ or ‘anti-national’ (including Keshubhai Patel) and the ever so subtle blowing of the conch of the myths in every advert. The not-so-subtle messages had always been there – refusing to don the symbolic skull cap on the Sadbhavana stage and not fielding a single Muslim candidate in any of the 182 assembly seats. Finally, the non-existent Sir Creek issue was pulled out to daub the Congress-led Union government in anti-patriotic light. Analysis of the election outcome shows that Muslims, particularly rich and educated

ones, have voted in favour of the BJP. One has to admit that after the 2002 mayhem, there

have been no serious communal clashes in the state, nor curfew even for a day. These factors do

Gujarat Assembly Polls 2012

Muslim-Phobia Still Works for Modi

The BJP even fielded dummy Muslim candidates in constituencies to split the

Muslim votes to irrelevance.

have appeal with the wealthy and the business class Muslims.

Dr. Hanif Lakdawala Secretary, NGO SanchetanaAhmadabad

“The massive mandate for Narendra Modi is indication enough that his hold over the majority mindset has not loosened a bit. He thrives by presenting himself as the firmest bulwark against any threat from Muslims (who ruled Gujarat for close to 600 years.). Earlier the divide was merely psychological. Now it is physical with the entire community holed up in Juhapura which brims with four lakh Muslims. Civic amenities are pathetic at best, and absent at worst. Road, water and power

supply are at their minimal. Gas pipelines have been laid in a manner that it would not touch the locality. Even the BRTS does not provide access to the area. Dr. Kanu Kalsaria, who had been elected three times consecutively from Mahuva, and who was instrumental in uprooting the Corporate giant Nirma’s cement plant in Bhavnagar district, lost to the BJP candidate in Gariadhar constituency. Dr. Kalsaria who resigned from the BJP, and represented by Gujarat’s discontent against Modi’s regime, could garner merely over 10,000 votes. Kalsaria had fielded six candidates as independents under the banner of Sadbhavana Manch. All lost.

ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 10letters

Mecca: Centre of the Earth

Good News about Scholarship

This is with reference to your answer to a question whether Mecca is the centre of earth (Islamic Voice, Nov. 2012). You have rejected it as a fanciful theory.The people who assert that ‘Mecca is the centre of the earth’, do not claim it as the geographical centre. If you consider the hemisphere with Mecca at its centre, it can be seen that 95 % of the world population is somewhat around Mecca. Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia and a portion of South America will come in this hemisphere. In the opposite hemisphere, we have North America and the western

side of South America only. It may be noted that all thickly populated countries in world like China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh are close to Mecca.For historic reasons too, Mecca could be called the centre of the earth as the first house of prayer for the worship of Allah was established here. After Prophet Abraham, it was developed as the world trade centre and all semitic religions emanated from here.C. A. Abdul HameedHead, Dept. of Civil EngineeringLBS College of Engineering, Kasaragod, Kerala

I liked the December 2012 issue of your monthly, particularly the good news about Scholarships to Muslims. I hope full advantage will be taken of this facilityIn the book, Patriots and Partisans, the famous writer Ramchandra Guha refers to an article by Yoginder Sikand in the Economic

and Political Weekly “laying out the reactionary, medievalist, world view of the Hurriyat leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani”. Perhaps it may be a good idea to publish this article (or its extracts) in your next issueZafar FutehallyKoramangalaBangalore

Please note that Islamic rulings are created by Allah. It is in Allah’s grand scheme of things. Interest is obvious exploitation of mankind as Mr. Maqbool writes. There is no reference of interest to be given to the rich by poor or vice versa in the holy book. Taming the rules to the contemporary situations lead to distortion of the rulings as far as inflation is concerned. The ulema suggested the gold rate system while lending and repayment. For example, consider the current rate of gold while lending and the rate

prevailing at the time of repayment. Let us not mingle divine rulings with man made errors. Many of our brothers use credit cards and they intend paying back within a stipulated period without interest, but scholars disagree to it and declare its usage to be haraam. Saudi scholar Shaik Assim al Hakkim says, “anything may happen in future. Borrowers may fall sick or be jailed”.S. A. Wahid 14- Narayanappa Street, Parrys,Chennai 600001

I read your article on Riba in December 2012 issue and agree with the points raised by the author, that today the poor are arranging finance for the rich.Also agree on inflation factor, so if one takes home loan or machine loan and pays in EMI, he is not suffering.But there is one area where interest including bank interest has adverse effect and that is in working capital availed. Here what happens in practice is that one takes working capital loan from bank to purchase his raw material and then when he sells, he has no pressure on him to pay his supplier, so he becomes

relaxed in selling terms and gives his goods on credit. As every month he has to pay only interest on his loan, so he is not aggressive in recovering his due from his clients. In the bargain, he is sometimes cheated by his buyer. The mentality of the borrower is that he is only worried about interest and not the principal owed to the bank. The bank on its part, more often than not, is not monitoring his operation as long as it gets interest and when bad times come, the bank just seizes the assets especially from the small borrowers.Haroon Shaikh, Mumbai, E-mail: [email protected]

Long Night of MarginalisationMr. Narendra Modi-led BJP’s hat-trick in Gujarat should set us thinking. His third victory—and the BJP’s fourth straight—has come about in a state that is seen as the most industrialized and fast urbanizing (if not already sufficiently urbanized) one. Despite having toned down his Hindutva rhetoric, he remains remorseless about the communal mayhem Gujarat witnessed in February-March 2002 in which his tacit approval is strongly suspected. An indirect apology ‘for past mistakes’ that he recently offered, is more likely to be viewed as part of expedient politics, given his impending foray into the national politics, rather than a genuine regret for the lapses on his part. The consistently impressive, if not landslide, mandate in Gujarat for a party led by him, points to irrelevance of Muslim minority vote in the event of a leader deliberately choosing to build a constituency on the plank of anti-Muslim plank.Mercifully, few states in India are as bipolar in political terms as it happens in Gujarat today. Multipolarity does indeed provide the Muslims some space in states such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Assam. But things would not remain static in future. As the pace of industrialization quickens, urbanization too would gain momentum. And economic issues and social equation are not bound to remain in future what they are today. It is in this context that the Gujarat mandate needs to be studied. Muslims would need to change tack and see to it that they are not game to politicians and parties with partisan appeal.The long night of marginalization for Muslims has failed to end with a fresh mandate for Mr. Modi. Not alone that he has refused to accommodate legitimate aspirations of Muslims, even the BJP’s splinter, Keshubhai’s Gujarat Praivartana Party (GPP) seems similarly resolute in its refusal to even touch them with a barge pole. With Congress’s stock constantly on decline, it is for the community in Gujarat to introspect and find a way out of this political log jam.In the post-independence decades, it was Muslims who had chosen to remain away from the mainstream. Now Mr. Narendra Modi has shown that if it comes to him, he can alienate them more effectively. By huddling them into Kalupur-Dariapur and Juhapura localities, by denying them access to Central Government’s Minority Scholarship schemes and by raising slogans such as hum panch, hamare pachchis, the siege has graduated up from mere psychological to physical and economic. This is painful for even an average observer, let alone the real sufferers. To a certain extent, the overdrive of identity element had earned the Muslims this unenviable situation for themselves. To boot, Mr. Modi has also shown as to how to precisely cash upon this strategy to garner majority support. It is time, Muslims visualized the future trends. There should be conscious effort on their part to be seen as part of the common Indian masses and issues to be couched in prevalent socio-economic idiom rather than politico-religious terminology. How best this could be achieved, is something that would need much research and investigation. But the willingness to change the direction must come first.

Pride and PrejudiceThe recent report about a mother beating her seven year old son to death in Pontcanna, Cardiff, Wales, because she was distressed as he could not by-heart some verses of the Quran is indeed extremely shocking. This could be a case of a woman suffering from a mental illness, and while such incidents may not happen every day, but it reveals how deeply religion has been misused and misinterpreted, causing tragedies across the world today.Surprisingly, the Muslim world and Muslim media kept silent about the incident, citing it as “just somebody’s personal family affair.’ How come as Muslims we tend to react only when others oppress us, but are quiet when we oppress each other?According to the statement given by the mother in the court in South Wales, where she has been sentenced with life imprisonment, she has said that she wanted her son to make her proud and impress the Imam too by memorizing over 35 verses of the Quran. Her son, according to her was rather slow, and distressed over this, she killed him!This is not the story in Wales alone, it seems to be the story in most households in India and abroad too where “taking pride in your child’s religious achievements” seems to be the goal of most parents today. There are umpteen examples in India itself of educated parents exhibiting their children’s ability to recite verses from the holy scriptures whenever they visit their relatives’ homes. Religious fanaticism borders on mental illness. While this may be a case of Islamic extremism, Muslims are not the only offenders. There are reports of children all over the world abused or killed by their parents and others for not learning or abiding by religious doctrines.Imbibing religious values in children is important, but the style and manner can never be compulsion and coercion. Strict disciplining using the stick is no way to make children understand God. Religion is a person’s private issue and puffing up with pride about the rites and rituals of the religion one follows is derogatory to the spirit of the religion.A more gentle and soft way of imbibing spiritual and moral values by parents and even teachers, on children will help the kids to grow up with a positive mindset towards religion. If children are taught to take pride in one’s own religion and feel prejudiced against another religion, their fragile hearts and minds will only turn to extremism and this is something that parents and teachers ought to realize and reflect upon.

Divine Rulings and Man Made Errors.

Riba: Borrower’s Mindset


Legal Action Mooted against Praveen SwamiBy Mumtaz Alam

New Delhi: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind is seriously considering legal action against Praveen Swami of The Hindu, English daily, for his baseless and hateful propaganda against the Jamaat for quite some time. In recent instances, Swami has termed Jamaat as part of Jihadist network in India while giving a lecture to trainee civil servants at Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.“Praveen Swami has been regularly writing without proof against the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. Directly or indirectly, he is trying to damage the image of the Jamaat,” said Mohammad

Salim Engineer, national secretary, Public Relations, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. “Now we are seriously mulling over legal options, we can file a lawsuit in court to keep him in check and other such journalists who are using lies to spread hatred among communities,” Salim said, adding that the Constitution of India has provision for such legal recourse.Praveen Swami, Senior Associate Editor and Chief of National Bureau of national English daily, The Hindu, recently while delivering a lecture at Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration in Ahmedabad mentioned Jamaat- e- Islami and several institutions which are affiliated to the Jamaat

as part of the Jihadist network in India. The topic of his power point presentation was “Islamists in India and the Global Jihadist Movement”.Salim said Swami’s writings cast aspersions over his own professionalism and journalism. They often seem to be based on dossiers of intelligence agencies. Several national and international intelligence agencies are hell bent to destroy the image of Islam and provoke hatred against the Muslim community. Swami’s articles and ‘exclusive’ stories on terrorism – which have fallen flat after proper probes of terror blasts – appear to be part of the design of intelligence agencies and thus require proper investigation.Salim Engineer said that the baseless writings of Praveen Swami have sullied the fair image of The Hindu. Such irresponsible stories will dent its impartial image. He demanded the management of The Hindu to put some check on Swami or remove him to save its image. n

English Learning Course for UlemaVaniyambadi: A 10-day English learning workshop for the madrassa graduates and Islamic religious scholars (ulema) was conducted in Islamiah College here in collaboration with the American Consulate in Chennai in the first week of December 2012. James Stobbler, Rashid

Nihal and Michell Stobbler and Cultural Affairs Officer at the US Consulate Dr. Shanadez Surendra served as resource-persons. Patel Yusuf, director, Vanitec spoke at the valedictory session. Course coordinator Major Syed Shahabuddin welcomed the guests. n

Mosque in Tibbiya CollegeAligarh: Foundation stone was laid here for the construction of a mosque in the premises of the Ajmal Khan Tibbiya College by Syed Arshad Madani, General secretary of the Jamiatul Ulema e Hind. The mosque will be named after freedom fighter

Maulana Mahmoodul Hassan Madani. Vice chancellor Lt. Gen (Retd) Zameeruddin Shah, vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Shagufta Aleem, Dean, Faculty of Unani Medicine and Tibbiya College, Principal Saudi Ali Khan were present.

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Minority Business Summit in Mumbai Mumbai: The 4th All India Minority Business Summit, “Economic Mainstreaming of Minorities: Strategies and Actions”, was held in Mumbai last month. The summit

brought together entrepreneurs from the minority communities to discuss the strategies and actions for bringing the minorities into the mainstream of the society. The summit was organised at Islam Gymkhana, Marine Lines by Bainulaqwami Maeeshat, an International business magazine. Chief Guest Mufti, A.K Barkatulla, Shariah Advisor of Islamic Bank of Britain, UK said that Muslim entrepreneurs have money and business ideas, but still they could not progress due to lack of education. Dr Shariq Nisar,

(Director, TASIS), delivered the inaugural speech, stressing the need to have inter-community business relations. According to Mufti A.K Baraktullah, Muslim entrepreneurs are unaware of

the corporate world and are unregistered businessmen in the eyes of the government. They fear to open bank accounts and to apply for Pan Card, as they believe that the Income Tax Department will raid their homes. On the occasion, India’s first Urdu financial magazine “Maeeshat” was also released. Abdul Hamid Abdul Majid Nathani (Managing Director, Nathani Group of Companies) was awarded the Entrepreneur Excellence Award 2012.( Twocircles.net)


Aligarh: Addressing a huge gathering at the Kennedy Auditorium, organised by the Aligarh Muslim University Chapter of the Progressive Writers’ Association, the Chairman of the Press Council of India, Justice (Retd.) Markandey Katju asserted that in 1857, there was almost zero percent communalism in the country while today 80% of both Hindus and Muslims had fallen prey to the devil’s designs.Quoting extensively from historical documents, Katju said, “There is a plethora of documentary evidence available including correspondence between different Viceroys and British government, which

makes it clear that history books were deliberately doctored by the British rulers to spawn communalism in India.”Katju said, “India’s steep decline on the tragic path of communalism can be reversed and the country can become one of the greatest industrial powers in the world if the educated Indians accept the challenge of demolishing the demon of communalism from the country. India can only thrive and become strong if the edifice of secularism becomes the cornerstone in the everyday life of the common man.”He added that it might take a few decades for the people to grasp the full reality of the roots of

Hindu-Muslim conflict which was engineered by the British as a deliberate state policy for maintaining the British hold over India.Making a point, Justice Katju declared that the real tragedy was that while the British sowed the seeds of discord in the hearts and minds of the people, after i n d e p e n d e n c e , agent provocateurs were continuing this nefarious policy. He said that he had no hesitation to state that politicians had played a major

role in spreading this poison deeper for serving their own vote bank politics.Referring to the ongoing

battle against terror in the Indian Subcontinent, Katju said that there was ample evidence to suggest that whenever incidents of terror took place in India, very frequently, innocent Muslim youth were randomly picked up by the security

forces. This is not only unjust but also helps the actual perpetrators of such heinous crimes from escaping the clutches of the law. He said that on every terror incident, the police was under pressure to nab the culprits at the earliest and the easiest way out was to implicate innocent persons to ease the pressure.The PCI chief further said that there were historic evidences suggesting the thesis that India is overwhelmingly a country of immigrants with their own cultural, social and religious legacies and 90% of the Indian population comprised of people who migrated to India from different parts of the world over the centuries in search of the green pastures of this beautiful fertile country and a comfortable living. The ten percent original residents of

India are the pre-Dravidian tribals who have now been pushed into the sidelines.Katju said that the problem of communalism in India was artificial, created by some mischievous elements. He appealed to the youth of the country to fight against communalism. He said that intellectuals are the eyes of society.Delivering his presidential remarks, the Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, Lt. Gen. (retd) Zameeruddin Shah assured that the AMU community was fully committed to the cause of promoting secularism in India and would never bow to the divisive forces of communalism and regionalism. Shah said that Muslims often fell prey to discrimination, but the only way out for them to ensure that they are able to play their due role as equal citizens was to empower themselves through the weapon of education.Shah said that if Muslim youth are not ready to wallow in ignorance and illiteracy, then there is no force which can stop their journey ahead.Progressive Writers’ Association was established in 1936 in Lucknow and was revived in 1990. Worthies such as Munshi Premchand and Saadat Hasan Mano were members of the Association. (TwoCircles.net) n

Press Council Chief Katju says:‘British Sowed Seeds of Communalism’

Islamic Centre Opened in GoaBy A Staff Writer

Mapusa (Goa): Islamic Centre Goa was inaugurated by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind President Maulana Jalaluddin Umri, on December 12 in Peddam locality of Mapusa city, 12 kms north of Panaji. Mr. Umri also released Muslim History and Heritage in Goa authored by Mr. Prajal Sakhardande, a historian and professor with Dempe’s College of Arts and Science.Speaking at the occasion, Prof. Sakardande said normally the Muslim history in Goa is traced from the Adil Shahi era. “It is incorrect, historical records show Muslim presence in the territory from 7th century AD”. A calendar carrying pictures of Islamic heritage in Goa with Adil Shahi Safa Masjid was released by Mr. Abdul Wahid Khan, state president of Jamaat in Goa.The Islamic Centre Goa is the first of its kind of centres in this erstwhile Portuguese colony.

The four storey building on a 520 sq. metre plot of land has an auditorium on the first floor with a capacity to seat 250 persons. The second floor has a library,

a conference hall, a studio, and a guest room. The third floor is an auditorium exclusively for women. The fourth floor is a dining hall.Addressing a gathering at the occasion, Maulana Umri said, people tend to blindly follow the Western concepts and lifestyle and said the Western media often distorts the reality. He emphasized the need for

interfaith dialogue. Ibadullah Khan, general secretary said the Jamaat was translating Islamic literature into Konkani language.

Architect Nevillel Monteiro, Engineer and Adam Khan, digital print designer were felicitated for their role in construction of the building. Sharief Shaikh proposed a vote of thanks. Asif Hussein compered the programme. Address: Jamaat e Islami Hind Goa, 222/B/4—Bilwan, Peddam, Mapusa, Goa, Ph: 98906-24813. n

Only Two Muslim MLAs in Gujarat Ahmedabad: The Muslim representation in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly came down drastically from five to two members in the just concluded elections. Mohammad Javid Pirjada and Ghayasuddin Shaikh were the

only ones who could retain their seats from Wankaner and Jamalpur in Ahmedabad. Both were among the eight Muslims who were given ticket by the Indian National Congress. The BJP had not fielded any Muslims. n

Markandey Katju

ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 13the United Arab Emirates University as assistant professor, reportsRising Kashmir daily from Srinagar.\

Sahitya Academy Translation Award for Ather FarouquiThe Sahitya Akademi (Acad-emy of Letters) has conferred its translation award for the year, on Ather Farouqui, a prolific writer-activist and General Secretary of the Anjuman Taraqqi-e Urdu (Hind) for his Urdu and Hindi translations (Babur ki Aulad), “ Sons of Babur,” an English play scripted by Union External Af-fairs Minister, Salman Khurshid. Farouqui has not only translated the play, but has also been its producer. Born in Sikandrabad, Ather Farouqui has a Ph.D from Jawaharlal Nehru University. He has written extensively on vari-ous aspects of Urdu, Urdu-related politics and Muslims in contem-porary India and has six books to his credit, two of these are in Eng-lish and have been published by Oxford University Press: Redefin-ing Urdu Politics in India(2006), and Muslims and Media Images (2009). The re-maining are in Urdu.

Sri Lankan Wins First Prize in Qur’an Com-petitionMakkah: Sri Lankan teenager, Riski Mohamed Riskhan won the first prize at the 34th King Abdul Aziz International Competition for Memorization of the Holy Qur’an, which concluded at the Haram Mosque in Makkah, last month. The annual event, which promotes the memorization and recitation of the Qur’an was con-

Rejoins JDS: Former Janata Dal Secular MLC, Abdul Azeem rejoined the party in Bangalore on December 13 after spending nearly six months in political wilderness. Azeem who resigned his job in the Karnataka’s Police Department in 2004 had joined the JDS immediately after that. An officer with an extraordinary investigative record, Azeem had won huge reputation as an ace detector. Though he left the party ostensibly for being ignored by the Party high command while making key decisions, it was presumed that denial of a second term in the Council displeased him enough.

Urdu poet honoured: Noted Urdu poet, Balraj Komal has been selected for conferment of the Gangadhar National Award at the 41st Foundation Day of the Sambalpur University. The award carries Rs. 50,000 and a memento with citation. He was also presented the Ghalib Samman in the past. His poetry collection, Parindon Ka Ashiyana was published in 1985.

Muslim Woman Heads Cricket Board: Zohra Jan Mohammad has been appointed the Chairperson of the Kenya Cricket Board. It is for the first time that any Cricket Board has appointed a woman as its head in the 125 year history of international cricket. Zohra practices law in Nairobi.

Waqf Advisor : Mohammad Atique, general secretary of the Jodhpur based Marwar Muslim Educational and Welfare Society (MMEWS) has been appointed as advisor to the Rajasthan Board of Muslim Waqfs. The Board Chairman is Liyaqat Ali. The appointment came in the wake of the efficient

management of the Takia Chand Shah Waqf Properties in Jodhpur. The nearly Rs. 80 lakh annual income from the Takia Chand Shah Waqf Properties is channeled into running 31 educational institutes and colleges for the community in Jodhpur.

Kerala’s Baba- e- Urdu Feted: K. T. C. Beeran, known as Kerala’s Baba–e-Urdu, was felicitated by the Kerala Urdu Teachers Association in the first week of December, 2012 at a public function in Thamarassery. Beeran, now 82, had taught Urdu at a Government school where he was appointed in 1969. Beeran started Urdu classes in several parts of the state. He even brought out the first Urdu newspaper, Malabari Awaz. The honorary award was presented by the Education Officer for Thamarassery.

Felicitated: Ms. Tehseen Shaikh, primary teacher at the Kendriya Vidyalaya Number One, at Devalali Camp in Nasik was presented with ‘Regional Incentive

Award’ for her ‘dedicated, sincere, and meritorious services” towards the cause of education. The award was presented by the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan on Dec. 15, the Golden Jubilee of the Sangathan at Mumbai. Ms. Shaikh is also associated with the committee for preparation

of the Module for teaching of Environmental Studies for Kendriya Vidyalayas.

Former Makkah Imam Dies: Former imam of the Masjid Haram at Makkah, Al-Shaikh Muhammad Bin Abdullah As-Subbaiyyil died on December 18 after a brief illness. He was 87. He had retired from the imamat of the Masjid Haram in 2000. He was member of the Fiqh Research Council of the Muslim World League in Makkah and member of the Supreme Ulema Council. He began his career as a teacher in his native Qassim region and was appointed the Imam of Masjid Haram, Makkah at the age of 40.Kickboxing Champion: Yassin Jamal, 13-year old junor kick-boxer has been selected for r e p r e s e n t i n g Britain at the World Kickboxing F e d e r a t i o n ’ s World Youth Muay Thai Boxing Championship at Istanbul in the second week of March 2013. Yassin is of Eritrean origin and lives in West Kingston area of London. He was coached by Lloyd Heaven, himself a former champion of Kickboxing. He has so far amassed 16 medals in various events, says a report in The Muslim News, London.

Fisheries Scientist from J&K Honored: Dr. Sajid Maqsood, hailing from Srinagar, has been honoured with ‘Best Overseas Indian Fisheries Scientist Award’ and ‘Best Overseas Doctorate Thesis Award’ for 2012 by Professional Fisheries Graduate Forum, Mumbai, a national body representing educational and research institutions imparting courses in Fisheries. Dr. Sajid who earned his graduation degree from Maharashtra and doctorate from Prince Songkla University in Thailand, now teaches at

ducted by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowment, Call and Guidance in the Kingdom. There were 25 winners in the competi-tion. Riskhan, the first prize win-ner, represented Madrasathul Ilm from the Colombo Grand Mosque. The winner of the first prize received a cash award of SR 100,000.

Elected Chief of Jamiatul Quresh: Sirajuddin Qureshi was elected: the President of the All India Jamiatul Quresh at the organisation election held at Mavlankar Hall in New Delhi on Dec. 20. His main rival Abdul Majeed Qureshi withdrew from the contest at the last m o m e n t while a third candidate Md. Ateeque Sajid Qureshi stayed in the fray. Of the 418 votes that were cast, Sirajuddin Qureshi polled 408 while remaining ten went to Mr. Ateeque.Qureshi is Managing Director of Hind Group of Companies, mainly engaged in exporting meat to over 45 countries. He established the most modern Halal meat processing plant at Aligarh in 1989. He played a key role in the construction of India Islamic Cultural Centre, an icon of modern day Muslims in the capital. He is also the President of Noble Education Foundation, engaged in encouraging and uplifting of Muslim youth for the last several years. The Foundation has been extending a helping hand to the students by providing short term Personality and Memory Development Training courses and counseling.He was the lone Muslim to be invited from India at the conference of Muslim entrepreneurs held in Washington DC on April 26-27, 2010 at the behest of President Barack Obama. n

people

Tributes paid to Manipuri Muslim Women of Nupi Lal AgitationBy Dr. Syed Ahmed

Imphal: Rich tributes were paid to Manipuri women who had shown extraordinary courage during the great women’s agitation of 1904 and 1939, popularly known in the history of Manipur as Nupi Lal, on December 12 , 2012 in various parts of Manipur. The main function was held at Nupi Lal Memorial Complex at Imphal, which was attended by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and Deputy Chief Minister, Gaikhangam. Some of the Muslim Civil organisations in the State also observed Nupi Lal day to pay respects to those Muslim

women who participated in the second Nupi Lal of 1939. Nupi Lal Day was also observed by

the United Manipur Muslim Women’s Development Organisation (UMMWDO) at the Community Hall at Kairang Khabeisoi in Imphal East, on 12 December, 2012. In the first Nupi Lal of 1904, Manipuri women rose in revolt against the order of the then British Political Agent of Manipur, H.

St. P. Maxwell which forced all the male population of Imphal area to reconstruct the residential bungalow of the Assistant Political Agent, which was razed down by fire. In the second Nupi Lal that took place in December 12, 1939, thousands of Manipuri women marched towards the State Durbar Hall demanding ban on the export of local rice to Indian states by non-local businessmen, with the support of the British authorities. The export had caused acute shortage of rice in Manipur. Many Muslim women from the surrounding areas of Imphal took part in this agitation.(Twocircles.net)

Religious Dialogue ...the abuse of religions and God’s prophets. He pleaded for UN support to outlaw blasphemy. The Centre is located in Hofburg Palace in the Austrian capital. The Centre will be funded by Saudi Arabia with Euros 10 to 15 million for the first three years. Faisal Bin Abdul Rahman Bin Muammar, a former Saudi deputy education minister is the secretary. The Centre will take two major programmes to begin with i.e., a conference titled, ‘The image of the other’ will look at stereotypes and misconceptions in education, the media and the Internet’ and a fellowship programme will bring together applicants from different religions. Critics such as Liberal

Muslim Initiative in Austria said it believed that “this dubious Wahhabist centre in Vienna” will “only serve Saudi Arabia’s interest abroad under the guise of dialogue”. A small group of protestors under the banner of the organization gathered outside the Hofburg Palace ahead of the inauguration. Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, the Orthodox Church’s representative on the KAICII board also highlighted poor human rights record of Saudi Arabia in an interview with Austria’s Catholic news agency Kathpress. He however hoped that the ‘next three years will be a trial period.” n

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ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 14reseArCh

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Kerala Muslims

Impact of Gulf RemittancesTrends in Kerala’s Money Order Economy

Kerala’s is what we used to term ‘Money Order Economy’, a substantial population surviving on remittances. Earlier they used to send it by Money Orders. Today the remittances are made by inter-bank or intra-bank electronic transfers. Land-short, food-scarce and trade union afflicted work culture, the Southernmost state of India virtually survives on what its enterprising menfolk send it from outside. Muslims constituting a little above a quarter of the population, a sizeable section among them working as expatriate labour in the Gulf countries, it is vital for the community that it assesses its economic worth and plans for a better future. We present below the outcome of the Inflexion in Kerala’s Gulf Connection: Report on Kerala Migration Survey 2011 (working paper no. 450) prepared by Zachariah K. C. and S. Irudaya Rajan, two social scientists working with Centre for Development Studies, Ulloor. Trivandrum.

Editor

RemittancesImpact on Economy and the Society

Each year, Kerala receives around Rs.50,000 crore as total workers’ remittances from abroad. However, Household remittances in Kerala for 2011 were estimated to be Rs 15,129 crore only. Thus, a very vast majority of the Kerala households are not direct beneficiaries of the vast amount that comes to the state as worker’s remittances.In spite of the constancy of the proportion of households that receive remittances at the state level, the proportion varies considerably by religion and by district. It was as low as 11.4% among Hindu households and 14.4% among Christian households, but as much as 36.6% among Muslim households. It was as low as 2.2% in Idukki district but as high as 36.3% in

Malappuram.The total remittances in Kerala in 2011 were estimated to be Rs. 49,695 crore compared with Rs. 43,288 crores in 2008. Remittances were Rs. 63,315 per household in 2011 and Rs. 57,227 per household in 2008. Among the 14 districts in the state, Malappuram received the largest amount of remittances, i.e., Rs 9,040 crore which works out to Rs. 114,313 per household. In general, the southern districts experienced a decline in their share of remittances and the northern districts experienced an increase.Muslim households received Rs. 23,089 crore or 46.5% of the total remittances in 2011. (Irudaya Rajan in his speech in a conference in Delhi in November, 2012,said

that with this money, they could have bought the Kingfisher Airlines or start an airline with the name Air-Kerala) Hindus received Rs 18,089 crore or 36.4% of the total. The Christian community received Rs. 8,508 crore or 17.1%. The shares of the Hindus and the Christians were below their respective shares of the total population of the state.On an average, a Muslim household received Rs. 135,111 as remittances in a 12-month period. A Christian household, on the other hand, received not even half of what a Muslim household received (Rs. 59,175). In case of the Hindus, the average remittance a household received is only about one-fourth of what a Muslim household received (Rs. 38,489).

International migration by religion

Muslims constituted 44.3% of the emigrants from Kerala in 2011 while Hindus form 36.4%. Muslims have been leading all through the recent years. While there were 60 emigrants per 100 households among Muslims and 30 among the Christians, the Hindus have only 19 emigrants per 100 households.

Social Issues

Gulf Wives“Gulf Wives” are married wom-en in Kerala households whose husbands work and live outside India. Most of these women are wives of Kerala emigrants work-ing in the Gulf region. In 2011, there were about 1.1 million Gulf Wives. The corresponding num-ber was 1.06 million in 2008. The proportion of Gulf wives is highest among the Muslims (24% of married women) and lowest among the Christians (5.9%). The corresponding per-centage among the Hindus was not very much different from that among the Christians (6.7%).

Northward Shift in Geographic Aspects

of Emigration The largest number of emigrants originated from Malappuram district, a position it retained from the beginning. However, its share of the pie shrank somewhat in recent years, from 21.8% in 1998 to 17.9% in 2011. The story is the same in the other major centres of emigration: Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts. On the other hand, districts like Kannur, Kasaragod have gained considerably in recent years. In general, there was a northward shift in the origin of emigrants from Kerala.

RecommendationsBased on the above findings of the Report, we can make the following policy recommendations:1. We have noted that there are large remittances to Muslim community and households. Sachar Committee had recorded the deprivation of the Muslim

Impact on LifestyleHouseholds with an emigrant or return emigrant tend to possess better quality houses than those without an emigrant. The proportion of households possessing “luxurious” or “very good” houses shows a steady increase with the number of non-resident Keralites (NRKs) in the household, and is 24.2% for households without an NRK and 41.3% for households with one NRK, 50.3% for households with two NRKs and 65.2% for households with more than two NRKs.

Compiled by Dr. Malika B. Mistry

Positive Impact on Educational AttainmentsThe Report concludes that over the years, the centre of population has moved northward. More and more remittances are ending up in the north. This Survey does not have much data on developments in education,

health, industries, etc., but it is surmised that in recent years,more of these developments have taken place in the north than in the south. For example, according to Kerala Migration Survey 1998, only 33.4%

of Kerala’s population with secondary or higher levels of education lived in the north (Malappuram to Kasaragod) and the remaining 66.6% lived in the south and central regions of the state. By 2011, the

corresponding proportions were 39.0 in the north and 61.0 in the other regions. The proportion in the north has increased by 5.6 percentage points, whereas the proportion in the south and central regions decreased by the same percentage.Similarly, in 1998, the north accounted for only 33.4% of employed persons, but by 2011, the corresponding proportion increased to 39. In 1998, only 15.6% of population in the north was employed in the private sector of the economy, but by 2011, as much as 32.4% of the north’s population was employed in the private sector. The corresponding percentages in the self-employment sector were 32.8% in 1998 and 36 in 2011.


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Emigrants by Destination The principal countries of destination of Kerala emigrants have remained more or less unchanged over these years, with 90% of the Kerala emigrants

going to one or other of the Gulf countries. Nearly 40% of Kerala’s emigrants live in the UAE and 25% in Saudi Arabia. In the last

3 years, especially, after global crisis, Saudi Arabia has gained about 2 percentage points and UAE has lost out by the same proportion.

Macro-economic Impact

nRemittances were 31.23% of the state’s net state domestic product (NSDP).

nThe state’s per capita income was Rs. 52,084 (2010), without taking into consideration remittances to the state, but it stood at Rs. 68,375 if remittances were also included.

nRemittances are 1.6 times the revenue receipt of the Kerala Government, 6.2 times what the state gets from the Centre as revenue transfer.

nIt is more than twice the Government’s annual expenditure. It is more than 60 percent of the state’s public debt.

Workers’ remittances to Kerala have a major impact on Kerala’s economy.

community in India. The funds of the Muslims should be used for development purposes like setting up industries, enterprises etc. and empowerment of the community. Today they are used more to invest in houses, land, consumer durables etc., all forms of unproductive investment.2. Every year, Kerala spends substantial amount on educating its youth outside Kerala within India. In 2011, this amount was roughly about Rs.1,703 crores or 3.4% of the total remittances to the state. So, there is a lot of scope to develop professional education within Kerala. Muslims should go for setting up

quality professional educational institutions in Kerala.3. The report has noted that there is human resource drain when the well-qualified Keralites migrate outside in large proportions. Some studies need to be done to quantify this drain among Muslims too.4. We have seen that the percentage of Gulf-wives is highest among Muslims. There is a social cost when the single women are taking care of the elderly and the children. Studies need to be done on these single women (as husbands are working outside) as to how they cope and what is the social cost of handling day-to-day affairs, treatment from other members of the society, sexual harassment in the community etc.

Keralites living in other Indian states by Religion The vast majority of the out-migrants from Kerala (64.6% in 2011) are Hindus, more than their share in the population (56%). On the other hand, the Christians were about 24% of the total, also higher than their share in the total population which was about 17%. Mus-

lims were only 11.4% of the out-migrants, much lower than their share in the total popu-lation, which stood at about 26%. Between 2008 and 2011, the share of the Hindu out-mi-grants increased from 61.7% in 2008 to 64.6% in 2011, the share of the Christian out-mi-

grants declined from 30.9% to 24%. The share of the Muslim out-migrants increased from 7.4% to 11.4%. In spite of the recent gains in the share of out-migrants, the Muslims lag very much behind the other communities with respect to internal migration.

Internal Migration: To Which States? Palakkad district accounted for the largest number of out-migrants from Kerala, a position it retained from the beginning. Thus, the P a l a k k a d - M a l a p p u r a m corridor is the most migration-prone area in the state, with Palakkad topping

in the field of out-migration and Malappuram in going overseas. Kottayam district comes second in the order of out-migration followed by Kannur district.The principal states of destination of Kerala’ out-migrants remained more

or less unchanged over the years. Karnataka was number one in 2008; it is number one in 2011 also, accounting for 29% of Kerala’s out-migrants. Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra are the other two major states where Kerala‘s out-migrants have made a living.

The BJP has backed its claim by showcasing the fact that it won 24 constituencies which have more than 15% Muslim voters this time. That’s a gain of six seats since 2007 election, when they had won 18. The Congress, however, has rejected this claim. Modi was criticized for not giving a single ticket to Muslims this time, and yet his party snatched five Muslim-dominated seats which used to be with the Congress. There were seven new seats with more than 15% Muslim population after the latest delimitation. Of these, BJP won five, while two went to the Congress. The BJP leaders claim Muslims have voted for the BJP even in Ahmedabad’s Muslim ghettos. The Vejalpur seat, which has 90,000 Muslim voters in Juhapura and Sarkhej localities,

Gujarat - Muslim-Phobia ...saw the BJP candidate registering his win by 40,000 votes. Sufi Mehboob, the head of the BJP’s minority said, “Looking at the margin of victory on such seats, we believe that up to 40% Muslims voted for us.”The BJP won four of the five seats with sizeable Muslim voters in Bharuch region. “We have bagged 22 of the 30 seats. This is an indication that Muslims seem to have reconciled with the BJP.” Moreover, Ahmed Patel, political adviser to Ms. Sonia Gandhi could not able to muster win even on his home turf—Bharuch district where all five seats went to BJP. Some even hold Ahmed Patel for blunder in selection of Congress candidates in the state.The BJP performed well in most seats with a high Muslim

population. Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi, cleric and former Darul Uloom Deoband Muhtamim, who lost his position last year because of his endorsement of Narendra Modi’s development plank, now says Muslims may have voted for the BJP but that was because they knew the Congress would lose rather than their belief in Modi’s development agenda.The BJP, he feels, did shrewd electoral management by fielding dummy Muslim candidates in Assembly constituencies with a substantial Muslim presence, dividing the community’s votes.Uzma memon, a medical student in Baroda says, “Under Modi rule, the State has not witnessed a day’s curfew as no communal clashes have taken place after the 2002 riots. n

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community as a whole. That is sure to benefit the community in the long run. Muslims can’t carry their hurt too far. That will stunt their growth, both physical and economic. They should acquire technical skills that are much sought after in Gujarat. Gujarati entrepreneurs are moving from business to industry. But

they have not invested much in creating technically sound human resource. Second, the knowledge of English language escapes a large number of Gujaratis. Muslims can become competitive by filling up these gaps. (As told to Maqbool Ahmed Siraj)

Social Activists Say ...

ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 16Congress Gears up for Assembly Polls

KArnAtAKA polls

The Congress party in Karnataka has so far held two minority conventions to consolidate its hold over the sizeable minority votes.

By Azmathulla Shariff

Bangalore: The Congress party in Karnataka has geared up to garner maximum votes of

the minorities who constitute a little over 18 per cent in the state. The party is convinced that minorities are the most solid social component after Lingayats whose votes will be decisive in the coming Assembly elections.The party has organized two minority conventions, in Tumkur and Belgaum, to provide an open forum to the Muslims, Christians and Jains to voice their grievances as well as

aspirations. The exercise is seen as the Party’s move to steal an advantage over the ruling BJP which is licking its wounds after exit of its strongman and former

chief minister Mr. Yeddyurappa. As of now the ruling party’s votebank shows major schisms with Yeddyurappa threatening to make a considerable dent into it.The man behind the move to consolidate the Minority votes is Mr. Naseer Ahmed, an MLC who is keen to bring all and sundry leaders and activists on a single platform. The massively attended conventions have demonstrated in ample measure

that a cross section of people belonging to two principal communities, Muslims and Christians, including social activists, teachers, businessmen,

professionals, youth and women attended and interacted with the leaders rather than bringing hired crowds. Actively coordinating with him from northern part of the state is Feroze Nooruddin Sait, the MLA from Belgaum. Naseer says the minorities have put up a demand for tickets for 30 seats. The highest number so far given had been 17 and the party does not seem to be in a mood to concede more than 18

this time, lest the rival BJP draw some propaganda mileage.The conventions were addressed by all Congress bigwigs including the Opposition leader Siddramaiah, KPCC President Mr. Parmeshwar, Minority Affairs Minister Mr. K. Rahman Khan, besides MLAs such as Roshan Baig, N. A. Harris, former Union Minister Jaffer Sharief, and C. M. Ibrahim.Favourable noises were made to woo the minorities. Siddramaiah went to the extent of telling that a legislation may be brought to make necessary amendment in the Constitution to ensure that Minorities were given fair share in the administration and within political parties. Mr. Rahman Khan wanted implementation of the recommendations of the Sachar Committee and Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission. One of the resolution highlighted the fact that the minorities representation in the Legislative Assembly and the Council had dipped to only 4%

in the State while the situation in the third tier civic bodies was still lower.The two conventions called for stopping the harassment campaign against Muslim youth across the country. They also urged constitution of separate standing committee for Minorities in the Karnataka Assembly. It also demanded that the Kannada Proficiency Test under the KPSC competitive exams should be made easier and simpler and making it tough and cumbersome amounted to discrimination of non-Kannada speaking people. It criticized the current policy of insisting on 75% minority community students on the rolls for recognition as minority institutions and called for withdrawal of such definitions. It also demanded that all those innocent people who were incarcerated under terror laws and were later acquitted by the courts be compensated financially. n

ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 17Modi’s Hat-Trick and Muslims

opinion

It is essential for Muslims to analyse the setback in Gujarat and decide policy options for the 2014 general elections.

By J. S. Bandukwala

Narendra Modi has once again succeeded in securing a huge victory in the Gujarat Assembly elections. This is inspite of a split in saffron votes due to Keshubhai Patel, together with the opposition of substantial sections of the RSS family and BJP top leadership. This result is bound to demoralise Muslims, not just in Gujarat but even all over the country. It is essential that Muslims analyse this setback, before deciding on policy options especially in the context of Modi’s passion to become the Prime Minister of India.Foremost in our analysis is to find the core reason for Modi’s victory. It does not lie in the development propaganda suggested by many pundits. Gujarat growth has been heavily tilted towards the rich and the upper class. The distribution angle has been missing. The poor have not benefited. This has been borne out in a number of studies that have been published in this election period. Yet Modi has received huge support from tribal, Dalit and backward class voters. The correct reason lies in the feeling among Gujarati Hindu population that “in 2002, Modi taught Muslims a lesson they will never forget.” This is the base of his political success.Gujarat is perhaps the most communalised state in the country. This predates the horrors of 2002. Non Gujaratis are troubled by the reality of the birth place of Mahatma Gandhi being so deeply anti-Muslim. But we must realise that Gandhi, in his own lifetime, was never a popular figure in Gujarat. Gujaratis were far more influenced by Swami Dayanand

Saraswati , K.M.Munshi and the sack of Somnath by Mahmud Ghazni about one thousand years ago. Note that in the immediate aftermath of the 2002 killings, a peace march to Sabarmati Ashram, was prevented from entering inside, by the custodians of the Ashram, who were old Gandhians. What

conclusion should we draw? Rather Narendra Modi has been very successful in exploiting this latent anti Muslim hatred into a powerful political weapon to win elections. For with a Muslim population of just under 10%, it is easy to inflame the remaining 90 % on communal grounds.Where do we go from here? Bearing in mind Modi’s plans for 2014, we must alert Muslims of other states, in particular Bihar, UP, West Bengal and Assam. These four states have Muslim populations ranging between 20% to 30%. The BJP is weak in these states. The communal polarisation will not be as easy as it is in Gujarat, especially as there are powerful third parties that seek Muslim votes. These four states send about 200 Lok Sabha members, as against 26 from Gujarat. Muslim leaders of these states must ensure that there is no political alignment by any third party with a Modi-led BJP.Indian Muslims have paid a heavy price of partition. Since

independence communal riots have made our lives miserable. The cycle of killings, attacks on our women and the “terror arrests” of our youth, has crippled us. The sense of insecurity has led to ghettoisation all over the country. This has only widened the gulf between Muslims and non Muslims. In a political

sense we have been reduced to second class citizens in our own country. In Gujarat we are often questioned about our role in the freedom movement and hence our patriotism. Few Hindus are aware that Gandhiji’s original trip to South Africa was sponsored by a Gujarati Muslim, Dada Abdullah. Similarly the Indian National Army of Subhas Chandra Bose was sponsored by another Gujarati Muslim, Abdul Habib Marfani. Netaji felt so thankful to Marfani that he addressed him as Sevak- e-Hind.Ambitious politicians and businessmen, seeking to grow out of this ghetto environment, have used their Muslim name to secure advantages from those in power. But in the process they move away from the community itself. This worsens our plight, as talented Muslims who could have tackled these problems, abandon the vast mass of Muslims. No wonder Muslims are orphaned in every way. We rank at the bottom of the national

social, economic and educational ladder. Yet any attempt, such as Mishra and Sachar Commissions to improve our lot, is met with stiff opposition particularly by the RSS/BJP. In the absence of enlightened leadership, the community in desperation has turned to our ulema to guide us on non religious issues. This too has further hurt the community, as the ulema just do not have the world view or the larger national perspective to lead this unfortunate community.The only way out is for the community to rise on its own feet. Our focus must be on quality education and business. We desperately need more professional people, such as doctors, engineers, scientists and management experts. The community also needs industrialists and those who generate wealth. They must devote at least a few hours every week to the cause of community uplift. In our present state we cannot put limited financial resources to operate our own good schools or universities. We must aim to support those bright students who seek admission or are already studying in established educational institutions. We have implemented this scheme in Gujarat, through the Zidni Ilma Charitable Trust. This year we selected 125 girls and 153 boys and used Zakat and and other charities to help them to the tune of Rs. 40 lakhs. But the actual financial demand is at least ten times more. Inshallah each of these students will become a backbone of the community in the years to come. Further we have to take special care of the children of those killed in

the riots and those languishing in jails. Normally the absence of the father, with the mother uneducated, leads to the children abandoning their education to become child labourers. We just cannot afford this horrifying frustration among our young. This trust looks after all their educational expenses.Finally we have to continue our fight for justice for the victims of 2002 and the fake encounters. The BJP/RSS often accuse us of living too much in the past. They like to quote the example of Sikhs who have moved on from 1984 riots. But there is vast difference between the two cases. The Congress has apologised for the role in 1984. Rather the present Prime Minister was brought in to calm Sikh uneasiness with the Congress. But Modi and his friends have never once uttered the simple words of remorse and sorrow for what happened in 2002 and afterwards. More important the RSS treats Sikhs as part of the larger Hindu community. But they treat Muslims as the outsider. We are fortunate that the Supreme Court and civil rights activists have been so responsive to our call for justice. We have obtained many convictions, including senior politicians and high police officers. That maybe our best bet that Inshallah, in future we may not have a repeat of the tragedy of 2002. That must be our highest objective. (www.TwoCircles.net)

Dr. Bandukwala is the state president of Peoples’ Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL), and president of Zidni Ilma Trust (http://www.zidniilma.com).

In Gujarat we are often questioned about our role in the freedom movement and hence our

patriotism. Few Hindus are aware that Gandhiji’s original trip to South Africa was sponsored by a

Gujarati Muslim, Dada Abdullah.


Page 7

Inevitable Tests for BelieversAlif. Lam. Mim. Do people think that once they say: We are believers’, they will be left alone and will

not be put to a test? We certainly tested those who lived before them; and so most certainly God knows those who speak the truth and most certainly He knows those who are liars.

(The Spider, Al-Ankaboot: 29:1-3)

By Adil Salahi

Alif. Lam. Mim. These are three of the separate Arabic letters that occur at the beginning of some Qur’anic surahs. In our view, they are meant to alert the audience to the fact that such letters are the material from which the divine book given to the Prophet, i.e. the Qur’an, is made. They are familiar to the Arabs who use them to compose whatever ideas they wish to express. Yet they cannot compose anything like this divine book, because it is of no man’s composition; its author is God.Surahs that start with such separate letters always speak about the Qur’an, either immediately following these letters or later on, as is the case in the present surah. Hence, we read in its verses: Recite what has been revealed to you of the book. (Verse 45). Thus it is that We have revealed this book to you. (Verse 47). Never have you been able to read a book before this, nor have you ever been able to transcribe one with your right hand. (Verse 48). Is it not enough for them that We have revealed to you this book which is being read out to them? (Verse 51). The fact that references to the Qur’an and its inimitable style are invariably made in these Surahs confirms our view concerning these separate letters.Immediately after the opening, the Surah begins speaking about faith and the hard test, believers

are subjected to in order to make their belief a reality. It mentions that it is through such testing that true believers are distinguished from liars: Do people think that once they say: We are believers’, they will be left alone and will not be put to a test? We certainly tested those who lived before them; and so most certainly God knows those who speak the truth and most certainly He knows those who are liars. (Verses 2-3).This is the first strong note made in the Surah, given in the form of a rhetorical question about people’s concept of faith. They often imagine that it is merely a word they utter: Do people think that once they say: ‘We are believers’, they will be left alone?Belief is not a mere word we say; it is a reality that imposes duties, a trust that carries requirements and a struggle that demands patience and perseverance. It is not enough that people should claim to believe. When they make this claim, they are not left alone. They are subjected to tests so as to prove their sincerity and true metal, just as gold is tested with fire so as to separate it from any cheap elements. The Arabic word used here for test derives from the root fitnah, which imparts exactly this sense of being subjected to a test with all that this implies.Such tests to prove people’s belief is a general and long established rule: We certainly tested those who lived before

them; and so most certainly God knows those who speak the truth and most certainly He knows those who are liars. (Verse 3). God certainly knows what people harbor in their hearts before any test, but the test reveals, in practice, what is known to God, yet hidden from human knowledge. He thus makes people accountable for what they actually do, not for what He knows of their reality. This is, in one sense, an act of grace, while in another, it is an act of justice. At the same time, it sets an edifying example for people so that they do not hold anyone accountable for anything other than what is clearly apparent of their deeds and what such deeds entail. They should remember that they cannot know what is in another’s heart; only God knows that.There is a general rule that God has set in operation, one whereby believers are subjected to a test so as to distinguish those who are truthful from those who lie. Faith is the trust God has placed in this world of ours. It is borne only by those who are worthy of it, have the strength to bear it and are totally devoted to it. They must prefer it to their own comfort, safety, security, and all temptation. This trust entails being in charge of the earth, leading mankind along the way God has chosen for them, implementing His word in life. Hence, this trust is both noble and heavy. It is part of God’s command, and as such, it

needs a certain type of person to patiently endure adversity.As part of the test, a believer is subjected to hardship by others. Believers often realize they have no one to support or defend them and that they lack the power with which to face tyranny. This is the immediate picture our minds see when tests are mentioned, but it is certainly not the hardest type of test. There are many different types of testing, some far more trying and difficult.There is, for example, the test presented by family and loved ones. A believer may fear that the sacrifices he is called upon to make could put his family in a perilous situation, or that he cannot protect his loved ones. On their part, fearing for his life, his loved ones may call on him to compromise or to give up. They may appeal to him in the name of their close relations, not

to expose himself to destruction, or burden them with what they cannot bear. The surah refers to an aspect of such testing with parents, and this is very difficult to pass.Another form of test is to see those who are deep in error and follow falsehood reveling in success, with the world at their feet, applauded by the masses, and with no obstacles in their way. Glory comes easy to them and everything in life is theirs to enjoy. Contrast this with the believer who finds himself ignored, unnoticed and undefended. Only a few people like him appreciate the value of the truth in which he believes, but none of these has any say in life. n

In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful

History of East Africa ...The conference is aimed at highlighting various aspects of Islamic civilization in Eastern Africa and promoting the exchange of views and findings of research on the impact of Islamic civilization in the region. The symposium will explore themes in historical, geographical, and social spheres and will also look at records concerning

the aspect in archives, media and architecture and arts and crafts.Those desirous of participation in the symposium can submit their abstract to [email protected] or [email protected] by March 15, 2013. Last date of submission of full papers is June 26, 2013. Ph: 90-259-1742, at Oman: 968-246-16071, or 968-246-16086 n

Response Vs ReactionMore than the problem, it’s your reaction to the problem that creates chaos in your life.

At a restaurant, a cockroach suddenly flew from somewhere and sat on a lady. She started screaming out of fear. With a panic stricken face and trembling voice, she started jumping, with both her hands desperately trying to get rid of the cockroach.Her reaction was contagious, as everyone in her group also got panicky.The lady finally managed to

push the cockroach away, but ...it landed on another lady in the group.Now, it was the turn of the other lady in the group to continue the drama. The waiter rushed forward to their rescue. In the relay of throwing, the cockroach next fell upon the waiter.The waiter stood firm, composed himself and observed the behavior of the cockroach on his shirt.

When he was confident enough, he grabbed it with his fingers and threw it out of the restaurant. Was the cockroach responsible for their histrionic behavior?If so, then why was the waiter not disturbed? He handled it near to perfection, without any chaos. It is not the cockroach, but the inability of the ladies to handle the disturbance caused by the cockroach that disturbed

the ladies.One realises that, it is not the shouting of your father or your boss or your wife or husband that disturbs you, but it’s your inability to handle the disturbances caused by their shouting that disturbs you.It’s not the traffic jams on the road that disturbs you, but your inability to handle the disturbance caused by the traffic jam that disturbs you.

More than the problem, it’s your reaction to the problem that creates chaos in your life. The women reacted, whereas the waiter responded.Reactions are always instinctive whereas responses are always well thought of, just and right to save a situation from going out of hand, to avoid cracks in relationship, to avoid taking decisions in anger, anxiety, stress or hurry.


Page 5

How to Treat the Prophet’s (Pbuh) AdviceThe Prophet has always indicated that Islam is an easy religion, with instructions to its

followers that are easy to follow. He wanted to make it absolutely clear that a middle course is the best course and that his example must be followed by all Muslims.

Commentary byAdil Salahi

We have always tried to emphasise the sort of attitude a believer should have towards instructions given by the Prophet (Pbuh). Allah tells us in the Qur’an: “Whatever the Prophet bids you, you must do, and refrain from everything that he forbids you.” (59:7). This is a basic and clear instruction from which no believer could deviate. It is true that we may default on doing something which is required of us by Islam. But that means a failure for which we can be punished unless Allah forgives us. It is for this reason that a Muslim always prays to be forgiven.If this prompts some readers to ask about the commandments given to us by the Prophet and whether we should follow them by way of duty, or they are merely recommendations that we may adopt as we please, then an explanation is in order. When it is clear from the context that a particular order given by the Prophet, for example, instructs us: “Pray in the manner you have seen me pray.” He also said at the time when he started his pilgrimage; “Learn your rituals from me.” Allah does not tell us in the Qur’an how to pray, but he gives us clear orders that we must pray. The Prophet has shown us how to pray and given us this express order. When the Prophet came to know that some of his followers were planning to adopt a harder course of action in the matter of prayer and fasting than he himself was following, the Prophet realized the danger to the community of believers

and to future generations. It is a danger which is always associated with going to extremes.There are on the other hand, instructions given to us by the Prophet which merely indicate a preferable course of action. These should be taken as recommendations. It is the context which determines whether a particular order indicates a duty or a recommendation. But even when the Prophet is simply recommending to us a certain thing, we should follow his instructions. He only teaches us what is beneficial to us. Allah makes sure that we prosper when we follow the example of the Prophet and he rewards us for doing what he recommends us. Whether the recommendation by the Prophet relates to something of this world or to a matter of worship, we are certain to achieve the best results by following his advice. Those who do not wish to follow the Prophet, can only blame themselves for the results. The following Hadith explains this in clear terms:Aisha, the Prophet’s wife, reports: “The Prophet did something and indicated that it is permissible. Some people, however, felt that they should not do it. This was communicated to the Prophet. He spoke, starting with praising Allah, before saying: “What is the matter with certain people who feel that they are above doing something which I have done? By Allah, I know Allah better than them and I fear Him most.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim and Al-Nissai).The Prophet has always

indicated that Islam is an easy religion, with instructions to its followers that are easy to follow. He, therefore, wanted to make it absolutely clear that a middle course is the best course and that his example must be followed by all Muslims.In this report we are told of certain companions of the Prophet who, in their eagerness to maintain the highest standard of devotion, felt that they should not do something which the Prophet did. In this particular report, we are not told what was that thing which the Prophet indicated as permissible, but those people refrained from doing it. Some commentators indicate that this relates to a particular action of one sort or another. It is perhaps more accurate to say that this is a reference to three Companions of the Prophet who went to the Prophet’s wives asking them about his worship and how often he fasted voluntarily and how he treated his wives. When they were given these details, they felt that such a standard of worship was not sufficient for them, although it might have been sufficient for the Prophet who was already forgiven by Allah any sin or error he might have made. They wanted to adopt a harder course of action. One of them pledged himself to fast every day of his life, and another indicated that he would be standing in worship all night every night, while a third one pledged never to get married.When the Prophet was told of this, he realised the danger to the community of believers and to future generations. It is a danger which is always associated with going to extremes. When

he stood on the pulpit to speak to his companions, he put the issue succinctly clear. He stated that he knew Allah better than all people and he feared Him most. To know Allah is to fear Him. For no one who has true knowledge of Allah continues to disobey Him. The better a person knows Allah, the easier it is for him to do what he is bidden and to refrain from what is forbidden. Therefore, the example of the Prophet shows us our best course of action. When we follow it, we are certain to earn Allah’s pleasure. The Hadith which we have quoted above lays down a fundamental principle. It applies to all situations. Failure to follow the Prophet’s advice will deprive the person concerned of a certain benefit. The following Hadith can be given as an example of application of the earlier one. “Two men exchanged words of abuse at the Prophet’s place. One of them was very angry to the extent that his face swelled and changed colour. The Prophet said; “I know a word which this man needs only to

say in order to be relieved of what he is enduring.” A man went to him and told him what the Prophet said. He also advised him to seek refuge with Allah against the devil. The man said, ‘Is there anything wrong with me’? Do you find me insane? Go away,” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim). It is clear that this man was in a flight of anger. The Prophet wanted to indicate to his companions that if a man is overwhelmed by anger, he only needs to remember Allah and to seek refuge with Him against the devil and his instigation. However, the angry man was not prepared to listen to advice. That is why he retorted too violently when the Prophet’s Companion communicated to him the Prophet’s advice. His failure to follow it, however, meant that his anger got the better of him. He couldn’t think clearly. He did not earn any reward which a believer would surely earn by following the Prophet’s advice. He must have regretted all that when he cooled down, but then regret would be to no avail. n

Three Muslim Holidays ...Turkish-Islamic Union Institute for Religion (Ditib), the Council of Islamic Communities (Schura), the Association for Islamic Culture Centers (VIKZ) and the Alawites community of Germany. The three associations represent approximately 130,000 Muslims in Hamburg. Approximately, 50 000 Alawites live in Hamburg.The chairman of the Turkish-

Islamic Union Institute for Religion in Hamburg Dr. Zekeriya Altuğ emphasized the importance of the treaty as a historical day for Muslims in Hamburg and Germany. The Muslim community would be hopeful to receive the full support of all political institutions. This treaty would express the diversity of Muslim life in Hamburg. n

ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 20Does the Qur’an Preach Violence?Q. I have been told that Islam is not a peaceful religion and that the Qur’an is a book filled with ranting and ravings from Muhammad (peace be upon him). So

are there any verses in the Qur’an that would tell me that people of Islam do not want war and death?

A. Thank you for your message which shows that you are a person who does not accept what is said without questioning its truth. This is the mark of an intelligent person. What you have been told about the Qur’an is certainly untrue. It is the word of someone who either does not know what he is talking about, or someone whose grudge against Islam blinds him to the truth.It is as the saying goes: The proof of the pudding is in the eating. You only need to open the Qur’an and read to realize that what it calls for is peace, not war. Besides, the Qur’an is not Muhammad’s book; it is God’s book. A person who wants to know what the Qur’an says should start with an objective outlook and read it, seeking some help where he finds difficulty. I suppose we would agree that if we have it on highly reliable authority that Beethoven stated that he did not write one of the best symphonies the world attributes to him, we

need no further proof to strike it off the list of his musical works. Similarly, if we have a reliable statement by Shakespeare that he did not write Hamlet or King Lear, we can no longer attribute that play to him. Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) has always maintained that he did not write or compose the Qur’an, which is universally agreed to be a book of surpassing literary excellence. Yet Muhammad’s own statements, which we know to be his, are also superb.So, how can anyone attribute the Qur’an to Muhammad when he has repeatedly disclaimed any part in its authorship? Besides, the Qur’an provides numerous proofs that its only author is God Almighty. These begin with its style, which is unlike any human writing, and include its subject matter and different statements.The Qur’an certainly speaks about war and jihad. But when we take all statements in the Qur’an about war, and

also take into consideration the circumstances prevailing at the time of the revelation of each, and relate this to the final statements, we are bound to have a firm conviction that war in Islam is a defensive one. But we have to add here that its being defensive does not mean that Muslims must wait until they are attacked before taking to arms. It means that they may take measures to remove the threat of aggression.I do not wish to go into what the Bible says about war, but you undoubtedly realize that human beings often resort to war without justification. You only need to look at what the US and UK have been doing over the last couple of years to realize this. Hence, a religion that provides a code of living, as Islam does, must address the possibility of war. The Qur’an certainly does so, and the code it provides is more civilized than any in the whole history of humanity, even in our modern times. n

Islam’s Perspective on Committing Suicide

Q. It is said that suicide is forbidden in Islam and that the person who commits suicide is destined to go to hell. Suppose a person is suffering from

a severe case of depression, or some other mental disease and such a person commits suicide, will he

also go to hell?A. One thing which people often do is to say that such and such a person will definitely go to heaven or to hell. This is something over which none other than God has any control. So to suggest that such a person goes here or there in the hereafter is an affront to God, because it precipitates His judgment.There are certain verses of the Qur’an and statements by the Prophet (Pbuh) which tell us that those who perpetrate certain sins will be punished. But then it is up to God to determine what punishment fits every single case, because God judges us individually, on the basis of His perfect knowledge of our intentions and conditions.It is true that suicide is strictly forbidden, because it is an affront to God. It is like a person saying to God: “You have given me life and I am taking it away.” This is what is meant by the sacred Hadith in which God is quoted as saying of the one who commits suicide: “My servant has precipitated My will with

regard to himself! Therefore, I am forbidding him entry into heaven.” But this Hadith applies to a person in full control of his faculties, suffering no overpowering adversity and

having a reasonable life. If such a person commits suicide, then may be God will not allow him in heaven.A person who commits suicide as a result of a mental disorder like depression or some other severe form of anxiety is not in full control of his senses. We cannot say how God will judge such a person, but we trust to God’s justice, because He does not deal unfairly with anyone. We pray for the person concerned, and request God to forgive him. n

Responsibility for Past SinsQ. A marriage was hurriedly arranged when it was realized that the woman

involved got pregnant. Could I ask if the marriage is valid. The husband sends money home to support his wife and children, but he always feels ashamed

because of what happened before his marriage. He also feels that his worship might not be acceptable for the same reason.

A. It is obvious that the couple repented of their sin. Otherwise they would not have got married and stayed together for these years. Therefore, the marriage is valid and their children are legitimate children in the full sense of the word. That the husband should feel ashamed of his past sins is a good sign because it confirms that he looks with abhorrence at the very thought of illegitimate relationship. But he should realize that as far as the past relationship is concerned, his own guilt is in no way less than that of his wife. It is often the case that the woman is the only one to be blamed in such cases, but this is a social blame, rather than legal or religious. She is blamed for the fact that her guilt becomes known as she gets pregnant. The man often escapes all blame and censure. But Islam looks at the

matter in the right way and holds both parties equally responsible.The important thing now is that both man and wife should realize where the guilt lies, i.e. on both of them, and repent with sincerity and firm resolution not to commit such sinful action again. When they do, God will forgive them if He so wills. He has committed Himself to accepting sincere repentance and forgiving those

who repent.The man in this case is being hard on himself and his wife as he questions the validity of his marriage and feels uncomfortable every time he thinks of his wife and marriage. He must not entertain such thoughts at all. His marriage is valid and he should treat his wife and children like all good Muslim parents and husbands. n

our diAlogue By Adil sAlAhi

ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 21soul tAlK

The Purpose of LifeEach one of us has to invent or discover our own life’s purpose. But many are conditioned by

their parents, peers and teachers into simply drifting through life without a higher purpose, most being readily seduced by the inane logic that the purpose of life is just, as they say, ‘making it big’.

By A Staff Writer

Almost the only time when the batch of students I was teaching while volunteering at a school recently appeared genuinely interested in what I went on about was the day I decided we should discuss the purpose of life. That day, even students who preferred to sleep or gossip in class keenly participated in what turned out to be a lively discussion. Never before, the students said, had this topic, which surely haunts everyone of us at least sometime in our lives, been discussed in the classroom.You can’t think of a more basic existential issue than the purpose of life, including your own. I don’t suppose there can be anything more fundamental than that, for the answer you supply to the question of what the purpose of life is determines the way you choose to spend yours. Given this, it is simply shocking the casual way this most important question is generally treated. Many parents simply don’t ever raise this issue with their children. Possibly, they find it ‘too embarrassing’ or ‘esoteric’ or ‘irksome’ to worry about. Or, perhaps they themselves are not clear as to what the purpose of their own life is. Maybe they want to avoid looking too deeply into their own lives for fear of finding them empty and meaningless. Moreover, raising the issue of the purpose of life inevitably brings in the question of death, which is a fundamental reality that most people generally hate recognizing.Nor is the question of the purpose of life generally talked about in schools. My teachers and classmates never raised the issue. Life was simply taken for granted, and few people seemed to care if there was any underlying meaning to it. It was as if we lived simply for the sake of living, and that there was nothing else to it. If you talked of any higher purpose of life beyond material ‘success’, your friends would think you were mad or else ‘too religious’, and, therefore, definitely ‘odd’ and avoidable. If you dissented from the crowd and insisted that the

purpose of life was not, as they argued, simply ‘having a good time all the time’ they would readily accuse you of being ‘too serious’ and ‘morose’. Your teachers and parents might even think you needed psychiatric treatment if you started pondering ‘excessively’ about

such ‘abstruse’ matters.Now, it isn’t that ‘modernity’, which we have been seduced into believing is the panacea to all our ills and the only road to ‘success’, has nothing at all to say about the purpose of life. Despite claiming to distance itself from religion and to abstain from imposing an answer to the question of the purpose of life, ‘modernity’ is informed by a quasi-religious conviction about life having a definite meaning, although it may not announce it as explicitly as religions do. In contrast to religion, ‘secular modernity’ sees the purpose of life as being geared to material ‘success’—limitless acquisition and consumption and relentless titillation of the ego, driven by boundless avarice, ambition and competition. This is the subtle message that the two major propaganda arms of ‘modernity’—the educational system and the mass media—ceaselessly send out. The richer and more powerful you are, the closer to fulfilling what ‘modernity’ regards as the fundamental purpose of life,

even though you might have a hopeless personal life, possess a terrible temper and lack any concern for those you consider ‘below’ you. If you are poor and powerless, your life, you are made to believe, has been an utter failure, even if you are content with your lot and

at peace with the rest of the cosmos.If you carefully analyse the ‘modern’ educational system and mass media you can clearly see that this is the notion of the purpose of life they are essentially driven to promoting. They are the missionaries of a godless religion, wherein material acquisition has displaced ethical and spiritual development and devotion as the basic purpose of life. After years of brainwashing in school and college, they are almost universally programmed into firmly believing that becoming rich and famous is the purpose of human life.Many ‘decent’ folks may be too embarrassed to admit this, for it might appear simply too crude, but, really, probably the majority of us have come to be conditioned to see the fundamental purpose of life in crass material terms. In this the ‘modern’ educational system, which is now considered to be almost mandatory for everybody, has a major role to play. With the ‘modern’ educational system

geared essentially to promoting individual ‘success’ based on virtually limitless consumption and competition, this being seen as the fundamental purpose of life, it is hardly surprising that the expansion of ‘modern’ education is leading to numerous crises that its advocates probably never expected, not least a major crisis of meaning in people’s lives. If the purpose of life is to maximize material wealth and consumption, the rape of the earth is only to be expected and it is little wonder that we are today faced with global ecological disaster. If ‘success’ in life is all about fierce competition and aggressive ambition, is it at all surprising that this logic is leading to the breakdown of families and to exacerbation of conflicts between social groups engaged in cut-throat competition for the same goodies? These were some of the issues we discussed in class that day. You should have seen the emotions that the discussion provoked even in some of the otherwise most disinterested students! They had hardly given the purpose of life any attention before this, they admitted, and were glad for the opportunity to collectively reflect on the issue. There was definitely more to life, they insisted as the class drew to a close, than what they had all along been led to believe. If death was an inescapable reality, and if, on dying, one went back as alone and empty-handed as when one arrived in the world, wasn’t it completely absurd,

some of them asked, to invest money, wealth and relationships with a significance much more than they warranted? If, as all religions claimed, death was again followed by life, even possibly life eternal, and if one’s future in the life after death had nothing whatever to do with one’s wealth and education, but, instead, everything to do with the quality one’s ethical and spiritual life, then, some of them wondered, hadn’t the ‘modern’ education system and the TV channels they were hooked on to got it all horrendously wrong? Some students even ventured so far as to insist that the logic of ‘success’ as defined by the educational system and the mass media was definitely inimical to ‘success’ in the life after death, and that it worked to undermine, rather than promote, what they saw as the basic purpose of life: ‘success’ in what might possibly be an eternal life after this ephemeral one.Each one of us has to invent or discover our own life’s purpose. But, whatever the case, it is definitely an issue that ought to be openly and continuously discussed in families and schools. Sadly, though, it generally isn’t at all, with the result that many children—and this happened in my case, too—are conditioned by their parents, peers and teachers into simply drifting through life without a higher purpose, most being readily seduced by the inane logic that the purpose of life is just, as they say, ‘making it big’. n

If ‘success’ in life is all about fierce competition and aggressive ambition, is it at all surprising

that this logic is leading to the breakdown of families and to exacerbation of conflicts

between social groups engaged in cut-throat competition for the same goodies?

ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 22eMpoWering the MusliM Mind

Beware of Your AttitudeA beneficial attitude is inclusive as it seeks to benefit you and others. An injurious

attitude, on the other hand, intends to cause injury to you and others.

By Aqeel A. Ansari

We all want success, no one likes failure. Your attitude defines how you view life, which in turn defines how you view success or failure. We are naturally endowed with some talent. Of course, you have to discover and realize the potential talent. Talent is important, but it is not enough to guarantee success. Put talent to work with right attitude and you guarantee success. Moreover, the right attitude helps you build relationships, any and all. We all need help to succeed in life. This is why we have families and communities to support individuals. No man is an island; he cannot stand alone. People will like you and be willing to cooperate with you if you have the right attitude. For example, companies do hire people with talent but they prefer talented employees with right

attitudes. In short, your attitude sets right your relationships and you get what you want out of life.If right attitude is what you want, you must guard against wrong attitude. People with wrong attitudes have difficulty building relationships. They prefer competition to cooperation. They experience resentment and dissension. Fault-finding or putting down people pleases them. You cannot miss attitudes of individuals characterized by self-importance, selfishness, greed or arrogance. Do we find successful people with wrong attitudes? Your answer depends on how you view success. Perhaps it is possible for people to hide wrong attitudes. The truth is that you cannot hide your attitude, right or wrong, for long. You may try to mask your attitude and fool people but the face you wear reveals

the secret. You do not have to say a word; your gesture, behavior or manner shows your attitude. Once you open your mouth to say something or engage in some act, you announce your attitude loud and clear. People are ready to make fun of inconsistent behaviour of men or women especially the elites who do not mean or do what they say.Now that you understand the significance of attitude, it is important to know how attitudes are formed. Psychologists explain that we begin to form our attitude from early childhood. We observe our parents and siblings; we make mental notes of role play and behaviour. The words they speak to us and how they speak leave lasting impressions. The neighbours’ children we play with, influence our attitude. What we read and learn in

schools and colleges as well as our interaction with teachers and classmates build our self-image. Self-image is what our attitudes are all about. It mirrors how we think of ourselves. Self-image we build also develops our personality. This explains why every individual has an unique personality. While self-image describes how we think of ourselves, it also determines how others think of us.As we grow to be adults, we create new factors that influence our attitude. These factors generally include job, marriage and family. Reading books, meeting people and traveling continue to create new factors that influence our attitude. Equally important in shaping attitude is history. It helps us to know and learn from life experiences and response to challenges of past generations. It is reasonable to state that your attitude is never complete; it is always under construction. Therefore, it is never too late to modify or change your attitude towards life and hence towards success or failure.True, how you see yourself is how others see you. It is equally true that how you see yourself also determines how you view others. Building self-image gives you your perspective, which is a mental picture of the relative importance of things including the universe, environment and ecology of earth, and humanity. Your perspective reflects your attitude towards what is good or what is evil, what is right or what is wrong, what is true or what is false. It is reasonable to

state that right attitude builds coherent perspectives. We all harbour prejudices of one sort or another. The idea is to get rid of prejudices gradually, but surely. Expand your mental capacity to think right and feel right.We have labeled attitude as right or wrong attitude. You may label it positive or negative attitude. I prefer the label beneficial or injurious attitude. A beneficial attitude is inclusive as it seeks to benefit you and others, by definition. An injurious attitude, on the other hand, intends to cause injury to you and others. People say, “What’s in a label?” I say, “It’s all in the label”. Labeling attitude as beneficial or injurious naturally prompts you to think right and feel right. Shaping a beneficial attitude inspires you to build a self-image and develop a personality that prefers what is good, right and true.Keep great thoughts of the Qur’an in your heart and mind, they benefit you as much as they benefit others regardless of gender, race, religion, language and geography. It elevates your striving and enables you to deal justly even with those who live with injurious attitudes. (The writer is based in Austin (Texas),and is an alumni of Delhi School of Economics and Wharton School. He is the author of The Idea of Equality. He can be reached at [email protected]).

Workshop of Muslim NGOs

Page 1

majority countries).Overwhelmingly, Hindus and Christians tend to live in countries where they are in the majority. Fully 97% of all Hindus live in the world’s three Hindu-majority countries (India, Mauritius and Nepal), and nearly nine-in-ten Christians (87%) are found in the world’s 157 Christian-majority countries. Though by smaller margins, most Muslims (73%) and religiously unaffiliated people (71%) also live in countries in which they are the predominant religious group. Muslims are a majority in 49 countries, including 19 of the 20 countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The religiously unaffiliated make up a majority of the population in six countries, of which China is by far the largest. The others are the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hong Kong, Japan and North Korea.Israel is the only country with a Jewish majority. There are no countries where members of other religions (such as Baha’is, Jains, Shintoists, Sikhs, Taoists, followers of Tenrikyo, Wiccans and Zoroastrians) make up a majority of the population. There are also no countries where

people who identify with folk or traditional religions clearly form a majority.Some religions have much younger populations, on average, than others. The median age of two major groups – Muslims (23 years) and Hindus (26) – is younger than the median age of the world’s overall population (28). All the other groups are older than the global median. Christians have a median age of 30, followed by members of other religions (32), adherents of folk or traditional religions (33), the religiously unaffiliated (34) and Buddhists (34). Jews have the highest median age (36), more than a dozen years older than the youngest group, Muslims.This study is based on self-identification. It seeks to estimate the number of people around the world who view themselves as belonging to various religious groups. It does not attempt to measure the degree to which members of these groups actively practice their faiths or how religious they are.The religiously unaffiliated population includes atheists, agnostics and people who do

not identify with any particular religion in surveys. However, many of the religiously unaffiliated do hold religious or spiritual beliefs. For example, various surveys have found that belief in God or a higher power is shared by 7% of unaffiliated Chinese adults, 30% of unaffiliated French adults and 68% of unaffiliated U.S. adults.6To discuss the geographic distribution of religious groups, this report divides the world into six major regions: Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, North America and sub-Saharan Africa. For a list of countries in each region, see the Methodology.Although some faiths in the “other religions” category have millions of adherents around the world, censuses and surveys in many countries do not measure them specifically. Estimates of the global size of these faiths generally come from other sources, such as the religious groups themselves. By far the largest of these groups are Sikhs, who number about 25 million, according to the World Religion Database. n

8-in-10 People Identify with Religious Faith ...

New Delhi: Movement for Empowerment of Muslim Indians (MOEMIN) will hold the third National Workshop of Muslims NGOs on January 18-20, 2013 at India Islamic Cultural Centre. The workshop will discuss policy priorities, access to Credit, Millennium Development Goals, Health for All: inclusion of Muslims, Access to Information, Women Empowerment and child Development, rural development, Corporate Social Responssibility and expectations of Muslims,

Human rights violations etc as major themes. NGOs can register themselves for sending of delegates by remitting a fee of Rs. 600 for two delegates.

General Secretary Navaid Hamid has requested the NGOs to registered themselves by January 10. For details contact: Navaid Hamid, Moemin, ph: 011-23923786, Cell: 9811643929, email: [email protected], www.facebook.com/moemin.india


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Connected to the World But Disconnected Within!

Allow your heart to connect to people. Give technology some much-needed rest at times. Your heart will not let you down, technology will!

By Nigar Ataulla

A few days ago, waiting at the railway station to receive a friend, I watched people around me, Most of them were talking, but not to each other face-to-face, but, instead, on their mobiles. Days earlier, at the airport, I spotted people waiting for their flights again talking on their mobiles--some so loudly that the whole airport knew their business or personal stories and their travel plans. Others were staring at their laptops, or working on their IPads. Sometimes, I am asked if I am on Facebook. I have never felt the need to be on any virtual social networks. It’s a personal choice. Some people may feel it’s nice or a necessity, although I don’t. I respect the importance of these networking devices in today’s age, but, honestly, I’ve never felt the need to connect to people through these ‘tech-devices’ as I wish to call them. I have heard some people telling each other

that they have 40,000 people following them on Facebook. My goodness! What a big strain, I wonder, having so many people following you and knowing what you do! Like Pied –Piper of Hamlyn with millions of mice running behind you! I understand that the need to connect to people is natural, but when it takes obsessive forms, like being hooked onto the cell or e-mail every moment of your life, I feel that sometime or somewhere along the line, one gets disconnected with oneself. The more one tries to connect to people through technology,

crossing the limits of moderation, the more hollow and disconnected one begins to feel with oneself after some time. The initial euphoria of “being connected in seconds” to all, dies down. My view may sound old-fashioned and traditional to many today, but that’s fine! To me, connecting within to myself to know who I am is most important, otherwise how on earth will I connect to others and understand them?These days, people have no time or energy or pennies they think worth sparing to visit each other often, be it on occasions of joy or sorrow or just for a casual drop-

by to find out if all is well with others. An SMS message, they think, takes care of this--and its faster and cheaper. Yet, this works through the mind, not the heart. It cannot take the place of face-to-face interaction.I hear everybody around saying that one has to keep pace with the changing times. Yes, its true, but not at such a fast pace that you reach a stage when you frantically

type email messages like a robot, leave lengthy notices on Face-book, or chatter non-stop on the cell just to feel ‘connected’ without realizing that what you say or write or message is not at all what is in your heart! Allow your heart to connect to people. Give technology some much-needed rest! Your heart will not let you down, technology will! n

ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 24Affluent family smart haseen jamil Deshiza gori alia, B.Sc (CS) attractive face 23 years, 5’-4” alliance from gracious family employed boy, MBA, MCA, Graduate, Excuse Email/Agent: 9019354702

Sunni Muslim Shaik for their Second daughter, age 24, 54’-4” ,qualification BA(DCA computer course) job at pvt company in Bangalore. Contact: 9738107152/9916429786

S.M. parents seek alliance for their daughter, M.B.A, M.Lib, aged 27 years, 5’-5”, fair, religious, khan family.Groom should be well qualified working professional at Bangalore from decent family. Contact: 9342880248, Email: [email protected]

Sunni Muslim Parents from Bangalore invite alliance for their daughter aged 27, educated, issuless divorcee boy should be from respectable & religious family background. E-mail: [email protected] call: 9844587869

SM parents seek alliance for their daughter B.E., 26yrs 5.6'' good looking belonging to a respectable and educated family, working as a SeniorSoftwareEngineer (Technology Analyst) in a reputed MNC at Chicago, USA. Groom should be good looking and well settled Professional hailing from a decent family. Preference will be given to those who are working/setlled in USA. Preferable qualification of the Groom: B.E, M.S., B.E, M.Tech., M.B.B.S. M.S. email biodata to [email protected] contact, 9632878387, 9611995800.

SM parents seek alliance for their daughter M.COM., NET, PGDFM

25yrs 5.6'' good looking belonging to a respectable family, working as Assisstant Proffesor in Commerce at Post Graduation Centre at Mysore. Groom should be good looking and well settled hailing from a decent family who is equally qualified and employed. send the biodata along with photos to [email protected] and contact: 9986958139, 9611995800.

SMU parents invite alliance for their daughter 28 years, 5’-4”, B.E/M.B.A working in MNC bangalore issueless divorcee obtained qula seeking well qualified boy below 35 years from respectable family. Proposals from India/Abroad, send Biodata/photo to [email protected] or contact: 8050009241/00971556503640

Sunni Hanafi Khan Wing Commander from sultanpur (U.P) settled in Bangalore invites alliances for working daughters BCA, 34 years, 5’-2”, M.COM,MBA, 28 years, 5’-4” from respected families preferably from north settled in Bangalore (m)09035669378

WANTED BRIDESM Parents seek alliance for their Son, smart meritorious 29 years, 5’-10, BE, persuing MBA, working in USA higher position from religious & decent family. Girl should be beautiful age below 24 years, 5’-5” educated engineer, graduate from religious & respectable family. Contact with bio data & photo: 9448933836, 08385-224300 [email protected]

MAtriMoniAls

WANTED GROOMBANGALORE: SM girl 22, fair, B.Com, 5’-8”, religious from a business family, girl willing not to work, seeks alliance from a boy, either doctor or IT engineer from a respectable family. Parents of Gulf-employed boys can also approach. Boy should be at least 5’-10”or above and aged not above 30. Early marriage. Contact: Amjad ph: 9611104541 (between 5pm -10pm) email: [email protected]

S.M.Syed parents seek alliance for their only daughter, married for a short period and obtained Qula. Aged 29 years,MBBS, 5’-5” very fair and beautiful and religious. Groom should be Doctor (MD/MS) or Engineer (BE/MS) must be a religious from decent family. Contact: [email protected] , Contact no: 8792200626

SM Mother seek alliance for her Daughter, 26 years, 5’-1”, working in MNC . The groom should be well settled hailing from Bangalore with religious background. Contact: [email protected] , 9901047838

Bangalore based S.M SHAIK parents seek alliance from NRI’s, Doctors, Engineer, IT Professionals well qualified residing in European/Gulf

countries (Except Saudi) with good Islamic values decent well Educated & religious families for their Daughter, Aged 30 years, Height 5’-6”, B.com, PGPHRM, MBA very fair and good complexion presently working as HR Specialist for a Reputed MNC at Dubai UAE. Preference will be given to Bangalore based family groom. Those Genuinely interested with NO DEMANDS please send photo, Bio-data, Email: [email protected] , cell no.+91 9481807467,+91 9700133639, +91 9704345003, Match Makers Excuse.

Sunni Muslim parent (an educated, cultured & religious family) originally from Hyderabad seek alliance for their daughter age 27, 5’-3”, fair, homely, religious, BE graduate working in MNC firm in Bangalore, from a boy who is religious well educated (professional/graduate/post graduate) well settled in India/Abroad belonging to a good cultured family. Contact: [email protected] phone: 9591400944 (Aijaz)

SM Parents seek alliance for their daughter, Widow, having 2 daughters, B.Com, 32 years, observing Hijab, God fearing. Groom should have sufficient income, Businessmen, official , religious, No Dowry , simple marriage. Send bio-data and photo to Post Box No: 1033.

Bangalore based SM Parents invite alliance for their 29 years old daughter working as Senior Journalist with a leading English Daily in the city. Preference will be given to Boys working in the Media. Please send bio-data with pictures to [email protected] or contact parents at: 8904847729

Bangalore: SM Parents seek alliance for their son age 35 years 5’-9”, BSc computer science back from UAE after 8 years now pursuing advance courses. Bride should be good looking, religious educated aged 25-30 years, minimum qualification, BE/MBA/Graduates . Contact: 9880292862/9845089266, Email id: [email protected]

Bangalore: SM Haji 30 years, 6’-1” fair handsome, MCA working as software engineer for a reputed company at Bangalore, prospective bride should be age between 20-25 years, 5’-6” and above, minimum graduate from a decent educated family. No demands absolutely No mediators, early marriage. Contact with bio data & photo email: [email protected] 9986400691

SM Sheik parents (Bangalore) looking for a bride for their son fair,handsome and religious, 5'11", 28years, MBA, having its own business. Girl should be religious, fair, beautiful, slim, non working from a religious and decent family CONTACT : 080 - 23519056 / 9886723350. EMAIL : [email protected]

BANGALORE: SM Family invite alliance for Son, 33 years, 5’-11”,(M.E-Software) very Fair and very handsome and haji, working in UK. Girl must be very fair and beautiful, Engineer/P.G, religious, more than 5’-4”, homely of respectable family (prefer Syed). Contact:8971295344.

Cairo: Beyond the Pyramids ...

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Joyce Salma Kalake, Tel: (+267) 3912734Email: [email protected],

For more info visit: www.discoveryourself.in

various Coptic saints decorate the walls, and unlike in Western churches, these figures look Asian, even African, with dark skins, curly hair and round noses. Incense wafts through the dark chambers of the churches as bearded priests, dressed in long, flowing robes, lead the prayers, in soft, song-like tones in Arabic mixed with ancient Coptic.In the Church of St. Barbara you can see the steps leading to a pillared underground vault where Jesus, Mary and Joseph, so it is claimed, stayed. There is also a centuries-old Jewish synagogue in the area, a Coptic monastery, the charming Coptic museum, housed in an opulent Ottoman-period building, the ruins of a Roman fort and an Armenian and a Coptic cemetery--all of which are well worth a visit. A stone-throw’s distance from the Christian quarter is the enormous mosque

of Amr bin As, said to be the first mosque to have been built in Egypt and, indeed, in all of Africa, named after the first Arab Muslim conqueror of Egypt, who established modern Cairo in the seventh century.You could spend—as I did—almost a fortnight in the Old City exploring its many ancient monuments, many of them in a state of woeful ruin, and getting a taste of the life in the streets, but when you get tired of it all, as you soon will (because the filth and the crowds and the pushy shopkeepers and aggressive taxi-drivers all set to rip you off are bound to get intolerable after a while) you hire a felluca—a country boat—to sail down the Nile, leaving, to your immense relief, the chaos of the biggest city in Africa and the Middle East well behind you.(The writer can be reached at [email protected])

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the Trust sponsor fee and other educational expenses of at least two children. The Trust operates from : 19/58-Almidrar, First Main Road, 2nd cross, Maruthinagar, Madiwala, Bangalore-6600068, Ph: 080-41105420. The annual day lecture of the Mamoor Trust was delivered by Mr. U. Nisar Ahmed, DIG-IG (retd). n

Mamoor helping ...

Gay Mosque ...Organizations in France (UOIF) in opposing gay marriage, including equating same-sex marriage to bestiality. The UOIF also added that everyone should understand “the consequences that it could have on society, if this new form of marriage and parenthood is legalized”. President François Hollande’s government has recently drafted a bill on “marriage for all” that could allow same-sex couples to get married in France as early as 2013.

ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 25trAvelogue

Page 24

Cairo’s Old City dates back to the seventh century C.E., when Islam entered the region. It is an archaeologist’s treasure-trove and an anthropologist’s delight-cum-nightmare.

By Yoginder Sikand

Cairo, many people who haven’t been there, imagine, is simply where the pyramids of Giza and the enormous Sphinx are. But there’s much more to the city than its ancient Pharoanic monuments. Having done the almost mandatory trip to Giza on a previous visit, some twenty years ago, on my latest visit to the city, I decided to explore Cairo’s Old City, which dates back to the seventh century C.E., when Islam entered the region. It is an archaeologist’s treasure-trove and an anthropologist’s delight-cum-nightmare.Cairo’s chaotic Old City is definitely not the place for a relaxed, cheerful holiday. But for travelers with an interest in the living culture of ‘ordinary’ folk and willing to rough it out, it is a fascinating place to spend a few days pottering about in. Many visitors to the Old City hardly spend a day in the district, but it certainly deserves not less than a week. It isn’t easy negotiating the place, though. Much of it is a jungle of crater-ridden, rubbish-laden lanes clogged with traffic and crowds. Little booth-like shops, mud hovels, and soot-stained, unpainted, crumbling houses, many of them several centuries old, line the streets. Mule-drawn carts trundle past, bearing enormous loads

of vegetables, fruits, bread, and meat. In dingy roadside cafes, men in Western dress and in the traditional Egyptian gown-like gelabiya, smoke shishas or hubble-bubbles, play backgammon, and watch football on giant television sets.

Impoverished children pick through pyramid-like heaps of garbage. There are numerous enormous centuries-old structures around that were once functioning mansions, madrasas or Islamic schools, shrines, and sabils or public water fountains, but many of them in a state of considerable ruin and neglect and groan under thick layers of rubbish.At the centre of the Old City is the massive Khan-e Khalili bazaar, which dates back to the fourteenth century, with dozens of shops selling Pharaonic

statues, stone sphinxes, enormous wooden prayer-beads, camel-leather cushions, ornate glass lamps, brassware and jewellery, embroidered pieces of Islamic calligraphy, the usual Chinese-made knick-knacks that are now almost

universal, and diaphanous belly-dance costumes in shocking electric hues. Little eateries, surrounded by lakes of garbage, do brisk business, selling mint tea, kababs, ful (spiced beans floating in olive oil) and kosheri—spaghetti with spicy tomato sauce and onions.Deep into the confusing nest of lanes in the vicinity is the Tentmakers’ Bazaar, on Al-Muiz Street, which must not be missed, where, in dozens of little stalls, men churn out leather tents, boots, felt caps, and patchwork embroidery

depicting Pharaonic themes and scenes from daily Egyptian life. Nearby, is what is said to be the world’s oldest university. Al-Azhar was set up as a mosque and centre for Islamic learning in the tenth century by the Fatimis, a branch of the Shia

Muslims, who then ruled Egypt. An ornate entrance gate leads into the massive courtyard of the Al-Azhar mosque, whose inner hall is richly decorated with delicate Arabic inscriptions that are carved into the walls, and enormous brass lamps. Not far from Al-Azhar is the City of the Dead—thousands of graves, built like houses, inside which the poorest of Cairo’s poor live, along with their long-deceased ancestors. Cairo’s Citadel is one of its major tourist attractions. It is a sprawling structure, built

on a giant promontory, which commands a fabulous view of the chaos of the Old City that spreads out below. It was built by Salahuddin Ayyubi, the twelfth century Albanian warrior who is credited with having defeated the Crusaders. A walking distance away is the Al-Ghouriya, an ancient structure now reconstructed to host cultural performances, mostly free of cost. Egypt was, in pre-Islamic times, a major centre of Christianity, and Jesus’ parents are said to have brought him to the country as a child to escape being killed by the tyrant Herod. They are said to have stayed in Egypt for three years. Today, hardly a tenth of Egypt’s population are Christians, mostly members of the Orthodox Coptic Church. Many of the former residents of the area have apparently migrated to America. The quarter, which is distinctly less filthy than the rest of the Old City, hosts seven ancient churches. Many of these resemble mosques, with their domes, beautiful mother of pearl inlay work on their doors, exquisite carpets, intricate friezes ornately decorated with Arabic calligraphy—verses from the Bible—and inscriptions in Arabic, besides Coptic and Greek. Gilded portraits of Jesus and

Cairo: Beyond the Pyramids

ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 26gloBAl AffAirs

Corruption Perception Index

India Improves its RatingPak, Saudi Arabia, Russia further slid on the ratings.

There is some good news on corruption front for us, Indians. India is placed at 90th place among the 176 countries ranked in 2012 Corruption Perception Index by Berlin based Transparency International. Last year we were placed on 95th place. Pakistan has slid from 134 to 139th place.

Even the Salafist paradise, Saudi Arabia has grown more corrupt, coming down on the Transparency’s list from 57th last year to 66th position this year.Corruption’s rapacious hold over the societies is nowhere loosening. The United States has improved itself by moving up from 24 to 19 but the United Kingdom has slid from 16th to 17th place. Two-thirds of the 176 countries ranked in 2012 index score below 50, on a scale from zero (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean). How are they placed? Denmark, Finland and New Zealand are the least corrupt scoring 90 of the 100 marks. But on the other extreme, Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia are the most corrupt with virtually no accountability of the administration. Besides Denmark, Finland and New Zealand, other countries that occupy the top ten ranks are: 4-Sweden, 5-Singapore,

6-Switzerland, 7-Austria, 8-Norway, 9-Canada, 10-Netherlands. Where do other important countries stand? Germany is at 13, Japan at 17, UK 17, USA 19, France 22, South Korea at 45, South Africa 69, China 80, India 94,

and Russia 133. Where do the Muslim countries figure? Qatar and the UAE share 27th place with some other countries. Oil rich Brunei stands at 46. Bahrain is placed 53rd. Malaysia and Turkey share the 54th place. Jordan is at 68. Holy Saudi Arabia shares 66th ranks with Jordan and Romania. Emerging from revolution Tunisia takes the 75th place. Algeria is 105 on the list. Egypt and Indonesia tie for 118th place. Iran and Kazakhstan vie for 133rd place with Russia. Pakistan comes 139th and stands with Nepal and Nigeria. Poverty-ridden Bangladesh takes the 144th place. Embattled Syria should be naturally down and is placed 144th. Iraq 169, Sudan 173, Afghanistan 174, Somalia 174, are some of the most corrupt societies, continue to occupy the bottom. Why Corruption? Corruption happens when politicians place their own interest above the public’s. Corruption does not happen by way of pushing envelopes with money under the table alone. It happens in myriad ways. All decisions that benefit some individuals or sections of people or rulers and contravene the rules of justice and fair play, are included in corruption. Top ten countries that are least corrupt1-Denmark, 2-Finland, 3-New Zealand, 4-Sweden, 5-Singapore, 6-Switzerland, 7-Austria, 8-Norway, 9-Canada, 10-Netherlands.

Where do other important countries stand? Germany at 13, Japan and the UK at 17, USA 19, France 22, South Korea at 45, South Africa 69, Bosnia 72, China 80, India 94, Russia 133.Transparency International is the global civil society organization leading the fight against corruption. It arouses consciousness through mobilization of campaign through 90 chapters worldwide.

Says Huguette Labelle, Chairman, Transparency International: “We must ensure that there are real consequences to corruption. ‘No to impunity’ cannot just be a slogan – it must be carried out with all our combined strength and inspire citizens to speak up and to no longer tolerate corruption.”The Corruption Perceptions Index forces governments around the world to take notice of corruption – their country’s score reflects on them. But recognising the problem is only the first step towards a solution. It is one reason, the

Transparency International demands accountability from the leaders of the countries ranked in the index.

(Information for the above article was extracted from http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2012/in_detail/#myAnchor3)


Madrasa Ashraful BanathIt is very necessary to establish Madrasas for girls, because, for the child, the mother is the basic pillar of existence.

Almighty Allah has given us countless blessings. The greatest blessing which He has given is that he has sent Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to teach us knowledge and wisdom and cleanse our hearts to help us to distinguish between truth and falsehood, that which is permitted and that which is prohibited, good and evil to spread good manners all around, to drive us towards success and progress, to educate and discipline us.In this age, Madrasas are very important, just as we need a power house to get electric current, we need Madrasas to teach religious knowledge. They bring back to life, lifeless, barren humanity. They are the unconquerable forts of our religion. It is very necessary to establish Madrasas, especially for girls, because, for the child, the mother is the basic pillar of his or her existence. To educate her is the

same as educating her family circle. Immorality and indecency are on the rise, and lessons of modesty and decency should be taught to the people. Today’s woman is not aware

of her purpose in life. She can

be made aware only through the teachings in the Quran and the Hadith.Keeping this need in view, the NGS

Madrasa Ashraful Banath has been established through the untiring efforts of the benefactor of the community, Haji Sayeed Munaver, and for which, the help and advice of wise and learned scholars has been taken.

Arrangement has been made for studies in worldly and religious subjects in a pleasant and peaceful environment, and the students

have been provided with the basic facilities in this regard. By the grace of Almighty Allah, this institution has gained within a short span of time (it was established in September 2012), acceptance among the people. The beneficial effects after the establishment of the Madrasa are being slowly realized. All this is due to the grace and blessings of Almighty Allah for which we are very thankful to Him and praise Him. We pray to Almighty Allah to give the strength to every generous person to establish such Madrasas.There are at present, 60 students on the rolls, with two Muallims and six Muallimas. In addition, there are 6 staff members to take care of the various needs of the Madrasa. The courses offered include the following : Ibtadayah Oola and Sania, Arabic Awwal, Duwum and Siwum, Alima, Tarbeyati Course. From time to time, prominent Ulema come to the Madrasa and

give sermons.A large building of the Madrasa with all the facilities has been constructed on a land measuring about 2 ½ acres. A mosque has been established. This is a great boon for Muslim families of the surrounding area. Girls who are residing in the area come to the Madrasa to learn, and go back home, while for those who come from places that are far away, boarding and lodging is provided. We wish to bring up the Madrasa upto international standards.The Founder Secretary of NGS Madrasa Ashraful Banath and the NGS Group of Institutions, had made all facilities to make the students and staff feel comfortable.Address: Madrasa Ashraful Bannat, No. 22-28, Vajramani Temple Road, Taleghattapura, Kanakapura Road, Bangalore-62. Cell: Yousuf Nadve: 09242213234, Sayeed Munaver, Secretary: 09845043275, 09844443275.

AdvertoriAl

Karnataka State Hajj Committee

Tireless Team WorkHajj 2013 will be here in a few months, and Chairman of the Karnataka State Hajj Committee,

M.M. Ahmed, is all set to offer the best facilities to the pilgrims, one of them being the new Hajj Ghar.By A Staff Writer

The Hajj pilgrimage is a journey of a lifetime and pilgrims will never forget their experiences during their journey and the complete picture remains ingrained in their memory forever. Making arrangements for the authorities in charge of the pilgrimage affairs, is not an easy task. While some choose the private Hajj operators in India, others may opt to travel through the Hajj Committees of their States.The Karnataka State Hajj Committee is getting all set, making preparations for Hajj 2013. Chairman of the Karnataka State Hajj Committee, M.M. Ahmed who was unanimously elected in August 2012, as chairman, spoke to Islamic Voice on issues related to Hajj and his own efforts to make the procedure of the journey trouble-free for the pilgrims.Modest and soft-spoken, M.M. Ahmed has been working at the

grass-root level since the time he opted to do few diplomas. “ I did not go to universities for any higher studies as I thought I would make my career in the Gulf,” he says.He began working in the Steel market in Bangalore, running his own business, Danish Steels. Through sheer hard work, he won the dealership of Steel Authority of India and he dropped his plans to work in the Gulf.Ahmed used to always associate himself with social work and gained reputation as hard-working and sincere over the years. “ I owe so much to my parents as they imbibed the values of honesty in me,” says Ahmed.As chairman of the Hajj Committee, his work constitutes 24 hours, seven days a week, especially during the Hajj season. “ In 2012, over 7000 pilgrims from Karnataka performed the Hajj through the Committee, embarking from Bangalore,

Mangalore, Goa and Hyderabad, flying direct to Jeddah in Saudi Airlines and Air India,” he says. Throwing light on the Hajj Camp set up in Bangalore prior to the departure, Ahmed says that without the help of the volunteers, the Hajj Camp would just not have been such a huge success.The pilgrims who arrive at the Hajj Camp are provided all meals free of charge, all facilities from wash rooms, drinking water to medical care, is also taken care of very carefully.Giving hundred percent credit to the volunteer organizations and individuals too, who have offered their services without charging a single rupee during Hajj Camp, Ahmed says that the Shamiana for the Camp has been provided by Amanullah and Sons for over more than 16 years. Even the AC Volvo buses which transport the pilgrims to the airport from the Camp has

been organized by National Travels, again without any price tag.“ But I am not at all happy with the quality of service of the Khadims who are appointed by the Hajj Committee of India who are sent here to travel with the pilgrims. They do not give us any feedback and moreover, they do not take charge of the pilgrims, half the time they are doing their own thing and not worried about the fact that they should take care of the pilgrims. Once they reach Jeddah and the cities of Makkah and Madinah, pilgrims lose touch with the Khadims who are supposed to take care of the needs of the pilgrims,” says Ahmed.Despite some ups and downs, Ahmed says that the Hajj Committee is always at the service of the pilgrims and many memorable moments that occur during the Hajj season are

unforgettable.“From going to the airport to see off the pilgrims and then again to

receive them back in India after the Hajj are emotional moments”, he says.In a few months time, Hajj 2013 will be here and Ahmed says that the Hajj Ghar in Hegdenagar in Bangalore is getting ready. Being built at a cost of Rs 45 crores, the Hajj Ghar can accommodate

over 700 pilgrims. “ We will get another 4 crores from the Central Hajj Committee for this purpose,” he confirms.Hoping that in 2013, the number of pilgrims from Karnataka will be around 10, 000, Ahmed is of the view that such a big task as making arrangements for the pilgrims is indeed team work and he generously is all praise for all those who work to make it a success during the Hajj season. n

M.M. Ahmed


An Awesome Workshop for Today’s Generation

The Discover Yourself Workshop was held on December 14, 15 and 16, 2012 at Mesco Education Society’s Crescent English High School.

Organised by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Mumbra, Maharastra. Over 300 Jamaat members and their families from all the Districts of Maharasrta participated in this

Workshop. Some of the participants share their experiences after the Workshop.

v The workshop is awesome, valuable and full of learning.

vA miracle that changed my entire life forever.

v A golden opportunity, excellent and commendable.

v It helped me to become a good human being.

v It took me out of my own world and brought me into Allah’s world.

v I am feeling free from the tensions and burdens which I was carrying from the past few years.

v A golden opportunity, such workshops should be organised in each district.

v The workshop proved significant for social, spiritual and institutional management and progress.

v It helped me to change myself, my ego, my anger, my decision to accept reality.

v I came to know how to fight the negativity inside me.

v The workshop is a good way to change people’s mindset.

v It helped me to remove all my negative thoughts.v It changed my entire life, as I was fully disturbed.v It changed my point of view and cleansed my

thinking.v It is a golden opportunity and no one should miss

this workshop.v Each one can find something precious for him.v I am flying in the air; I was not able to lift my

weight.v Excellent work with Islamic touch.v Marvellous work, most needed by humanity.

AMIR: I used to be a perfectionist and used to ensure I made my point of view implemented as I considered that my point of view was logical, scientific and religious, but now I will see from the perspective of reality in everything. It is too short to see the responses from my family, but Alhamdulillah, I feel tremendous change in our relations. I can see peace and tranquility and lots of love in the family. Now I am willing to give up my perfectionist attitude.

AFROZA: Before the workshop, everything in my life was happening by itself, without my participation and interest unconsciously, but now after attending this workshop, I am doing each and every activity of my life using the tools I learnt from the workshop consciously. I removed from my heart all the burdens of jealousy, nervousness about my friends and relatives. Now, I am restarting from zero to achieve 100%. I am giving up my ego, procrastination and my attitude of taking life easily without caring to perform and live my each second of life happily.

MASOOD: I was hanging 100% in the past and was making decisions of my future on that basis. Anger, hate and jealousy were my daily tonic. Many times I cut my hand because of hatred towards my family. But now inshallah, the new dawn will arise in my life with lots of happiness and peace.

GULSHAN: When I went home on the second day of the workshop, my ten year old daughter brought her bag for home work. I also sat near her and embraced her with love. She was looking again and again, in wonder she said , it is you or another mum. Now I will not be angry with my children if they are not studying well, I will tell them calmly. I am feeling relaxed and have peace of mind. I will begin a new life with family, friends’ neighbours and all.

Jazakallah Br. Sadathullah.

AHMED: It is a life changing experience. I was also considering my father as an old man having very old thoughts, but now I am looking at him as handsome, intelligent and a very advanced man.

ZUBAIR: I read so many books on personality development written by western scholars, but this is the first time, I attended a seminar on personality development with an Islamic touch. I request you to please continue and write a book on this topic.

IMRAN: My life was full of stress and agitation. My burden has reduced. I gained knowledge and tips on controlling my ego and improving my family

relations with spouse, parents and upbringing my children.

IKRAM: I have attended this programme with my son. Thanks to Allah who gave us an opportunity to attend this workshop with my son. It is an excellent workshop. There is a feeling of excitement and contentment. It is very useful for everyone. My son also appreciated this workshop very much. I wish he will be a good human being. This type of workshop is needed today because everyone is egoistic.

TOUFIQ: My life was heading on the path of ego, satan and negativity. Now I have determined to walk on the path of the Divine (Allah), positivity and demolish my ego. I found the workshop very beneficial, useful and the presentation was very effective.

MUNAWAR: I was an egoistic person and became very angry due to trivial matters. But after this workshop, I have become a calm person and learned how to control my ego and anger. I learned how to forgive people and now I can make correct decisions. It is an awesome workshop for today’s generation and should be conducted regularly in our community.

MIRZA: I was emotionally disturbed. I came here just be away from my house. But when I attended the workshop, it totally

changed my life. I am very happy and now I am enjoying my life. I got the power and I can do anything and everything is possible. May Allah give you success in your endeavour.

LUBNA: This workshop was beneficial to me and helped me to understand that carrying tensions, pressure or load of criticism in our head gives nothing, but avoiding it gives a lot of peace, relaxation, consciousness and responsiveness. My husband felt that I am now patient and think before I accept criticism.

life & relAtionships

Discover Yourself Workshop Schedulein Page No. 24

ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 29AdvertiseMent

ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 30CHILDREN'S CORNER

By Yoginder Sikand

Bin fancied himself to be the luckiest baby goat in the world. He lived with a farmer and his family. The farmer pampered Bin almost as much as he did his own children. Bin had a corner of the living room all to himself, where he slept on a soft mattress made of feathers. Unlike other goats, he didn’t have to wander about in search of food. The farmer’s wife served him a giant bowl of porridge, made of greens and sprouted wheat mixed with honey, three times a day. She was, Bin thought, the best cook in the world!No other baby goat ever enjoyed such luxury as he did, Bin knew, and for that he was grateful. All day, he lazed around, nibbling at the bushes and playing hide-and-seek with the farmer’s children. The farmer’s wife had given him a big brass bell for his first birthday, and he was very fond of it. ‘Ting-tong! Ting-tong!’ the bell merrily sang as Bin trotted about having great fun.

But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. One day, the farmer stomped into the living room, where Bin was fast asleep. He yanked off the blanket that covered Bin and, grabbing Bin by his legs, he stuffed him into a sack. You can’t imagine how frightened poor Bin was. The farmer had never behaved like that before.The farmer swung the sack on his back and, stepping out into the yard, fastened it to the carrier of his bicycle. Poor Bin! The sack landed with a thud on the carrier, and Bin yelped in pain. The mouth of sack was tightly tied, and Bin could hardly breathe through the little hole in the sack that the farmer had made for him to stick his nose out of.The farmer jumped onto the cycle and hurriedly pedaled away, singing a song to himself: ‘Bin’s going to the butcher and I’m going to become richer! Ha ha ha!’Bin was scared out of his wits. The farmer and his wife, he had always thought, loved him like their own child, but now it seemed

this was not the case at all. He had been fed special food for so many days just to fatten him up so that he could fetch the farmer a big sum of money when he sold him to the butcher. ‘I thought the farmer loved me, but now I know that he loves only the money that I’ll fetch him,’ Bin sobbed.In a short while, the farmer arrived at the butcher’s shop. He parked his bicycle outside and went in to discuss with the butcher how much he would pay him for Bin.‘I’ve got the chubbiest baby goat you’ve ever seen,’ Bin heard the farmer proudly tell the butcher. ‘You better pay me well for this heavy hunk of meat.’Bin feared his end had arrived. Now, in times of danger, people sometimes do what they would otherwise consider impossible, and that’s what Bin did. He had recently sprouted a pair of sharp horns, but, till then, had no idea what to do with them. They were quite useless, he had thought, but now they came into good use. He butted into the sack with his little horns, pushing his head this way and that till it almost fell off. In a short while, he had made a giant tear in the sack, through which he managed to leap out.‘Hurrah!’ he exclaimed.As you can imagine, Bin was really upset with the farmer for having deceived him. And so, to teach the farmer a lesson, he put his little horns to good use again, drilling a massive hole in the tyres of the farmer’s bicycle. ‘That will serve that horrible fellow right,’ he chuckled. ‘He won’t dare cheat

innocent animals again.’Then, filled with a sudden burst of energy and amazed at himself for being so clever as to foil the farmer’s nasty plans, Bin took to his feet, running away as fast as he could into the nearby

woods where no human beings dared to enter, knowing that there he would be safe from greedy people like the farmer who pretended to love animals but only used them to make money. n

Bin, the Clever Baby Goat

ISLAMIC VOICE, January 2013 31CHILDREN'S CORNER

Why are the forests necessary for our environment?

Forests are like lungs for the environment. But there is a difference between human lungs and them. We take oxygen and give out carbon dioxide. The trees consume the carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. Thus, they replenish the oxygen being consumed by the human population.If the forests are cut down, there will be no natural source to compensate the supply the oxygen.The rainforests are also essential for our climate control. They gather moisture and release a part of it in the atmosphere and thereby control the movement of air masses.Rainforests cover only 6% of the earth’s surface. But they are home to nearly half the species of the plants and animals found on the earth. If these forests are lost, the damage to plant and animal life will be unimaginable.

BAOBAB TREE Baobab Trees presents a very strange sight. Its trunk is usually very huge and looks bloated from whichever angle you look at it. It is most found in sub-Saharan dry grasslands of Africa. It could also been seen in central India, mainly in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

The tree stores huge amount of water in the thick, spongy matter of its stem. In the rainy season, it can take almost suck 140,000 litres of water. Elephants damage these trees for their water reserve. They scrape out the bark of the tree with their huge tusks and pull out the water-rich tissues of the stem and suck it dry. Sometimes its trunk gets hollowed out in the middle and could be almost as huge as a room. One such tree could be seen in the Golconda Fort complex near Hyderabad. Monkeys are very fond of fruits of Baobab tree.

HOW IS GLASS MANUFACTURED?Glass is made by fine powder of lime, soda and quartz sand. These material are first pounded and then mixed with another. The mixture is melted in a furnace at 1600 degree Celsius. The molten glass is then cooled to 1000 degree Celsius. It can be shaped into sheets, cakes, cubes or rolls. The used glass which we three into the wastebins, can also be collected and melted to manufacture fresh glass and glass objects.

LAKES IN SAHARA DESERTSIf you look at the map of Libya, it is a vast sandy country with most cities located on the Mediterranean coast. A string of lakes have been found in the southern region of Libya in the Sahara deserts. There are 20 such lakes in the Sand Sea of Fezzan. These are hidden behind the huge sand dunes. Among them Ummul Maa and Gaberoun lakes are most picturesque. It is said civilizations existed here in olden age. Now these are tourists sports. These lakes are seven metres to 32 metres in depth and five time saltier than the usual sweet water lakes. Their palm-fringed shores are ideal haunts for tourists.

What is Culture?Culture is all that people have created themselves as opposed to Na-ture which means everything created by God or Allah. Nature has no role for human beings. But Culture evolves over a period of time with people’s habits, values and customs fusing together and taking a distinct shape. It is also evident from the food people eat and the way they dress. For instance, in Iran and Afghanistan, all the members of the family sit around a huge plate and eat from it. It is Iranian culture of eating. Bohra families start their meal by consuming a pinch of salt. This is Bohra custom.

The manner of carrying loads differs from country. For instance, in most of the Hindi belt the children are carried on the waist by women. In the north eastern states of India the small infants are tied in a sheet of cloth on the back of the women. In most of the West African states, peo-ple carry even small things on their head. Even school kids carry their books on the head. All such habits and customs are parts of culture. Music, language, singing, sculpting, painting, cooking and style of cel-ebrations are part of culture. Culture of one place or country differs from the other place or country.

DO YOU KNOW?l Between 1788 and 1868, England sent 160,000 convicts to its colony in Australia. But beware! When in Australia, never tell the native Aus-tralians that their ancestors were convicts from Britain. l Origin of Liberia: Some American opponents of slavery bought land in 1822 in Africa, so that they could settle down the slaves released ear-lier there. Liberia—the name derived from Latin ‘Liber’ for ‘free’—became republic in 1847.l The name of the city of Cologne is derived from the Latin word ‘colonia’ in German and it means ‘colony’.

l Charles Lindbergh, an American was the first person to make solo flight over the Atlantic on May 20, 1930. He became a great hero. His clothes were stolen from the laundry and cheques issued by him would nev-er be encashed as people would like to preserve his signature.

Toilet within Baobab tree trunk Bottle-shaped Baobab tree

8-in-10 people identify with religious faith

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