No extraordinary news

The news is not big or extraordinary; it is a common one that the parents of a girl student of an English school in Assam, the management of which ordered her not to use headscarf, have moved the High Court against the management. The mother of the child, Mrs. Ali Ahmed wants the management to have elasticity in its dress code so that Muslim girl students might follow their Islamic values. She says that hers is a traditional Muslim family wherein hijab or scarf is a must for girls. On the other hand, the principal of the school Fr. Joseph Varghese’s argument is that the parents of girl students are briefed about the dress code at the time of admission and they agree to it in writing at the time of filling in the form; so there is no question of elasticity in the dress code (The Hindu, 18 April). This Catholic Mission school named Christo Jyoti is situated in Gola Ghat district of Upper Assam. According to Jyanta Kumar, counsel of Mrs. Ali Ahmed, it was the class teacher who on 21 March objected to the scarf of the girl, Fatima; then the management issued the notice and he filed a writ petition on behalf of Mrs. Ali Ahmed on 8 April.

Distinction of the community
The news is not extraordinary because Muslim girls have to face this difficulty in numerous educational institutions from time to time – somewhere lightly while at some other places in a rigid manner, sometimes with reference to the code devised by the management while somewhere else as a result of bias and narrow-mindedness. Adult girls face this difficulty in a somewhat intense way.  But they and their guardians face the situation anyhow. It has also been seen that sometimes parents of girls do not insist on hijab or scarf for the sake of education but girls themselves insist. The interesting aspect of the issue under discussion is that this child Fatima is only four years old and studies in Nursery and the parents of this little girl insist so much on the scarf of the girl that they moved the High Court and that too in Assam where troubles of sorts are being created for Muslims. And it is this distinction of the Islamic community which has kept it live with its identity. None can deny that a large section of Indian Muslims is non-practicing and a section of them also evil-doers. There is no moral evil that is not present in some section of Muslims or the other in some degree or the other, which is harming the Ummah greatly.

But it is also a fact
But it is also a fact that this Ummah as a whole is not willing to surrender its faith and Islamic values, nor had it been earlier. The bout of riots after the partition of India was no mere bout, then there were other trials to haunt them. Many trials are present even today; the biggest trial is the attempt to demonize the entire community by putting the label of terrorism on it. But this community is facing all these trials without any strong, effective and united leadership. – How great a boon the community can be for the country can be envisioned if the entire community turns practicing. Despite being a small news item, this news from Assam is very big in view of its content and represents the sense of honor and dignity of the Ummah. Reports of this kind do come, somewhere insistence of a youth to sport beard in some government or non-government offices, demand for facility for Salat within the provisions and somewhere refusal to take part in some haram and un-Islamic act. Ease-loving Muslims would not like such things, but those who want to live on this earth with their Islamic identity do understand the importance of such developments. 

25/04/13 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Abu Yusuf

When the news came from Boston

No sooner had I heard the news in the evening of 15 April that three persons died and over 150 were injured in two bomb blasts at the Marathon race in the American city of Boston the entire scenario expected in the next three days whirled in the imagination – what is to take place now, whom the accusing finger would point to, what the needle of suspicion nay “certainty” would tell, how a mountain would be made out of a molehill, how the media of America and its old allies and new faithfuls would cry, how sensational reports and provocative commentaries would be telecast on channels, how page after page in newspapers would be filled with its detailed coverage, how those stories that might have been scripted beforehand would be staged, how America as usual would not name anyone during the first few hours and tell the world later on whose handiwork it was, however its blind yes-men the world over would start telling the world right from the beginning that it was the handiwork of “Islamic” terrorists. And this entire imagination proved true, came to the fore as an absolute matter of fact. Indian media played its traditional role quite obediently.

This hundred too had died the same day
This hue and cry had to be made on the death of three persons in America because America is the super power of the time (we too feel sorry for these deaths and have sympathy for those injured). But the same day a total of one hundred persons were killed in three Muslim countries in the same way; its brief news could be seen only after hunting for it somewhere; why would anyone feel sorry and have sympathy for them, for this is the Muslim blood which had been spilling continuously and the spillers are America, Israel and their allies. – Even after you take it for a while as a blame or conjecture that no one can deny the Satanic drone attacks on the Pak-Afghan border areas. These attacks are being made on the pretext of destroying the hideouts of terrorists but innocent citizens including women and infants are being killed therein. – But even if we talk about Boston alone keeping aside these attacks for a while, how a gentle and justice-loving person would come to believe that the blasts had been carried out by none but Muslims. Can’t this be the handiwork of the enemies of Muslims? Our belief as usual is that like 9/11 this is the handiwork of CIA and Mossad.

And this blast at Bangalore
Only 48 hours would have passed since the mischief at Boston, and the Indian media’s cry over it was getting mild that the Indian reporters got a fresh lease. In the morning of 17 April there was a blast in front of the BJP office in Bangalore; 17 were injured. Like that in Boston, this blast was mysterious – it is not known who did it and why. But what had the Indian media to do with this question? Its arrows and spears had been ready as usual; therefore with the breaking of the news they quite brazenly started throwing them to the so-called Muslim groups, although police and secret agencies were silent in the first few hours. The channels kept on parroting the story for the whole night of 17 April; in the morning of 18 April newspapers came with sensational stories. None of the channels and newspapers raised any question; all believed that it was the handiwork of some “Muslim” terrorist group. Although an RSS activist was killed while carrying bombs on a bike in Kerala on 9 April. The situation is very much alarming. We have no knowledge of the political leadership of Muslims; however Muslim scholars should discover whether the conscience here is dead; if the trace of life is felt, they should knock at the hearts.

22/04/13 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Abu Yusuf

Fresh banality from Jaipur

The news that the Government of Rajasthan would not give awards to the sportspersons having association with R.S.S or Jamaat-e-Islami Hind must have been read with delight among the circles having interest in pleasantries and riddles. If a winner wants to receive the award, he has to sign a formal affidavit saying that he has no association with any of these two organizations. State Sports Council made an announcement of this interesting decision of the State government when it had to distribute cash awards among the sportspersons on 12 April. Prior to the distribution ceremony, the chairman of the council asked the sportspersons, who had reached there to receive the awards, to sign the affidavit. The council also revealed that it was no new decision rather it has been in vogue since 1986. It is natural that this absurd decision had to be condemned. Therefore, besides R.S.S, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and their sister organizations, sincere citizens objected to and criticized it but the Sports Minister of the State said that the Sports Council must follow the regulations.

Poll gimmicks
It is said that the Congress government of the State is preparing for the assembly elections scheduled to be held towards the end of this year. Its main rival in the State is BJP. And it wants to defeat it on this front. But the question is wherefrom and why it dragged Jamaat-e-Islami Hind in this matter. The history of the last 60 years gives its reply that this is the old bad habit of Congressmen. They do not have the guts to defeat the Sangh ideology and activities. Before speaking against RSS, they decide to include some Muslim organization and in this regard the name of the Jamaat has been always easy for them. In the present scenario in Rajasthan it can be said that Jamaat too is trying to exert its influence on the political process over there and can emerge as a powerful force there; but the Congressmen have tried to bracket the Jamaat with R.S.S when the latter had been contesting for Bharatiya Jana Sangh and the Jamaat had no inkling of electoral politics. These people cannot muster the courage to call the culprits guilty unless they drag along innocents too.

This history is old
And the history of this injustice is old. In the early 1970s there was a strong movement led by Jai Prakash Narain against Indira Gandhi and her government and Bharatiya Jana Sangh (R.S.S) was with it. When, to curb the movement, the government decided to impose Emergency in 1975 and ban the Sangh, it dragged the Jamaat too while the Jamaat had nothing to do with that movement. Similarly, when in December 1992 the Narasimha Rao government imposed ban on R.S.S for demolishing Babri Masjid, they took it necessary to drag the organization which was supporting the cause of peaceful solution to the issue. And this was because they could not muster the courage to call the demolishers guilty. Famous leader of Congress and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Digvijay Singh do speak openly against R.S.S, and even today, but there was a time when he used not to forget to bracket the Jamaat with R.S.S even due to forgetfulness. This bad habit of his has been on decrease for some years, but even today while fighting the Sangh he attacks the Jamaat. On this fresh mischief in Rajasthan the Congressmen in the state should be asked as to when maturity would prevail upon them.  

19/04/13 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Abu Yusuf

Whose voice is this?

“Beware of the dangers of feminism. The “propaganda that encourages women to take roles beyond housekeeping and rearing children is condemnable. I find very dangerous this phenomenon, which is called feminism….. Feminist organizations proclaim a pseudo-freedom of women that should in the first place be manifested outside marriage and outside the family…. Man turns his sight outward, he should work, make money. While a woman is always focused inwards towards her children, her home.” If this is taken as usual, this seems to be a preaching of a traditional Muslim preacher or then that of some Hindu swami; but these are the views of the greatest and most influential Russian Patriarch Kirill. He expressed these views while addressing a large gathering on 9 April. (The Asian Age, 11 April). This speech of Patriarch was posted on the official Russian Orthodox Church website the next day viz. 10 April.

This is the same Russia
And this is the same Russia which, as the biggest part of the Soviet Union, kept on curbing religion for 65 years. Being the standard-bearer of Marxist way of life, there was also not much importance of weddings in Russia though the family system was not totally disintegrated. Now after the disintegration of the Soviet Republics, religion is coming back to the collective life over there. The big chunk of Russian population is Christian; and as in other Christian countries, there are many sects of Christianity there too. The biggest sect is Orthodox and is different from the Christianity in Europe and America. The Christians in Europe and America are Christians only to the extent of attending Sunday services and donating part of their income to the Church; and free in the rest of their life. They have made woman a source of promotion of their businesses and entertainment. The movement of waywardness of woman in the name of feminism emanated from America; and Western Europe adopted it immediately. Earlier too, Eastern Europe had some hesitation in it. Now despite the fall of communism and it having surrendered before American economic system, the Russians have hesitation in adopting American way of life. And these views of the Russian Patriarch express this trend.

Main target of criticism
The details of the speech of the Russian Patriarch can be seen on website. The main target of his criticism is feminism. He has got the inspiration of severe criticism on feminism perhaps from America. A strong group of scholars has come up against American slogans of feminism and new world order in North America and Canada during the last 20 years. The most prominent voice among them is that of Henry Makow, who is a famous conspiracy theorist and runs his website henrymakow.com. His research is that there is Zionism behind feminism and new world order. He has many books and hundreds of pages on his website on the subject. The opinions of many other renowned intellectuals besides Makow are available on his website. The restlessness against feminism viz. sexual exploitation of women is increasing even in Europe. Therefore, many groups of women themselves have become active against it in Britain. It is evident that the Russian Patriarch has expressed these views with reference to Christianity. Other intellectuals and women groups have been speaking against feminism after their respective studies and observations. But the fact remains that these sections are talking about Islam’s code of ethics, unconsciously though. Muslim intellectuals should study this trend deeply.

16/04/13 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Abu Yusuf

“A dangerous connivance”

This is the headline of an opinion article in the English daily The Hindu of 6 April; the writer is Garga Chatterjee. The subject of the commentary is the Bangladesh scenario. The central point is that the Muslims in West Bengal are staging large protests against the verdicts pronounced in the cases against “war criminals” of 1971 in Bangladesh; they are staging demonstrations in favour of “war criminals”. And the government and all political parties in the state are maintaining total silence at this dangerous situation. This commentary strongly supports the cases of the so-called ‘war crimes’ tribunal against supposed war criminals of Bangladesh, the government dramas at Shahbagh, and the government atrocities and excesses against the leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and other opposition parties. It also levels all possible charges like killings, rapes, demolishing temples and attacking Hindus against Jamaat leaders in the pretext of war crimes. This article also makes the heinous attempt to instigate the state government, political parties and the non-Muslim population on the basis of the extraordinary protest marches staged in Kolkata on 30 March against the oppressive government of Bangladesh and in support of the victims.
This aspect is meaningful
As is usually seen in a big case related to Islam and the Muslim Ummah, the entire national and international media is all out to curb the ground realities in Bangladesh and to spread the misstatements of the government there; media reporters, editors, analysts and selected participants of debates and discussions are active in support of the oppressive government there and the lies of the war crimes tribunal. But it is a matter of surprise that this time even the analyst (Kuldip Nayar) who usually makes neutral commentaries on events and developments, and the magazine (Tehelka) that is famous for bringing realities to the fore are also participating therein. The more meaningful is that even those who do not belong directly to media, but to other fields, are active in this work. Garga Chatterjee belongs to a technology institute. An analysis reveals that most of them are Bengali Brahmins. Their imprint can be seen in the print and electronic media of West Bengal. There is no reporting in the Indian media; or if there is, it is twisted.
Let scholars and intellectuals analyse
Scholars and intellectuals will have to analyse the situation deeply. The Mujib government had declared general amnesty in 1971. The cases of war crimes too had been disposed of. The Hasina government of Awami League had been in the saddles earlier as well. During this entire period this issue had never been raised. Then what is the reason of raising the cases of war crimes after the passage of 42 years in a sudden and extraordinary manner and the entire political mind of India came to the fore in its support? Is it a glimpse of the American campaign on “war on terrorism”, which is indirectly a campaign against Islam and the Ummah? All efforts being made are to ensure that the governance in the eastern neighbour might not be established on Islamic principles, and for this it is necessary to break the force of Islam-loving circles. Exactly the same objective is behind America’s “war on terrorism” viz. to ensure that no such system is established anywhere in the world. Conspiracies are on in places where there are possibilities. The first point of the efforts on the part of Islamic scholars is to create contacts with the ruling class to remove its doubts on the Islamic system of life. Whatever the result be, the demand of Dawah must be fulfilled in any case.

13/04/13 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Abu Yusuf

Who is that secret officer?

The officer of secret agencies of Maharashtra, who drafted the circular which dubs G.I.O. in a negative way as a “jihadi” organization, was either not in his senses while writing or was a fool and ignorant of first rank or one who took the Indians so unwise, illiterate and simpleton that they would take his baseless allegations as gospel truth. Or, he must have held this view at least about those working in police stations. According to the Times of India and some other newspapers, G.I.O. is a “jihadi” organization and is recruiting girls for “jihad”. The man drafting this circular has also “revealed” the methods, adopting which this organization is motivating girls. “The purported aim of this organization is to make more and more Muslim women aware of their religion and the holy Quran.” According to the circular, women “are now attracted towards science. These women (GIO) are trying to ask girls to wear a burqa and study Islam.”

The question of the Times reporter
It is true that the Indian media, with the help of some foreign forces, has created such an air against Islam and practicing Muslims that people usually believe even the crudest lies dished out against them; no one dares to challenge them. Perhaps, thinking all this, the secret officer might have tried to misguide the police stations as well as the public by concocting this lie about the GIO. But it is not so that the Indians have lost every sense of honor and dignity, and given up doing justice totally. This is why the report of the Times of India felt some indignation at this Satanic life of Maharashtra Special Cell. Therefore, he asked the in-charge of secret cell of the branch, Sanjay Shintre “whether there was any case against the GIO in the state or preaching a particular religion constituted any wrongdoing,” Shintre said, “No. But we are monitoring them.” When a delegation of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Maharashtra called on the head of the Branch, Mr. Naval Bajaj, he apologised only the leak of the circular, not the circular itself which according to Bajaj was meant for police stations only.

Whither it suggests
 Although this technique of defaming Islam, the Qur’ān and the Muslim Ummah is not new, this campaign of presenting Islam as a dangerous philosophy of life, the Qur’ān as a book with anti-human teachings, the sacred word of jihad as killing and destruction, and the Muslims as a wicked community is basically a Zionist campaign and has been going on for a long time. It has got accelerated after the so-called “9/11”; but the officer of Maharashtra police who drafted this absurd circular has broken all the records of shamelessness. It is a matter of satisfaction that Muslims took no time to see through this mischief and all the Muslim circles have taken notice of it, for this is an indirect, not direct, attack on Islam and the Qur’ān. GIO has been made a mere target. The Muslim leadership in this country, which consists of the various organisations, institutions and individuals, must see, if it can, through what such a mischief suggests, and to which direction anti-national forces are leading the situation to. These mischiefs are done to test the sense of honour and dignity as well as the power of action of Muslims. – The case of Maharashtra circular should be put up with the Union Home Ministry. 

10/04/13 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Abu Yusuf

When there was much hue and cry in Delhi

When there was a demand being put forward by Delhi in December last with utmost force to give the most stringent punishment to the perpetrators of sexual crimes and enact strong laws for them, European women having declared every kind of prostitution as illegal were demanding forcefully to clamp total ban on it – as if there was only one campaign but the nature was different. Indian campaigners were protesting the commission of the crime with force and coercion only, not with any other means viz. with mutual consent, remuneration, financial gain, any other enticement, coaxing, promise for marriage, or any other such methods; mutual consent was rather being encouraged. Whereas the European women were opposing all these means. – They were saying, “Prostitution is a form of violence, an obstacle to gender equality and an open door for organised crime to develop…. Therefore, procuring sexual intercourse by any means or enticement should be declared a crime. And the women who are in this profession should be taken out of it and rehabilitated.” (BBC Online, 4 December 2012). This campaign is still going on in entire Europe. According to information, its influence is growing day by day.

It’s a famous saying
It’s a famous saying that the fashion which becomes obsolete in the west enters our country with new pomp and show. We Indians allow with much glee the ways of life of which the westerners stand tired. The movement for liberation of women and sexual waywardness emanated from the west; it was basically a conspiracy of the lust of man and interests of businessmen and industrialists, but it was dubbed “women’s rights movement”. Now, when this movement having oppressed the fair sex is reaching its logical end and the western women themselves have raised voice against it, it is entering our land with much desire and gait. Man and women are being given free hand to indulge in sexual waywardness in the name of “live-in relationship”. Teenaged boys and girls are being spurred to go for sexual intimacy with the discussion on age limit for mutual consent; homosexuality is being granted legal sanction. – Let no one understand that the slogans raised after the barbarism perpetrated on a female student in Delhi were a campaign for protection of real honour and dignity of women; but rather what was desired was that no one dares to coerce girls and women; without it do whatever you want to, the government and society will have no objection.

What is the reality of the movement?
This movement against sexual waywardness in European countries is being run by more than two hundred organizations and groups working for women’s rights. The European Women's Lobby (EWL) is the biggest group which is leading the movement. This report of BBC does not make it clear whether this movement is basically against feminism; and when these women want total ban on every kind of procurement for sexual intercourse, what is the alternative before them? However, with the demands of the movement and its tone and temper, it can be imbibed that this is the direction of the movement and sooner or later this movement will stand openly against modern feminism. To it, the only way for sexual satisfaction is marriage. If it is not clear today, it would be later on. – And thus the followers of Islam can assert that the western woman having liberated herself from the lust of men is turning back to her nature and real freedom. However, those related to IT especially the youth should search further on the internet for thoughts and trends as well as activities of EWL and other groups. Exchange of information would also be useful in this regard.

04/04/13 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Abu Yusuf

A sane voice from the Vatican

The new leader of Catholic Christians, Francis is willing to have cordial relations with the religion of Islam. He expressed this desire while delivering his first foreign policy address at the Vatican on 22 March. ‘It is important to intensify dialogue among different religions “particularly dialogue with Islam”.’ (The Times of India, 23 March) This assertion of the new Pope is in a way in accordance with the expectations of the Islamic world. The news and reports on his views and thoughts as well as leanings published since his taking charge of this high post in March last revealed that he is an apt religious leader and that he would review the relationships between Islam and Christianity. That is, like his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI, he would not mar the relations. Therefore, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, had expressed the hope at that time that under the new Pope “the relationship between Islam and Christianity will regain its cordiality and sincere friendship”. O.I.C, Jamia Al Azhar and many Islamic scholars have welcomed the move of the Pope.

The Eminence of the Pope

The eminence of the Pope is the highest position of Catholic Christianity with 1.2 billion following. There is no term fixed for the election of the Pope. The Pope determines the thoughts and trends of the entire Christian world. Therefore, at the time of the election of every Pope, the Islamic world also looks at it with keen interest as to how the new Pope of the Christian world would say about Islam and other religions. In this regard, the last Pope Benedict XVI disappointed them very much. He not only did not name any religion other than Christianity and Judaism in his very first address but also on a later occasion gave the evidence of his narrow-mindedness and ignorance when he uttered blasphemous words about Islam and the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) with reference to some rude Christian ruler of the past. The 8-year regime of Pope Benedict was not good even for Christianity and the Christian world. During this period, moral delinquency, sexual anarchy and many kinds of scandals appeared. The entire Christian world went downward on the moral and religious scale. Attendance in churches diminished. The new Pope Francis has inherited this depravity which he wants to reform.

Good omen for Muslim Ummah

The real name of the new Pope is Jorge Mario Bergoglio. As the Pope, he himself took Francis as his alias. He belongs to the Latin American country Argentina and he is the first non-European Pope in the last one thousand years. He is very simple and soft-spoken as per his temperament and standard of living. – His desire to have a dialogue with Islam is indeed good omen for the Muslim Ummah. – It is still not known as to what he knows about Islam and what his study on Islam is. However, as a cardinal and archbishop, he must have known that Islam takes Jesus Christ as one of the revered Messengers. And that the faith of a Muslim is not complete without accepting him as a Prophet. According to the faith of Muslim Ummah, the Qur’ān is the last book of God which covers the basic teachings of all the previous prophets including Jesus Christ. The new Pope perhaps might also be aware of the opinion of American scholar John L. Esposito that there are more bases of agreement than disagreement between Islam and Christianity. If he initiates a dialogue with the followers of Islam, he would find the Muslim Ummah very much open-hearted and far-sighted, God willing.

01/04/13 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Abu Yusuf