Purpose of the Visit?

When Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his desire recently to come to India to pay a visit to Ajmer Dargah he had no political agenda in the mind. Had there been some politics therein, it would have been only to the extent that cordial relations between the two countries might develop. After initial hesitations, the Government of India agreed to this visit only on this ground. But when Pakistan President reached New Delhi in the morning of Arp 8 and was face to face with the Prime Minister of India, he had to face the havoc of Hafiz Sayeed. Zardari was ready for this only to the extent that before leaving for New Delhi he had sought advice from his officials as to what he would say if this question is raised. Therefore he said it required further discussion. On the other hand, Dr. Manmohan Singh, even unwillingly, wanted to put this question before him; this was his helplessness. Because he is the Prime Minister of the Congress government, which fears Sangh Parivar in this matter. And Sangh Parivar is the representative of the mentality which exerts influence on government policies. Knowledgeable persons know that whosoever is in the saddle at the Centre, it is this mentality that formulates basic policies.

Commentary of a Muslim analyst

It is a matter of somewhat satisfaction that certain independent analysts have seen the purpose of Zardari’s visit exactly in the same way as Zardari described it, viz. developing cordial relations. Saeed Naqvi, a renowned journalist of the English language, has explained it thus: ‘Pakistani President has given a Sufi message by paying a visit to Ajmer Dargah. Asif Ali Zardari’s trip to the dargah of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti must be applauded as this trip has taken place at a time when religious extremism is increasing in both the countries.’ But the gist of Mr. Naqvi’s commentary published in The Hindu (Apr 9) is the same as would please all anti-Islam forces and those who love to see disorder in rank of Muslim Ummah. The first thing is that even to such senior and well-aware journalists Hafiz Saeed and his group Al-Dawa is what the US administration, Government of India and international media try to make the world believe. Then, an attempt has been also made in this article to present Sufism, Khanquahism and Wahdat ul Wajood (oneness of Being) as “true” and “real” Islam by declaring the Islam based on the Qur’ān and Sunnah and the Seerah of the Holy Prophet as Salfism, Wahabism, Deobandism, extremism and narrow-minded.

America also wants this

And of course America wants this. After the 9/11 drama, the strategy it has devised to counter the Islamic faith includes, besides conspiracies and countless tactics, disenchanting the Muslim Ummah from Islam by promoting Sufism, Khanquahism and Wahdat ul Wajood. The American media has been out to promote this view continuously. In America itself institutions are being set up for this purpose. – Then, would it be quite wrong to say that our own men of letters and analysts are also influenced by the propaganda unconsciously, if not consciously? However it is expected of sincere analysts like Saeed Naqvi that in the situation when the Muslim Ummah is at face with great crisis they would bring the truth in the limelight after research and investigation. – And so far as Hafiz Saeed is concerned, as per our information he is a religious missionary and his group Al-Dawa is working for Dawah and Tableegh and service to humanity in Pakistan; he says that he has nothing to do even with Lashkar-e-Taiba. (Indian Express, Apr 6) He says he is quite disconnected with 6/11 and condemns this event.

Believing in propaganda doesn’t be hove Muslims

But, if armed jihad is included in the group of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, it is the work of Pakistani Ulema to see to it if it really is then in what form, what is its probability in the eye of Shari’ah, (and) whether it is beyond the limitations of Shari’ah. A Muslim can never believe that a group working for Islamic cause can kill the innocent, children, women, elderly persons, the sick, weak and armless. In fact, this is a very deep conspiracy to defame Islam, Islamic injunctions and Islamic terminologies. We Indian Muslims have no direct relation with Pakistani politics and the events taking place over there. We are concerned only to the extent that under the pretext of opposing Pakistan and Pakistani groups efforts are being made to defame the entire Muslim Ummah and we Indian Muslims are also part of the Ummah. If American dispensation, Government of India or media declares an individual or group as terrorist, one may follow the suit to meet the requirements of false patriotism but our Iman (faith) and the real interest of our country do not permit us to do so without any investigation. Not as a Muslim journalist but as a senior and responsible one, Saeed Naqvi ought to analyse the events and developments.

13/04/12 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Abu Yusuf

What former army chief wants

Former chief of army staff Shankar Roy Chowdhury wants the Government of India to be very much alert and aware of the developments taking place in the Maldives. Because “Islamic fundamentalism” has taken deep roots over there, and Islamic elements had their hands in the dethroning of Nasheed. I.S.I, Al-Qaida and Taleban, with the help of local “jihadi” groups like Al-Shabab, can establish a dangerous Islamic system there. If it so happens, to Gen. Chowdhury, it will create a very dangerous situation for Bharat. Gen. Chowdhury is also amazed and sorrowful that such a big event took place in the neighbourhood of Bharat and the public did not take any notice of it. Former chief of army staff has expressed these views formally in an article published in The Asian Age (Apr 3). The General has also linked the developments in the Maldives to those taking place in certain Arab countries, and said that Bharat has no objection to the change in governments; however the matter of concern is that as a result of these developments very hardcore Islamic ideological systems in the form of Salfism and Wahabism are being formed there.


There is nothing new
There is not a single point in the views of former army chief that has not been heard earlier. This very development in the Maldives three months ago caused a lot of din and bustle in India and it is still heard from time to time. If fact, this article of Shankar Roy Chowdhury is part of that din. But there should be some difference between those who create ruckus as a matter of habit or to meet their professional requirements and the people like Chowdhury. Politicians, diplomats, ruling elite and professional commentators in media speak in line with their well-decided policies, while retired army officers and other government and semi-government officers speak with peace of mind; and if they do not do so, they should. Because retired persons spend much of their time in study and deliberations, they enjoy fresh pleasant air during morning walks in their lawns or public parks every day and (thus) their mind is cool. If earlier they had been somewhat bound to express their views under professional pressure, now they are free. Now they should express their views on the various issues with freedom and responsibility.


What the tone and tenor says
But the tone and tenor of Gen. Shankar Roy Chowdhury does not give the feeling that he has commented on the development in the Maldives after much deliberation and total impartiality. Particularly on Islamic “fundamentalism”. Now it is a question to him whether he has ever made an effort to understand the Religion of Islam, ever got an opportunity to study the Qur’ān, ever studied the holy life of the Prophet of Islam. Where did he get the Islamic system which he is declaring as dangerous and making the Indians afraid thereof? The fact remains that this commentary of former army chief is also dished out with the same sense of prevalent “patriotism” which other irresponsible persons do; further, the source of his knowledge of Islam and Islamic system is the same propaganda which is very much in force in the world and in this country as well. While there should be sincerity, depth, impartiality and argumentative force in the words of responsible persons like Shankar Roy Chowdhury. However it is possible only when the persons and institutions that are undertaking Islamic Dawah in this country help them. Contact with such senior persons in comparison to common people proves more fruitful.

10/04/12 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Abu Yusuf

Strange advice of Justice Katju

Justice (Retd.) Markandey Katju, Chairman of the Press Council of India, has given the young chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav strange advice “to study Chanakya’s principles”. It is as if to advise him to run the affairs of his government in the light of these principles. But in fact he has extended this advice to all. After a meeting with the chief minister the Justice addressed a press conference in Lucknow on Mar 27. He threw light on the administrative situation prevailing in the country, pointed out corruption and inefficiency of officials in government departments, and meanwhile said he had advised Akhilesh to study Chanakya and Machiavelli. The Justice was carrying two copies of the book Chanakya’s Neeti – one in Hindi and the other in English. There was a photograph of Chanakya from different angles on both (The Hindu, Mar 28). This Chanakya, whose real name was Vishnu Gupta and who was also known as Kautilya, was born in the State of Magadh in 300 B.C. He laid the foundation of the government by Maurya dynasty by crowning Chandragupta Maurya as the King of Magadh. He is the most famous and popular philosopher of India. Arthashastra is his masterpiece.

Why the advice is strange

This advice of Justice Katju is strange and surprising because Chanakya did not believe in moral ethics in the attainment of objectives. He exploited all the means which ensured meeting of objectives. Most of his principles were immoral and heinous. Such were the principles he had taught Chandragupta. To defeat his enemy he used to stoop down to the lowest ebb of moral degeneration. He was revengeful by nature and conspiratorial by temperament. These details of Chanakya’s principles are very much there in Arthashastra itself. Pandit Nehru also has dwelt in detail upon it in his Discovery of India. Films and serials also have been made on it. A serial named Chandragupta Maurya is going on these days on Imagine Channel. It is a matter of chance that in the episode of Mar 24 (i.e. just three days before the advice of Justice Katju) Chanakya had announced this policy of his. He tells his disciples that he has failed in convincing the princes of princely states to form Akhand Bharat and make Chandragupta its king; so now he would try to attain his objective through deceit, treachery, trickery, deception, betrayal and killing.

Chandragupta Maurya: But, Acharya! Won’t it be immoral?

Chanakya: If the objective is sublime, every means to attain it is lawful.

What sort of Chanakya neeti is this?

Therefore, this advice of Justice Katju is strange. He wants to see the governance free from all sorts of corruption, is against casteism and caste system, and talks of high moral values in the country’s society while Chanakya Neeti teaches quite contrary to these concepts. And it is a matter of fact that the Central government is acting upon this principle right from the very beginning. Then, which Chanakya principle Justice is talking about? The book Justice had held in the hand in the Press conference might of some new edition of Arthashastra and Chanakya’s political principles might have been presented in it in a new manner. It is an old tradition here to present the teachings of ancient books and ancient personalities by twisting them to suit the present circumstances and this is also a Chanakya principle. – However, whatever the opinion of Justice on the principles of Chanakya may be, he is a scholar and his study seems to be very comprehensive. So it is possible that he might have come to know the philosophy of life which makes it mandatory to follow high moral values for attainment of objectives and that philosophy of life is Islam.

07/04/12 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Abu Yusuf

When protest was being staged in Delhi

When Muslims were staging a strong protest at Parliament Street in New Delhi on Mar 26 against mindless killing and detention of Muslim youth, the Maharashtra police was preparing to kill and arrest some Muslim youth in Aurangabad. And when the Delhi protest was in its last stage and its participants were highly zealous – many of them might have been thinking in the right earnest that their strong protest and the questions and demands raised therein must yield some result, the Maharashtra ATS was killing a 20-year-old boy named Khalil Quraishi, injuring Muhammad Shakir (32) and detaining Abrar (20). The next morning (Mar 27), when English newspapers were replete with the sensational details of Aurangabad “encounter”, the news of New Delhi protest was almost conspicuous by absence. Hindi dailies were no better. The brief news of Muslim protest could be hardly seen on inner pages (of few newspapers) while the reports of Aurangabad “encounter” and ‘gun battle” were spread all over right from the front pages to the inner pages.

What could protest organisers understand?Now one doesn’t know when this news of Aurangabad reached the protest organisers of Delhi and as to what extent they could understand this government message. It seems no sooner had they been considering this result of their protest than the Maharashtra ATS, perhaps to make the government message clearer, the very next day (Mar 27) detained two more persons from Chakli in Buldana district. Their names have been reported as Aquil Khilji and Zafar Husain Qureshi. The Delhi police also did not lag in implementation of the government message. The third day (Mar 28) came the news that they arrested a 20-year-old boy from north-east Delhi last night; his name was reported as Asadullah Rahman Dilkash. In the newspapers of Mar 29 its report with usual details was published. Those who are aware of Police stories may not go through these details but they must see the picture of the one arrested from Delhi. The same piece of cloth is wrapped around the face in the same manner as it was around the face of Muhammad Ahmad Kazmi. It seems the police has purchased these pieces of cloth in bulk from wholesale market of Sadar Bazar, and has a planning to use them on a large scale.

Change the method of protest
This time also there is nothing new in police concoctions. Save and except that the “terrorist” of Maharashtra wanted to kill those “two” judges who had pronounced a judgement in the Babri Masjid case in Lucknow. What is really worth considering is the message that the government agencies have given with the recent incidents – “howsoever loudly the Muslims cry, we will do what we want” – In this situation let’s see where the problem is. Is our method of protest faulty? Whatever the case is, we will have to change the method and make some extraordinary demands which could not have been made twenty years ago. Because now the intervention of Israel in security affairs of our country has increased too much; these tactics are imported therefrom. One demand should be that the police, after its action if not before the action, take local responsible persons in confidence and tell them whom and why they have arrested and where he has been kept; an opportunity should be provided to meet the arrested person. The senselessness of the powers-that-be in India as well as the great minds of Israel can be understood as to why they are afraid of Islam and Muslims. However we will have to keep our legal action well within the parameters of the law of the land.

04/04/12 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Abu Yusuf

An act of a Pakistani lawyer

When Pakistan’s Deputy Attorney General Muhammad Khurshid Khan, in February 2010, came to know that the Taliban had kidnapped and beheaded a Sikh named Jaspal Singh in Peshawar, he as a Muslim was filled with remorse. He went to the house of Jaspal Singh to condole his death, reached a local gurudwara the next day, heard the chants sitting on its steps, then requested the Granthi to let him give an opportunity to perform seva. Later on he started polishing shoes of devotees in gurudwaras every day, and thereby felt peace.  Simultaneously he reposed faith in places of worship of other religions, temples and churches. Khurshid Khan was perturbed by the act of the Taliban also because such acts bring bad name to Islam, Muslims, Pakistan and Pakhtoons; violence in the name of Islam deeply grieves him. The Pakistani lawyer narrated all this in his own words to Indian newspapers. He visited Delhi to participate in a judicial conference in the fourth week of March. Here too he performed seva in gurudwaras and temples (The Times of India, Mar 26).

The most important question
This reported incident that took place in Sarhad Province in February 2010 also found place in Indian media that the Taliban had kidnapped three Sikhs from Peshawar to demand a heavy ransom for their release. The Pakistani army got two of them released but the third (Jaspal) was killed by the Taliban. This news had aggrieved Muslim readers and viewers of Indian media. Now a government official of Pakistan has expressed his grief in India, which is but natural for a Muslim; and it is in the fitness of things. He also said the sentiments he was expressing towards gurudwaras, temples and churches and the seva he was performing there were penance for the crimes of Taliban. These feelings of Pakistan’s Deputy Attorney General must have been read with interest in India; and a question must have arisen in the minds of knowledgeable persons as to what form of penance it was. Notwithstanding the views and sentiments of a Pakistani citizen, the most important question here is how he believed that the killers of the (abducted) Sikh were the Taliban.

Why are we interested in itMuhammad Khurshid Khan can say that he is a Pakistani citizen and belongs to Peshawar. But it is not enough to understand the violence committed in the name of Taliban; knowledge of the conspiracies of anti-Muslim forces is a must. Who knows that the agents of C.I.A, Mossad and other agencies are active in the northern tribal areas of Pakistan, who are committing these acts of violence just to defame Islam and Muslims; and fake Talibans are only their creation. International media makes every effort to suppress the truth and mislead the world. The rulers of Pakistan are helpless before America. Now after the killing of 28 Pakistani army men at the hands of NATO troops in November last they have experienced shame and are reviewing their relations with America. If it is so, their foremost task is to initiate an enquiry into all the incidents of violence and extremism. – it is evident that this is an internal issue of Pakistan and they should deal with it. But we are interested in revelation of truth only because certain sections here target Indian Muslims too under the pretext of incidents taking place in Pakistan. If Pakistan’s Deputy Attorney General can do anything in this regard, we would be grateful to him; however keeping in view his being simpleton there is no hope of it.

01/04/12 khabar-O-Nazar by Parwaaz Rahmani, sehrozaDAWAT, translated by: Abu Yusuf