24 pages ` 15 ISSN 0972-3366 FORTNIGHTLY Vol. 15 No.15 Issue Serial # 349 facebook.com/milligazette www.milligazette.

com 1-15 August 2014

Gaza 1,2,10,16-18,24
Modi/BJP 2,11
Myths about Muslims 8
J&K 10 Analysis 11 Special Reports 3,13 Issues 2,11,13
Speaking Out 11 Books 21 Newsmakers 12 International 16-20
Community News 14-15 Islamic Perspectives 20
Our Publications 19 Classifieds 22 Letters 23
Inside
MG
1 2 3
4 5 6
BJP-Israel friendship...
MG/Yusuf
N. A. ANSARI
On the initiative of Alwars SP, Vikas Kumar,
Cobra Team was formed some six months
ago. It consists of police officers under training.
An idea of its brutality can be had from a recent
incident when the head of this team, Sidhu, an
IPS trainee forced his entry into a house and
threw a four-year-old child out of the house,
kicked a pregnant woman on her stomach,
dragged other women by their hair and hurled
choicest of abuses on them. The Cobra team
heaped so many brutalities on innocent minority
members which put humanity to shame, but in
spite of such hair raising atrocities no action
was taken against this team.
At the encouragement and support of
Alwars SP, these police personnel are roaming
free even when the news of this brutal incident
was brought to the notice of authorities in Delhi.
On 13 July Anwar Ali, MP from Bihar, and
Shabnam Hashmi, chairperson of ANHAD,
reached Alwar and in a press conference
exposed the excesses and beastly behaviour of
the Cobra team, particularly of Sidhu, IPS.
This particular incident took place on 4 July
when in Sirmoli village of Alwar district police
intercepted a tractor carrying stones at about
9.30 pm. To enquire into this matter police called
for Ismail Meo, a reliable person from a nearby
village. When Ismail came to the police station, a
case was registered against the tractor
driver/owner in his presence and names of the
accused persons were also registered. After this,
Ismail returned to his village but shortly there-
after the same night about 50-60 policemen
attacked his house. While firing a few shots, they
entered his house by force. Since it was the
month of Ramzan, men and women were busy in
prayers. Policemen rained lathi blows on praying
women, hurled dirty abuses at them without any
rhyme or reason, kicked an 8-month pregnant
woman on her stomach. She fell on the ground
and started crying in pain. Without having any
pity on her, Sidhu dragged her by her hair. She
was Ismail Meos younger daughter-in-law.
When her husband, Ismail Meos son, Sahil,
came to protect her, Cobra team members hit
him with the rifle butt because of which he
received serious injuries on his jaws, lips and
blood started oozing from his mouth. They
pushed him so hard that he fell on the ground.
Thereafter, they climbed up the roof of the house
where Ismails daughters-in-law were offering
Namaz. A young four-year-old child was lying in
a cot. Cobra police turned the cot upside down.
The child obviously fell on the floor and began to
cry. Hearing his cries, his mother disrupted her
Namaz and came running to see him. A police-
man put the rifle before her and stopped her.
Another policeman brutally hurled the child on
the ground in front of his mother and beat him
and abused the mother. They misbehaved and
abused the woman who tried to protect her child.
Both daughters-in-law of Ismail were wearing
golden chains. While returning, the policemen
snatched both womens chains. Outside the
house, a Bolero car and a motorcycle were
parked. Policemen smashed the windscreen of
the car and took away both the car and the
motorcycle with them. Thereafter the police team
moved towards the villages mosque and after
forcing their entry into the mosque with their
shoes on, they broke open the lock of a room
inside the mosque. When the Masjid Imam tried
to stop them, they abused him and mercilessly
thrashed him because of which he became
unconscious and fell on the ground.
In the morning when people came to know
about all what had happened in the night, social
workers of the village, Ramzan Chaudhary and
Noor Muhammad, met the SP who flatly denied
that any such incident had taken place. They
showed medical reports of Ismails daughters-
in-law but the SP dismissed them as false.
Finally, a case was registered in the court
against Cobra police next day (5 July). This case
is now under investigation.
Alwar Cobra Team hit and abused women
and children but no action against cops
THE
MILLI
GAZETTE
INDIAN MUSLIMS LEADING ENGLISH NEWSPAPER SINCE 2000
GAZA ATTACK: INDIA PROTESTS...13
Continued on page 21
YAMINUL ISLAM KHAN...12
Policemen rained lathi blows on praying women, hurled dirty abuses
at them without any rhyme or reason, kicked an 8-month pregnant
woman on her stomach. She fell on the ground and started crying in
pain. Without having any pity on her, Sidhu dragged her by her hair.
She was Ismail Meos younger daughter-in-law. When her husband,
Ismail Meos son, Sahil, came to protect her, Cobra team members hit
him with the rifle butt because of which he received serious injuries...
Why is Gaza fighting back?
It is being said by some, even in Arab and Muslim circles, that
Hamas is responsible for what is happening in Gaza, that there
will be no Israeli attack if Hamas stopped firing its toy rockets into
Israel. There was no problem when the rockets and bullets came
only from the Israeli side.
The problem with this logic is that it thinks that the problem
started this or last month with the kidnapping and murder of three
young Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank. The problem did
not start last month or last year and Hamas was not the first to
fire a rocket at Israel. The problem started long ago -- shortly
after the end of the First World War when Britain inaugurated the
Jewish Homeland project in Arab Palestine and in any case in
early 1948 when the Jewish terror gangs, like Haganah and Irgun,
let loose Plan Dalet to expel the Palestinians from their home-
land. A majority of the Palestinians then took refuge in the neigh-
bouring countries, especially in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. Many
moved to areas which were still safe within Palestine like the West
Bank and Gaza Strip which house large refugee camps to this day
- so much so that 70 percent of Gaza Strip population is refugee
fleeing from areas which are now Israel. The wave of expulsion
continued long after Israel was established on 15 May, 1948 on
much more that the area earmarked for a Jewish State in a con-
troversial UN plan. The Gaza refugees know exactly where they
came from. Some still have the keys to their usurped homes in
which Jews coming from all the four corners of the world live.
The remaining parts of Palestine, viz., West Bank and Gaza
Strip (constituting only 22 percent of mandated Palestine) were
also occupied by Israel during the June 1967 aggression known as
preventive war. These refugees and occupied people are fighting
back to liberate their occupied lands - a right enjoyed by every
occupied land and nation under international law which, in any
case, does not apply when the victims belong to the Third World.
The original dream of these refugees was to liberate their
homeland in its entirety but their weakness and the blind western
support to Israel made them to finally accept only 22 percent of
their homeland, the areas occupied in 1967, forgetting what was
occupied in 1948. This was the basis of the Oslo Accords of
1992 under which a sovereign Palestinian state was to appear
within five years. But 22 years later, this sovereign state is still a
pipe-dream. The Palestinians, who have no power whatsoever to
force the occupier to vacate their land, have been kept busy in
futile peace process talks which have not moved forward even
a single inch all these years while Israel keeps building new set-
tlements on Palestinian land which even Israel agrees should be
part of the promised Palestinian sovereign state.
A new development took place when in 2006 Hamas swept
the Middle Easts first free and fair elections. But this popular man-
date was not honoured by Israel and its western backers just as
earlier they had rejected electoral results in Algeria and Turkey and
more recently in Egypt. Democracy in the Muslim world is unac-
ceptable to Western powers unless it yields acceptable results.
Hamas government was toppled within months and a blockade of
Gaza started in 2007 - the first time in history an occupier block-
aded an already occupied territory. This total blockade, brutally
controlling the lives of 1.8 million people, continues till this day,
turning Gaza Strip into the worlds largest prison, destroying the
lives of its people and devastating their social life, economy and
educational, health and civic infrastructure.
Every toy-rocket that goes out of Gaza is a protest against
this cruel, inhuman and illegal blockade, and every real American
rocket and bullet fired by Israel at the defenceless people of Gaza
says that Israel and its backers are adamant on continuing this
inhuman incarceration of a whole population.
The issue in Gaza is not Hamas toy-rockets or tunnels. The
issue is the blockade and occupation. The day the blockade and
occupation end and even if only 22 percent of Palestine is
returned to the Palestinians, Gaza rockets will stop and Gaza tun-
nels will become history as the Gazans will start living again as
human beings, trying to catch up to build their lives like any other
nation in the world. ZAFARUL-ISLAM KHAN
2 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 ISSUES / OPINION
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DR JAVED JAMIL
Three years for the corporate, two for the RSS -
- this was how I had summed up the likely Modi
policy just after the election results. The first 100
days of the new government are not yet over, but
the indications are clear that the corporate agenda
is already in full swing. The latest Budget is an
ample proof that the government has totally sold itself to
Corporate India, which is being repaid in multiples what it paid for
securing the victory for the NDA.
The budget has nothing which can reduce inflation, bridge
economic disparity and remove poverty, while it has done a lot for
the Corporate. After giving them the bullet trains and share in
many railway projects, it has not only opened defence and insur-
ance sectors for FDI but has also brought the wonderful news of
one hundred smart cities to them. The excise duties on certain
market products have also been reduced, which will of course
boost the industry. What an irony that when it comes to agricul-
tural products, hoarding and profiteering remain big concerns for
the government but when it comes to the market products, the
government does nothing to reduce the margins of profits com-
panies make at the cost of the common man.
If the government learns the difference between the interests
of the business as a whole and the interests of the business-
men, favouring the former and not the latter, the economy will
have a big boost, and the whole nation will benefit. But it favours
only the business class and that too selectively, which is mostly
at the expense of the consumers.
The Budget speech of the Finance Minister has been conspic-
uously silent on the allocation made to the Minority Ministry. In all
probability, this does not mean that there is no allocation at all
because that would amount to the scrapping of the ministry itself.
If it continues what it was in the last budget, it is still surprising
because the last budget was an interim budget for a few months.
If it did not think it necessary to mention it in the speech, it speaks
of his lack of sensitivity towards minorities. Even if it is in the
same range as it was in the last full budget, this is pathetic.
Compare the 3000 crores allocations for minorities with 50000 cr
each for the SC/ST development and SC/ST welfare, and it tells
you how much minorities are ignored by the successive govern-
ments. The only funds allocated for minorities are 100 crores for
the modernization of madrasas. This of course is the NDA plan
for minorities and not a demand made by minorities. Muslims will
feel concerned about this allocation because it gives an idea of
how BJP government wants to impose its agenda on Muslims and
their institutions. There are no announcements for any minority
institutions or any programmes related to developmental activities
in Muslim areas.
For the last three years, I have been recurrently demanding
introduction of Economic Disparity Index (General, Urban-Rural,
State to State and Community to Community) so that we can
know the status of different regions and communities and how the
government proposes to bridge them. But no one is listening. The
latest budget and the Economic Survey that preceeded it are also
silent on the issue.
The indications are clear. The corporate will strangulate whatever
is left in the economy for the poor. Sooner or later, programmes like
MNREGA and Food Security Act will get diluted. Health sector, partic-
ularly its preventive part, will remain neglected.
The better days have begun to come for those who already
have good days. For others days will continue to be worse than
before.
The author is a thinker and writer with over a dozen books including
his latest, Muslims Most Civilised, Yet Not Enough and Muslim Vision of
Secular India: Destination & Road-map.
He may be contacted at: doctorforu123@yahoo.com
The
Communal
Police
Police have finally admitted that Muslims
think, theyre communal and corrupt (front
page news item, Indian Express, 17 July).
Der aayad, durust aayad. This is a fla-
grant reality that was being denied quite
vehemently by Indian police for many
years. The role of Indian police, regardless
of any state, has been blatantly biased and
prejudiced against Muslims during com-
munal unrest and riots right from
Independence. The presence of Muslims in
police force is insignificant and it vindicates
the Hindi adage that Akela chana bhaad
nahin phod sakta (a couple of swallows
do not make a summer).
In a pyramidical role hierarchy of
Indian Police Service (IPS), one hardly
finds Muslim top brass. Those whore
there are more as token designations to
project a false image of secularism in
police service. Its a mere hogwash.
People can adduce the example of dis-
graced DIG Vanjara of Gujarat Police, who
hobnobbed with Narendra Modi and Amit
Shah (actual culprits of Gujarat pogrom in
2002) but therere many Vanjaras in police
force whore morbidly anti-Muslim. Its
time, such officers and top cops got the
insinuation that their bias cannot be con-
doned any longer.
So many innocent Muslim youths
have been languishing in jails. Many have
died there due to unthinkable torture. Many
lives and families have been ruined by the
communal police. Mera qaatil hi mera
munsif hai/ kya mere haq mein faisla
dega? (My killer is my judge/How can he
pass a favourable verdict?). This Urdu cou-
plet perfectly applies to the police from the
perspective of Muslims in India. Shouldnt
we all accept this unpalatable truth?
SUMIT PAUL
sumitmaclean@hotmail.com
Forebodings of Great Violence
DR. MOHAMMAD MANZOOR ALAM
The violent energies unleashed by communal politics
before, during and after the elections have led to social
tension that might erupt into great violence any
moment. These violent energies have not yet spent
themselves as is evident from reports of stray com-
munal violence in the country.
The utterances of two known provocateurs -
Parveen Togadia and Ashok Singhal - in the recent
days are a cause of concern. If the government at the
Centre is at all serious about maintaining law and order, it should restrain these
two people. I know that as these two are diehard Sangh men, the BJP-Sangh
government would not touch them. Yet, one has the fond hope that the govern-
ment would act to control the damage for its own credibility.
On July 19 in Jammu, Togadia bragged in his familiar style that Muslims
would be taught a lesson if they tried to set fire to Hanumans tail. In his high-
ly toxic rhetoric he told Muslims via a press conference: You might have for-
gotten Gujarat 2002 where a lot of your people were killed, but you must
remember Muzaffarnagar (killings of last year).
This speech of Togadia shows that the killings of Gujarat 2002 and
Muzaffarnagar are taken as a matter of pride, a badge of honour by the Sangh,
not a cause of shame and disgrace. Secondly, that these massacres were the
handiwork and proud achievement of the Sangh. They are proud of their
deeds and declare it publicly, confident in the knowledge that iron hands of law
cannot reach them. The law is helpless.
Ashok Singhal (a VHP leader like Togadia) too is proud of his acts like Babri
Masjid demolition and killings of Gujarat 2002. After the worst killings in
Gujarat were over, Singhal announced quietly that the experiment in the
Gujarat laboratory has succeeded. That meant both the Godhra train attack
and subsequent killings of Muslim were pre-planned, organised and orches-
trated. It was an experiment in the lab that had succeeded.
This time round Singhal declared in Delhi on July 17 that the minorities
would not survive in India for too long if they did not learn to respect Hindu
sentiments. One must ask what exactly those sentiments were. He asserted
that the recent polls had proven that elections could be very well won even
without the support of Muslims.
If one puts these statements in the backdrop of the ongoing tensions in the
country one can take them as forebodings of great communal violence in days
ahead. This is not a pleasant prospect as we know from past history that law
does not exist for these trouble-makers. They were not brought to account in
the UPA regime. Certainly, nobody is going to ask them to explain their con-
duct in their own NDA regime.
Now, the question is what can be done to stem the tide of lawlessness. It
is for the liberal, left and centrist leadership to answer. The community leader-
ship should also sit together to see whether they could do something about it.
(iosworld.org)
David vs. Goliath
The third round of intifada being fought on the bloodied soil of occupied
Palestine has classic contours of the historical confrontation between
right and wrong, truth and untruth.
Palestinians are brave people. Even so much pounding they are
receiving for over half of a century, their resolve to reclaim their land from
the usurpers does not seem to waver. In fact, they are not just fighting the
small enclave of Jewish occupied Palestine that had been snatched from
them by the colonial powers and handed over to their Jewish proxies.
Palestinians are fighting the great super power of United States of
America that is in the iron-grip of Jews and Zionists.
Without the US-supplied and paid for iron domes, the tanks, the air
force, the chemical stock pile, the unmentionable nuclear arsenal -- all
provided by the USA, with continuous goading and prodding by Americas
Jewish Neo-cons, the Jewish enclave will not survive a single days com-
parable attack by Palestinians or their supporters. Jews will run like
scared rabbits, once their homes and hearths are under attack the way
they have been attacking the Palestinians all these years since 1948.
In fact, the rockets that American-supplied IRON-DOME anti-missiles
neutralize in the current confrontation do nevertheless create panic in
Jewish neighbourhoods.
Though media is biased in not showing the true impact of the run for
shelters that common Israeli civilians have to resort to, once early warn-
ing siren go on. There is sufficient proof that Jewish people are not unaf-
fected, even if they are not dying at the same rate that the Israeli shoot-
ings caused massacre in undefended and totally exposed Gaza Strip.
However much triumphalist Jews may feel in Occupied Palestine with
western help, they do have a deep foreboding that a day of reckoning will
eventually come to their so-called self-declared Jewish State and its
brutal people.
If Hamas can get crude rockets to fire on Jewish areas, it is only a
matter of time that they can get their hands on more sophisticated
armoury and whatever the power and capacity of Jews to inflict pain and
suffering on Palestinians, the Jews have no comparable capacity to
endure pain and suffering, at least at the present state of their overblown
delusional confidence and love for good life, at the hands of the
Palestinians.
Their outburst at the death of three Jews found in an occupied area
at the hands of unknown criminals that has resulted in a war situation in
Occupied Palestine is enough to prove that Jews cannot suffer pain and
humiliation the way beleaguered Palestinians are and can.
The world is aghast as to how the poor, emaciated, ill-equipped
Palestinians get the steel to stand up to a paper Goliath supported and
funded by foreign powers. The day a trigger will engulf this paper Goliath,
it will go into flames without any trace on the face of earth. Even its
staunch supporter, the current world super power will be humbled.
Maktoob: It is written.
GHULAM MUHAMMED, Mumbai
ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com
What an irony that when it comes to agri-
cultural products, hoarding and profiteering
remain big concerns for the government but
when it comes to the market products, the
government does nothing to reduce the huge
margins of profits companies make at the cost
of the common people.
Corporate Agenda in full swing, Modi Budget disappoints the underprivileged
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 3 www.milligazette.com
With BJP ruling at the
centre, communalists
run riot
Rampur: With the formation of a BJP-led government at the centre people with a
particular kind of mentality are in high spirits and now they have access even in
courts. These people of fascist mentality are always on the look out to give even
a minor incident a communal colour and take full advantage of such a situation.
Recently, after such an incident, circle officer Aale Hasan Khan is being targeted
by them. In the dispute between lawyers and CO (City), lawyers have made com-
plaints against Circle Official (City) Aale Hasan Khan and sent letters to the
Governor, chief minister and high officials.
It may be stated in this connection that recently in a land dispute case a
lawyer, Kiran Singh Saini had misbehaved with a woman in a veil, Achchi
Begum in the court compound, after which this lawyer was allegedly attacked.
In order to escape the attack Karan Singh reached COs office but from there he
was taken by police to Civil Line Thana. Thereafter lawyers belonging to a par-
ticular mentality gave it a communal colour and indulged in disruptive activities
after which Karan Singh was released. The lawyers on the contrary, accused the
CO of misbehaviour and took out a demonstration at Collectorate against him,
demanding action and registering a complaint against him to which the district
administration agreed. On a written complaint by advocate Karan Singh Saini,
Civil Line police registered a case against Achchhi Begum, Muhammad Noor,
his son and four or five unknown persons, all belonging to the same family.
CO (City) Aale Hasan Khan, however, said that after molesting and misbe-
having with Achchhi Begum who was in a veil, advocate Saini entered his office.
He called in Civil Line police and tried to bring about an understanding between
the two parties and sent them to Civil Line Thana. He said that a dispute is going
on between the two parties for a piece of land and that he (Aale Hasan Khan)
never misbehaved with any body in any way.
Sixteen accused in 2002-03 blasts chargesheeted
Mumbai: After 12 long years 16 persons who were accused and arrested under
POTA (Prevention of Terrorism Act) in connection with the bomb blasts in 2002-03
in Mumbai were charge sheeted on 25 June. It may be stated that in 3 different
cases of bomb blasts 16 persons including Saqib Nachan were arrested. Three
separate bomb blasts had taken place between 2002 and 2003 at Milind, Ville Parle
and Mumbai Central. After investigation of all the three cases of bomb blasts police
had filed a joint chargesheet in which Saqib Nachan was made the key accused.
Government lawyer Rohini Salian said that 16 accused persons including Saqib
Nachan who had sent their applications to court pleading not guilty, have been
chargesheeted. It may be stated that police had registered cases under POTA in
connection with three separate cases of bomb blasts. In these bomb blasts a total
of 13 persons were killed and more than 79 persons were injured. First blast had
taken place on 6 December 2002 near Mumbai Central station in which many per-
sons were injured. In addition to this, another bomb blast had taken place on 27
January 2003 in a cycle parked near Ville Parle station in which one person was
killed and in the third blast that had taken place on 13 March 2003 in Milind in
which 12 persons were killed and 71 persons were injured.
Jharkhand govt planning reservation to Muslims
Ranchi: Jharkhand government headed by Hemant Soren is thinking of giving
reservation to Muslims in government jobs and admission in educational institu-
tions and extending the scope of reservation to more people on the lines of
Maharashtra government which has extended the facility of reservation to
Muslims and Marathas. Chief minister Hemant Soren in this connection held
consultations with legal experts and officials of core group. For this puspose
concerned officials were directed to study the reservation policies of
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and other states where reservation to Muslims has
been given in these fields. Since assembly elections are scheduled to be held
soon in the state, government wants a decision in this connection to be taken
before elections. The chief minister however hinted in some meetings that the
new reservation policy (to Muslims and some other groups) may be announced
sometime next month i.e. August, but in any case before assembly elections.
It is obvious that the government's intention in giving reservation to Muslims
and other groups is motivated by winning the votes of these groups in the forth-
coming assembly elections. Government feels that in Maharashtra since the
Congress party which is a coalition partner in the state government had agreed
to give reservation to Muslims and Marathas, it will not oppose it in Jharkhand
also, though BJP as usual and Rashtriya Janta Dal may oppose reservation to
Muslims. In the meeting with legal experts and Core group officials Supreme
Courts order of 1992 was also discussed. The chief minister however said that
if this case is taken by some group / s in court, the government will suitably
present its case by giving the examples of other states.
Muzaffarnagar riots: 136 families denied compensation
Badhana: Hasanpurs 136 families which were rendered homeless during the
September 2013 communal riots have even now not received any compensa-
tions from the UP government in spite of making many rounds of the chief min-
isters darbar because of concerned officials giving one excuse or the other. Now
they are again planning to meet him personally. They are living in Jula Camp in
the scorching heat and without proper facilities. Women, children and elderly and
sick people are particularly suffering. It can very well be understood that even
hale and healthy persons living under such hostile condition can fall sick, not to
talk of children and elderly people. No government officials and those of social
organisations have come to take care of them and to know their grievances. They
are living on Jula Bijli Ghars land and in official quarters of Jula Bijli Ghar. They
have not received even a single rupee in the name of government help.
According to some of the affected persons and those who are managing the
camp, Shamlis then District Magistrate Pravin Kumar had given a wrong and
misleading report about these people and because of this report their compen-
sation is held up. On a complaint made to the chief minister, he had assured
these peoples representatives that fresh enquiries will be made and had even
ordered the Commissioner, DM Muzaffarnagar and DM of Shamli to re-examine
Respond if you care about your community
White Paper on Terrorism
The issue of fake terrorism charges and the unjust arrests and defamation of our community, especially since 2001, is
the biggest challenge facing the community ever since. A grand conspiracy hatched by the powers that be, IB, Police
and media, has sullied and defamed our community. This campaign has affected our lives, peace of mind and has
thwarted our efforts to progress and educate our children to join the national mainstream.
Our efforts so far to present our case, to bring out our innocence and force the national and state governments to
listen to our grievances have mostly failed. All we have received are a few words of solace which have no real meaning
and have not changed the situation on the ground. Our children by their thousands are still languishing in jails on the
basis of fake confessions obtained through torture and blackmail.
As a long-term solution and a serious response to this problem thrust upon us, AIMMM decided last year to bring
out a white paper on the Muslim-related terrorism in the country. The work is going on with all seriousness and many
researchers, scholars and journalists are busy preparing writeups on various aspects of this issue, covering the histo-
ry, genesis, communalism, vested interests in various related fields, analysis of various laws like TADA, POTA and UAPA,
fake encounters, narco tests, torture, acquittals, IB & Police role, media attitude, case studies, statewise surveys, SIMI,
Indian Mujahidin, Hindutva terror, individual tragedies of victims, Azamgarh, Bhatkal, Malegaon, Darbhanga modules,
some basic documents, etc., etc.
The target is to bring out this white paper during the next few months and to release it in a big convention at Delhi
as a combined effort of major Muslim and civil rights organisations, and thereafter present this huge document of over
600 large format pages to politicians, media, human rights organisations, especially outside the country, in order to
enlighten public opinion at home and abroad as well as to build pressure on our blind and deaf government.
The estimated cost of this white paper is Rs 35 lakh divided as follows: Rs 15 lakh cost of preparation and pay-
ments to contributors plus six months salaries to researchers and experts; Rs 15 lakh for designing and printing the
document in a world-class format; while the grand convention at Delhi will cost at least 5 lakh. Effort will be made to
release the White Paper in some state and world capitals also.
You can help this effort in four ways,
1. To buy copies of the White Paper on Terrorism in advance to help defray part of the huge cost of research, printing,
publication and distribution of at least one thousand complimentary copies. The estimated price of the white paper is
Rs 2000 per copy in India. You may place an advance order by paying Rs 1000 only per copy in India including postal
charges). Payments for the copies may be made to The Milli Gazette, D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar, New
Delhi 110025. Email: edit@milligazette.com. Individuals and organisations ordering a minimum of 100 copies in
advance will be included as Sponsors of the White Paper.
2. Contribute to the cost of the grand convention to be held in Delhi. This should be payable to the All India Muslim Majlis-
e Mushawarat, D-250, Abul Fazal Enclave, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi-110025. Tel.: 011-26946780 Fax: 011-26947346.
Email: mushawarat@mushawarat.com.
3. Donate your time: If you are a scholar, researcher, journalist: join our team for a few months working in our Delhi
office or from your own home to complete this project - write to the Editor, MG now at edit@milligazette.com.
4. Contact us if you have vital information/documents about this issue.
their problems and difficulties. Home secretary Sanjay
Prasad had constituted a committee of Tahsildar, BDO and
doctors to visit the site and examine their problems but
even then the question of their compensation is undecided.
No medical arrangements are made for them and also there
are no arrangements for the education of children at the
camp on an official level. Governments special food for
children and pregnant women are also not being provided
to them. There are about 200 children upto the age of 6
years and in the absence of any suitable arrangements their
education also is being harmed. There are also about 1.5
dozen pregnant women in the camp for whom there are no
maternity or testing arrangements. In case of the child birth
they are shifted from camps to Bijli Ghar quarters and after
the birth of child they are again shifted back to the camp
whereas in such cases special arrangements should be
made for them as well as the children. Because of exces-
sive heat, vomiting and loose motion is common among
children.
Film Censor Board rejects docu on
Muzaffarnagar ritos
New Delhi: Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) or
Film Censor Board has disapproved the documentary film
on Muzaffarnagar communal riots of 2013 made by film
producer Shubhardeep Chakraborty who also had made a
documentary film on the Gujrat communal riots of 2002. In
this film titled In Dinon Muzaffar Nagar, in addition to the
killings of people, destruction of houses, shops, vehicles
and other movable and immovable properties, refugee
camps etc. light has been thrown on social and political
problems in consequence of the riots. Shubhardeep
Chakrabarty was basically a journalist but after Gujrat riots
he directed his attention towards making documentary
films. His first film was about Gujrat riots and the second
was about lawyer Shahid Azmis legal fight in favour of
youths, particularly Muslim youths who were implicated in
cases of terrorism and made to suffer in jails. In this film
the role of rightist forces and police parties has also been
depicted. Shahid Azmi was killed by vested interest holders
and hence the risks to which they (lawyers) are prone
because of fighting for justice for innocent people by plan-
ners of riots were depicted in this film on Shahid Azmi. In
the film on Muzaffarnagar riots also the role of right wing
forces, particularly Hindutva forces, has been shown which
may be unpalatable to the political upstarts at the centre.
Probably because of this reason Film Censor Board has not
approved this film for universal exhibition in cinema halls.
Confessional statement not recorded in
the accuseds mother tongue
Mumbai: A high police official of Maharashtra, during the
deposition process in Aurangabad (Maharashtra) arms
confiscation or recovery / terrorism case admitted that
while recording the confessional statement of an accused
person he had not told him that the statement made by him
can be or will be used against other accused persons as
proof and that at many places he used Hindi and Marathi
words instead of Urdu. It may be stated in the connection
that DCP, D. R. Karale had recorded the confessional state-
ment of Syed Aakif of Aurangabad in this (arms recovery /
confiscation) case and as per law, he should have kept in
mind the requirement that the accused persons statement
should be voluntary (without the use of force), it should be
in his mother tongue and that he should also be told that his
statement could be or would be used against other accused
person/s as proof, if needed but this high police official
ignored all these conditions and after recording his alleged
confessional statement, sent it to the local magistrate.
In the presence of Special MCOCA court (in Arthur
Road Jail)s judge G T Qadiri before whom the Aurangabad
arms recovery case was taken up for hearing, during argu-
ments by Jamiatul Ulamas defence lawyers, advocates
Prakash Shetty, Tariq Sayyad and Sharif Sheikh the prose-
cutions witness denied that while recording the statement
of the accused he did not keep the above conditions in
mind and denied that he obtained his signature on a con-
fessional statement that was already prepared and sent it
to the magistrate. Defence lawyers accused the com-
plainants witness that he did not ask any question to the
accused but obtained his signature by force on a pre-pre-
pared confessional statement and that before and after
obtaining the alleged confessional statement the accused
persons medical treatment was not got done. During court
proceedings those present from Jamiatul Ulamas side
were advocates Sharif Sheikh, Mateen Shaikh, Ansar
Tamboli etc.
Muslims prevented from offering Namaz
in Noida village
New Delhi: City magistrate of Morna village of Noidas sec-
tor 35 refused permission to Muslims to offer Namaz even
in this month of Ramzan in the make-shift mosque built in
Mornas graveyard. On the other hand police also does not
allow them to offer Namaz unless they get written permis-
sion. It may be stated that in Morna village and neighbour-
ing areas the population of Muslims is about one thousand
but since there is no mosque in this village, Muslims have
been praying and offering Namaz in a room built in this
graveyard. A boundary wall of the graveyard, a room and a
platform for ablutions has been built by Noida Authority on
the request made by Muslims. Before this there was a room
with tin sheds in this graveyard where some Muslims had
been offering Namaz. One day the Police Post Incharge Brij
Pal Brij came there in the evening and prevented Muslims
from offering Namaz and they had to flee. He asked them
(Muslims) to first bring a written permission for offering
Namaz. After this some Muslimsz met Vishwajeet
Shrivastav, C O of Noida Thana 24 who had given verbal
permission for offering Namaz but the police post Incharge
said that he wont allow any new tradition unless there is a
written order. After this some Muslims met City Magistrate
K. P. Singh but he also refused to give written permission,
though neither the people of Morna nor the village Pradhan
have any objection to their offering Namaz. They have even
the permission of village Pradhan. Some prominent
Mulsims of the village have requested some influential
Muslims and Muslim political leaders for their help so that
they may be able to offer Namaz without any difficulty, and
hindrance.
MG NEWS DESK
4 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Six daughters of UP
killed daily for dowry
Lucknow: Latest statistics of National
Crime Record Bureau (Bureau) has
exposed the state government's claims
about protection and safety of women in
the state. UP stands at No. 2 in the
entire country in respect of crime
against women, Andhra Pradesh being
the most notorious and West Bengal,
where the chief minister is a lady,
stands at No. 3 after AP and UP in this
respect. This bitter and shameful truth
has come to light from statistics issued
by the Bureau. As far as UP is con-
cerned, of all the crimes against women
taking place in the whole county, 51.10
percent are committed in UP alone. In
this respect UP is behind Andhra
Pradesh only.
As regards cases of dishonouring
womens chastity, some recent cases in
the state which brought a bad name to it
in the whole country, can have some
comfort in view of the fact, as per
Bureaus statistics, that maximum
cases of dishonouring women take
place in BJP-ruled states. Of these
states Mdhya Pradesh stands at No. 1
and Rajasthan (another BJP-ruled stae)
stands at No. 2. In Mdhya Pradesh as
many as 4335 cases of dishonouring
women were reported and in Rajasthan
3285 such cases were reported. In
Maharashtra 3063 such cases were
reported. Maharashtra in this respect
stands at No. 3 and UP at No. 4. In UP,
as stated above, a large number of
daughters are killed for dowry.
It is stated in the Bureaus report
that in the year 2013, for dowry alone
2335 married girls were killed. This
means that six daughters on an average
were killed daily because their parents
were not able to provide the amounts or
goods demanded by their in-laws.
These statistics are of the time when the
ruling Samajwadi Party had in its elec-
tion manifesto stated about amending
the laws regarding dowry. As regards
cases of maltreatment of women, UP
stood at No. 4. In the year 2013 there
were 3050 cases of misbehaviour and
maltreatment of women in this state.
As regards cities in matters of mal-
treatment of girls / women, Lucknow
stood at No. 25. In Delhi, Mumbai and
Jaipur, number of cases of misbehav-
iour with and maltreatment of women
were 1441,391 and 192 respectively.
Arms recovered from Shiv
Sainiks house in Nanded
Nanded: Maharasthra police raided a
house owned by an activist of Shiv Sena
in Nanded on 13 July and recovered a
large quantity of arms, including 4
swords, a number of pistols and large
number of cartridges which were con-
fiscated. In addition to arms, large num-
ber of fake currency notes and notes
and other currency, liquid money in
large number were also recovered. Raid
was conducted by local crime branch
(LCB) team led by Sanjay Pawar which
is considered a big success by police.
Cases have been registered against
concerned persons by police and inves-
tigations are being made.
According to detailed information
police were tipped by secret sources
about the presence of illegal arms at
the residence of an active member of
Shiv Sena. Taking this information
seriously, LCB team raided the house
and recovered the above mentioned
arms and money, including fake
notes. Since assembly elections are
to be held in the state (Maharashtra)
soon, discovery of arms and money
from a man belonging to a communal
par ty raises doubts that these may be
par t of a conspiracy because in the
past many cases of riots and violence
had taken place before elections
which may be repeated before this
election also. Police is enquiring into
this possibility also. The Shiv Sena
activist at whose house raid was con-
ducted is Balaji Moti Ramped.
Mumbai: Chairman of Maharashtra Minorities Commission, Munaf Hakeem, in
complaints made to Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria and Thana
Police Commissioner Kamble has stated that with the publication of news about
Muslim youths of Kalyan joining terrorists groups there is fear, anger and
unease among Muslims. It is difficult to guess how much truth is there in these
news but it is a fact that by publishing such news a sinister effort is being made
to defame and demonise Muslims which should be stopped. In letters to these
police authorities he had stated that news about Muslim youths joining terror-
ist group is creating suspicion and bringing a bad name to them in society,
which is not only mischievous but a very serious matter. He said that if some
one is really complicit in this, action should be taken against him but Muslim
community as a whole should not be defamed in this manner because such
unconfirmed news is tarnishing the image of Muslims and people of other com-
munities and faiths get a wrong impression and opinion about Muslims. He
suggested that the whole matter should be strictly and independently investi-
gated and persons or organisations / agencies which are supplying such news
should be strictly warned so that such news are not published. He further wrote
that there is no denying the fact that such news is creating wrong impression.
Investigations must be made against newspapers which have published such
news and action should be taken against agencies or sources which have sup-
plied such news (if these are false).
He further wrote that during the past one week news are being published
in newspapers that Sunni Muslim youths have gone to Iraq and joined terrorist
group there, which have no basis. He wrote that the government itself has said
that Muslim youths who have gone to Iraq have not joined any terrorist group
but newspapers are not only publishing such news but also exaggerating it,
which is dangerous and a matter of great concern not only for such Muslim
youth but for their families and also for the Muslim community as a whole. With
news of this type image of Muslims is being spoilt. He again demanded that the
whole matter should be thoroughly investigated so that the truth may come out.
It may be stated in this connection that news were published in newspapers
about sudden disappearance of four Muslim youths of Kalyan, after which
doubt was expressed that these youths have become Jehadis but investigating
agencies also have denied this. In spite of denial by government and investigat-
ing agencies newspapers continue to publish such news. In view of this, the
Minorities Commissions Chairman has demanded a ban on such news.
(Muhammad Javed Sahikh - translated from Urdu)
In jail for 8 years without any proof
Mumbai: Jamiatul Ulama Maharashra Branch (Arshad Madni)s lawyer
Sharif Sheikh, while pleading for case of bail to Sheikh Waqar Muhamad
Nisar, a student accused of terrorism in Aurangabad Arms Recovery case,
said in the Special MCOCA cour t that he was being punished without any
concrete proof and is lodged in jail for the past 8 years. He pleaded that the
alleged accused person has not made any confessional statement and
hence he should be released on bail. The lawyer, advocate Sharif Sheikh
told Special MCOCA cour t judge G. J. Qadiri that the only evidence collect-
ed by investigation team against the accused person, Sheikh Waqar
Muhammad Nisar, of being in touch with other accused persons, was com-
plicit in criminal conspiracy and that other accused persons in their confes-
sional statements have also named him. He fur ther told thte judge that the
accused has not made any confessional statement in this case and that in
the panchnama done of his email ID, no objectionable matter was obtained
by the investigating agencies. He (defence lawyer Sharif Sheikh) also invit-
ed judge Qadiris attention to the FIR registered in this case in which his
(Sheikh Waqars) name is not there. Pleading for his release on bail, advo-
cate Sharif Sheikh fur ther told the judge that four other persons accused in
this case have been released on bail and hence the accused in question
(Waqar Sheikh) may also be released on bail like other accused persons.
Speaking of the good character of this accused person, the advocate told
the judge / court that before his arrest in this case, there was no complaint of
any kind against him with the police and that he belongs to an educated and
respectable family. Therefore, if he is released on bail, he will neither try to
erase or twist any proof etc gathered against him nor will he escape from the
country.
The Special MCOCA Court heard and recorded the arguments of defence
lawyer. The official prosecutor requested the court for time to present his argu-
ments in this case. Hence, only after hearing the arguments and pleadings of
the prosecuctor only, the court / judge will give its / his verdict on the bail appli-
cation of the accused (Sheikh Waqar). (N. A. Ansari)
Conspiracy to demonise Muslims by projecting them as terrorists
Eye witnesses of Mohsin
Sheikhs murder
threatened by killers
Mumbai: Maharashtras chief minster Prithvi Raj Chauhan assured the delega-
tion members of Rashtriya Ekta Manch led by Congress M P Hasan Dalwai that
security arrangements in and around mosques situated in sensitive areas of
Maharashtra will be made and that drastic action will be taken against elements
who indulge in any kind of violence and mischief. The delegation members told
the chief minister that eye witnesses to the murder of IT engineer Mohsin
Sheikh by Hindu Rashtra Sena members after the controversial picture was
uploaded on facebook are being harassed and threatened. Delegation members
of Rashtriya Ekta Manch, which is the representative organisaion of Hindus,
Muslims and Dalits met the chief minster at his official residence on 1 July and
told him that eye witnesses to Mohsin Sheikhs murder are being threatened by
members of local communal organisations and when complaints against these
elements were made to the police, they (police) do not take any satisfactory
action against them. Communal and mischievous elements had targeted
Ameen Haroon Sheikh, a junk dealer of Poona along with Mohsin Sheikh who
has been made an eye witness in Mohsin Sheikhks murder case. In the 1 July
meeting with the chief minister Ameen Haroon Sheikh narrated the heart rend-
ing incident of Mohsin Sheikhs murder and making him also a target of vio-
lence simply because he was sporting a beard and had donned a cap. He fur-
ther said that police made him an eye witness and gave wide publicity about
his being an eye witness in Mohsins murder case, so that even before the
arrest of the murderers and before this case being taken up for hearing, he
being an eye witness has become so notorious in the village that his business,
which was mainly with non-Muslims is suffering and he is getting frequent
threats so much so that his life has become a hell.
Congress MLC Mohan Joshi also was with Hasan Dalwai as a member of
this delegation who apprised the chief minister about different kinds of threats,
atrocities, harassment etc that Muslims are facing in rural areas after BJP form-
ing the government at the centre and suggested to him that just as armed police
has been deployed at different places for protection of Shivaji Maharajs statue,
in the same way security arrangements may be made in and outside mosques
in sensitive areas because in the month of Ramzan large number of Muslims
visit mosques and communal forces can let loose violence against them. Two
businessmen who had come from Pune and were part of the delegation also
complained to the CM about harassment of Muslims by members of commu-
nal organisations and said that after the facebook incident Muslims are facing
great difficulties in rural areas, particularly in suburban villages of Pune, non-
Muslims are boycotting Muslims and have stopped any kind of dealing with
them.
Hasan Dalwai demanded of the chief minister to ban Hindu Rashtra Sena
with immediate effect, stating that just as the government has banned SIMI
exactly in the same way Hindu Rashra Sena also may be banned. At this the
chief minister said that the state government has sent a letter to the central gov-
ernment and after its permission only, a ban can be imposed.
Mischievous elements demolish madrasa wall,
police removes loud speaker
Hardoee: Mischievous elements demolished the wall of a madrasa under con-
struction in Hardoee district (UP)s Saripur Hiralal village. When a complaint of
this incident was made at the police station, police, instead of taking action
against destroyers of the wall, removed the loud speaker and mike of the
mosque that was built in the madrasa compound. Muslims of the locality
accused the police of inciting the mischievous elements and musclemen and
asking them to demolish the remaining portions of the madrasa when they
(policemen) went back. Local Muslims, agitated and angry with the mischief
makers and biased attitude of the police, complained against all this to District
Magistrate and demanded an enquiry into the whole incident and action against
the wrong doers. Authorities of local police station, i e Bagholi Thana, in order
to prevent any breach of peace, took action against both the contending par-
ties.
It is said that about two years ago a madrasa was built here with the help
of local Muslims in which one Molvi Nizamuddin imparted religious education
to the children of local Muslims. At first this madrasa was functioning in a
thatched house but subsequently pakka walls were built and now about three
dozen children are reading in this madrasa. Since there is no mosque in this vil-
lage, special arrangements are made under the supervision of madrasa people
for Namaz and Taraveeh in the month of Ramzan. The same thing was done this
Ramzan also but on 3rd or 4th Ramzan some mischievous and unsocial ele-
ments of the village demolished the boundary wall of the madrasa under con-
struction at midnight as a result of which the tin shed on the wall also fell down.
When a complaint about this was made in the police station, the SO came and
he got the mike and loud speaker, which was kept in the madrasa for Azaan,
removed from there. Not only this, according to local Muslims, the biased
policemen asked the unsocial elements to demolish the remaining portions
when the police left that place. Taking all this very seriously the highly agitated
and angry local Muslims went to the Collectorate and complained against all
this to the District Magistrate and fearing that this incident may endanger the
peaceful atmosphere of the village, requested the DM to get the matter enquired
into against the accused persons and take strong action against them. Instead
of taking action against the unsocial elements, police took action against both
parties for endangering peace.
The SO of Bagholi police station Lalta Prasad Sahoo told media persons that
since the loud speaker was installed there for the first time which was kept on the
roof of a house adjacent to the madrasa, the other party objected to it. The Police
argument on this incident is that no new tradition will be allowed and hence the mike
and loud speaker were removed because these were not used earlier and used for
the first time. Regarding the accusation that police had asked the mischievous ele-
ments to demolish the remaining portion after departure of police, the SO described
it baseless and said that police never said any such thing to any one. He further said
that loud speaker etc also were not removed by police themselves but on police bid-
ding Majeed and his wife, admitting their mistake, themselves removed these things
from their roof. He said that there is no tension in the village and police is making
necessary inquiry.
Five SIMI members including Safdar Nagori acquitted
Raj Garh: Five SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India) activists viz Safdar
Nagori, Aamil Parvez, Shibli, Muhammad Ali and Qamruddin who were accused
of promoting communal hatred between different communities and spoiling the
social atmosphere in Narsingh Garh and neighbouring villages and arrested by
the Madhya Pradesh police six years ago (in 2008) were acquitted by Additional
Session Judge, D. K. Naagle of Rajgarh district (Madhya Pradesh)s Narsing
Garh of all the charges on 2 July. This case was taken up for hearing by
Additional Session Judge on 2 July but none of the 8 witnesses made any
accusation against them and hence the court acquitted all of them. Public pros-
ecutor Dinesh Sharma said that eight persons were called as witness by the
police in this case. Dinesh Sharma further said that they were accused of
allegedly holding several meetings for promoting communal hatred in and
around Narsing Garh city but during the hearing the witnesses denied any
knowledge of such meetings or any attempt to spread communal hatred. There
was one more accused person, Muhammad Hafiz in this case who is locked up
in a Karnataka jail but no verdict was pronounced on him.
MG NEW DESK
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 5 www.milligazette.com
Normalisation of
the terror
narrative: The
response
FIRDAUS AHMED
The great Indian soap opera, popular across the board in India and
indeed counter-intuitively also in Afghanistan, is not without its
critics. It projects a pretty reactionary image of society, social and
family relationships as good and desirable. It concerns itself with
the rich and paints the poor out of the screen. If at all the poor find
representation, it is as household workers low down in the food
chain.
Intended as a platform for the advertising industry capturing
attention of bored housewives, soap operas, however, cannot be
left alone. Their largely regressive portrayal of the social sphere is
being scrutinised by social scientists. Therefore, any comment on
the Muslim community that these episodes make needs to be
watched.
Take, for instance, the serial Uttaran
(http://youtu.be/EYe59R2O-XQ). In an episode in which the hero-
ine is seen as running away from home, her travels are depicted
in a railway compartment. In this scene, there are two devout
Muslims, a man and a woman, shown as fellow travellers. Their
devoutness is depicted by the mans attire and beard and the lady
at prayer. The long and short of it is that the woman eventually
turns out a suicide bomber with the man guiding her into terror.
Could this digression of the soap in question into this scene
have been unwitting? This is possible in that the terror narrative in
the media in which Muslims are shown as villains has been on
now for over a decade. The script writer has obviously internal-
ized the narrative, as has been intended all along by the master
script writers behind this terror narrative. They have evidently
reaped the gains of their decades-long effort in the installation of
the new regime in Delhi.
With the new regime in place, prejudices, supposedly dating
back to centuries, can be expected to get full play. By this yardstick
this can be attributed to the script writer, director and the producer.
However, it is equally perhaps no co-incidence that the scene
was aired soon as the new regime stepped in. It cannot be negat-
ed that the scene was not thought up and inserted at the bidding
of political players outside of the soap industry.
We can expect more such innovative depictions of Indias
largest minority as India proceeds further into the tunnel. This is
but a trailer of the political project that is already unfolding.
The normalization of viewing the minority as terrorists has
drawn blood already, that of a young breadwinner walking down a
Pune road one night recently. Wearing the markers of the minor-
ity is now to invite threatening attention, if not danger. Being con-
servative is to be linked in the minds eye to radicals, needing to
be disciplined by violence.
What must the response be? Clearly, it has to be considered
and with the long-term in view. A knee jerk reaction to the episode
in question is not consequential and will lead to dissipation of
energy. The wider aspect of getting India out of the tunnel it has
just got into needs to inform any action.
In this the community is not alone. Liberal Hindus are alongside.
Most Hindus who may have voted this regime to power for reasons
relating to economy rather than cultural nationalist convictions would
also likely have their blinkers fall away as the regime emerges in its
true colours. In effect, the minority, though currently under siege, is
not alone and will progressively cease standing apart.
In short, the response must emerge not from a sense of vic-
timhood or haplessness, but from a sense of eventual triumph.
However, the interim would still need being negotiated. The quest
for the other end of the tunnel would need being within the dark-
ness of the deepening tunnel. Therefore, realism will have to
inform the communitys response, in sync with that of the liberals
in the majority community.
The first and most obvious direction is that the narrative must
not be allowed to be reinforced by illegal acts or violence on part
of the hot-headed elements normally found in all communities.
These acts are liable to be used to reinforce the false image cre-
ated. This will alienate liberals among the majority, with whom an
alliance is to be forged. Secondly, there has to be a constant
scrutiny of such depictions, recording and appropriate criticism
and counter in the media, in order that the counter point is at a
minimum registered if not accepted. This will require hands-on
engagement by professionals in the academia and media, and not
be left to the politically inclined few. Thirdly, a reaching out and
openness to the majority community in every forum and network,
from business to sports, must be deployed to dispel the image
being foisted. This will cause the necessary dissonance in minds
of interlocutors, eventually leading up to the project of demonisa-
tion of the minority being received with incredulity since it does
not measure up to their lived experience and interaction with the
minority. This will eventually lead to displacement of the hold of
rightists over the minds of people and in turn from the power.
Innovative strategies can be expected from the backers of the
regime to further the political project of majoritarian supremacy,
now that they believe they have a favourable government in
power. This will entail equally imaginative and robust strategies for
countering and displacing by the other side. This may not emerge
from political parties, particularly since the Congress stands rout-
ed, as was the Left earlier. Traditional Muslim-centric parties have
their limitations in that they are restricted to their constituencies
and mandates. They would require reinventing themselves to do
justice to their image of themselves as representing the commu-
nity. The response would require including the advantaged and the
middle classes, who can no longer comfortably occupy their
cocoons disengaged from the wider community. Ultimately, it is a
fight that the liberals among the majority would need fighting on
behalf of all, including minorities. In this Indias largest minority
can be the firmest ally.
New Delhi: According to Delhi governments chief secretary Arun
Baroka, building of 10 new senior secondary schools at a total
cost of about Rs 174 crores and each school costing Rs 16 to 18
crores at different places in Delhi has been approved. Each school
will be 4-storeyed, with an area of about 600 sq metres and in
addition, will have an open area or field or play ground of 2000 sq
metres. These schools are scheduled to be completed in the next
15 months. In addition to these 10 new schools, there is a plan to
build yet another 10 new schools, permission for which has also
been given. For building these schools Delhis Education
Department is trying to acquire lands from different agencies and
so far it has been able to acquire 30 pieces of land at different
places. More lands are expected to be acquired soon. These are
indeed laudable steps of Delhi government for promotion of stan-
dard education in Delhi. This is however one aspect of govern-
ment's efforts and keenness to promote education in Delhi.
Now let us see the other aspect, which is that none of the 10
new schools in the first phase will be in Muslim populated areas
where there is greater need to open new schools in spite of the
fact that Muslims are more backward educationally, economically
and socially as compared to other communities and even Dalits.
Yet another disappointing aspect is that Qaumi School in old Delhi
which is being run in tents in the Eidgah area for the past 38 years
has been completely ignored by government. This school is situ-
ated in Sarai Khalil, a congested area of Old Delhi where poor
Muslim children and boys read. In June 1976 this school was
demolished during Emergency, to make way for building DDA flats
for sale or auction to people and assurance was given that the
government would provide alternative land for this school at
another place within six months and also build this school. But
this assurance remains unfulfilled till date. Since 1976, after dem-
olition of its building this school is being run in tents and children
as well as teachers have been facing great difficulties and are
being subjected to hostile weather conditions all the year round in
summer, rainy and winter seasons. School authorities, Muslim
organisations and others made many representations and person-
ally met Education Department officials, ministers, MPs of the
area including former HRD minister Kapil Sibal who also gave
assurances but nothing happened. The process of learning by
poor students and teaching by teachers is going on in the hostile
weather conditions. One can very well imagine what difficulties
poor students and teachers will be facing under such circum-
stances. Schools furniture and general conditions also are in very
bad shape. As stated above, government is ambitiously planning
to build ten new schools in the first phase and 10 more new
schools in the second phase and vast lands have been acquired
and more lands will be acquired but poor Qaumi School is being
totally ignored by these authorities, neither land is being provided
nor a new building is being constructed in spite of the great diffi-
culties being faced by students and teachers all the year round.
One is compelled to sadly think that this school is being totally
ignored, when there are ambitious plans to build new schools,
probably because it is situated in a Muslim populated area and
where poor Muslim boys read! N. A. ANSARI
Billions for new schools but none for Qaumi
School running in tents for 38 years
Cry for cow protection but
when a Muslim proposes
protection in assembly, BJP
opposes it
Bhopal: There is widespread demand for cow protection in the
country by BJP and other Sangh outfits but when a Muslim-MLA
made a proposal to this effect BJP members and government
opposed it. This happened in Madhya Pradesh assembly recently.
Congress MLA, Arif Aqeel suggested a non-official resolution in
the state assembly on 13 July that after a cows death its last rites
should be honourably performed, either consigned to flames or
buried at government expenses and sale of its organs should also
be banned. The State government had been evading the passing
of this resolution in the assembly. It continued to repeatedly affirm
that it is not acting carelessly on the protection of gau mata nor is
it taking this matter lightly. Aqeel also said that the cow is called
gau mata and given the status of mother but inspite of this it is left
to roam on roads and other places and die dishonourably after
becoming old when it can neither produce calves nor give milk. It
is killed for its skin, bones and fat and demanded that all this busi-
ness should be banned. He also suggested that after its death its
last rites should be performed on official expenses. At this, state
minister for animal husbandry (Ms) Kusum Mahdele appreciated
Aqeels suggestion and said that previous to this, no other mem-
ber made this suggestion and for this suggestion the honourable
member (Aqeel) should be awarded. Though Ms Kusum and
some other ministers also appreciated this gesture of Arif Aqeel
but the government ignored his resolution. Assembly Speaker
suggested that religious leaders views should be obtained after
which this resolution should be taken up. Aqeel however was
adamant on his suggestion. He said that BJP had contested elec-
tion on this issue but now it is going back on the issue of cow pro-
tection. Finally it was decided that this resolution should be decid-
ed by a voice vote. This also was done but it was not clear how
many were in favour and how many were opposed to this sugges-
tion or resolution. Finally voting was conducted in the assembly. It
was found that whereas 55 members had voted against this res-
olution, only 30 had voted in its favour. Hence this resolution was
defeated by BJP members themselves
Assam in bloody turmoil again: many
kidnapped and killed: army on stand-by
Guwahati: At least five persons were killed in Assams Baksa dis-
trict during the past one week. There was no communal riot but
four Muslim traders were kidnapped and killed. It was reported
that seven persons (who were lemon traders) had gone from
Barpeta district to a market called Labdanguri Market in Baksa dis-
trict on 11 July, four of whom did not return to their houses. All of
them, (including two teen aged) were kidnapped by suspected
NDFB (Songbijit) factions militants, three of whom (Ataur
Rahman, Ruhul Ameen and Saddam Ali aged 13) were killed. Their
bodies were recovered from Beki river on 13 July. Body of one,
Baqar Ali (13) was found one day earlier on 12 July. Before that
also one dead body was found in the river.
Family members of the deceased persons and other local resi-
dents demanded that chief minister Tarun Gogee should personally
tour the place where the deceased lived in order to know the pains
and grievances of their family members. They not only refused to per-
form last rites of their dead relatives until the chief minister personal-
ly visits their localities but also took out a demonstration against the
kidnapping and murder of their relatives at a time when curfew was
imposed. Since they had taken out the demonstration in violation of
the curfew, police fired in the air to scare them away. However, no one
was injured or killed in this firing. Baksa Deputy Commissioner, Viond
Seshan, while confirming that police had fired in the air because they
had taken out the demonstration in violation of the curfew and had
refused to go back, expressed his fear that the killings may have been
done by NDFB (S) militants. Assams DGP, K. Sarma held NDFB (S)
responsible for kidnap and murder. Whereas a largae police force has
been deployed in the affected place, army has also been called out
and kept on stand-by. According to Ajit Prasad Rawat, Addl Director
General of Police (Law and Order), 9 persons have been arrested in
connection with kidnapping and murder.
Meanwhile, the state government transferred Baksas Police
Superintendent Nimbalkar Vaibhav Chandrakant and appointed
Mojibur Rahman, Commandant of 10th Assam Police Batalion in
his place.
The normalization of viewing the minority as
terrorists has drawn blood already, that of a
young breadwinner walking down a Pune road
one night recently. Wearing the markers of the
minority is now to invite threatening attention, if
not danger. Being conservative is to be linked in
the minds eye to radicals, needing to be
disciplined by violence.
RAM PUNIYANI
ram.puniyani@gmail.com
The phenomenon of God
is probably the most com-
plex one in the World. For
believers there is a range of
belief systems about the
supernatural powers. For
agnostics it is I dont know
and for atheists there is no
supernatural power. Systems of thought relevant
to the topic range from Animists (nature wor-
shippers), polytheists (multiple gods/goddess-
es), tri-theists (Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh or
Father, Son and the Holy spirit), Monotheists
(single Universal God) to Atheists. In the concept
of God we have god as a physical being to the
formless God. Adivasis are animists, worship-
ping nature and spirits of their ancestors. The
concept differs vastly in different religions so
much so that some religions do not have the
concept of God like Buddhism and Jainism.
Polytheism prevailed in Greek society, with dif-
ferent gods and goddesses endowed with spe-
cial virtues. Ancient Aryans believed in polythe-
ism, with multitude of Gods and Goddesses
looking after different virtues and aspects of the
life on Earth. Here in the Indian Hindu system of
belief, we have a goddess each for wealth
(Laxmi) knowledge (Sarswati) and power
(Durga). We also have a god each for lighteing
(Indra), air (Marut), sex (Kamdevta), liquor (Som
devta) amongst the plethora of the divine pow-
ers. Hindu mythology is a rainbow exposition of
the diversity and complexity of the lives of gods
and goddesses.
There is no fixed timeline of the phenome-
non of God. Diverse concepts begin in different
time periods. From animism, the most ancient
concept to polytheism-monotheism and atheism
came up over a period of time but not in a
sequential fashion. Simultaneously, there came
up the traditions of Charvak, Buddhism and
Jainism which either do not talk about God or
deny the existence of God. The prophet-based
religions like Christianity and Islam have a defin-
itive concept, the Hindu religion has a plethora of
divine powers. Hinduism also has assimilated
diverse concepts which merrily co-exist. Thats
how in my childhood while reciting Hanuman
Chalisa and reading Ramayan (Lord Ram), I
could reverentially go through the text of
Mahabharata, with many Gods playing their dif-
ferent interesting roles. My family-community
worshipped Banyan tree on one hand and on the
other had parallel worship of bullocks, snakes
and what have you. I vividly remember taking the
wooden bullocks to neighbours and getting
some sweets or small change as a reward.
Every Saturday, mendicants with a vessel filled
with oil used to come and my grandfather used
to slip some coins into the vessel, while at the
same time performing the puja of Lord Ram.
Last three decades, in particular, on one
hand saw the plethora of godmen like Mahesh
Yogi, Rajneesh, J. Krishnamurthy, Asaram Bapu,
Satya Sai baba (Bhagwan) coming to the fore,
the popularity of Sai Baba of Shirdi and Mata
Vaishno Devi has gone up exponentially.
Bhagwan Satya Sai, who died in 2011,
had a vast following and was regarded as the
reincarnation of Shirdi Sai baba. At the same
time Shirdi Sai pilgrimage became very popular
and his temples came up in most cities. Sai
Baba of Shirdi (died 1918) had a beautiful syn-
cretic background. While he was born in a
Muslim family, he came up more in Sufi tradition
and intermingled with equal affection amongst
Hindus as well as Muslims. His major focus was
bringing Hindus and Muslims together. One
major landmark in his life will give the essence of
his efforts. In 1896, he instituted the annual Sufi
urs festival with the explicit purpose of bringing
these two communities together. In 1912 he
combined this urs with the Hindu Ramnavmi
festival. This effort of his strengthened his Sufi
initiative of co-operation, symbiosis and toler-
ance. During the festival, Hindus would worship
in the mosque along with Muslims, each com-
munity following its own rituals. The Baba would
put the sandalwood paste on the forehead of
Mlahspati, the priest of local Khandoba temple,
who in turn would reciprocate the gesture. Baba
was deeply steeped in humanism, the core of all
religions, and so Muslims as well as Hindus
started respecting him.
Slowly, more and more Hindus started wor-
shipping him and today he is more of a Hindu
deity than a Muslim Sufi. In Hinduism as such
there is a scope for new gods and goddesses
(e.g., Santoshi Ma, Satyanarayan). Apart from
Sai Baba, Swami Parmhans is another mortal
who has been raised to the level of divinity, and
his more famous disciple Swami Vivekananda
started a mission in his name.
The controversy around worshipping of Sai
Baba was raised by Shankaracharya Swami
Swaroopanand (June 2014) who described
Shirdi Sai baba as a Muslim ascetic and pro-
claimed that he cannot be worshipped like a
Hindu deity. He also said that his campaign is to
protect the Hindu religion and that he will contin-
ue his campaign irrespective of what some may
think. Sadhvi Uma Bhar ti, currently Union
Minister of Water Resources, who was one of
the prominent figures in the Ram Temple agita-
tion leading to the demolition of Babri masjid and
deepening the communal divide, is also a wor-
shipper of Sai baba. In a letter to Swami
Swaroopanand, she explained the rationale
behind her statement where she had said that
looking upon someone as a god was peoples
personal choice.
While Sai Baba has been accepted as god
by large sections of Hindus, it is probably for the
first time that someone has objected to this pop-
ular trend. Hinduism is a collation of multiple tra-
ditions. The clerical Brahminical tradition to
which Shankracharya belongs is rigid and ortho-
dox, while the other traditions of Nath, Tantra,
Siddhanta and Bhakti, are flexible and adapt to
the situation very easily. Hindu practices have
evolved continuously. On one hand, the clerical
ones emphasize on the status quo, the non-
Brahminical traditions have flexibility and fluidity.
It will require a deeper study to understand as to
why the worship of Jai Mata Di, Sai Baba,
Santoshi Maa has become more popular during
the last few decades as a part of a broader and
inclusive Hindu practice.
One needs to realize that the religious prac-
tices of different religions are not uniform. Even
in the universal, prophet-based religions, there
are sects like Catholic and Protestants, Shia and
Sunni, Hinayan and Mahayan, Digambar and
Shetambar, to name a few. The orthodox ver-
sions of religions have been used as the base of
politics within every religion. South Asia is today
in the grip of rising religiosity on the one hand
and growing assertion of politics in the name of
religion on the other. The more conservative
orthodox versions are picked up for political
abuse, Wahabi version from Islam, Brahminical
version from Hinduism, and similar conservative
version from Buddhism in Myanmar-Sri Lanka-
Thailand in particular.
People should be left to their own wisdom
and choice in matters of faith. Imposing and
asserting a particular version from the interpre-
tation of the texts does complicate the matters
and create strife, the way the controversy raised
by Shankaracharya is doing.
Recently a book has come out on the topic
of God. Titled Why Atheism will replace religion:
The triumph of earthly pleasures over pie in the
sky, it is written by Nigel Barber. This book pre-
dicts that religions and believers will become a
minority vis--vis the practice of secularism in
the 2040s. This book relates the rise/fall of reli-
gion with economic power and makes an obser-
vation that atheists are much more in number in
developed countries. This book is based on the
study of 137 nations conducted by the author
who concludes that in the countries with a more
developed welfare system, higher is the number
of atheists. The books crunch line is: in coun-
tries where distribution of income is even, lesser
is the number of religious people. The author is
a prominent psychologist. He makes a predic-
tion that people will feel lesser need of supernat-
ural beliefs when the tangible world is providing
them for their real needs. In a survey conducted
in America, 20 percent people identified them-
selves as atheists.
While we wait for the realisability of such
prediction, we should respect peoples choices
about their faith. This is a message loud and
clear given by the followers of Sai baba in
response to what Shankaracharya said.
(pluralindia.com)
Shankaracharya says no to worship of Sai Baba
6 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
JOHN DAYAL
The report of the Intelligence Bureau under the
government of the Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra
Modi, demonising non-government
organisations (NGOs), and several activists
including a Catholic priest, the late Fr. Tom
Kotcherry, for working against Indian national
interests was a precursor of more direct action
to come.
The administration took immediate action,
ordering Greenpeace, which it had targeted as
the prime culprit in delaying if not preventing big
money projects in tribal areas, to take prior
permission before it accepted any funding from
international agencies. That is not to say that
the earlier Congress had not used the notorious
Foreign Contribution Act to punish NGOs in
Tamil Nadu, including a Catholic diocese, for
supporting the movement of the local people
against the Koodmakulam nuclear power plant
which the Union and state governments wanted
not so much for the electricity it would produce
but for the political gains it could bring to the
Congress and the AIADMK. And the risks from
the Russian-made reactor could be overlooked
in the name of development.
But the BJP-led National Democratic
Alliance government in New Delhi differs in a
critical area from its Congress predecessor. The
Congress-led UPA government led by the Prime
Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, was pilloried for
its sloth, its corruption and its inability to control
the price line. But it had a human face that
changed the life of the rural poor through a slew
of welfare programmes that did reduce a little
from the pain of poverty. Above all, it did not
seek to divide the people on lines of religion or
egg them on to violence.
Mr. Modis government carries a deadly
political baggage that seeks to do just that,
polarise communities, ranging the majority faith
against religions that it brands as alien.
Mr. Modis government carries a deadly
political baggage that seeks to do just that,
polarise communities, ranging the majority faith
against religions that it brands as alien. In the
mineral-rich and heavily-forested tribal belt that
extends from Jharkhand to Madhya Pradesh
and beyond, including much of Chhattisgarh
and Orissa, this polarising of the countryside
has the immediate impact of almost totally
wrecking the unity of the people against
exploitative and environmentally destructive
industrial and mining projects of national and
international monopolies.
By demolishing ethical NGOs empowering
people on the one hand and peoples unity in
mass movements on the other, the government
opens the hinterland for exploitation by crony
capitalists.
It is in this light that one has to see the
move in May 2014 by several village
Panchayats in the Bastar region of
Chhattisgarh, prompted by the Sangh Parivars
units such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and
the Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, to
ban the entry of Christian workers, and worship,
in their areas. The resolution came to light only
recently.
The Panchayat diktat is that only Hindu
religious workers will be allowed into the village
areas in the tribal belt. This is of course entirely
illegal, and violative of the provisions in the
Constitution of freedom of expression and of
movement. The coercive methodology of
branding every tribal as a Hindu, and to turn him
or her to oppose Christians, injures the secular
nature of society, and the peace that has
existed over a long time.
Such bans on a particular faith and the
friction they breed, can so easily lead to
violence against religious minorities.
Memories of the massive violence in
Kandhamal in 2007 and 2008, which had its
roots in such indoctrination and
communalisation, are still fresh, and the
struggle for justice for the victims still continues
in the high court and the Supreme Court. The
governments of the state of Chhattisgarh and
the Union must therefore act urgently to stem
this explosive evil while there is still time.
(johndayal.com)
The author is a senior journalist,
Church leader
and civil rights activist
While Sai Baba has been accepted as god by large sections of
Hindus, it is probably for the first time that someone has objected to
this popular trend. Hinduism is a collation of multiple traditions. The
clerical Brahminical tradition to which Shankracharya belongs is rigid
and orthodox, while the other traditions of Nath, Tantra, Siddhanta and
Bhakti, are flexible and adapt to the situation very easily. Hindu
practices have evolved continuously...
A double threat: Silencing dissent, sowing hate
Points to ponder
Shiv Sainiks Shenanigans
Shiv Sena has always been a bunch of goons,
ruffians, lawless and uncouth people. The inci-
dent of Shiv Sena MPs force-feeding a fasting
Muslim at Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi is the lat-
est feather to their illustrious cap. Shiv Sena is
an outfit of fanatic Hindus whore openly anti-
Muslim in their attitude and approach.
Emboldened by a Hindu party (read BJP)
being at the helm of political affairs at the Centre,
these Shiv Sainiks are having a field day. The
Hindu PM hasnt yet said anything against this
incident. His silence speaks volumes.
In the July 24th issue of The Indian Express,
one can see the profiles of 10 Shiv Sainiks
involved in force-feeding. Save one (Hemant
Godse from Nasik), all others have criminal
backgrounds with cases pending against them.
How such criminals become MPs is the funda-
mental issue that comes prior to all other
shenanigans committed by them. Who elects
such scoundrels to parliament? Most of them
have serious crimes stacked against them. If
theyre so fond of vada-pao and misal, why on
ear th do they go to Delhi? Stay back in
Maharashtra and have matki-usal.
Its time to cleanse politics of such rogues
and corrupt elements. But where and whos that
Hercules to undertake the cleaning of the
Augean stables of politics?
Vaidik-Saeed meeting
Arent we reading too much into Hafiz
Saeed and Ved Pratap Vaidiks (clandes-
tine) meeting in Lahore? Agreed, Saeed is a
dubious character. Hes a slippery eel. But
isnt Vaidik also a shameless publicity-
seeker who can go to any length to tom-
tom his journalistic credentials, which have
always been a tad doubtful. Call me a trai-
tor, quisling or a fif th columnist, but tell
me, has India really been able to provide
clinching proofs against Saeed as a man
who masterminded destructive activities on
Indian soil, par ticularly 26/11? If Ajmal
Kasab can be created, concocted, pilloried
and finally hanged as a scapegoat (refer to
former IG S M Mushrifs hard-hitting book
26/11 Probe, published by Pharos Media),
cant the same be said about Hafiz Saeed,
who is being demonized by India and its
i ntel l i gence agenci es, speci fi cal l y
Brahminical IB? Guillotine me in public. But
think over what Ive insinuated. Moreover,
is it a felony as to meet Saeed? Wasnt
Osama Bin Laden interviewed by seasoned
journalists despite being an international
pariah? Hearing the version of other side is
also sagacity, which we seem to lack in
India.
SUMIT PAUL
sumitmaclean@hotmail.com
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 7 www.milligazette.com
Heritage Park in Mehrauli area is Waqf land
MUSTAFA KHAN
Gujarat pogroms were acts of revenge against the Muslims of the
state to fix them in a way that they would never again be in a posi-
tion to claim equity in treatment.
Those who set out to avenge real and perceived grudges
against the community under the instructions and guidance of the
then Chief Minister Narendra Modi came down heavily against
the Muslim women. They smashed their foetuses before killing
them so that the new generation would not come to life. Those
who were young/child/girls or adults were raped and made preg-
nant to deliver a new generation that would bear their disgrace in
the future and remind them of perpetual humiliation and punish-
ment.
This was achieved by means of communalising the atmos-
phere in the state. The planning was very meticulously prepared.
There was first the rejuvenation of the momentum for building
Ram temple at the Babri mosque for which there was the mobi-
lization of organized groups of devotees going to Ayodhya in a
replay of 1992. As that event in the past had given the Hindu
party BJP rich dividends at polls and helped them come to power
in 1998 at the Centre for the first time, in 2002 they wanted such
a harvest in the state of Gujarat after intelligence reports had told
the incumbent rulers that they will lose the elections.
Narendra Modi and his Machiavellian politics of revenge pro-
duced the calculated effect. Surveys were conducted well in
advance marking the houses of Muslims and their commercial
establishments. Printouts of these lists were supplied to the RSS-
VHP cadres. The violence that was unleashed against Muslim
communities and on women from the Muslim communities in par-
ticular, in the state of Gujarat, India from February 27, 2002,
onwards was beyond description in its horror. Its efficacy in show-
ing the worst effects of communalism combined with a thirst for
political power is unmatched in the post-independence Indian his-
tory.
[1]
The pogroms were followed by fake encounters which also
were designed to perpetuate cruelty on the members of the
Muslim community in order to win election in 2002 and subse-
quently. BJP used law of the jungle to rule Gujarat in 2002 as
Congress did in 1993 when it used TADA against innocent
Muslims who languished in jail on unproven charges for upto 20
years. They were at long last released by the Supreme Court on
17 July, 2014. The government of that time did not follow Section
20-A(1) of The Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA). One
of the eleven innocent Muslims was the former minister
Mohammad Surti and the others are Mustaq Patel, Yusuf
Nalband, Salim Memon, Hussain Ghadiyali. The apex court also
questioned the recovery of arms from them.
If that was 1993, in 2002 DG Vanzara the right hand man of
Modi planted weapons and had Muslims arrested on false terror
charges. This at a time when communal feelings were running
high as a mammoth procession of a chariot was allowed to pass
through the Muslim-dominated areas of Kalupur and Dariapur in
Ahmedabad.
The Gujarat government secretary had sanctioned the trial
of the accused in 1993. It was not investigated by a deputy com-
missioner of police as mandated by TADA. What happened in
more than a decade of Modi rule is history. But his first month in
office as prime minister has created foreboding that more such
will follow.
There are reports leaked to the press which are ominous and
bode ill for the Muslim community as the target, like the rumour
about an impending attack on Amarnath yatra.
In a significant development, four youths from Mumbai are
said to have joined Islamic States of Iraq and Syria fighters.
Without clear proof and investigations, the news was widely cir-
culated and a feeling was created that these youths are terrorists,
that many such youths are either already in Syria/Iraq or planning
to go there. It was claimed that on their return, they will unleash
a fresh wave of terrorist attacks on India. The Pune-based think
tank Indian Initiative for Peace, Arms-control & Disarmament
even claimed that the terrorists attack originating from Pakistan is
on the cusp of transpiring. For too long Indians held to the myth
that there were no terrorists of Indian origin. Today radicalised
Indians are being spotted in many theatres of war, like Syria or
Iraq. There was an unspoken political consensus in India to
blame all terror incidents on Pakistan alone. The ostensible rea-
son for this was to spare the Indian minorities from any backlash.
It is now necessary to fashion military, diplomatic, police and legal
instruments to effectively deal with the terrorists who are part
Pakistani and part Indian. Domestically, the new government will
have to build a consensus in the minority community to deal with
the radicalised elements. The time for denial is over.
[2]
This approach makes terrorists out of novice mercenary
Muslim youths who may and may not have joined the current war
in Iraq and Syria. The four youths, who have disappeared, do
not have any criminal record let alone any terror taint. Calling
them part Pakistani part Indian is oxymoron.
If the new government under Modi wants to frame a policy to
crack down upon Muslim youths, it has to also view what is hap-
pening in Gaza Strip where more than 600 Palestinians had been
bombed and killed by Israel and 27 Israelis lost their lives. Some
of the Israeli soldiers were American citizens born and brought in
the US.
Arif Fayyaz Majeed, Fahad Tanvir Sheikh, Aman Naim Tandel
and Shaheen Farooqi from Thane, Mumbai are said to be fight-
ing with the forces of ISIS of Iraq and Syria. If true, they are doing
what Max Steinberg, 24, and Nissim Sean Carmeli, 21, were
doing in Gaza when they were killed. But Americans do not con-
sider them as terrorists nor do many others. In fact, Israelis feel
proud: They are not less American when they serve in the army.
They are more American. They feel they protect the values of the
place they came from, and they also protect the values of the
state of Israel.
[3]
In fact, President Obama justified the Israeli attack on Gaza
when he hosted an Iftar party at White House. It was a gathering
of Muslims and not of politicians and so it was tactless and dis-
graceful to say so. If that is so in the case of the US whose anti-
terror bandwagon the Indian governments jumped on in the after-
math of 9/11, why should our police and government should feel
disturbed and view the four allegedly fighting with ISIS with sus-
picion and deem them as terrorists. The media has gone hype
over them. That is the spring source of framing Muslims in false
charges of terrorism that they have not committed. Calling them
part Pakistani and part Indian gives away the plan.
The 2014 Human Rights Watch report castigates another
aspect of making terrorists out of simple citizens. Instead of con-
sidering Muslims as equal and legitimate citizens of the US, FBI
viewed them as potential terrorists. The report says:
In some cases, the FBI may have created terrorists out of
law-abiding individuals by suggesting the idea of taking terrorist
action or encouraging the target to act. Even President Obama
had disfavoured this when he advised in his 2013 speech: The
best way to prevent violent extremism inspired by violent jihadists
is to work with the Muslim American community - which has con-
sistently rejected terrorism - to identify signs of radicalization and
partner with law enforcement when an individual is drifting
towards violence. And these partnerships can only work when we
recognize that Muslims are a fundamental part of the American
family.
[4]
On our side of the globe: no Indian government has deemed
it necessary to work with the Muslim community as Obama says
or as the Pune-based think tank suggests. The innocent Muslims
trapped in terror charges and their relatives and independent-
and fair-minded people from the majority community have also
urged the government to look into the cases and review them but
these voices have been ignored.
The case of Sohrabuddin Shaikh is the crux of the matter. He
was connected with the 1993 bomb attack in Surat because he
was alleged to be part of Latif Lala and Dawood Ibrahim gangs.
There is no proof that he brought in AK 57 to make what Pravin
Swamy calls a communal war in Surat.
[5]
In fact, Muslims were
at the mercy of the majority some of whom were extremists and
were perpetrating a massacre. The accused in the 1993 case
were set free on 17 July, 2014 because there was no proof
against them. If there was no proof against them, how could Modi
cite Sohrabuddin as a smuggler who transported the weapons in
1993? He not only accused him so but dared the Central govern-
ment to hang him for what he did - he liquidated him - and his
audience encored Kill him. Kill him.
Modis famous speech of 2007 partly made him win the elec-
tion proving the widespread belief that violence in the name of
religion helped him win elections and consolidate his power. In
contrast, no weapons were found in the case of what
Sohrabuddin had allegedly brought in, ruled the SC. Yet, most of
the accused in the case spent 20 years in prison. Two of them
Ehsaan Patel and Iqbal Wadiwala died in prison. Entrapment of
innocent Muslims was the order of the day in 1993 as well as
under Modi. Sohrabuddin, Ishrat Jahan, Sadik Jamal Mahtar and
others were victims of the IB joint director Rajedra Kumar, an
associate of Modi in Haryana-Punjab election in 1990s, generat-
ing bogus inputs against them. Yet the Central government has
refused to take action against Kumar even when investigations
have shown that he was involved in crimes against Ishrat Jahan,
Sadik Jamal Mahtar, etc.
In the case of the four from Thane, ATS has seized their pen
drives and laptops.
[6]
They have been doomed as terrorists
even before any objectionable or criminal evidence is found. The
alleged letter of Arif F Majeed is critical of many evils in our soci-
ety that people of the majority community too would object like
obscenity, lewdness, mingling of sexes, illegitimate sexual inter-
course, luxurious life, etc.
[7]
A part of the whole agenda of Hindutva was revenge. They
accused innocent Muslims and the police were too officious to
scrutinize or even take trouble to discharge their legal duty. The
deputy commissioner of police whose duty was to investigate the
1993 accused did not do so and a mere letter of the government
secretary was used for jailing them for 20 years, without proof.
This theme is common. The RSS chief in 1992 justified the
pogroms of Muslim and the demolition of Babri mosque by
famously saying that the Muslims had it coming to them.
Coincident to the September 2006 bomb attack, a letter signed
by Sangh parivar reminds the Muslims that it was their revenge
and if they do not respect Hindu sentiments more would follow.
This is a proven line of Hindutva that Muslims must respect Hindu
sentiments or face consequences as Ashok Singhal and Parvin
Togadia are repeating these days. Says Singhal, Muslims will be
treated as common citizens -- nothing more, nothing less. And,
they must learn to respect Hindu sentiments. If they keep oppos-
ing Hindus, how long can they survive?
[8]
What Singhal means by sentiment is that Muslims should
give up their claim over Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura and should
also accept a uniform civil code. He even said that Religion is the
rock on which this country rests. So Muslims must cease to be
Muslims as the religion on which the country rests is Hinduism of
his liking. Singhal views those who oppose India as jihadist: You
also have to resort to deceit at times, and there are segments in
Pakistan who want good ties. The problem lies with the jihadi ele-
ments, and till they are there, relations cant be good. Therefore,
revenge has come to stay for good. As suffering in hell is perpet-
ual so the confrontation of Muslims by the extremist Hindus is
perpetuity.
Another way of revenge is dispossessing Muslims of their
houses, lands and establishments. On 19 July, 2014 Togadia
protested in front of the house a Muslim had bought in Bhavnagar
and said that Muslims shouldnt be allowed to buy houses in
Hindu neighbourhoods. He said that Hindus should take over
such houses by force and put a board there that it belongs to
Bajrang Dal.
[9]
Notes
[1] Threatened Existence: A Feminist Analysis of the Genocide in Gujarat
Report by the International Initiative for Justice (IIJ) December 2003
Prologue
[2] http://www.rediff.com/news/column/anil-a-athale-watch-out-mr-
m o d i - d a n g e r - c o n f r o n t s -
india/20140716.htm?pos=2&src=NL20140717&isnlp=0&isnlsp=0
[3] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/22/world/middleeast/2-americans-
among-israeli-soldiers-killed-in-gaza.html?_r=0
[4] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/21/government-agents-
directly-involved-us-terror-plots-report
[5] http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/london-arrest-highlights-
indias-communal-war/article148970.ece
[6] http://indianexpress.com/article/india/maharashtra/mumbai-youths-
in-iraq-ats-picks-up-laptops-pendrives-from-their-homes/99
[7]http://indianexpress.com/ar ticle/india/maharashtra/four-men-from-
mumbai-believed-to-have-joined-iraq-jihad-a-father-appeals-for-help/99/
[8] http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bjp-win-blow-to-muslim-
politics-vhp-chief-patron-ashok-singhal/article1-1241242.aspx
[9] http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-muslims-shouldn-t-be-allowed-
to-buy-proper ty-in-hindu-areas-says-vhp-president-praveen-togadia-
1980482
N. A. ANSARI
New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)s Delhi circle and
Delhi State Archaeology depar tment together with Delhi
Development Authority (DDA) plan to build Mehrauli
Archaeological Park near Qutub Minar in Mehrauli. Under this plan
of an archaeological or heritage park a vast area covering about
200 acres is to be acquired for building this Park which, accord-
ing to ASI includes 21 listed old and historical monuments includ-
ing ruins of the first city built by Rajput rulers and according to
Muslims about a dozen mosques, dargahs of saints, historical
tombs, hundreds of graves, at least one graveyard and some Delhi
Waqf Boards lands. According to Muslims, the proposed Park
covering about 200 acres (199 acres, to be exact) also includes
Khasras No 169, 171, 175 about which Supreme Court has given
a stay in favour of Delhi Waqf Board. On Delhi Waqf Boards large
piece of lands a number of old mosques including Masjid Karimia,
Masjid Ghausia, Noori mosque, Baghwali Masjid, Neem Wali
Masjid etc. also exist. Regular Namaz is offered in most of these
mosques and in addition there are 5 madrasas also in which sev-
eral hundred children read. There are some dargahs of saints also.
There are also some old and historical building, and structures
under ASI like Rajon ki Baoli, Masjid Jamali Kamali, Jamalis
tomb, tomb of king Balban. It is said that Masjid Jamali Kamali is
owned by Delhi Waqf Board.
According to Masjid Karimias Imam, Maulana Ibrahim recent-
ly DDAs Vice Chairman along with DDA officials had come to this
area for inspection. In addition to DDA officials there were also
many RSS activists. They were allegedly telling DDA officials what
should be built and where in these lands which also include Waqf
lands. This means that RSS is actively involved in destroying Waqf
properties for developing the archaeological or heritage park.
Maulana Ibrahim further said that before going back, DDA Vice
Chairman had instructed his officials to get these places cleaned
and taken them in their possession. Though Muslims are very
much agitated over ASI and DDAs plan to build the Mehrauli
Archaeological Park and are determined to foil ASI-DDAs plan,
Waqf Boards chairman Chaudhari Mateen Ahmad says that Waqf
Boards properties i.e. mosques, graveyard and graves will be
protected, it as open to question how these can be protected when
ASI and DDA claim that of the 15 monuments of ASI, 8 are
encroachments, including mosques by Delhi Waqf Board. Some
Muslim religious leaders including Mufti Maulana Mukarram
Ahmad, Imam of Fatehpuri Masjid favour that Muslims carry on an
agitation against ASI-DDA plan to develop the Archaeological
Park.
Delhis Archaeology Department says that survey and docu-
mentation work has been completed about 11 out of 15 monu-
ments in this Park. Officials of this department say that of their 15
monuments, 8 have been encroached upon and prayers are being
offered in 3 of them which are mosques of Delhi Waqf Board.
What is disputable is that what the Waqf Board calls its properties
(like mosques etc), Delhi ASI officials describe them as encroach-
ments. How these disputes will be settled is to be seen.
Gujarat pogroms: problem from hell (revenge)
SHANKAR GOPALAKRISHNAN
With the 2014 elections, time came again to state the obvious. In
the context of massive propaganda campaigns, the subtle use of
stereotypes, and the fact that both the Western and the Indian
media share certain basic biases, many people end up believing
in a range of myths about the adherents of the worlds second
largest religion. This is a quick attempt at exposing those myths.
Myth: Muslim countries are never secular. Muslims do not tol-
erate minorities in their countries but demand minority rights
in other countries.
The worlds largest Muslim majority country is Indonesia (total
population approximately 25 crores, larger than Pakistan).
Indonesia is a secular democracy. Indeed, its population is almost
a mirror image of Indias - 88% Muslim, 9% Christian, 3% Hindu,
2% Buddhist, etc. (as compared to India, which has a population
that is 80% Hindu, 13.4% Muslim, 2.3% Christian, etc.)
Indonesias national slogan is Unity in Diversity. Yes, Indonesia
has occasional riots and bomb blasts, but so does India.
In reality the majority of Muslim majority countries in the
world are secular. Several large examples include Turkey, Mali,
Syria, Niger, and Kazakhstan. Despite having Islam as state reli-
gion, Bangladeshs government is also secular in law. The same
is true of many other countries. Only six countries in the world
claim to use Islam as the basis of their law making - and their total
population is roughly the same as the population of Indonesia,
Turkey and Kazakhstan combined. In other words, the vast major-
ity of Muslim majority countries are secular, and the vast majority
of Muslims live under secular governments.
Myth: Not all Muslims may be terrorists, but most terrorists are
Muslims.
Even if we accept the governments definition of who is a terror-
ist in India, this is entirely untrue. In India, less than a third of the
organisations banned as terrorist under the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act are Muslim. Internationally, the group that
engaged in the most suicide bombings in the world was the LTTE
in Sri Lanka - a militantly atheist group whose members were
mostly of Hindu and Christian origin.
It is also not true that Muslim organisations engage in most of
the violence in India. Between 2005 and 2014, as per the South
Asia Terrorism Portal, twice as many people were killed in terror-
ist incidents by Northeastern militant organisations and left wing
extremism. These are all non-Muslim organisations, and the
largest Northeastern organisation in this period (ULFA) has a
mostly Hindu, upper caste leadership.
Besides, the definition of terrorism that the government
uses is contradictory. Killing twenty people by a bomb blast is
considered terrorism, but the killing of thousands of people in
1984 or more than a thousand people in Gujarat in 2002 (or, for
that matter, the killing of 40 people in Muzaffarnagar, 68 people in
Orissa in 2008, etc. etc.) are not. All riots involve planning, stock-
piling of weapons and systematic attacks. Why then are they not
considered terrorism?
Myth: Muslims have always been fundamentalists and are
more religious than followers of other religions.
Recent history shows that this is a lie, and also exposes where
current Muslim fundamentalism comes from. Just forty to sixty
years ago, in most of the major regions of the world with high
Islamic populations - Indonesia, the Middle East, north Africa - the
strongest political forces were secular leftists. This took many
forms: the Indonesian Communist Party, the Nasserite and
Baathist regimes in Egypt, Syria and Iraq, the Iranian government
of Mohammed Mossadegh, etc. In these countries, especially in
the Middle East, it was the United States and its client states (such
as Saudi Arabia) that sponsored, financed and armed right-wing
and religious fundamentalist organisations, precisely in order to
counter the strength of the secular leftists whom they opposed.
Israels role in propping up Hamas to counter the PLO is also well
known. This reached its height in the 1980s with the war in
Afghanistan, with the US bankrolling and training the people who
later founded Al Qaeda. It was during this period as well that the
US financed and supported the Zia regime in Pakistan in its
Islamisation drive. The current strength of the Islamic funda-
mentalist movement in the Middle East is a result of American
strategy, which involved finishing off all leftist resistance while tol-
erating and encouraging Islamic fundamentalism.
Above all, to repeat the key point, Islamic fundamentalism is
a political phenomenon created by a particular history - just like
Hindutva, Christian fundamentalism and every other form of right-
wing movement. The myth of the inherently fundamentalist
Muslim owes a lot to European myth-making around the Crusades
and subsequent efforts to prop up their empire in India. But peo-
ple continue to recycle colonial self-justifications as if they are
true.
Myth: Muslims always start violence. Hindus only retaliate or
act in self defence.
Every single group that has ever engaged in mass killings has
claimed to be retaliating or defending themselves. The
September 11 attacks in the US were justified as retaliation for
the killing of lakhs of people in Iraq (through sanctions) and in
Palestine by the US and Israel. If you believe the emails being sent
before the Delhi and Ahmedabad bomb blasts in 2008, the blasts
were retaliation for police atrocities and the massacre of
Muslims in Gujarat. In 2008, Christians were massacred in Orissa
in retaliation for the killing of a VHP leader. Going back further in
history, the Nazis justified the Kristallnacht- their first state-spon-
sored riot against Jews, in which thousands of synagogues and
homes were destroyed - by claiming it was retaliation for the
murder of a German diplomat and necessary to defend them-
selves against international Jewry.
The reason for this is simple - the only way to convince peo-
ple to commit inhuman atrocities against other people is to make
them believe that they are defending themselves or paying
back. The sheer inhumanity of talking about retaliation is obvi-
ous. Would those who claim Hindus only retaliate be comfort-
able if a Bihari militia were to massacre Maharashtrians as retal-
iation for attacks by the MNS and the Shiv Sena? Would they
accept if Northeastern armed organisations carried out mas-
sacres of Delhiites in retaliation for atrocities and racism against
Northeasterners in the capital? It is a mark of how low we have
come as a society that so many people go around mouthing these
slogans today, as if gangrape and massacres can ever be justified
by retaliation and self-defence.
Myth: Hindus do not kill based on their religion. Only Muslims
do, because their religion requires them to.
In Gujarat in 2002, in Delhi and other cities in 1984, in Bhagalpur
in 1989, and in most other riots, the overwhelming majority of
those who died were from minority communities (Muslims, Sikhs,
etc.) Then we have the recent instances of bomb blasts by
Hindutva organisations. The majority of the killers in all of these
incidents were Hindus, and the organisations that drove the
killings called on them to kill non-Hindus. Would it be accurate to
say they killed because Hinduism required them to do so? No,
clearly, in all those instances, the attackers and the organisers
were political groups seeking political goals (and dressing them
up as religious goals). This is exactly what far-right Muslim
groups do too.
Every religion has groups that urge conflict with other reli-
gions, and holy texts in every religion contain things that may be
explained as endorsing atrocities (just look at what the Manu
Smriti says about women and Dalits, or the Old Testament of the
Bible says about massacres of non-Jews).
This does not mean that followers of those religions follow
those texts literally. The vast majority of Muslims, like the vast
majority of Hindus, Christians, or any other group, have never
killed anyone and never will.
Myth: Muslims are united and act together, while Hindus are
divided and weak.
Every election study ever done has found that Muslims vote in the
same manner as any other community does - for facilities, on the
basis of the candidate, whether they like a political party, etc. In
practice also Muslims are no more united than any other group;
they have internal divisions on religious, caste, gender, regional,
language and countless other lines, just like any other community
in India. If Muslims were united, one would expect that they
would be represented well in Parliament. In fact, Muslim MPs con-
stituted only 5.5% of the outgoing Lok Sabha, even though they
are 14% of the population.
If anything, in todays cities the idea of Muslims all live
together has been created by discrimination against them and
them being forced to live in particular ghettos. Meanwhile, in vot-
ing, people worry about their own physical safety; just as a Bihari
will not vote for a Shiv Sena candidate, most Muslims would not
vote for the BJP. This is, once again, common sense. A party
which has built itself around calling you foreigners, terrorists and
anti- nationals is not likely to win your vote.
Myth: The government favours Muslims and pampers them.
On the contrary, official data indicates systematic discrimination
against Muslims. The Sachar Committee found that availability of
bus-stops, roads, bank branches etc. is lower in Muslim majority
areas, even when compared to nearby villages with a Hindu
majority. Muslims on average received only 2/3 the loan amounts
disbursed to other minorities. The proportion of Muslims living in
pucca houses is lower than the general population, both in cities
and in villages, even if compared to others at their level of pover-
ty. Muslims form less than 3% of the IAS officers and 4% of IPS
officers, even though their population is about 14% of the total.
Overall, the Sachar Committee concluded that on average
Muslims are at roughly the same socioeconomic level as Dalits
and adivasis.
Similarly, in a study published in the Economic and Political
Weekly in 2007, the authors responded to 548 job advertise-
ments from private sector companies with three identical applica-
tions - one with a high caste Hindu name, one with a Dalit name,
and one with a Muslim name. Even though the applications were
otherwise identical, the Dalit name was approximately one third
less likely to get called for an interview, and the Muslim name was
two thirds less likely. In both the public and the private sectors,
Muslims are denied opportunities across the board.
Myth: But Hindus cannot buy land in Jammu and Kashmir!
Non-Kashmiris cannot buy land in J&K - just as non-Himachalis
cannot buy land in Himachal Pradesh, outsiders cannot enter
Nagaland without permission, non-Uttarakhandis can buy only
small plots in Uttarakhand, etc. Many parts of India have these
regulations to protect local populations. The issue has nothing to
do with religion.
Myth: The Muslim population is increasing faster than the
Hindu population, especially because Muslim men can have
many wives. Their aim is to become the majority.
The National Family Health Survey has found that young Muslim
women have the same fertility rate as young Hindu women of the
same economic level. The slightly higher growth rate for Muslims
overall is due to the fact that, on average, Muslims are poorer than
Hindus. Common sense would also indicate this. Kerala, which
has a Muslim population of approximately 25%, also has the low-
est population growth rate of any state in the country. Poverty and
lack of facilities are far more important than religion in deciding
how many children you have. The fertility rate of Muslims in states
like Tamil Nadu and Kerala is far below that of Hindus in Uttar
Pradesh, Bihar or Rajasthan, for instance.
As for Muslim men marrying many wives, it is blindingly obvi-
ous that this can make no difference to population growth, since
if one Muslim man has two wives, that means some other man
will have no wife (given that the populations of men and women
are roughly equal). Meanwhile, the NFHS found (in the only sur-
vey that looked at this) that approximately 5.8% of Hindu men
have multiple wives, while only 5.73% of Muslim men do.
Myth: Muslims got their country when Pakistan was created,
now they should leave our country.
The first active political leaders to talk of separate countries for
Muslims and Hindus were those who would later be part of the
Hindu Mahasabha. Bhai Paramanand, later president of the
Mahasabha, demanded this in 1905. The demand for Pakistan did
not emerge from the Muslim League until 1940, and then as well
it was a political demand by a political party. Huge numbers of
Muslims opposed the idea of Pakistan, including the biggest
Islamic religious school in India - the Deoband seminary - and
President of the Congress party, Maulana Azad, who was one of
Indias greatest freedom fighters. The demand for Pakistan was a
demand by a political party, not a demand by Muslims as a whole.
In short, its simple: Muslims are human beings, with as
much diversity and free thinking as any other group of people. In
this climate of intense hate-mongering against Muslims, its nec-
essary to reject these racist myths and instead stand up for a
world that values human dignity (Kafila.org)
Some Myths About Muslims
8 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
...the definition of terrorism that the
government uses is contradictory. Killing
twenty people by a bomb blast is considered
terrorism, but the killing of thousands of
people in 1984 or more than a thousand
people in Gujarat in 2002 (or, for that matter,
the killing of 40 people in Muzaffarnagar, 68
people in Orissa in 2008, etc. etc.) are not.
All riots involve planning, stockpiling of
weapons and systematic attacks. Why then
are they not considered terrorism?
Achche Din for Gujarat
policemen who executed
fake encounters!
SHAMSUL ISLAM
Those policemen who
are alleged to have
executed fake encoun-
ters on the call of BJP
leaders of Gujarat like
Modi & Amit Shah are
enjoying ACHCHE DIN
(fine days) as will be
clear from the follow-
ing repor t of Indian
Express of 12 July,
2014:
Cop accused by CBI of firing at Ishrat Jahan is back at work
Written by Satish Jha Ahmedabad July 12, 2014 9:20 am
Weeks after Gujarat reinstated IPS officer G L Singhal, one
of the key accused in the 2004 Ishrat Jahan alleged fake
encounter case, another accused policeman is back at work.
The suspension of constable Anaju Chaudhary, accused by
the CBI of firing 10 rounds from a sten gun at Ishrat and three
others, was revoked on July 2 by the state government. He has
been posted to the State Reserve Police (SRP) camp in Godhra.
Chaudhary is the third accused to be reinstated. Inspector
Bharat A Patel, who was arrested but never chargesheeted, was
the first to return to work. He is currently posted at Prantij police
station in Sabarkantha district.
On May 27, the government revoked the suspension of
Singhal. The order reinstating him as commandant of the SRP in
Gandhinagar was with retrospective effect from May 16.
Nineteen-year-old Mumbai girl Ishrat, her friend Pranesh
Pillai (alias Javed Sheikh), Amjad Ali Rana and Zeeshan Johar
were killed by Gujarat police officers near Ahmedabad on June
15, 2004. The officers claimed they were gunned down in an
encounter, that they were Lashkar-e- Toiba operatives on a mis-
sion to kill the then chief minister Narendra Modi.
But the CBI said their investigation found nothing to suggest
that the four had come to assassinate Modi. Two earlier probes
- by a magistrate and a special investigation team constituted on
the orders of the Gujarat High Court - had declared the
encounter as fake. The magistrate had said the officers killed the
four to get promotions and laurels.
In February this year, the CBI filed a supplementary
chargesheet in the case - the two chargesheets have been filed
against 11 accused. On May 7, the agency gave a clean chit to
Gujarats former home minister Amit Shah, citing insufficient evi-
dence.
Shamsul Islam is well-known political scientist. He was associate
Professor, Department of Political Science, Satyawati College, Delhi
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 9 www.milligazette.com
DR. ARSHI KHAN
Modern political system has lost its value and principles particu-
larly in India in the context of the Muslim community, constituting
around 15 per cent of the population, in either endorsing citizen-
ship rights (giving full and equal membership in the public affairs)
or ensuring group rights under Article 30 (satisfactorily) or equal-
izing/leveling the Muslim community against socio-economic and
educational backwardness (under Articles 15, 16, 46, 340, etc).
In fact, modern legal and political agencies are being misused
against the community by the Hindutva followers in various
branches of the government. Socialist governments at the Centre
in 1977, 1989 and 1996 and in states like West Bengal as well as
socialist politicians maintained a benign neglect of the Muslims in
India.
This is the political tragedy of a community which fought for
Independence and preferred not to leave their homeland during
partition days. My grand-father did not leave India despite attrac-
tive offers from the separated zone. He was a real patriot who did
not believe in conflicts with Hindus. He built his house in the
densely Hindu populated Gola Bazar in Sherghati in early 1950s
because he never thought that one day India would be interrupted
with forces which did not share in anti-colonial struggle in India.
On the surface he may seem to be naive but in reality his
strong confidence in the composite culture of the country like a
multi-colour carpet has its own intrinsic dialectic to rebound to
those values which made India strong in those days when we
were just newly independent.
On the other hand, Mahatma Gandhi, who wanted Ram Rajya
(not in terms of Advani-Singhal-Togadia) a traditional system of
just governance, was brutally murdered by a terrorist whose fol-
lowers have made some strength in the country mainly due to the
decline in the rule of law (when it comes to justice to Muslims in
the country or protecting them from terrorist gangs). A Hindu can-
not kill Gandhi as the Mahatma was a firm believer in Hinduism. It
was the job of the Indian brand of Al-Qaeda which has the histo-
ry of organising meetings, trainings, spreading hate and prejudice
against Muslims and Christians in India. These terrorists have
organised anti-Muslim violence in different parts of the country
causing irreparable damage to Muslims in terms of life, dignity,
freedom, rights and properties. These murderous gangs have
burnt even children, raped women and killed the elderly. It is also
interesting to note that the wrong-doers have not been punished
since 1947 with few exceptions. Those belonging to enforcement
agencies who helped these killers were protected and promoted.
Apropos of the venomous statement of a senior Sangh Parivar
member Ashok Singhal against the Indian Muslim community
published in the Hindustan Times (17 July 2014), I would like to
record my rebuttal to what he said. Mr. Ashok Singhal says that
polls were setback to Muslims and used by foreign and divisive
forces to destroy our identity. I would like to tell Singhalji that the
polls were setback to Indian values and the Constitution of the
country. I am not personally in a position to accept the poll verdict
in the general elections. I have talked to several persons from dif-
ferent parts of the country who mention some magic and massive
manipulations effected through the EVMs. Allegedly, many Muslim
votes were directed to the BJP and its supporting parties.
As a voter, I am not sure where my vote has gone except hear-
ing the beep on the voting machine. There is no receipt of what a
voter has cast. In fact, the EVMs have further weakened the polit-
ical right of Muslims after defective and majoritarian election
method-first-past-the-post system. American voters found EVMs
unreliable and most of the voters no longer use them. Those who
use them, get a printed receipt. So it is a manufactured setback
because Muslim voters had always been good political players in
electing some particular seats in the Lower House. What hap-
pened in the election is questionable and needs a thorough
inquiry. So it is not really a setback but a doctored mandate. It is
certainly a setback to political justice and fair-play enshrined in
our Constitution. Muslims have no interest or stake in damaging
the identity of Hindus. In Islam, all are sons and daughters of the
first prophet on Earth, Adam, upon whom be peace. Threat to the
identity of Hindus is a hysterical story weaved by the Hindutva
forces to mobilise the Hindu community to vote on a certain pat-
tern.
Singhalji says that Muslims will be treated as common citi-
zens. It looks a very tolerant statement. We have examples of
such treatment made by the BJP-led governments in different
states of India and at the Centre. Muslims faced immense vio-
lence, threats to life, property, honour, religion, culture and identi-
ty. Gujarat Model run by the states former chief minister is an
example of this kind of justice and security to Muslims. BJP gov-
ernments have cornered Muslims in terms of security, religion,
textbooks, meat trade, housing, jobs and freedom of movement.
There are a number of cases framed against Muslims on the pre-
text of terrorism, riots and making statements. There are cases of
fake encounters, extra-judicial killings, murder of under-trials and
their lawyers, bomb blasts, hoax terror calls and illegal detentions.
Hindutva forces engineered Muzaffarnagar violence in UP to emo-
tionally drive Hindu voters in favour of BJP. I have observed efforts
by a few dailies in the area for about three to four months before
the violence, to provoke and humiliate Muslims. Similar tactics are
being tried now in UP and Bihar so that the BJP may take over the
state governments.
Flouting rules and conventions, the BJP government is open-
ing up the space for Sangh workers and sympathisers in the pol-
icy-making and implementation agencies. Anti-Muslims elements
are being appointed and promoted. Persons involved in violence
have been made ministers. Police officers accused of encounters
have been reinstated.
Discussion in Parliament on the holocaust in Gaza Strip by the
Israeli war criminals has not been allowed by the Modi govern-
ment. Ministry of Minority Affairs has changed its language and
policies. Anti-Muslim forces are enjoying freedom while hundreds
of innocent Muslim youths remain behind bars. This is the reality
of citizenship rights restored to Muslims in India. I would like say
that Muslims were not so much discriminated and threatened
even during the colonial British period as they are today. We as
Muslims are yet to enjoy our constitutional rights in substantial
terms. Rule of the Hindutva forces is worse as they even abuse
the Almighty as mentioned in the book Azan published in Hindi
in New Delhi. The Congress prepared the ground for the Hindutva
rule and the BJP is busy giving it fine touches.
Runnning a plural federal nation is a big responsibility for
administrative agencies and political parties, both in power and in
opposition, because it is directly related to managing diversities.
Switzerland, Belgium, and Canada have shown successful exper-
iments in integrating non-dominant communities within their bor-
ders. Colonial societies have largely failed in this regard and there
are many evidences of ethnic violence, secessionism and region-
al disparities in addition to the cases of discriminations and dom-
inations. Some post-colonial countries like Malaysia, Indonesia
and Bangladesh have good records of dealing with their minori-
ties. India is the only country in the world where the Muslim
minority community has been pushed to the wall particularly since
1952 when the business of elected government started. The
pathetic situation of Muslims in economy, jobs (government and
private), share in political power, land holding, per capita income,
housing, habitations, education, media, sanitation, health facili-
ties, transportation and dismal share in various government
schemes have been recorded by the Gopal Singh Committee
(1983), Justice Sachar Committee (2006), Justice Ranganath
Misra Commission (2007), Repor t of the Minority
Commissionerate of Andhra Pradesh (2004), Andhra Pradesh
Backward Class Commission Repor t on Muslims (2004),
Mahmoodur Rahman Committee Report (Maharashtra State,
2014), etc.
Despite the available data with the state and the Central gov-
ernment, the subject of the backwardness of the Muslim commu-
nity has not been an important issue in Indias democracy.
Singhalji should note that Muslims of India are not opposing
Hindus and Hindus are not opposing Muslims. The problems have
been created by the Sanghis who love hatred and violence against
Muslims. This is the country of Gandhi, Nehru and Azad. Godse,
Golwalkar, Bhagat, Singhal and Togadia do not fit with either
Hinduism or constitutionalism. Politics of violence and hatred
would never benefit nation-building. It would simply invest too
much power with too little people who claim to be majority.
Survival of Muslims in India cannot be challenged by the Sangh
parivar. Like other things, this has its limits. Survival of Muslims is
dialectical in nature and it is not in the hands of any parivar.
The author teaches politicl science in AMU, Aligarh
Singhal & Togadia statements against Muslims
Muhammad Adeeb, M.P. (Rajya Sabha), whose
note Muslim Community on the Crossroads,
was reproduced on this page in the previous
issue, sent the following rejoinder to some
yahoogroups on 12 July. It is again reproduced
here with the Editors comments sent same day.
Since the concerned yahoogroups are totally
dominated by Alig biradari, they saw no wrong
with their past students union president start-
ing the debate in the first place and hitting at the
milli leadership left, right and centre. These
friends at best advised that this should not be
discussed in public, hence no further notice of
this discussion was taken (Editor).
Dear friends,
Despite being of the opinion that Mr Zafar Ul
Islam deserves no importance for having over-
stepped the lines of decency in sending such a
viscous reply to my letter, I have decided to put
forth my defence.
He starts off his banter by discussing sour
grapes. To that I would like to reply that I had the
option of standing for elections on many a party
ticket but the reason I chose to be Independent
(as mentioned by me on previous occasions)
was an urge to be not driven by party politics but
rather to drive in some ideology across. I felt that
I would be more useful as a free voice for our
community.
Why Bijnore? I chose Bijnore because it
happens to involve Muzaffarnagar and what
transpired there had shaken me completely. I felt
what Modi did in Gujarat was against people he
didnt consider his vote bank but what Mulayam
Singh Yadav let happen in his governed state
was an absolute betrayal of his voters trust in
him. Wanted to show Mr Yadav that he shouldnt
have taken our community for a ride - sadly I
could not put my message across. But I have no
regrets because I made an honest effort.
What pains me no end is not my defeat but
the fact that I realised that people have not for-
given Gujarat but forgotten Muzaffarnagar
already. How else can one explain a man like
Shahnawaz Rana with 12 registered cases get-
ting the kind of votes that he got?
Another important aspect of this election
was not the division of Muslim vote (which has
been a cruel reality time and again) but rather the
consolidation of non-Muslim vote. The reason
for this division in our vote is evident- we always
fail to rise above petty differences and power
tussles and can never project a strong and unit-
ed leadership.
Another fact that needs to be set straight is
about BJP/RSS acceptability.
Even before the elections it was very evident
that the Congress wasnt going to fare well and
so a meeting was called by the Ameer e Jamaat
(Jamaat E Islami) Maulana Unri-involving many
Muslim intellectuals. It was decided that a dele-
gation should be formed to meet secular parties
like the Congress, Left, Laloo Yadav and try to
evolve a strategy to unite and fight for a secular
front. I was asked to fix appointments with these
parties and during this discussion Mr Zafar Khan
voiced his opinion that we should meet Mr
Advani and Mr Rajnath Singh as well. I refused
to have any kind of dialogue with the BJP, (since
my conscious cannot fathom any kind of asso-
ciation with the likes of such parties); to which
Mr Khans argument was that Congress is worse
than BJP. Anyways I backed out and ultimately
this program could not get finalized.
After elections a meeting of the Mashawarat
was called, which was convened by Mr Zafar Khan
and attended by Mr Khaliq (Secy Mr Paswans
party). Despite being a member of the organization
I wasnt invited and was informed about what tran-
spired in it, partly through friends and rest by what
was published the next day in almost all Urdu
dailies. The agenda it seemed was to contain
Mohammad Adeeb and stop him from publicly crit-
icising the ruling party and also to ask the Muslim
leadership to withdraw its demands for the next 2
years at least.
Its hardly been a couple of months and I
need not say much about what is already evident
to one an all about where the things are headed.
Lastly I
would like to
just tell you
all that I am
reaching 70
and I cant change my roots, my values and my
principles according to who rules the roost
because I got them from the likes of Maulana Ali
Miyan, Dr Faridi, Mr Zafar Ahmed Siddiqi and in
Delhi I got guidance from the likes of Fakrduddin
Ali Ahmed, Mufti Ateeq ur Rehman, Sheikh
Abdullah, Mohammad Muslim and so on.
Today Im in parliament and very soon I will
be out of it but never will I be in it for MY VEST-
ED INTEREST- I was and will always be working
for my country n for my community- but
whether you find me genuine in my concerns is
open for you to judge!!
With kind regards
Mohammad Adeeb, Member of Parliament
Rajya Sabha - madeeb45@yahoo.co.in
REJOINDER
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
There was no need for me to take note of what
Mr Muhammad Adeeb said in his rejoinder sent
out today, but a lie and an inaccuracy force me
to write again on this issue:
1. It is left to readers to decide who over-
stepped the lines of decency - my comments
as a journalist or Mr Adeebs two open letters of
27 May and 30 June which unjustly junked the
whole milli leadership.
2. Mr Adeeb has lined a number of our most
respectable leaders of the recent past as
his mentors. Do his outbursts and unjust
claim about a certain Maulana support his
claim to the values and principles he says
he got from those stalwarts?
3. What he says about the political realities
on the ground, which he suddenly discov-
ered after his defeat, were known to all
observers and he, being actively in politics
for long, must have known better.
4. Mr Adeeb is simply lying when he
claims that I (Zafarul-Islam) voiced his
opinion that we should meet Mr Advani
and Mr Rajnath Singh. This is a plain lie.
I never made any such suggestion. My writings
since decades, especially since The Milli Gazette
appeared 15 years ago are witness that I cannot
make such a suggestion. My line has been that
if BJP changes its policies towards the Muslim
community and Modi apologises for Gujarat
2002, there will be no harm in talking to it col-
lectively on behalf of the community (not individ-
ually). While telling this white lie, Mr Adeeb has
inadvertently spilled the beans that it was he
who scuttled that effort to make contacts with
secular political parties before the elections with
a view to exact some concessions and promis-
es from them. Only Mr Adeeb knows why he did
so and for whose benefit.
5. It is not correct that Mr Adeeb was not invited
to the post-election Mushawarat meeting held
on 31 May. As with others, an sms was sent to
him on 27 May at 11.36 pm and a follow-up
phone call was made to him by the Mushawarat
office secretary on 30 May at Maghrib time. His
wife picked up the phone and said that he is
praying, so a message was left with her to con-
vey it to Mr Adeeb. Hence it is baseless on his
part to claim that he was deliberately ignored.
6. What I wrote was as a journalist (with over 45
years behind me in this field), and in all fairness
I have published Mr Adeebs open letter in the
current issue of The Milli Gazette alongwith my
note.
7. I appreciate Mr Adeebs record in and out of
Rajya Sabha, especially his espousal of the
cause of the victims of the fake terror campaign.
Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan
Editor, The Milli Gazette (12 July, 2014)
Muhammad Adeebs rejoinder
Prayer of Mr. Muhammad Adeeb
Forgive all my sins, Oh My Guardian Lord!
They are pulling my tail: I am crying with pain;
I have forgotten the agony of my humiliating defeat,
Fill their hearts with mercy, and make them sane.
I never laid my claim to the community leadership,
But they are thrashing me without using their brain;
In Ramzan, save my life from these intellectual
groups,
They are ruthlessly trying to drown me in a deep
drain.
Dr. Mustafa Kamal Sherwani, Lucknow
sherwanimk@yahoo.com
AFSANA RASHID, SRINAGAR
Over the past few weeks, Kashmir has witnessed many anti-Israeli
protests and rallies against its action on Gaza that has, so far,
claimed more than 600 lives. Condemning the action, protesters
demanded an end to such killings.
Anti-Israel protests were carried out by almost every section
of the society, here be it students, traders, mainstream political
parties, separatists and others.
Demanding an end to the killings in Gaza, protesters in the old
city here, after the Friday congregational prayers at historic Jamia
Masjid, July 18, took to the streets and raised anti-Israel slogans.
Within no time clashes erupted and protesters fought pitched bat-
tles with security forces. Incidents of stone-pelting were reported
and police, in retaliation, fired several tear smoke canisters to quell
the protests.
Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who leads the
congregational prayers, led an anti-Israel sit-in demonstration, on
the occasion. Clashes also erupted in other parts of the Valley.
A teenager, Suhail Ahmad was killed and several others
injured when the security forces in south Kashmirs Qaimoh-
Kulgam opened fire on a group of anti-Israel protesters, July 19.
As the news about his death spread, protests and stone-pelting in
and around the area intensified. Protesters demanded stern action
against those involved.
Police said that a group of youth was protesting against Israel
and it turned violent when CRPF used batons to chase them away.
Youth pelted stones after which CRPF allegedly opened fire, result-
ing in the death of a youth.
Hurriyat (G) led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani called for a shut-
down, July 20, in Kulgam against the killing. Markets and shops in
the area remained closed and traffic went off the roads.
Expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine, protesters
here urged Muslim brethren, in particular, to press Israel to stop
the killings in Gaza. Students from various educational institutions
staged protests. Holding placards and banners, students in
University of Kashmir, July 11, shouted, Down with Israel and
questioned the silence of western powers.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, authorities here
announced summer vacation in all the educational institutions
from July 15 to 31. Despite the announcement of summer-break,
protests continued. Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani
had asked students to tie black bands on their arms on July 15,
as a mark of protest. Geelani urged Organization of Islamic
Countries to intensify its diplomatic efforts to build pressure on
Israel.
All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee too asked the world
community to step-in and stop further bloodshed in Gaza. Its
chairman, Jagmohan Singh Raina, July 22, said peace should be
restored in the area at the earliest. It is the responsibility of United
Nations peace keeping force and non-aligned countries to strive
for peace in Gaza. He added that the cruel silence of Saudi Arabia
and international Islamic organizations is badly hurting.
Condemning the killings, senior National Conference leader,
Ali Mohammad Sagar termed the killings unfortunate, July 14. His
son and partys youth wing president, Salman Sagar, led a protest
to the office of United Nations Military Observers Group in India
and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) here, July 16, to submit a memorandum
over the Israeli aggression in Gaza. UNMOGIP refused to accept
the memorandum citing that Palestine is not their domain and they
can entertain matters related to Jammu and Kashmir, only.
PDP activists also held a protest rally here, July 15. Raising
slogans Save Gaza they urged the international community to
pressurize Israel to stop the killings in Gaza. Several CPI (M) and
Aam Aadmi activists, civil society members, journalists and
Employees Joint Action Committee also held protests, here.
Martyrs day
Restrictions and shutdown marked Martrys Day, observed, every
year, on July 13 across the Kashmir Valley in remembrance of the
civilians killed in 1931. The Dogra troops had killed 22 Kashmiris,
outside the Central Jail in Srinagar, who had gathered in the jail
premises to attend the court proceedings against Abdul Qadeer,
who had asked the Kashmiri people to defy the Dogra rule.
Authorities imposed restrictions on pedestrian and vehicular
traffic under Section 144 CrPC in the areas falling under the juris-
diction of Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, Safakadal and Maharaj
Gunj police station, July 13. Section 144 restricts the assembly of
four or more people in a public place.
Several separatist groups here had called for a shutdown and
a march towards Naqashband Sahib in Srinagar, where martyrs of
1931 are buried. The shutdown call was given by all the three fac-
tions of Hurriyat led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar
Farooq and Shabir Ahmad Shah and Nayeem Ahmad Khan.
Markets, shops and business establishments remained
closed and public transport went off the roads. Private transport
however, plied on the roads.
While the separatists were prevented from holding a rally,
many mainstream political leaders, including Chief Minister, Omar
Abdullah visited Mazar-e-Shohada at Naqashband Sahib to pay
tributes to the Martrys of July 13.
Authorities, here, disallowed an academic lecture by Dr. Mridu
Rai, who teaches at Trinity College Dublin, organized by a local
human rights group, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil
Society, July 9. Dr. Rai was schedule to deliver a lecture on
Languages of Violence, Languages of Justice: The State and
Insurgent Kashmir at a local hotel here.
Pervez Imroz, convenor of the human rights group, address-
ing media here said that Vaishnavi has fought for political rights of
Kashmir along with forefathers of Chief Minister, Omar
Abdullah.This talk was a tribute to the work of this unsung hero.
Meanwhile, the accident by an Army driver on Srinagar-
Baramulla National Highway, July 16, that claimed seven lives and
injured two, triggered protests and clashes near the place of its
occurrence. The vehicle was later seized by police and its driver
arrested. A case was also lodged for further investigation.
The accident was widely condemned. Chief Minister,
announced ex-gratia relief of one lakh rupees in favour of the
deceased and 10,000 rupees in favour of the injured. Geelani
called for a shutdown on July 17, as a mark of protest.
Regretting the loss of lives, Armys Srinagar based
spokesperson, July 16, said that the accident is under investiga-
tion and all possible assistance will be provided to the police in
their inquiry.
Congress-NC split
With the announcement by Congress that it will contest all the 87
Assembly seats in Jammu and Kashmir, alone, all speculations
about its pre-poll alliance with National Conference have been laid
to rest. State Assembly elections here are slated for the end of this
year. Immediately after Congress announced its decision in a
press conference at Jammu, July 20, Chief Minister Omar
Abdullah took to micro-blogging site, Twitter stating that National
Conference had already informed Congress about this decision.
He tweeted that he met Congress president, Sonia Gandhi to con-
vey that the National Conference would fight the upcoming elec-
tions in the state, alone.
Omar added that he explained the reasons to her and told her
that he wont be making a public announcement as he didnt want
it to look opportunistic. To spin it as a Congress decision is
wrong and a complete distortion of facts, he added.
Congress and National Conference fought Lok Sabha polls in
the state in April-May this year on the basis of pre-poll alliance,
wherein the latter fought from all the three Parliamentary seats in
Kashmir and the former contested from both the Lok Sabha seats
in Jammu region and a lone seat in Ladakh. None of the coalition-
partners could fetch a seat in the Parliamentary elections.
Senior PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig, July 22, said the
party would prefer a post-poll alliance with the Congress to form
the next government in the state to ensure representative charac-
ter in the government to all regions of the state. Earlier, Congress
had sought pre-poll alliance with PDP which didnt fit in its
scheme of things. Media reports even suggest that the state unit
of Congress has decided to extend support to three sitting inde-
pendent legislators; M Y Tarigami (Kulgam); Ghulam Hassan Mir
(Tangmarg) and Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen (Khansahab), by not
fielding any candidate against them, July 21.
Meanwhile, National Conferences General Secretary, Ali
Mohammad Sagar, announced its two lists consisting of 46 can-
didates, July 15 and 23 respectively, for the upcoming polls. PDP,
on the other hand, has so far, announced four lists of candidates,
who have been given mandate for the forthcoming elections.
7 out of 10 subscriptions are through WORD OF MOUTH
You know we dont have the resources to advertise & promote ourselves, so
please ask your friends to get their copy now
THE MILLI GAZETTE
First English Newspaper of Indian Muslims. Telling the Muslim side of the story fortnight after fortnight since January 2000
10 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
N. A. ANSARI
New Delhi: Supreme Courts Division Bench
headed by Justice J. S. Thakur acquitted on 18
July 2014 all the 11 persons accused of
involvement in bomb blasts in Surat (Gujarat) in
1993, rejecting TADA courts 2008 verdict under
which former Congress minister Muhammad
Soorti and 5 others (all Muslims) were sen-
tenced to 20 years imprisonment and 6 others
(all Muslims) were sentenced to 10 years
imprisonment. In Surat two bomb blasts had
taken place, one in a school in Varchhas Mini
Bazar and another blast next day at Surat railway
station. In the first of these blasts one girl had
died and 11 persons were injured and in the
other blast at Surat railway station, 20 persons
were injured. It was claimed (by police) at that
time that both these blasts were in revenge of
communal riots that had erupted as conse-
quence of Babri Masjids demolition in Ayodhya
on 6 December 1992. Both the accused persons
as well as Gujrat government had filed cross
applications against TADA courts verdict, the
accused persons challenging TADA courts ver-
dict in the Supreme Court while Gujarat govern-
ment had filed the petition in Supreme Court
challenging TADA couts light punishment and
pleaded that the accused persons be given
harsher punishment. Supreme Couts Bench
rejected TADA courts verdict and acquitted all
the 11 persons, automatically rejecting Gujrat
government's appeal for harsher punishment.
In another case of the arrest of four persons
in case of bomb blasts in Hyderabads Makka
Masjid on 18 May 2007, citys local court also
acquitted all the four, namely Shoaib Jagirdar,
Sheikh Abdul Naeem, Syed Imran Khan and
Rafiuddin Ahmad. Their case was under hearing
in Nampalli Criminal Cour t by Four th
Metropolitan Magistrate. After 7 years the
Metropolitan Courts magistrate acquitted all the
four in the absence of sufficient proof.
Reverting to the Supreme Court Benchs
verdict of 18 July rejecting TADA courts verdict
sentencing 5 accused persons to 20 years
imprisonment and 6 accused persons to 10
years imprisonment and automatic rejection of
Gujrat government's plea of harsher punishment
to them, and this very courts (Supreme Court)
verdict of 16 May 14 when it had acquitted six
persons accused in Akshardham bomb blasts
case of 2002 who were subjected to torture and
hard life of jail for 12 llong years for uncommit-
ted crimes, the honourable court had castigated
investigating agencies for incompetence in
investigating the 2002 Akshardham bomb blast
and arresting innocent persons and Gujrats
home minister (and chief minister) Narendra
Modi for not applying his mind and ordering their
prosecution, the Honourable Court had main-
tained silence on making amends to them for
their long incarceration, acute mental pain and
worries of their family members and dark future
of the acquitted persons. It is high time now that
courts, while acquitting the accused and sen-
tenced but innocent persons, should also think
of suitably compensating them, at least on
humanitarian grounds. Supreme Court can take
the lead in this matter in view of the fact that
many, may be hundreds of innocent persons
have been falsely implicated in serious crimes
which they never committed and ultimately after
long years of torture and humiliation they were
released by courts in the absence of proof
because all or most of the police accusations
were found baseless. For falsely implicating
innocent persons in crimes in no way connect-
ed to them, many times deliberately, the police
need to be punished. The argument that punish-
ment of police personnel will lead to lowering
their morale is not quite convincing because
police personnel and even officers are being,
and have been suspended and jailed for lapses
on their part. So why should they not be pun-
ished when they falsely and many times deliber-
ately implicate innocent persons which spoils
their entire career. Supreme Court may consider,
at least on compassionate ground, the demands
made by many persons that accused persons
after long incarceration found innocent may be
suitably compensated.
Kashmir rallies against Israel crimes in Gaza
SC acquits 11 persons accused of Surat blasts
Both the accused persons as well as Gujrat government had filed
cross applications against TADA courts verdict, the accused persons
challenging TADA courts verdict in the Supreme Court while Gujarat
government had filed the petition in Supreme Court challenging TADA
couts light punishment and pleaded that the accused persons be
given harsher punishment. Supreme Couts Bench rejected TADA
courts verdict and acquitted all the 11 persons, automatically
rejecting Gujrat govenrments appeal for harsher punishment.
Howsoever proud Indian journalist Ved
Pratap Vaidik may claim to feel about his
meeting in Pakistan with terrorist Hafiz
Saeed, certain aspects cannot be ignored.
What if Vaidik were an Indian Muslim?
Would BJPs reaction still have been the
same? In recent past, storm raised in the
parliament and media over the controversial
meeting between Vaidik and Saeed appears to have cornered
BJP. Though Vaidik tried to justify his meeting with Saeed as
a journalist, this explanation has not satisfied Congress
party and others. BJPs attempt to control the storm by
describing Vaidiks meeting as that of an individuals mis-
guided diplomatic misadventure has also failed. Vaidik did
not simply meet Saeed on July 2 but also spread news
about it by circulating photographs of the two holding talks.
Certainly, the photographic evidence of their meeting has
played the needed role of raising a storm in the parliament as
well as media.
Irrespective of who masterminded the Vaidik-Saeed meet-
ing, there are no doubts about it having earned Vaidik ample
publicity in Indian circles and interested sections across the
world. And this raises the question as to whether Vaidik want-
ed this controversy to hit media headlines and dominate polit-
ical news as this has helped him become virtually overnight a
well-known name. From this angle, news has deliberately
been manufactured and spread to help Vaidik remain in news
even though with a negative impact on his image.
To date, BJP has failed to offer a convincing explanation
of this party not being responsible for the meeting. Vaidik is
known as closely associated with the saffron brigade and has
claimed to have good ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In all probability, if he was not in good books of BJP, he may
not have been part of the delegation that recently visited
Pakistan at the invitation of a research institute. Undeniably,
delegation visits between the two countries are labelled as a
part of diplomatic efforts being made to increase communica-
tion between the two nations. Yet, it would be erroneous to
assume that the two governments have nothing to do with
these delegation-visits. Without silent approval and support
from both the governments, the delegation of which Vaidik
was a member would not have been able to visit Pakistan.
Vaidik did not return with other delegation members. He
extended his stay to apparently meet Saeed.
It is indeed a strange irony that the very party which has
stormed into power by creating a strong media and political
hype in its favour is now suddenly at a loss on tackling the
controversy raised over Vaidik-Saeed meeting. Should this
case be viewed as an example of the sudden change in BJPs
attitude towards media? Perhaps, now that BJP is in com-
mand at the Centre with Modi at the helm, the party does not
want to be under constant media scrutiny. This probably could
be a reason as why Modi is taking time in appointment of a
media advisor.
Not too long ago, role of media dominated strategic plan-
ning of BJPs electoral campaign. Now, the same party is try-
ing to keep a safe distance with the media. The last point is
also supported by Modi being accompanied by minimal pos-
sible media persons in his recent foreign tours. During his
visit to Brazil, sources indicate, the only media persons
accompanying him included those representing agencies and
government-controlled media services. Only six media per-
sons were, reportedly, with Modi unlike 30+ accompanying
his predecessor during similar foreign tours. This raises the
question as to whether BJP and Modi have become wary of
interacting too much with all sections of media.
Interestingly, BJP has tried justifying Vaidik-Saeed meet-
ing by labelling it as freedom of media. At the same time,
the unseen line drawn between Modi and media suggests that
the prime minister is in favour of only that news being circu-
lated and spread which suits his interests. The same intention
has probably prompted Modi to give undue importance to his
tweets on his official website. His tweets, from his angle, are
also the news that he wants the world to be familiar with.
Manufactured news, however, cannot always have the
impact that news-maker would want it to have. Vaidik has
certainly succeeded in dominating headlines for some time.
However, news of his controversial meeting has led to its
critics file several cases against him, including two on
charges of sedition. Similarly, questions are being raised on
pressure-tactics being exercised on sections of the Indian
media, showing an apparent change in Modis attitude
towards media and its freedom. However cautiously and
strongly Modi and his party may try influencing the media,
they are not likely to always succeed. The degree to which
BJP has been cornered over Vaidik-Saeed meeting is just a
minor example of this hard reality. Also, it is not without rea-
son that question has been raised on what would have been
BJPs reaction, if an Indian Muslim had met Saeed!
Speaki ng Out
BJP Cornered!
NI LOFAR SUHRAWARDY
ANALYSIS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 11 www.milligazette.com
INIYAN ELANGO
In the year 2012, there was a newspaper adver-
tisement in The Hindu (7 April, 2012) which open-
ly advertised for sale of flats to Brahmins Only,
and after my complaint to the Chairman of the
Press Council of India, the newspaper (The Hindu)
published my letter which condemned the afore-
mentioned advertisement along with an editors
note that was devoid of explicit regret but seemed
to pass the buck to a serendipitous incidence of
inadvertence caused by the oversight over fine
print by the newspapers employees (
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/letters/dont-
exclude/article3555784.ece ). There are very
many flat complexes, gated communities, residen-
tial neighbourhoods and townships all over India
which are openly advertised for Brahmins Only in
the Indian print and web media.
But, more hypocritical and sly expressions of
caste bigotry are attempts at caste residential seg-
regation by using claims of dietary vegetarianism,
because caste bigots hide behind the claim of seg-
regation based on a dietary life style, as if segrega-
tion of living habitats based on a claim of vegetari-
an diet is morally condonable, when in reality, self-
segregation of vegetarians by excluding those
practicing a non-vegetarian lifestyle is nothing but
a worst form of caste bigotry, caste segregation
and religious segregation executed in a sly manner
to deflect legal and constitutional challenges to
such bigoted practices or to simply camouflage the
practitioners of such bigotry from detection in
order to sustain their fake posturing of a progres-
sive or liberal image.
According to some recent reports in the
media, The Hindu newspaper had issued a notice
(April 10, 2014) to its staff members that they
should not eat non-vegetarian food in the can-
teen / dining hall of The Hindu because the
majority of the staff members of The Hindu are
vegetarians implying that the Brahmins are more
in the employ of this Brahmin-owned and edited
newspaper (given that contemporary Brahmins are
traditionally vegetarian except for Brahmins who
lived in the so-called Vedic times millennia ago
who had enjoyed eating beef according to Hindu
scriptures such as the Vedas).
If the owners and editors of The Hindu want to
impose their Brahmanical fundamentalist prefer-
ence for vegetarianism on their non-Brahmin and
non-vegetarian Shudra (backward caste),
Panchama (Dalit), Muslim, Parsi and Christian
employees just because Brahmins own and edito-
rially control The Hindu newspaper and Brahmins
are more in the employ of The Hindu, one can
just as well imagine how the supremacist Brahmin
clique have been imposing their world-view and
socio-political opinion on the rest of the Indian
masses and the world by passing it as the views of
the Indian masses to influence and hamper the
socio-political fate of the latter, fundamentally
because Brahmins control various Indian media
organs and newspapers just as they control The
Hindu, and just as they want to impose vegetari-
anism on non-Brahmins.
If Brahmins see vegitarian supremacism as
an assertion of their Brahmin supremacist identity
via the monopolist dominance of a vegetarian diet
in the workplace of a media house they own by
causing dietary detriment to their meat-eating non-
Brahmin, non-Hindu and non-vegetarian employ-
ees, one can easily understand how Brahmins suf-
fer the urge to express their bigotry of other social,
intellectual, bureaucratic, judicial, artistic, religious
and political aspects of their religiously and social-
ly sanctioned supremacism based on their birth
into the pinnacle of the Hindu caste system, which
is exemplified by many examples.
A case in point is the bemoaning of the domi-
nance of Brahmins in the annals of Carnatic music
in Chennai in an opinion piece written by Carnatic
singer Mr.T.M.Krishna (who is a Brahmin himself)
titled The big paradox: what it takes to be an hon-
orary Brahmin which ironically was published in
the magazine supplement of The Hindu on 11 May,
2014. Mr.T.M.Krishna also alludes to indirect
expression of Brahmanism by way of Brahmins
supporting non-Brahmin Hindu fundamentalist and
fascist leaders such as Narendra Modi who tend to
be seen as more Brahmanical than Brahmins
themselves in executing the Hindutva agenda of
Brahmanism (http://www.thehindu.com/fea-
t u r e s / m a g a z i n e / t h e - b i g -
paradox/article5996032.ece).
There was another recent news report in The
Hindu which said that the Government of Gujarat is
planning to declare certain areas of Gujarat as
vegetarians only zone
(http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/gujarat-
mulls-creation-of-vegetarian-zone-in-palitana/arti-
cle6152899.ece).
This news-report is about the clamour
amongst members of the Jain religion (which
legally and constitutionally is a part of Hinduism in
India), to declare the Palitana town in Bhavnagar
district of Gujarat as a vegetarian zone by whole-
sale banning of animal slaughter for food in
Palitana town - despite the fact that people who eat
non-vegetarian food such as Dalits, backward
castes and Muslims live in the Palitana area. Such
balkanisation of Indian territory by making it exclu-
sively residential to members of a particular caste
or religion who practice vegetarianism is nothing
but a form of antinational and seditious separatism.
When the vegetarian Brahmins (Pandits) of
Kashmir find themselves out of Jammu and
Kashmir due to armed conflict, the Brahmin-
Baniya-controlled Indian media cries foul and
terms such exodus of Brahmins as a victory of
Kashmiri separatism, but the expulsion or exclu-
sion of non-vegetarian Indian citizens to create
vegetarian zones, vegetarian habitats or vege-
tarian flats or housing complexes (because such
non-vegetarian Indian citizens dont belong to
castes such as Brahmins or religions such as
Jainism which practice vegetarianism) is not seen
as a form of separatism or balkanisation by the
Brahmin-controlled Indian media because such
segregation and balkanisation of Indian society and
territory based on vegetarianism or Brahmin
caste is seen as another expression of Brahmin
supremacy through the assertion of vegitarian
dietary supremacy.
Such expressions of Brahmin supremacy are
part and parcel of the Hindutva agenda as it can be
seen by the ban on cow-slaughter and the ban on
the transport of cows or cattle and a practically
effective ban on the beef industry in many Indian
states, or even a wholesale advocacy of vegetari-
anism as the dictum of fundamentalist Hinduism
and a campaign to impose such a dietary funda-
mentalism of vegetarianism on the majority of
Indian citizens and a majority of Hindus (backward
castes and Dalits) who are non-vegetarian meat
eaters.
There was another recent full front-page
advertisement by a building company advertising
an exclusive tower of flats in Chennai for pure veg-
etarians in the Chennai edition of The Hindu of 1
February, 2014. When I protested by writing an
email to the official representative of the company
criticizing and asserting that the implicit segrega-
tion of habitats based on vegetarianism would
result in segregation based on caste and religion by
excluding those belonging to religion and castes
who do not practice a vegitarian lifestyle such as
most backward castes, Dalits, Muslims, Parsis and
Christians, I got a high-handed and incongruous
reply that the flat promoters were no different to
vegetarian restaurants and vegetarian marriage
halls who cater vegetarian food! The response of
the company was bizarre and illogical since flat
builders and flat sellers do not sell food or catering
services along with the flats and apartments they
build and sell. Vegetarian restaurants and mar-
riage halls, just as non-vegetarian restaurants
and marriage halls do not exclude those who
practice an opposing dietary life style because any-
one irrespective of their dietary preference of veg-
etarianism (including those belonging to non-veg-
etarian castes and religions) can enter these veg-
etarian restaurants and have a snack or a drink of
their choice if they want, and hence restaurants
and marriage halls which cater to vegetarian food
do not end up segregating against people based on
caste or religion.
The truth is that most of these so-called seg-
regated households, flats, apartments and tower
blocks which are advertised for vegetarians only
are meant primarily for Brahmins, Jains and some
caste Gujarati people who practice vegetarianism
and thus result in blatant caste segregation and
religious polarisation - particularly against
Christians and Muslims, and also against Dalits
and other backward castes.
And what would be the criterion for these flat
sellers and builders to identify a vegetarian flat
buyer? Would they be able to identify a vegetari-
an by his looks? Hardly. They will be simply rely-
ing on a buyers caste or religious orthodoxy to
determine whether he is a vegetarian or not. Will
the flat sellers sell their vegetarian flats to a
Muslim who looks and dresses Muslim and claims
to be vegetarian? I guess not. But even a
Brahmin or a Jain who occasionally eats non-veg-
etarian food would be allowed to buy and reside in
such a vegetarians only flats or houses because
being a Brahmin or a Jain is associated with a
vegetarian dietary lifestyle.
Anybody with a right mind and a sense of jus-
tice and fairness would consider such direct caste-
based segregation through advertising and selling
of habitats to Brahmins Only and indirect caste-
based segregation and sly religious segregation by
using vegetarianism as the criterion for qualifying
as a buyer or lessor of a flat or house - to be
patently unjust, pernicious and anti-national which
would socially balkanise an already caste-balka-
nised India and sabotage any attempt at evolving
an integrated Indian national and social identity to
the caste-fractured citizens of India.
More important would be the fact that such
segregation of living habitats based on caste or
eating preferences and wholesale expulsion of
non-vegetarians or banning of non-vegetarian food
from an Indian territory to create vegetarian
zones such as the one proposed in Gujarat, fly in
the face of many constitutional provisions and are
hence blatantly anti-constitutional. Such social,
residential and territorial segregation based on
caste, religion or vegetarian dietary preferences
particularly violate Articles 14, 15 and 19 of the
Indian Constitution.
Advocacy of vegetarianism by Brahmanical
Hindutva zealots and closet Hindu zealots posing
as fake liberals (such as The Hindu newspaper)
should be seen as an extension of the Hindutva
agenda to create a sanitized and homogenized
Hindu identity which conceals the fact that the
Hindu identity was indeed a socio-legal and
bureaucratic umbrella term invented by the colonial
British administration to shelter thousands of man-
ifold indigenous religions and schools of religious
thought followed by the very many castes and
tribes of India under this umbrella term. Thus,
advocating and extolling vegetarianism achieves
the twin aim of attempting a dietary cultural
homogenisation of a radically heterogeneous
Indian populace clubbed together by the colonially
manufactured Hindu identity and also to
entrench the socio-religious status of graded infe-
riority accorded to Shudras (backward castes)
and Panchamas (Dalits) by institutionally
entrenching the inferior status accorded to the
non-vegetarian dietary lifestyle of Shudras and
Dalits as being supposedly inferior to that of the
vegetarian lifestyle of Brahmins.
I now realize why even the almighty global
chain of MacDonalds restaurants who specialize
in selling beef burgers all over the world do not sell
their trademark hamburgers in India, since the
cow worshippers in the Indian ruling establish-
ment have ensured that McDonalds shouldnt sell
their beef burgers if they want to set up shop in
India - a rare example of U.S. trade imperialism
bowing before the diktats of medieval religious culi-
nary extremism! (countercurrents.org)
The author is a physician and writer based in Chennai,
who blogs at http://hinducasteracism.blogspot.in/ and
he can be reached at iniyanelango@gmail.com
The Hindu Extremist Agenda of Residential and Social Segregation
Not too long ago, role of media dominated
strategic planning of BJPs electoral
campaign. Now, the same party is trying to
keep a safe distance with the media. The last
point is also supported by Modi being
accompanied by minimal possible media
persons in his recent foreign tours.
12 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 NEWSMAKERS www.milligazette.com
Hyderabad: Newly formed
Telangana state's government
celebrated the birth anniversary
of Hyderabd's legendary engineer
Nawab Ali Nawaz Jung on 11
July as 'Telangana Engineers Day'
by unveiling his statue at 'Jala
Soudha', the state's headquarters
of irrigation depar tment in
Hyderabad in the presence of a
large gathering of many retired
engineers. The statue was
unveiled by Telangana's irrigation
minister T. Harish Rao who, while
speaking on the occasion,
recalled the valuable services of
Ali Nawaz Jung who was the
mastermind behind irrigation
projects on rivers Godavari and
Manjira during the Nizam's peri-
od.
He was the brain not noly
behind the network of many
important irrigation projects but
also the main force behind the historical and tall
buildings of that time including the well-known
Nizam's Palace at India Gate, New Delhi, now
called Hyderabad House which has been pur-
chased by the Indian government for important
state and other functions, present Assembly
building at Hyderabad with beautiful minatrets
and domes, High Court, Arts College Building
which has become the symbol of Osmania
University, Osmania General Hospital, Unani
Hospital near Char Minar, Central Libarary
Building etc. It is a pity that many of his archi-
tectural works are in very bad shape today in
the absence of proper maintenance and he too
had become a forgotten man. Telangana gov-
ernment has now decided to remember his
valuable services and to celebrate his birth
anniversary on July 11 as 'Telangana Engineers
Day'. The state government had ordered all dis-
trict collectors to hold to highlight his achieve-
ments and contributions to the development of
irrigation projects in the sate.
Telangana honours legendary engineer ALI NAWAZ JUNG
MUHAMMAD TARIQ YUNUS FAROOQI, a
dynamic political leader of Maharashtra
has been appointed chairman of
Maharashtra Small Scale Industries
Development Corporation. At the time of
taking over his new assignment at a func-
tion attended by Maharasthra's minister
Arif Naseem Khand and many others, he
revealed that he has been appointed to this post at the behest
of Congress president Mrs Sonia Gandhi
Prof. KAFEEL AHMAD QASMI of AMU's
Department of Arabic has been appointed
Dean of Arts Faculty for two years in place
of Prof Suhail Ahsan of University's
Department of English. He took over the
charge of Dean from Prof Suhail Ahsan on
10 July. Author of many books, Prof Kafeel
Qasmi is also the holder of Certificate of
Honour awarded by the President of India.
Dr (Hakeem) S. P. BHATNAGAR, President of Hakeem Ajmal
Khan Memorial Society has been removed from his post
because of his anti-Society activities and lack of interest in
the Society's administrative affairs. In his place Hakeem Anil
Mohan Gupta has been selected to be the interim President of
this Society. These decisions were taken in an emergency
meeting of the Society held on 13 July at Delhi in which it was
decided by members of the Society that it would not be prop-
er to allow Hakeem SP Bhatnagar who is not taking any inter-
est in the prestigious Society's administrative and other
affairs and who is indulging in anti-Society activities. The new
incumbent Anil Mohan Gupta, who had been working hard
and selflessly for promoting and propagating Tibb-e Unani
was considered the appropriate person for heading this
Society and hence he was unanimously elected as President
of this Society.
Mansfield College, Oxford, held its
1st global conference on "sacred
journeys" and pilgrimages on 9-11
July. AATEKA KHAN, assistant
professor of English in Bharati
College, Delhi University, partici-
pated in the conference and pre-
sented a paper on Richard
Burton's 19th century pilgrimage
to Mecca disguised as a haji. The
paper studied Burton's narrative of
his pilgrimage, his non-partisan stances of reverence and
disdain for the East. The conference revolved around the con-
cept of internal pilgrimage and self-discovery and focused on
the experiential, practical, historical, and psychological
aspects of pilgrimage. It also tried to capture the similarities
and differences in the practice of sacred journeys in Islam,
Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and other religions as well
as spiritual traditions.
MEN & WOMEN IN NEWS
OBITUARIES
ZOHRA SEHGAL, the doyenne of the-
atre and film industry, rightly called the
Grand Old Lady of Bollywood's film
industry, died in a Delhi hospital on 10
July at the age of 102 years. Born as
Sahebzadi Zohra Begum Mumtazullah
Khan in a Pathan family of Saharanpur,
she started her professional and artistic
career as a dancer with Uday Shankar
company. Subsequenlty she joined film
industry and acted in many Indian and
British films also. Her first film was
'Dharti ke Lal' in 1946 directed by
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. She was hon-
oured with Indian government's Padma
Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma
Vibhushan Awards and other awards like Sangeet Natak Academy
Award, Kalidas Award etc. Sehgal, also a dancer at Uday Shankar's
troupe. She appeared to be fond of Hafeez Jallundhary's popular poem
Abhi to main Jawan hoon which she recited at the end of many func-
tions and entertained the audience. She died of heart attack and leaves
behind her daughter Kiran Sehgal and one son. She was cremated at
the Lodhi Road crematorium on 11 July.
MAULANA SYED ISHAQ AHMAD, President of Muslim Fund Trust,
Deoband and a famous hakeem of Deoband died at his residence
on 15 July after a prolonged illness at the age of 85 years. He
leaves behind has wife, one son (who too is hakeem) and one
daughter.
KHWAJA QUTUBUDDIN MOONIS, poet and member of Markazi Jamiat
Ahl-e Hadees' executive committee and Majlis-e Shoora died in Delhi
on the midnight of 5 and 6 July at the age of about 80 years after a
prolonged illness. He was an active and devoted member of Jamiat
Ahl-e Hadees and printer and publisher of Markazi Jamiat Ahl-e
Hadees' four publications i.e. fortnightly magazine Tarjumaan (Urdu),
monthly Islah-e Samaj (Hindi), monthly The Simple Truth (English) and
monthly Al Astaqama (Arabic).
ARHAM HUSAIN, a teen aged boy of Jamia Nagar Okhla's Jauhari
Farm colony was found murdered on 7 July in a hair cutting saloon.
According to police investigation he was murdered for ransom. He was
kidnapped after which a huge amount was demanded from his family
members. One day before his body was found, the ransom call was
again made by the kidnappers to his family members. It is not known
what was the response ofhis family members to the ransom demand.
According to Jamia Nagar Thana's SHO he was murdered on 5 July
itself. Police has so far failed to arrest the killers, though one barber
has been taken into custody but the real culprit/s could not be identi-
fied and arrested. After post mortem his body was handed over to his
family members. Very large number of people had participated in his
funeral prayer and burial.
CHAUDHARY MUHAMMAD ISHAAQ, freedom fighter, died on 15 July
at his residence in Lal Kurti, Meeruth. On receipt of the news of his
death, Lal Kurti Thana police reached his residence to pay homage. He
had also fought for country's independence under Subhash Chandra
Bose and thereafter took active part in 1942 (Quit India) and 1946
movements under Mahatma Gandhi. He was laid to rest with state hon-
our and many respectable persons of the city, administration and
police officers had participated in his burial. He was 105.
When Muhammad Rafi Sang
For A Beggar
Some people are so great and humble that words
are inadequate to describe their humility and great-
ness. Muhammad Rafi was one such great human
being who was extremely down-to-earth despite his
astounding singing abilities and worldwide populari-
ty. His friend and writer, the late Ahteshaam Ali nar-
rated an experience that he had while offering
Namaaz at Bandra mosque along with Muhammad
Rafi. One day, he went to Bandra mosque with Rafi
where the great singer used to go for offering his
prayers. After namaaz, he'd distribute alms among
the beggars and all the needy people, regardless of
their religion.
When Rafi gave a few bucks to a beggar, he
politely asked him, 'Gustakhi maaf ho, kya aap mere
liye 'Dil mein chhupa ke pyaar ka toofan' gaayenge?'
(Sorry for the impudence, would you please sing the
number 'Dil mein chhupa ke pyaar ka' for me?). Rafi said, 'Masjid mausiqi ke liye nahin hai, aap mere
saath aaiye' (Mosque is not meant for singing, please come with me). He took him to his Audi, which
he used to park far away from the mosque and after making the beggar comfortable in his import-
ed car, he sang the complete song which he sang for Dilip Kumar in 'Aan' (1956). After singing the
song for that beggar, he gave him 100 rupees. The beggar got much more than he bargained for!
Ahteshaam narrated this episode in the now defunct Urdu magazine Shama in its September, 1969
issue. Imagine, a man of Rafi's stature is singing for a mere nameless beggar! This is something we
all must learn but then one has to be like Rafi to be so humble. What a man he was!
SUMIT PAUL
sumitmaclean@hotmail.com
(July 31 is Rafi's death anniversary, 34th death anniversary, to be precise)
YAMINUL ISLAM KHAN
Popularly known as "Babbu Khan", Yasminul Islam Khan was
born in 1932 to a well-known family in Azamgarh. His father
was the legendry Urdu poet Iqbal Ahmad Suhail Khan. He was
the youngest child of the family consisting of two brothers and
six sisters. After completing his schooling in Azamgarh, he
joined Aligarh Muslim University to complete his degree in Civil
Engineering.
Graduating in 1952 from AMU, he started his career as an
engineer in government service, covering various departments
in UP, finally settling down in Lucknow during 1970 and retiring
as Chief Engineer of the Irrigation department in 1987. He
joined for a short while as secretary of U.P. Sunni Waqf Board
at the request of one of his close associate and minister.
However, he resigned within one year to spend a retired life with
his family.
He was active in community service and played a major
role in establishing a model modern school in his village of
Badharia in Azamgarh. This school, established some 15 years
ago has now reached the higher secondary level and is consid-
ered one of the best in the district. He was the chairman of the
trust running the school for which he and other members of his
family donated their houses and lands. He was also instrumen-
tal in various milli institutions like Quran Institute of Lucknow.
He was very popular amongst his colleagues and involved
himself in various social activities in U.P. He was very fond of
socializing, inviting guests at home, attending functions and
travelling long distances visiting new places.
One of the incidents which impacted his social as well as
personal life was the sudden death of his youngest daughter in
1976. He was advised a major bypass heart surgery in 2001
which left him very weak. He suffered a stroke in July 2009
resulting in partial paralysis on the right side of the body, keep-
ing him almost bed ridden ever since. Finally, after almost five
years of illness he left for his heavenly abode on 15 July 2014.
He is survived by a sister, wife and three sons.
India erupts against Israeli crimes in Gaza
SPECIAL REPORT The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 13 www.milligazette.com
In a unique show of solidarity, whole India protest-
ed against the Israeli attacks on Gaza Strip. Every
single day demonstrations were held across the
country in hundreds of cities and towns - some-
thing not seen since the zionist war criminal
Sharon's Delhi visit in September 2003. Students,
leftists, human rights and political activists,
Muslim organisations all were on their feet every
single day though world media as usual did not
care to cover these mass protests against Israel
and its backers. One young man even died by
police bullets during a protest in Kashmir. The only
black spot was the BJP government which chose
not to condemn the Israeli crimes and even pre-
vented a debate and resolution in parliament.
Mainstream media showed its true colours by
towing the western media line which feeds these
outlets. Here are only a few glimpses of protests
across the country which still continue as we go
to press (Zafarul-Islam Khan)
Y
u
s
u
f
/
M
G
Here is my
Zakat
Zakat
Collection
Centre
e
Bangalore, 20 July Chandigarh, 18 July
Aligarh, 16 July Aurangabad (MS), 18 July
Sangareddy, Telangana, 13 July Shimoga (Karnataka), 18 July
Srinagar, 14 July Surat, 18 July
Chennai, 12 July Coimbatore, 19 July
Degloor (Nanded), 21 July Delhi, 14 July Delhi, 18 July Gulbarga, 12 July
Hyderabad, 13 July Hyderabad, 13 July Indore, 19 July Kargil, 15 July
Kashmir, 14 July Kerala, 11 July Kolkata, 19 July Lucknow, 15 July
Lucknow, 19 July Malerkotla, 19 July Mettupalayam (TN), 12 July Mumbai, 18 July
Mumbai, 13 July Mumbra, 19 July Mysore, 18 July Raichur (ktk), 21 July
Gita translation into Urdu poetry
Bara Banki: Translation of Bhagwad Gita (Gita) into Urdu poetry by
poet Anwar Jalalpuri and titled Urdu Shaairy mein Gita has been
published. According to Anwar Jalalpuri his objective in translating
Gita into Urdu poetry is to familiarise the people with moral and
spiritual teachings of Gita which is in Sanskrit. Gita contains 701
sholkas and to explain its meanings in a simple language it has
been expanded to 1761 couplets. Reading these couplets gives a
soothing feeling to the reader. While talking to UNI Jalalpuri says
that when Arjun sees some of his own people on the enemies side
many conflictings thoughts and feelings come to his mind, realis-
ing which Krishn tries to sermonise him with his own views to
console him. Jalalpuri says that whereas many shlokas have been
translated into a single couplet, there are some shlokas where a
single shloka has been explained in many couplets.
This Urdu translation was released recently by UPs chief min-
ister Akhilesh Yadav and the spiritual leader Murari Bapu. He said
that the purpose of translating this book into Urdu is to spread its
message to Muslims and those people who consider Gita a great
book but know noting about what it contains. Describing Gita as
probably the greatest book of moral teachings of ancient India he
says that it does not preach renouncing the world and leading the
life of a tyagi (ascetic) but urges people to work and make the
world a beautiful place to live in. About himself Jalalpuri, (who did
MA first in English literature and then in Urdu from AMU and want-
ed to do a PhD on Gitas versified translations into Urdu poetry
and their critical review but because of his prior occupations,
could not do so) says that he had great interest and attachment
with the events mentioned in this book (Gita) from his childhood
days. So after retirement from the post of chairman of UP
Madrasa Board in 2008, he did what he had been planning to do
for the past 30 years. He said that because of his ignorance of
Sanskrit he had to work laboriously in understanding the book and
what was more difficult, to use research capabilities in rendering
it into poetry. Strangely enough, though he translated the book into
Urdu, he got it published in Nagri script because, according to
him, this script is known by Hindus as well as Muslims.
Grant to AMU by Atomic Energy Dept
Aligarh: Government of Indias Atomic Energy Department has
given a grant of Rs. 1.4 lakh (Rs. 1,40,000) to Radio Therapy
Department of AMUs J N Medical College which will be used to
further improve the facilities in this department. Head of Radio
Therapy Department Prof Shahid Ali Siddiqi said that this amount
will be used for purchasing new machine of radio therapy for bet-
ter treatment of cancer patients. He said that with new and mod-
ern machines radiation will be given only to tumours which are
affected by cancer and in this way the remaining parts of the body
will not be affected by the harmful effects of radiation. He further
said that modern machine that will be procured with this grant is
not available in any other medical college of UP except Lucknow
Medical College and hence after the availability of this machine
this department of JN Medical College will be equipped with the
most modern machine (or machines) in western UP. He said that
at present there are teletherapy and breaky therapy machines in
the department and because of the facilities available to cancer
patients through these machines, patients of Delhi and neighbour-
ing areas are sent to this department of J N Medical College. Prof
Siddiqi further said that for equipping radio therapy division of the
college with more modern facilities and machines proposals have
been sent to union health ministry which are under its considera-
tion and it is hoped that after serious consideration their propos-
als will be accepted after which other facilities like IGRT and linear
accelerator will also be available to this deparment.
Fortification of 4400 graveyards in Bihar
Patna: MLAs of the ruling party as well as opposition in Bihar
assembly tried to seek clarification from the government about
fortification or building of boundary walls of graveyards. In reply
to a question by BJP member Shiv Yash Kumar the minister in
charge of graveyards, Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said that the policy
regarding fortification of graveyards was framed by the govern-
ment in 2006-07. He said 8064 sensitive graveyards were identi-
fied of which about 4400 graveyards have been fortified. Rashtriya
Janta Dals MLA Abdul Bari Siddiqi had raised questions about
some graveyards not being included in the priority list. He had
asked when the priority list was prepared and for which period it
was. At this the minister replied that the priority list was prepared
in 2006-07 and the same list is valid even today.
In reply to Manohar Prasad Singhs question the minister
(Chaudhary) said that Hari Prasad graveyard in Katihar district is a
public land and there is no proposal for fortification of public land.
In reply to a question by another member Ram Chander Sahni the
minister said that if there is a dispute, Khuda Nagars graveyard in
West Champaran will be included in sensitive list and will be forti-
fied. A question was raised about the occupation of two grave-
yards in Purnia district. At first the minister denied any occupation
of these graveyards but when MLAs Afaq Alam and opposition
leader Nand Kishore challenged his statement and demanded an
enquiry he admitted that these have been illegally occupied and
promised an enquiry into illegal occupations.
Ten new schools to be built in Delhi but none in Muslim areas
New Delhi: Delhis north-eastern district which is inhabited by
large number of Muslims is among the countrys 90 districts iden-
tified by the previous UPA government where fairly large number
of Muslims live and where special plans were made for education-
al and other schemes for the progress of residents and special
funds were also allotted but sadly enough no appreciable develop-
ment work was done. There is acute need of schools in these
areas whereas, in order to further improve educational postion and
standard, Delhi government plans to open ten new senior second-
ary schools and permission has also been given to construct new
buildings for these schools. According to Delhi governments
Public Works Departments secretary Arun Baroka, permission
has been given for building plans of ten senior secondary schools
at different places in Delhi. A total amount of Rs 174 crores will be
spent for these schools. He said that the process of floating ten-
ders is under way and in two months constructin work will start.
He further said that for another 10 schools building plans have
been approved and budget provided in the financil year 2014-15. Mr
Baroka said that building work of these schools will be completed in
15 months. Every school will be 4-storeyed and the area of each
school will be 6000 sq metres and school buildings will be of RCC
(reinforced concrete). In every school arrangements will be made for
water harvesting i.e. collection and storage of rain water and water
tanks in addition to water tankers. Drafts of these plans have already
been made. In every school there will be a field of 2000 metres area.
The secretary said that each school will cost Rs 16 to 18 crores. For
physically handicapped children and teachers lifts will be installed in
these schools. He said that one such school wil be built in Dwarka
(Phase II), Sector 22 Madanpur Khadar, 2 schools in Hastsal village,
Rohini Sector 6 and 17, Rohini sector 4, Kalkaji and Rohini sector 1.
Rahmani 30 to prepare 10th pass girls for PMT (medical)
Patna: Maulana Muhammad Wali Rahmani, Sajjada Nashin of
Khanqah Rahmani, Moonger who, with active help and coopera-
tion of Bihars senior police officer Abhyanandji, has been prepar-
ing students (particularly Muslims because of their backwardness
in almost all fields) for all India competitive examinations in engi-
neering, science, chartered accountancy, law, medical etc. fields
since 2008 has now decided, in view of requests by parents and
guardians of Muslim girls, to prepare matric pass Muslim girls for
PMT (pre-medical test) entrance examinations (in medical field)
free of charge through coaching in Gujrat. There (in Gujrat) they
will be kept purely in a religious atmosphere for two years and pro-
vided coaching and training for all India PMT entrance test. For this
purpose a written test by Rahmani 30 (Medical) was held on 12
July 2014 at different examination centres in Jharkhand, Bihar, and
West Bengal from 11 am to 2 pm. Girls who pass in this prelimi-
nary written test will have to appear for viva (interview) at Patna
on a date to be announced later. Girls who pass in this interview
and are selected will have to go to Gujrat and, as stated above, will
be kept in purely religious environment for two years and provid-
ed coaching and training by qualified and experienced teachers for
appearance in all India PMT 2016. During their stay in Gujarat for
two years for training and coaching their boarding, lodging etc will
be completely free. It may be borne in mind that only those girls
can appear in this 2-year coaching and trainng programme who
have passed 10th class and who are prepared to live in a religious
atmosphere during the training period for all India PMT examina-
tion.
Modi governments steps for modernization of madrasas
New Delhi: During the past few years the scope for modern edu-
cation along with religious education has increased in madrasas
but in the absence of facilities, educational standard of madrasas
could not be raised. With the first budget of the Modi government
and with the announcement of the scheme for modernisation of
madrasas, new hopes have been gerenrated. This will not only
improve the level of religious education in madrasas but Modi gov-
ernments image in the minds of Muslims will also change. An
amount of Rs 100 croes has been allocated in the budget for mod-
ernisation of madrasas. This has also given new hope for
madrasas of Bareily. There are 459 government aided madrasas in
the state (UP) and 5 aided madrasas in Bareily district namely
Jamia Notia (Baqar Ganj), Madrasa Manzarul Islam Dargah Aala
Harzrat, Madrasa Ashfaqia (Qazitola), Jamia Mehdia Senthal and
Madrasa Eshatul Uloom Sarai Khan. In these madrasas about
1400 students receive education. Courses are Takhtania (pri-
mary), Fauqania (Junior High School) and Aalim (High School &
Intermediate). In aided schools Kamil (Graduate level) and Fazil
(Masters level) education is imparted. In every madrasa arrange-
ments are for 12 teachers, one Principal, one clerk and one peon.
There is a great shortage of teachers in Madrasa Ashfaqia and
Madrasa Eshaatul Uloom and their buildings also are in very bad
condition.
In the Modi government budget there is a proposal of moderniza-
tion of madrasas, the result of which will be that buildings will improve
and basic facilities for students will also increase. Together with all
these there will be opportunities of modern education along side reli-
gious education. Minorities welfare officer Jagmohan Singh says that
excepting two aided madrasas the rest are in somewhat better condi-
tion. He further said that there is shortage of teachers because of
which education is affected. Buildings for madrasas are also not
enough. He said that madrasas are also included in the budget which
is a laudable step. Madrasa Manzar-e Islams teacher Zuber Raza said
that governemnts attitude towards madrasas has always been nega-
tive because of which teachers have difficulties in getting their
salaries. If there are proper and more facilities, educational atmos-
phere will also be better, adding that by including madrasas in the
budget Modi governemnt has taken a good initiative.
Nikah and pheras of 10 Muslim and 10 non-Muslim girls
Muzaffarnagar: In this city which faced the agony and brutality of
communal riots last year, a unique example of communal harmony
was witnessed on 23 June and a beautiful scene of humanism, love
and cooperation was seen when 10 Hindu and 10 Muslim girls were
sitting as brides on one side and on the other side there were bride-
grooms and groups of baratis being entertained with refreshments.
Dowry goods were also stored in the same mandap. After the cere-
monies of nikahs and seven pheras around the holy fire, together with
the recitations of the Quranic verses and, mantras from scriptures
created such an example of communal harmony that sent people in
raptures. A shamiana (mandap) was decorated in Tasmia Junior High
School here by All India Mutahiddah Mahaz (United Front) for the mar-
riages of ten Hindu and ten Muslim daughters on 23 June when these
daughters were siting in bridal dress.
After the death of Hafiz Aftab, chairman of Mutahiddah
Mahaz, this was the first occasion when in his absence this
movement (of communal harmony) was re-star ted. Nikah was
solemnised by Maulana Sayeed whereas Pundit Vishnoo
Sharma performed the ceremony of seven pheras. In this func-
tion poet Abdul Haq paid tribute to Hafiz Aftab through his poet-
ry. This function was chaired by Mutahidda Mahaz chairman
Shahnawaz Aftab and conducted by lawyer Mahboob Alam.
Mufti Zulfiqar, member of UP Minoriteis Commission, journalist
Aziz Burney, Haji Qamarul Islam, Haji Mobeen, Sales Tax
Commissioner were special guests and host to the people,
Hindus and Muslims were witness to this beautiful and raptur-
ous occasion.
Attempt to impose Nagri script on Kashmiri opposed
Srinagar: Jammu & Kashmir Urdu Council (JKUC), expressing
great concern over attempts to impose Dev Nagri script on
Kashmir language has warned that any such attempt will be joint-
ly and strongly opposed. Spokesman of JKUC, Javed Matji has
stated that these days some particular elements have been carry-
ing on a compaign to replace Kashmiri languages existing script
with Devnagri script which will be strongly opposed. He said that
JKUC feels that after hatching a conspiracy against the states offi-
cial language Urdu these elements in Delhi and some other parts
of the country have opened a front against Kashmiri language and
are speaking of a new script for Kashmiri language but JKUC has
warned these elements that Kashmiri people living in any part of
the world cannot and will not accept Devnagri or any other script
for their mother tongue.
Jammu & Kashmir Urdu Council, in support of Literary Centre
Kaamraz, has made an appeal to all people belonging to every
walk of life to come forward, irrespective of any relgion or region
and foil any attempt by any body to hatch any conspiracy against
their mother tongue, that is Kashmiri. He said that JKUC feels that
this is not the concern of JKUC or the Literary Centre Kaamraz
only but the concern of each and every body whose mother
tongue is Kashmiri. He reiterated that they would strongly by
oppose the imposition of Devnagri script on Kashmiri language
and will not hesitate in taking every possible step for protecting
their mother tongue and its script.
Shamli: Thousands of riot-affected people living in different
refugee camps of Shamli district had a pleasant surprise when
Iftar food packets containing eatables for a full one month were
given to five thousand people by Taiyyab Hospital and
Educational Trust, Deoband, an organisation which is working on
welfare activities for people. On the instructions of the chairman
of this Trust, Hafiz Muhammad Aasim Qasmi, a group of people
distributed Iftar food packets containing atta, rice, daal, ghee,
sugar, gram flour (besan), sooji, spices, salt and other essential
items among the people living in refugee camps of Shamli dis-
tricts Malikpur, Khargan and four or five other villages. Each food
packet will be sufficient for one month. Incharge of this food
packets schemes Maulana Anas Khurshid said on this occasion
that service to people is an important part of Islamic civilization.
Allahs Prophet Hazrat Muhammad SAW has described helping
poor and needy people as an act of great reward (Sawaab). He
said that at the time of September (2013) communal riots the
sentiments and enthusiasm of people and milli organisations
towards riot-affected people are not the same today, though their
requirements today are much more than in those days, seeing
that the way they are living under the open sky and difficulties
they are facing in the scorching heat and rains beggars descrip-
tion.
He said that in these camps they do not get any thing that can
be called basic facilities. They do not have any facilities as gov-
ernment help and on the contrary they are constantly being
accused of and harassed for living on government land. He said
that so far local administration, at the instance of the state and
central governments, has bulldozed two large camps with the
result that riot-affected people living in these camps have per
force to move helplessly from one place to another and there is
no body to take care of them. The atmosphere of fear and terror
that had gripped them at that time is the same even today and
they are in no case prepared to go back to their old villages and
houses. He made an appeal to kind hearted and affluent people
to help them on Sharaee and moral basis with their charities. He
said that Taiyyab Hospital and Educational Trust has been helping
the riot-affected people in every possible way from day one in
their relief and rehabilitation. On the occasion of Ramzanul
Mubarak this is our humble effort to help them and we hope that
Iftar packs distributed among five thousand
riot-hit people
14 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 COMMUNITY NEWS www.milligazette.com
Pension for retired madrasa teachers in UP
Lucknow: UPs Samajwadi party government in an important
decision has finalised a scheme to grant pension to retired
madrasa teachers of the state. In the cabinet meeting chaired by
chief minister Akhilesh Yadav some other important decisions
were also taken. In accordance with the decision about pension,
it was decided that pensions to retired teachers and employees of
aided religious madrasas will be given from the government treas-
ury. The cabinet has also decided to withdraw the CBI inquiry into
the irregularities about the recruitment in the police force during
Mulayam Singh Yadavs previous government. The cabinet has
approved this proposal also (of withdrawing the inquiry by CBI).
It may be stated that when Mulayam Singh Yadav was chief min-
ister of UP earlier, more than 22000 appointments of civil police,
PAC and wireless operators were made in 2005-06 when 17,264
constables, 3742 PAC personnel and 1350 wireless operators
were appointed. For these recruitments the then government had
constituted 55 recruitment boards. There was a big uproar on the
recruitment of constables all over the state and some lady candi-
dates had accused officers of recruitment of unqualified persons
under pressure. Former chief minister Mayawati, during her rule,
had suspended more than a dozen IPS officers in 2007 and had
stopped the recruitment of constables and subsequently on 4
February 2008 had handed over the case to CBI for inquiry after
getting this step approved by the cabinet. In todays (24 June)
meeting Akhilesh government, in disapproval of Mayawatis
action in handing over the case to the CBI, decided to withdraw
the case from CBI.
Attempts to illegally occupy AMU Centres land to be foiled
Patna: Kishan Ganjs MP and Chairman of All India Talimi wa Milli
Foundation, Maulana Asrarul Haque Qasmi while strongly con-
demning the attempts made by communal and mischievous ele-
ments of the local majority community to bury some dead per-
sons in the land allotted for AMUs Centre in Kishan Ganj in the
darkness of night with the intention of occupying it said that they
are trying to instigate communal riots but their nefarious attempts
will never be allowed to succeed by the people of Kishan Ganj.
Praising the district authorities who, by taking timely and strict
action, brought the situation under control he said that he was in
regular contact with district collector and SP who have assured
him that any attempt to illegally occupy the Universitys land will
not be allowed to succeed.
Maulana Qasmi said that he contacted AMUs Vice Chancellor
and impressed upon him the need to start construction work at
the Centre at the earliest, particularly the construction of bound-
ary walls should be given top priority so that the mischievous
attempts of mischief mongers could be prevented. He said that he
talked to Pro Vice Chancellor also, who is Incharge of the centre,
on telephone and informing him about the attempts of mischie-
vous elements, urged him to start building work at the earliest.
The Pro VC told him that estimates have been invited from con-
struction companies and after receiving and finalising these, con-
struction work will be started. He also made an appeal to local
people of Kishan Ganj to maintain communal harmony and peace
in all earnestness so that peace and harmony may not be dis-
turbed because communal and mischievous elements are bent
upon finding some excuse or the other for starting communal vio-
lence and hinder the work of the centre. He also demanded dis-
trict authorities to maintain strict vigil on AMU centres land so
that these elements do not succeed in their disruptive acts.
Word Muslim removed from Muslim reservation
Mumbai: Reservation to Marathas (16%) and Muslims (5%) in
government service and educational institutions was announced
by Maharashtra government more than a week ago but no ordi-
nance or formal order has so far been issued by the government.
Meanwhile some changes, as far as Muslims are concerned, are
being made in the sense that the word Muslim is being omitted
and in its place a particular backward class is mentioned. This
is because of the possibility that if a case is filed in court, reser-
vation to Muslims may be rejected because the countrys consti-
tution does not allow reservation on religious basis and the gov-
ernment may find itself in an awkward position. Hence in order to
avoid such a possibility, instead of the word Muslim, a particu-
lar backward class is being mentioned.
States deputy chief minister Ajit Dada Pawar had expressed
his displeasure over the delay in issuing the formal order or noti-
fication to this effect. He was told that the draft of this notification
is being prepared very cautiously and hence the delay. He was
told that previously the draft of reservation mentioned particular
backward class (Muslim). In the cabinet meeting Minorities
Affairs Department suggested an amendment which was accept-
ed and now reservation to Muslims will be given in the name of
particular backward class (2). Minister of state for minority
affairs Ms Fauzia Khan said in this meeting that castes or cate-
gories of Muslim society which are included in OBC list have now
been included in particular backward class category.
Report on elementary education released by HRD minister
New Delhi: HRD minister (Ms) Smriti Irani released the report on
elementary education titled Flash Statistics: Elementary
Education in India: Progress towards Universal Elementary
Education for 2013-14 which is prepared every year by National
University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA).
The report, containing the statistics about elementary education
in the country as a whole covers 14, 50,000 (1.45 million)
schools spread over 662 districts all over the country, was pre-
sented to the HRD minister by the Vice Chancellor of NUEPA, Prof
R. Govind. The report also contains an Educational Development
Index based on 4 constituents i.e. access, infrastructure, teach-
ers and outcomes. The ranking of Indian states based on the EDI
shows that Puducherry (previously Pondicherry), Lakshdweep,
Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka occupy the first five
positions. For access which includes the number of schools per
10 sq kilometres, Mizoram ranks first, Delhi occupies the second
position, Karnataka occupies the highest position and from the
point of view of infrastructure, Gujarat occupies the second posi-
tion.
Engineering courses for Muslim students welcomed
Moonger: Rahmani Foundation, Moonger has been continuously try-
ing to make Muslim students self dependent in educational field by
providing free education and training to them every year and enabling
them to appear and succeed in difficult IIT (JEE) examinations. This
free service has been going on since 2008 onwards and every year
Muslim youth trained under Rahmani 30 are achieving success. In
addition to this, Muslim students are also being trained for chartered
accountancy, medical and law courses of CLAT. This year it is trying
to arrange engineering courses under which education and training
for engineering courses will be provided to them from Jahangirabad
Institute of Technology at Barabanki. Arrangements for their studies,
boarding, lodging etc will also be made at concessional rates.
Another feature of this course will be that religious atmosphere will
also be provided so that along with being good engineers, they may
also become practising Muslims and good and sincere citizens.
Hence Muslim students who have succeeded in 12th class in the sci-
ence stream and want to join engineering courses in Jahangirabad
Institute at Barabanki should take advantage of Rahmani Foundation,
Moongers facilities in this field and get in touch with Maulana
Mushiruddin Rahmani (Tel: 09431612639) to seek admission in
engineering courses to make their career bright. Details of this college
can be obtained at www.jit.edu.in website.
Maha Board asked to exact rents from offices on Waqf lands
Mumbai: Maharashtras minister for minorities welfare Arif
Naseem Khan, in a high level meeting of Auqaf Depar tment
held on 10 July, instructed Waqf Board officials to exact
monthly rents from all government and semi-govt offices and
private offices on the basis of the ready reckoner (official reg-
ister or book laying down rates of rents of houses, proper ties
and their value etc.). He also directed them to take action
against those offices which are not paying rent. It may be stat-
ed in this connection that there are about 115 government,
semi-government and dozens of private offices and compa-
nies on different Waqf lands and proper ties. Some were pay-
ing rents but many are not. There are government and other
private offices in Marathwada, Vidarbh, Khandesh, Konkan and
other places where these offices are located on Waqf lands. In
addition to these offices on Waqf lands, there are many Waqf
proper ties which are taken on rent by these offices and private
companies but most of them are not paying any rent. When
complaints against such offices and companies were made to
the minister, he convened a meeting of concerned officials,
including Ainul Attaar, general secretary of the Depar tment of
Minorities Welfare, Waqf Boards CEO, Syed Ejaz Husain and
directions to exact rents from these offices and companies and
to take suitable action against those not paying rents were
given.
Four new agriculture courses introduced in Integral University
Lucknow: Integral University, Lucknows Academic Council has
decided to introduce four new courses in this Universitys
Agricultural Department for the academic year 2014-15. These
are B. Tech (Agricultural Engineering), BSc (Hons) Agriculture,
BBA (Agri-Business Managament and MBA (Agri-Busines
Management). These agricultural programmes on agricultural
education will be managed by Integral Institute of Agricultural
Science & Technology (IIAST), an organisation which works
under Integral University. Integral University's Vice Chancellor,
Prof Syed Waseem Akhtar said that about 74 percent people of
Indias total population depend on agriculture for their livelihood
and employment who are engaged in this profession on about
160 million hectares of land. Last date for admission in these
courses was 12 July which was to be on the basis of merit. All
details about admission are available on the Universitys Website.
All those students who are successful in eligibility tests of BBA
and MBA (Agri-Business Managemnet) will be given scholarships
of Rs 1000 and Rs 2000 respectively.
New edu policy in Maha planned to attract Muslims
Mumbai: Maharashtra chief minister Prithvi Raj Chauhan has
directed states education ministry to frame a new and special
educational policy to attract Muslim children towards education.
He had convened a special meeting in a guest house to consider
educational and other matters pertaining to Muslims. On Muslims
side the meeting was attended by minorities welfare minister
Muhammad Arif Naseem Khan, minister of state (Ms) Fauzia
Khan, chairman of state Minorities Commission Munaf Hakeem,
former MP, Maulana Obaidur Rahman Azmi, NCP (Minority Cell)s
president, advocate Syed Jalaluddin, state president Habib Faqih,
and Mumbais president Mubarak Khan. The chief minister while
speaking in this meeting said that different surveys and reports
have shown that the trend of education among minorities
(Muslims) is very limited and in addition to this, cases of drop-
outs among them are also high. Hence, in order to make the
(Muslim) society educationally developed and advanced a new
and independent educational policy is needed so as to attract
more and more Muslim children towards education. He directed
top officers of states education ministry / department who also
were present in this meeting, to frame such an independent poli-
cy and to put it before the cabinet for approval.
Regarding housing for Muslims, he said that in order to
enable Muslims to purchase land in rural areas, minorities depart-
ment will draw up separate plan to provide financial assistance to
them so that such people also could get the benefit of Indira
Residential Scheme (Indira Awaas Yojna). He also directed the
concerned officials to prepare Data Base of Waqf properties. In
addition to Muslim members present in this meeting as stated
above, from governments side Additional Chief Secretary of
home ministry Amitabh Rajan, Additional Cief Secretary of
Minorities Welfare and Development Department Dr. P. S. Meena,
Principal Secretary of Nagar Vikas Department Shri Kant Singh,
Principal Secretary of Rural Development Department S. S.
Sindhu and other senior officials of these departments were also
present in this meeting.
It may be recalled that recently the state government had
announced 5% reservation to Muslims in government service and
educaional institutions for their progress and development.
Slight increase in minorities affairs ministrys budget
New Delhi: Prime minister Narendra Modi-led new NDA govern-
ment has not made any cut in the budget of minorities affairs min-
istry constituted for the welfare of minorities. Rather, as compared
to the previous budget, it has made an increase, even though a
nominal one, in the 2014-15 budget. It has also continued Multi
Sectoral Development Programme (MSDP), the most important
programme being implemented under Sachar Committees rec-
ommendations, though the plan is to allot its budget directly to
state governments. In 2013-14 budget for minorities affaris min-
istry an amount of Rs 3130 crores was allocated for plan and
non-plan items whereas in 2014-15 budget this amount has been
increased to Rs 3734 croes, an increase of about rs 600 crores.
In the new budget Rs 23 crores have been allocated for plan item.
For minority majority districts and blocks Rs 1242 crores have
been allocated whereas for matric and post matric scholarships
Rs 1100 crores have been allocated which is slightly more than
the previous government's budget. In National Minorities
Commission's budget also worthwhile addition has been made,
seeing that last year it was Rs 5.43 crores which has been
increased this year to Rs 7.30 crroes. Last year this was Rs 35
crores (which one?) which has now been increased to Rs 108
croes. Schemes like Maulana Azad Education Foundation, free
coaching and other such schemes, skill development programme,
Waqf Boards computerisation programme, Central Waqf Council,
Maulana Azad medical aid scheme, schemes for minority women,
schemes for providing (financial) assistance for preparing and
coaching for competitive exams of UPSC, SSC, State Public
Service Commission, Maulana Azad National Fellowship and
many other schemes have been retained.
Lucknow: Mrs Parveen Azad, widow of Kundahs former Deputy
SP (late) Ziaul Haq who was killed in an ambush last year (2013),
has filed a petition in the Allahabad High Courts Lucknow Bench
through her lawyer Khaleeq Ahmad Khan against the clean chit
given by the CBI, under pressure, to Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias
Raja Bhaiyya, a former minister of UP, pleading that this matter
(murder of her late husband, Deputy SP Ziaul Haq) be reinvesti-
gated by SIT and during the period of the fresh investigation, the
accused Raja Bhaiyya and his four accomplices be arrested. It
was stated in Mrs Parveen Azads petition that the CBIs investi-
gation report should be rejected because Raja Bhaiyya being a
minister and even otherwise being an influential and rich person,
pressure was put on the CBI to exonerate him (Raja Bhaiyya) and
his accomplices. It was further stated in the petition that the
deceased Deputy SP was killed under a conspiracy hatched by
the police itself under influence from Raja Bhaiyya and instead of
being killed in an ambush, the incharge Manoj Shukla of the con-
cerned police station (Thana Hathgavan) said that his death was
caused in a case of dacoity. Parveen Azad had accused Raja
Bhaiyya of being complicit in her husbands murder because he
was inquiring into various criminal cases against Raja Bhaiyya
and his accomplices. He was also investigating into a riot in
Asthan in which Raja Bhaiyya and his accomplices were sus-
pects. In view of all these, her late husband Deputy SP Ziaul Haq
was murdered under a conspiracy. It was also stated in the writ
petition that CBI was so much under the influence of Raja
Bhaiyya that in spite of being a suspect, he was not arrested
even for a single day. Also, the CBI under some pressure had not
recorded the statements of some persons who were eye wit-
nesses to the incident. Hence it was requested in the writ petition
that CBIs report may be declared null and void, fresh investiga-
tion should be made by a special team and during the period of
investigation Raja Bhaiyya and his colleagues who were accom-
plices should be put in jail so that they may not again put pres-
sure on the special investigation team, as they had done on the
CBI. Parveen Azads lawyer Khaleeq Ahmad Khan also said in the
petition that this case is pending in the lower court but during the
past 8 months it has failed to give any verdict. (N. A. Ansari)
Parveen, widow of murdered DSP Ziaul
Haq knocks at the door of the High Court
COMMUNITY NEWS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 15 www.milligazette.com
To understand what is going on under
Modis corporate-friendly regime
which is working overnight for Ambani-
Adani-Tata et al., read this... All ideas
are experimented first in the US these
days and then exported to subservient
regimes around the world.
THOM HARTMANN
Rich brat billionaires and giant transnational corpo-
rations have hijacked our political system. CNN is
reporting that Shelly Adelson, the same man who
dropped a cool $150 million during the 2012 elec-
tion cycle to defeat President Obama, is now talking
about spending tens of millions more in the 2014
midterm elections. According to CNN, sources
inside the Republican Party have said that Adelson
is prepared to make as much as a $100 million
investment in the 2014 midterms, trying to help
Republicans win back control of the Senate.
And make no mistake about it; when rich peo-
ple or corporations put money into politics or politi-
cians, its an investment, and theyre expecting a
financial return, whether it be in lower taxes or
fewer regulations. Adelsons modern-day invest-
ment binge followed the 2010 Citizens United ruling
that legalized it, so that back in 2012, Adelson
planned to spend $100 million and ended up spend-
ing at least $150 million.
Meanwhile, as Shelly Adelson is corrupting our
democracy with tens of millions of dollars in
Chinese gambling cash, Wall Street bigwigs are
doing the same thing. The Financial Times reports
that Wall Street executives, like Ken Griffin, founder
and CEO of the hedge fund Citadel, are throwing
hundreds of thousands of dollars at the 2014
midterms too.
According to Federal Election Commission
records, Griffin alone has given big bucks to 5 dif-
ferent Republicans in Senate battleground states,
and has given at least $800,000 to various
Republican groups. Oddly enough, its Griffin and
his buddies in the finance industry who helped pro-
pel President Obama into office in 2008.
Wall Street overwhelmingly suppor ted the
Obama campaign in 2008, an investment that has
apparently paid off well, as not a single bankster
has gone to jail on Obamas watch. But they want-
ed more than that, so because of the Obama admin-
istrations relatively small efforts to reel in the
finance industry, Wall Street has decided to put its
money in the hands of Republicans.
Shelley Adelson dumping $100 million into our
democracy and Wall Street executives having a
change of heart and trying to buy up seats in the
Senate are just two examples of the rampant bribery
thats taken over American politics, which is con-
sidered both immoral and illegal in virtually every
other developed country in the world.
Thanks to the Supreme Court, and its decisions
in Citizens United, Buckley v. Valeo, and arguably
starting with the infamous Powell memo, the
wealthy elite and corporations have slowly but sure-
ly been able to gain near total control over our
democracy and political system. And as the wealthy
elite and corporations are profiting off of their
investments in Washington, the rest of us are living
in a very different America than we had just a gen-
eration ago. Its now an America that, despite its
great wealth, looks more and more like a third-world
country each day.
Our entire infrastructure, from our roads and
bridges, to our electric grids and transportation sys-
tems, is stuck in the 19th century. Our intellectual
infrastructure - our students - are failing and a tril-
lion dollars in debt. Our once strong and flourishing
middle-class seems like a distant memory, as
wages are at record lows, and median household
income has fallen by 7.8% since 2000 alone. And
lets not forget our healthcare system, which still
doesnt work for all Americans.
The rapid rise in power of the wealthy elite and
corporations, and the rapid fall of the American mid-
dle-class are the very predictable outcomes of the
decisions made by the Reagan Administration in the
80s to turn America into a country that worked
very well for the wealthy elite and big business, but
poorly for everyone else. And the Supreme Court
has significantly helped speed up that process.
We need to start restoring some sanity to our
society and political system, and that starts by
bringing an end to the legalized bribery that has
allowed billionaires like Shelly Adelson and Wall
Street executives like Ken Griffin to buy and sell
politicians. Its time to reel in the rich brats and cor-
ral the giant transnational corporations that are
destroying all that America once stood for.
(thomhartmann.com/blog)
16 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 INTERNATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Rich rats hijacked our democracy
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Qatar-based IUMS considers it against
Islam and demands their return to their
homes
New Delhi, 22 July, 2014: The Qatar-based International Union of
Muslim Scholars, considered the most authoritative and respect-
ed association of Muslim scholars from across the world, has
forcefully condemned the Islamic State of Iraq & Syria militias
expulsion of Christians from some parts of Iraq. Considering it
against the Islamic Shariah, IUMS has demanded these refugees
return to their homes.
Following is a translation of a statement issued today in Qatar in
Arabic:
The International Union of Muslim Scholars condemns the
forcible expulsion of Christian brothers in Iraq from their home,
cities and governorates. These acts are against the Islamic
Shariah and against the Islamic conscience. These acts offer a
negative and bad picture of Islam and Muslims and negate the
facts of Islam which calls for justice and good behaviour towards
all and preaches values of charity and tolerance which is evident
from Allahs saying in the Quran: Allah forbids you not, with
regard to those who fight you not for your faith nor drive you out
of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah
loves those who are just (60:8). Following these principles,
Muslims offered marvellous examples of behaviour towards non-
Muslims in most difficult times which led them to accept Islam
and mingle with Muslim societies and coexist with Muslims in one
single homeland.
The IUMS demands the organisation knows as Islamic
State in Iraq and Syria, which has hurt Muslims by declaring a
so-called caliphate, to all the Christian brothers in Mosul to return
to their homes because they are original sons of Iraq and no
intruders therein. Efforts must be made to bury dissension, unify
ranks and solve the problems of Iraq instead of thrusting upon it
matters which will only complicate the current situation and will
serve only the conspiracies of the enemies which seek to balka-
nise not only Iraq but all Arab and Muslim nations.
We wished this orgnanisation, if indeed it was living in this
age, to join with IUMS in asking the whole world to review the
style of treatment of Muslims in many areas especially Palestine
and what Palestinians are facing in terms of expulsion, destruc-
tion, murder and massacres, and the conspiracies which are
being planned against Muslims in many countries like Srilanka,
India, Central Asian Republic etc., which instigates a struggle on
sectarian lines and thrusts upon the world a cesspool of never-
ending hostilities which will destroy all.
IUMS appeals to the free world, if it listens and has some life
left, to stand with the persecuted victims whose rights have been
snatched away from them. Justice and restoration of right will
stop struggles, conflicts and wars and will put paid to extremisms
of all kinds.
Instigating a strife is a great evil. All people should try to
know its causes and struggle to crush and extinguish it . May
Allah protect Iraq and all Arab and Muslim countries from internal
fighting and from distensions overt and covert.
The statement is signed by IUMS President Dr Yusuf Al-
Qaradawi and General Secretary Dr Ali Muhiyuddin Al-Qaradaghi.
(Translated from Arabic by The Milli Gazette, New Delhi)
ISIS measures against Iraqi Christians condemned
Probe Launched Into
Israel War Crimes In Gaza
An international inquiry into Israels actions in Gaza has been launched, after the UNs Human
Rights Commissioner said there was a strong possibility the country was guilty of war
crimes.
The 46-member Human Rights Council backed a Palestinian-drafted resolution to begin
the investigation by 29 votes, with Arab and fellow Muslim countries joined by China, Russia
and Latin American and African nations. The United States was the only member to vote
against, while European countries - including the UK - abstained. It came after Human Rights
Commissioner Navi Pillay told the emergency debate in Geneva that Israels punitive house
demolitions and killing of Palestinians raised serious concerns about excessive use of force
by the Jewish state. Ms Pillay also condemned the indiscriminate firing of rockets and mor-
tars by Hamas into Israel. Once again, the principles of distinction and precaution are clear-
ly not being observed during such indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas by Hamas and
other armed Palestinian groups, she said. Every one of these incidents must be properly
and independently investigated.
Those dead include 687 Palestinians, mostly civilians, 32 Israeli soldiers and two Israeli
civilians, during two weeks of airstrikes and rocket attacks followed by an Israeli ground
offensive inside Gaza. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also
released a report, which said one child had been killed in Gaza every hour over the previous
two days. On Wednesday, hundreds of people reportedly fled Khan Younis amid heavy fight-
ing between Israeli troops and members of the armed wing of Hamas.
The Red Crescent said Hamas fighters were using rocket propelled grenades and light
weapons, including machine guns, against the Israelis.
The Israeli military was said to be firing tank shells and missiles from drones into the
area.
A photograph of the violence in Israel and Gaza taken from the International Space Station
was posted on Twitter by astronaut Alexander Gerst on 23 July evening. He wrote: My sad-
dest photo yet. From #ISS we can actually see explosions and rockets flying over #Gaza &
#Israel.
It came after US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Tel Aviv to push for ceasefire
talks, with newly appointed British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond also having arrived in
the city.
Mr Kerry said he was making some steps forward in the search for a halt to the fight-
ing but did not provide any details. We are doing this for one simple reason, he said. The
people in the Palestinian territories, the people in Israel, are all living under the threat or real-
ity of immediate violence. And this needs to end for everybody.
Mr Kerry held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas before having discus-
sions with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr Hammond said the UN Human Rights Council
resolution would not help achieve a ceasefire. He said: It is fundamentally unbalanced and
will complicate the process by introducing unnecessary new mechanisms.
The UK could not support this resolution, but recognising the strength of feeling about
the loss of life and the desire by a large number of members of the Council to express that
feeling in a resolution, the UK joined other EU nations in abstaining in the vote. We will con-
tinue to urge Israel to exercise restraint, make every effort to avoid civilian casualties and
work for an immediate ceasefire, while recognising its right to defend itself against these
attacks.
Meanwhile, in a move that could effectively turn Mr Abbas into the main Palestinian fig-
ure in talks over a truce in Gaza, his umbrella Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) formal-
ly supported core conditions set by the Hamas-led fighters.
Israels UN representative Eviatar Manor said the UN vote was a knee-jerk reaction,
adding that Israels duty to defend itself was enshrined in International law and that it was
Hamas committing war crimes. He said Israel would destroy Hamas military infrastructure,
but that Gaza residents themselves were not our enemy.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al Malki claimed Israel was committing a crime against
humanity and urged world powers to end what he called Israels impunity, adding: Israel
must be held accountable for its crimes.
Israel, which accuses the council of bias, boycotted the UNs forum in Geneva for 20
months, resuming co-operation in October.
It comes as major airlines from the US, Europe and Canada refused to fly to and from
Israel after a rocket fired from Gaza landed near Tel Avivs Ben Gurion international airport.
(uk.news.yahoo.com)
This is real Israel, unpolished...
Israeli professor Mordechai Kedar of Bar-Ilan
Universitys rape as terror deterrent state-
ment: The only thing that deters a suicide
bomber is the knowledge that if he pulls the
trigger or blows himself up, his sister will be
raped. Read the whole story here: www.haaretz.com/misc/
article-print-page/.premium-1.606542
One Palestinian child has
been killed by Israel every
3 days for the past 13 years
Official statistics from the Ministry of Information in
Ramallah have revealed that 1,518 Palestinian chil-
dren were killed by Israels occupation forces from
the outbreak of the second Intifada in September
2000 up to April 2013. Thats the equivalent of one
Palestinian child killed by Israel every 3 days for
almost 13 years. The ministry added that the num-
ber of children injured by the Israelis since the start
of the Second Intifada against Israels occupation
has now reached 6,000. The International Day for
the Protection of Children is on June 1, said a
spokesman, but Palestinian children are still sub-
ject to attacks by the Israelis and Jewish settlers on
an almost daily basis.
Noting that 2012 saw an unprecedented rise in
the number of children arrested by Israeli forces, the
report pointed out that 9,000 Palestinians under 18
years old have been arrested since the end of
September 2000. Almost half of the Palestinian
population is under 18. Almost two hundred and
fifty Palestinian minors are being held in prison by
Israel; 47 of them are children under 16 yrs of age.
(Adapted from One Palestinian child has been killed by
Israel every 3 days for the past 13 years and published on
line at: middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/6185-
one- palestinian-child-has-been-killed-by-israel-every-3-
days-for-the-past-13-years)
CHARITY ALLIANCE, with the active support of MG and like-minded people, is helping the victims of starvation in Murshidabad since
April 2005. More tasks are being undertaken in some of the most deserving areas and most backward sections of our community. This
charitable trust is channelising this long-felt effort. Almost every paisa is reaching the deserving people as MG is providing office and
administrative facilities free of cost as well as free advertising space, and the trustees are barred by the trust deed from receiving any
remuneration for their work and time.
Charity Alliance is headed by Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor of The Milli Gazette,
current President of All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat and Chairman, Pharos Media & Publishing Pvt Ltd.
CHARITY ALLIANCE
D-84 Abul Fazl Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 India Tel.: (+91-11) 2694 7483, 2695 2825, 0-9868656614
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lect cash from your doorstep. If you want to contribute through credit card or internet-banking visit www.charityalliance.in for secure
online payment.
List of donors may be seen on Charilty Alliance website (www.charityalliance.in).
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See www.charityalliance.in for detailed reports on our work.
CHARITY ALLIANCE
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Donations to Charity Alliance are eligible for tax liability deduction in India under Section 80G
INTERNATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 17 www.milligazette.com
KHALID AMAYREH
Occupied Palestine: The title of this brief article
is not a hyperbole or a dramatic overstatement
meant to attract attention or gain sympathy. It is
rather a reflection of reality.
Indeed, if a holocaust is about annihilating
people, especially civilians, the Israeli army, the
Wehrmacht of our time, has been exterminating
entire Palestinian families-the father, the mother
and all the children.
We are not speaking about one isolated inci-
dent or a few incidents where one stray missile
hit a home inadvertently or children killed as a
result of collateral damage.
We are rather talking about an official policy
endorsed and pursued by the government of
Israel to wipe out numerous Palestinian house-
holds for the purpose of bringing the
Palestinians to their knees.
This is Israel's way of wreaking shock and
awe on the defenseless and helpless
Palestinians.
So far, more than 36 entire Gaza households
have been targeted by Israeli bombing.
Just imagine your own family being annihi-
lated by a missile launched from high altitude.
This nightmare has effectively become a routine
experience in Gaza.
Israel today is emulating the Nazis and other
criminal offenders throughout history. Don't
invoke the mantra of anti-Semitism. In the final
analysis, when Jews think, behave and act like
the Nazis thought, behaved and acted, they (the
Jews) become Nazis themselves, pure and sim-
ple.
Yes, I do recognize there are many kind-
hearted Jews who reject this Nazi-like savagery.
None the less, we must call the spade a spade.
These atrocities are being enthusiastically sup-
ported by the vast majority of Israelis, including
ordinary people, intellectuals and rabbis. Israel-
2014 does have much in common with Nazi-
Germany. Claiming otherwise would be both
dishonest and malicious.
I
srael, a notorious professional liar whose
agents control western media outlets from
Sydney to California, is misleading the interna-
tional community as to what is really happening
in the Gaza Strip.
A regional military superpower thanks to
unrestricted American backing and support,
Israel is simply waging a war of extermination
against a thoroughly persecuted people whose
only "crime" is its enduring vigor and longing for
freedom from the shackles of Talmudic Jewish
Nazism, a Satanic ideology which views all
humanity-save Jews-as animals whose lives
have absolutely no sanctity.
There is no doubt that the ongoing Israeli
rampage of murder and terror is an expression
of that genocidal Talmudic mentality. It is a
mindset that is even more nefarious than the
Nazi ideology.
We Palestinians have been at the receiving
end of Jewish criminality and murderousness
for several decades. We know it too well and
need no one to give us lectures on "Israel's civil-
ity and humanity".
In the final analysis, a country that murders
hundreds of children and other innocent civilians
rather knowingly and deliberately in order to cre-
ate deterrence is neither civilized nor humane. It
is tantamount to fornicating with truth to call
Israel humane and civilized.
The truth of the matter is that Israel is a dia-
bolical Judeo-Nazi entity that has much in com-
mon with the Third Rich.
Yes, Israel is not sending Palestinians to gas
chambers. But Israel is bringing Auschwitz to
Palestinian homes, neighborhoods and streets.
This is not really a war. War is fought
between armies. The Palestinians don't have an
army, or navy or air force. The Palestinians sim-
ply cannot protect their own children from over-
whelming barbarianism, played out in full view
of the entire world.
Yes, there have been projectiles fired on
Jewish colonies from the Gaza Strip, but these
projectiles are essentially innocuous from the
military view point as evident from the nearly
zero casualties incurred by Israelis.
Indeed, when there is one dead on one side
and 300 on the other side, including 50 children
and babies, in addition to thousands of maimed
civilians and swathes of pornographic destruc-
tion of property, we are not really talking about
war, even an asymmetrical war. We are actually
talking about a real massacre, a massacre that
is reminiscent of the time when the Nazis
ganged up on European Jewry 70 years ago.
This very real massacre wouldn't have been
carried out had it not been for the flaccidity and
leniency and silence displayed in Israel's face by
the bulk of the international community.
This is not to mention the connivance, col-
lusion and conspiratorial roles played by sever-
al criminal states and governments, including
the United States, a majority of European gov-
ernments and especially the Sissi regime in
Cairo which is shamelessly and brazenly siding
with Israel against the Palestinian people.
But never mind, another massacre, another
blitzkrieg, another conspiracy won't finish our
people off. It is our kismet that we must die in
order to survive.
But those in Washington and London and
Cairo who are watching rather passively, proba-
bly gleefully, as our children are being incinerat-
ed and murdered at the hands of the children,
grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the
holocaust, will one day pay the price for their
murderous complicity and ignominy. We will not
forgive or forget.
Israel is carrying out a holocaust
Construction of homes for Muzaffarnagar Riot Victims by
Charity Alliance
Work in Progress, foundations for new homes being done as
shown in this picture dated 24th July 2014
We appeal to to you come forward to make this project possi-
ble. We plan to build some 60 self-contained small houses but
our funds after buying the land scarcely suffice for 20 houses.
Gaza: What Hamas
is demanding?
Hamas, Islamic Jihad offer 10-year truce
Bethlehem: Hamas and Islamic Jihad have submitted a list of
10 demands to Egypt to establish a 10-year truce with Israel,
the Hebrew-language daily Maariv reported Wednesday.
Maariv quoted a "high-profile" Palestinian source as con-
firming that Hamas and Islamic Jihad were willing to sign a
truce if their 10 conditions were met.
The first demand, according to Maariv, is the withdrawal of
Israeli military tanks from the border fence area to a distance
that enables Gaza farmers to access their fields and tend them
freely.
In addition, Israel must free all Palestinian prisoners
detained after the abduction and killing of three Israeli
teenagers in the southern West Bank including those who were
freed as part of Gilad Shalit prisoner swap. This precondition
also includes softening procedures against all prisoners in
Israeli custody.
A third demand stipulates that Israel ends the crippling
siege on the coastal enclave, which means reopening all bor-
der crossings and allowing the entry of construction materials
and all requirements needed to run the Gaza Strip's power sta-
tion.
The fourth demand stipulates the opening of an internation-
al seaport and international airport in the Gaza Strip to be run
and monitored by the United Nations.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad also demanded that Israel
increases the Gaza fishing zone to 10 nautical miles and allows
Gaza fishermen to use large fishing ships.
Furthermore, the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the
Gaza Strip should be monitored by international crews from
friendly and Arab countries.
Israel must commit to a ceasefire for 10 years which
includes closing Gaza airspace to Israeli aircraft, it added.
Moreover, Israel must give Gaza residents permission to
visit Jerusalem and pray in the al-Aqsa Mosque.
Another stipulation demands that Israel abstain from any
intervention in Palestinian internal affairs including political
arrangements and the reconciliation agreement and all its con-
sequences.
Finally, the Gaza industrial zone must be re-established.
(Ma'an News Agency, 16 July, 2014)
Ten Ways To
Effectively
Support Gaza
YVONNE RIDLEY
Words are the tools of my trade
but I've struggled to find the right
ones to describe my anger and
despair at the atrocities being
carried out by Israel as it
unleashes its weapons on
women, children and even the
disabled in Gaza. Every day new war crimes are
being carried out and a new low is hit yester-
day it was the targetting of a maternity ward as
well as injuring around 30 of the heroic medical
staff in Gazas Al Shifa Hospital.
Many of you feel exactly the same and ask what
can be done to help. Well here are a few ideas
that individually and collectively will make a dif-
ference in the short and long term.
1. Lobby your MP
2. Join a protest or march near you
3. Watch some videos
My website released five videos the Israeli war
Machine does not want you to see...Here is the
link: http://yvonneridley.org/analysis-and-opin-
ion/5-videos-the-israeli-military-wish-youd-
stop-sharing-on-facebook-and-twitter/
4. Boycott Israeli goods
It is easy to shop with a conscience and trust
me, you will feel so much better for it by the time
you reach the till.
5. Change your Facebook picture or Twitter
avatar with the Palestinian flag or something to
show people you are giving suppor t to
Palestine...
6. Write to your Foreign Minister
7. Stop the war machine by calling for a mili-
tary embargo - Fill out the form here:
http://www.bdsmovement.net/stoparmingisrael
8. Phone the Egyptian Embassy - Please remain
respectful and tell them you want Egypt to lift its
siege on Gaza and to open the Rafah Border.
9. Volunteer your time to a charity.
10. Pray for Palestine.
Your prayers are needed regardless of your Faith,
and if you are a person of no faith then at least
hope that things will get better for the
Palestinians for without hope there is nothing.
Popular Articles
5 Videos The Israeli Military Wish You'd Stop
Sharing On Facebook And Twitter
Everything You Need To Know About Gaza
Stay Human - Support Gaza
The Untold Story Of Zeynab Al Ghazali
How I Came To Love The Veil
The Price Of A Child's Life
For links to the above articles, visit http://yvon-
neridley.org/analysis-and-opinion/ten-ways-to-
effectively-support-gaza/
KARAMATULLAH K. GHORI
k_k_ghori@yahoo.com
Could anyone with an open mind disagree with
this assessment-after being witness to the still-
ongoing Israeli savagery and bestiality against
the hapless denizens of Gaza-that it is a preda-
tory state that must, periodically, feast on a
Palestinian blood-bath in order to satiate its
apparently insatiable blood-lust?
As of the writing of these lines, the latest
Israeli aggression against a defenceless Gaza-
well-known for being the worlds largest open-air prison where
1.8 million Palestinians have long been cooped up under Israels
unending siege of the territory-has entered its 12th day. In the lat-
est twist to the ongoing gory saga-with an indefinite shelf-life-the
besotted Israeli armed forces have resorted to a ground invasion
of Gaza after pummeling it for 11 days under a ferocious and bar-
baric barrage of fire from the air, sea and land.
The Palestinian casualty toll is already close to 600-with
nearly half of them women and children-and is bound to surge
exponentially now that ground predators have joined the mas-
sacre to draw as much more innocent blood of the Palestinians
as would satisfy their predatory leader, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahus blood lust puts him in the league of arch villains
and charlatans of history, such as Genghis Khan, Halaguand their
ignoble progeny that wreaked barbaric vengeance upon Muslims
of the 13th century. Netanyahu seems determined to pale them
into insignificance with his marauding habit to pounce upon the
incarcerated quarries of Gaza on any excuse.
Netanyahu has been fulfilling the role for which Israel had
been founded with so much heft by its western mentors. The idea
was to draw a dagger in the heart of the Arab world to ensure that
it would continue to bleed. And bleeding it has been under Israels
ferocious assaults, every two or three years, to keep the Arabs in
constant awe and fear of its military might superior to the com-
bined strength of the Arab countries.
The abject plight and suffering of the Palestinians is two-
pronged. There is, on the one hand, Israel which seems to have
given itself a mandate to decimate the Palestinians at will. In the
words of Turkeys bold and forthright PM, Tayip Erdogan, the
Israeli policy is one of systematic genocide of the Palestinians.
Netanyahu doesnt even have to have a genuine excuse to quench
his thirst for Palestinian blood; he can invent one, at will, and rest
assured that his western friends and allies-who now increasingly
look like being protg of him, given the open license they have
bestowed on Netanyahu to let loose his blood-lust on his quarries
whenever it suits his sweet will-dare not question him, or even so
much as squeak in a murmur of protest.
But the plight of the Palestinians is compounded by the mor-
bid apathy of their Arab brothers. Suffice to say that wealthy Arab
Sheikhdoms,alternately pampered and bamboozled by their
Zionist and western mentors, have always pursued a policy of
keeping the Palestinians at arms length, lest their fervour to
regain their usurped human rights and freedoms from an aggran-
dizing Israel rubbed down on their subjects.
Since 9/11, the wealthy Arabs have been leaned on even
harder from Washington and Tel Aviv to cut off the Palestinians
from those niggardly dollops of financial aid that underpinned
much of the Palestinian economy in the yore. The Palestinians of
the Gaza strip have been most callously starved of economic and
humanitarian assistance from the affluent Arab Sheikhdoms. The
result is that civil servants in Gaza have been frequently not paid
their salaries because of an empty treasury.
Its not merely a case of apathy. Much more than that, its
deliberate and callously wicked strangulation of the people of
Gaza who are being punished for having Hamas to lead them.
Could there be a more blatant and calculated affront to the Gazans
that while they are being hunted down by the blood-thirsty Israelis
like beasts of prey, Qatar deemed it fit to nonchalantly sign a deal
with Washington for $ 11 billion of hi-tech weaponry to beef up
its arsenal. But against whom such a provocative investment in
weapons, one might ask, while the Palestinian children and older
people are dying of mal-nutrition because of their governments
empty coffers?
The wealthy Arab potentates have billions in dollars to arm
the Salafi bandits whose vandalism is spilling only Muslim blood
in Iraq and Syria. However, their purse strings have long been shut
tight for the Palestinians. And then, to add insult to injury these
wealthy potentates have been doling out billions every month to a
rapacious military regime like Egypts with its proven track record
of slaughtering thousands of its own people since overthrowing
the elected President Mohammad Morsi in a western-sponsored
coup detat in July last year.
Morsi was the first-and so far the only-elected president of
Egypt who had come to power in a fully transparent and open
election. However, he became a marked man for Israel and its
western allies because he espoused the cause of Gazas belea-
guered Palestinians and considerably eased the suffocating
restrictions that Pharaoh Hosni Mubarak had imposed on them to
please his Zionist and western masters. But since overthrowing
Morsi, with the tacit support and abetment of his foreign minders,
Mubaraks besotted successor, General Sisi has not only re-
imposed sanctions on the people of Gaza but also tightened the
noose around them even harsher. The border post at Rafah has
remained sealed since Morsis ouster and Gazans are being
starved of access to Egypt as much as to the outside world con-
trolled by Egypts Israeli friends.
Against such a dismal perspective, the odds couldnt be more
daunting and challenging for the people of Gaza. With the Arab
world being stymied in a time warp, the poor Palestinians of Gaza
are being squeezed between an ever-belligerent and war-monger-
ing Israel and a retrograde Arab world now hopelessly marooned
in the jaws of status-quo addicted monarchs, sheikhs and char-
latans like Sisi of Egypt.
There couldnt be a more pathetic and risible scenario than
that to dismay the Palestinians. Theres on one end of the spec-
trum of horror for them a fascist regime in Egypt epitomised by a
western-sponsored Bonaparte like General Sisi. On the other,
theres a religious zealot like Abu Bakar Al-Baghdadi, rampaging
through the Levant chasing the chimera of Khilafat. Both are driv-
en by a blood-lust thats spilling Muslim blood without compunc-
tion.
So, Sisi, Al Baghdadi and Netanyahu, all three, seem
embarked on the same mission: drain as much of innocent
Muslim blood as they can. Which makes any pundit wonder if
they are all cogs of an elaborate scheme hatched by the enemies
of Islam and Muslims to inflict as much pain and punishment on
a leaderless Ummah as they can?
With practically no hope in sight of succour from the Muslim
world, theres on top of it the wests appalling hypocrisy that
should leave no doubt about its animus to the Palestinians, in par-
ticular, and to the Muslims, in general.Islamophobia is writ ever
larger on the western faade as a deafening silence reigns with
their governments and leaders; they are being openly complicit in
Israels crimes against humanity as its vandals in military uni-
forms indulge in a blood bath with impunity. Israel cares two
hoots for the rest of the world as long as it has the smug assur-
ance that its western allies, led by Washington, would move not
a finger to halt its barbaric invasion of Gaza and the massacre of
its innocent citizenry.
One only has to watch western leaders, epitomised by Barack
Obama, parroting their morbid partisanship of Israel in front of tel-
evision cameras to understand why a Hitlerian Netanyahu feels so
free to trample international law under his feet and carry on his
relentless aggression against the hapless Gazans.
From the moment those three Israeli youths were reportedly
abducted Netanyahu and his allies wasted not a moment in point-
ing the fingers at Hamas-all apparently in preparation to have an
alibi for another blood-bath of the Palestinians. Hamas denied any
role in the disappearance of the three Israeli boys but Netanyahu
had already become judge, prosecutor and jury to pin the blame
on Hamas in fulfilment of his war agenda. It hasnt been proved,
to date, that those three were abducted or murdered by Hamas-
the jury will be out on that for a long time-but the guilty verdict
against Hamas was already out and being drummed up with
gusto in the western news media. Hamas was being denounced
but not a word against Netanyahu who dubbed Hamas as human
animals in his June 30 oratorical declaration of war against
Gaza.
The Israeli mantra of self-defence as justification to pummel
the Palestinians has been parroted with a sickening disregard of
international law by Obama and other purblind western mentors
and supporters of Israel. Obama cuts a pathetic figure arguing an
Israeli case that shouldnt be defended by anyone with even a
rudimentary knowledge of international Law; and Obama used to
teach international law in Chicago.
It must be heart-breaking for the erstwhile Obama brigade
that their man is hardly recognisable from the high-sounding
moral crusader who had entered the White House on the slogan
that he would bring sanity and equilibrium to the US foreign poli-
cy. But he has, himself, become so much a part of the well-
entrenched establishment that its hard to distinguish him-except
for the rhetoric-from his inane predecessor in the Oval Office. And
to be fair to George W. Bush, he mouthed exactly what he was
expected to. Obama, on the other hand, never means what he
says. What a tragedy.
The western news media, led by the likes of the New York
Times, unabashed partisan of the Zionist lobbies in US and Israel,
fully echoed the establishment line: giving a thumbs-up to the
Israeli aggression and still condemning Hamas for all the blood-
shed in Gaza under Israels barbaric and relentless assault that
targeted homes of the innocent civilians, mosques, old peoples
homes and even hospitals and ambulances. UNRWA-the UN
agency still caring for the victims of Israeli aggression while the
rest of UN snoozed on cue from US and the Europeans-received
only half an apology from Israel when one of its ambulances-car-
rying the injured-was blasted by an Israeli rocket on suspicion
that it was transporting arms for the Palestinian resistance.
Silence in the west reigned until Sunday, July 20, when the
Palestinian resistance fighters killed 26 Israeli soldiers. Israeli
casualties punctured western silence because the belief there is
that Israeli lives are superior to Palestinian. And by then
Netanyahu had had his appetite for blood sufficiently satiated with
the killings of 577 Palestinians, more than half of them women
and children.
No sooner had the news of Israeli deaths hit the cyber space
that Obama and other western mentors of Israel sprang to their
feet. The slogan-as these lines are being written-has quickly
changed to a chorus of support for an immediate ceasefire. The
likes of John Kerry and Ban ki Moon-whose comic caricature of
a UN Secretary General has discounted that august office to just
a fill-in-the-blank-have suddenly descended on ME stage to work
for a ceasefire.
But even in this belated undertaking to put a halt to Israels
wanton carnage of the Palestinians, the western peace-seekers
havent been able to take leave of their innate hypocrisy. Since
they cant be honest referees dishonesty and chicanery is far too
obvious in their ersatz peace-making moves for any decent
human being to ignore them. The most insulting element in it for
the victims of Israeli brutality is the familiar charade of putting
both the predator and the victim on the same pedestal. The call
for both sides to cease hostilities is ignoring the act of Israeli
aggression and giving it a clean chit by holding Hamas responsi-
ble for a share in the blood-shed, which Hamas doesnt share at
all.
Adding more insult to grievous injury and wounds of the
Palestinians, the western puppets of Egypt are being courted to
act as referees. This is as patently absurd as US acting as a
peace-maker between Israel and the Palestinians. The Egyptian
ruling cliques is composed of western and Israeli puppets danc-
ing to the tunes of their pay-masters. They are as much enemies
of the Palestinians as Israel and US, and one could only be nave
in the extreme to believe that these Egyptian leopards would
change their spots overnight.
The most glaring flaw in whatever peace plan US, its Arab
proxies or a comical UN may come up with is that their agenda is
to leave the status quo undisturbed-a status quo in which Israel
holds all the trump cards in its hands and keeps a choke-hold
over Gaza and its helpless inhabitants. A ceasefire must address
the basic issue of the suffocating blockade and siege of Gaza that
Israel has kept on since 2007 with total complicity and con-
nivance of US, Europe and UN. Its a slow death of Gaza and its
inhabitants that has been going on with the criminal connivance,
or silence, of the international community. A recent UN report,
focusing on the horrors of Gazas siege, has warned that Gaza
may become unlivable by 2020 if the status quo is not changed.
A letter, penned jointly by 64 notables of the world, including
7 Nobel Laureates, and published in UKs Guardian newspaper on
July 21, puts the spotlight on what the international community
should do to alleviate the untold suffering of the people of Gaza.
Alluding to Israels infinite capacity to mount terror on the
Palestinians, with impunity, because of its access to the arsenals
of its western sponsors, the letter calls for a comprehensive and
legally binding military embargo on Israel, similar to that imposed
on South Africa during apartheid.
The notables open letter is a call on the collective conscience
of mankind. Will it be stirred and move in favour of the Palestinian
victims of Israeli vandalism remains an open question until ade-
quately answered. Silence is no longer an option because silence
is consent with Israels murderous genocide of Palestinians.
Hypocrisy Thy New Name is
Israels Western Allies
18 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August July 2014 INTERNATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Silence is no longer an option because silence is consent with Israels
murderous genocide of the Palestinians.
Israeli forces detained 740
Palestinian children during the
first two months of 2014 and
terrorize daily many more
Ahmed al-Lulu, 10 described the terror he felt
during the bombing of Gaza "I woke up at mid-
night, and I couldn't go back to sleep. My father
tried to calm me down, but I was too scared. My
younger brothers were crying."
Gaza: The Israeli military continued to pound Gaza using
Apaches and F-16 jets and insist that the move was in
response to rocket attacks that happened on Saturday and
not to the kidnapping. Eyewitnesses in Gaza told Middle
East Eye that the Israeli aerial bombardment (18 targets)
continued for the third night into Tuesday. Some of the tar-
gets included training camps for Palestinian groups and
civilian properties. Most of the raids happen late at night.
West Bank: A 19-year-old Palestinian, Ahmad Arafat, was
shot dead near Ramallah early on Monday (June 16th ).
Palestinian medical and security sources said Arafat was
shot in the chest in the Jalazoun refugee camp. The
Palestinian security sources could not say whether the
army had intended on arresting Arafat, released from Israeli
prison only a week ago. Amani Sarahna, spokeswoman for
the Ramallah-based Palestinian Prisoners Club, told AFP
that 60 people were detained overnight and that the wave
of arrests was "still ongoing". (Adapted from Muhammed Abu
Alwaled @MuhGazaa and http://www.middleeasteye.net)
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20 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES www.milligazette.com
ZAFARUL ISLAM ISLAHI
The Holy Quran is the greatest book of guidance for the whole
humanity in every sphere of life including social. The Ahadith
contain enough details of the teachings of the Prophet (pbuh)
about social life.
The social etiquettes are mainly related to entering ones
home, offering Salaam, talking, going outside or walking in the
way/road, putting on dress, eating and drinking, cleanness and
neatness (taharat/nazafat) etc.
With regard to the first issue, the Quran clearly tells us that
before entering a house permission from the owner or occupant
is necessary and the best way is to offer Salaam and to go back
without hesitation in case no response is received even after the
third Salaam. This is the Sunnah (tradition or example) of the
Prophet (pbuh) (Mukhtasar Zad al Maad, Urdu Tr. by Sayeed
Ahmad Qamruzzaman, Riyad, 1417 AH, p.158). In changed sit-
uations, other customary means of seeking permission may be
adopted.
While meeting anyone anywhere, offering Salaam is an
important teaching of the Quran and Sunnah. It is also desirable
that in responding to ones Salaam, the respondent should add
some more words of salutation and prayer such as wa
Rahmatullah wa Barakatuhu. In the same way, meeting happily,
talking gently, speaking in low voice and humility are required.
While sitting in a gathering, one should be generous in offering
space to others and he should not mind if he is asked to stand
up and change his place due to some need or requirement as
has been enjoined by the Quran (Al-Nur:27-29).
Moderation in walking (al-qasd fil-mashy), exhibiting mod-
esty, lowering gaze and keeping a distance from women while
walking or talking with them, are some of the clear directives of
the Quran.
Lowering ones gaze during walking is a general directive
for both men and women, but the latter are further required not
to display their ornamentation (zinat) in public and to cover their
body properly (Al-Nur:30-31). Interpreting this verse, commen-
tators generally point out that the display of zinat may be in
dress as well as by jewellery as the main objective of this direc-
tive is that while going out, women should refrain from all
actions which may excite sentiments of people and may endan-
ger their modesty and honour.
In some traditions, the Prophet (pbuh) has clearly directed
that while walking on a certain path, men and women should
walk separately keeping a distance (Sunan Abu Daud, Kitab al-
Adab, Bab al-mashy fi al- tariq).
An important etiquette of daily life, emphasised again and
again in the Quran and Sunnah, is to take care to show respect
to others and not to consider anyone inferior or treat him with
scorn while meeting, associating, talking and doing any socio-
economic dealing with others. In the same way, people are
strictly prohibited to make fun of others, to defame them or call
them with bad names or titles. Since this is generally committed
by a person believing that he is respectable and the other is not,
the Holy Quran reminds us that the target of our fun may be
better or more virtuous than us ((Al-Hujurat:11).
C
leanness of body, dress, home, surroundings and work-
place is very desirable in Islam. The Quran declares that
Allah Almighty likes those who maintain cleanness (Al-
Baqarah/122, Al- Taubah:108). According to the Prophet,
Taharah (cleanliness) is shatr al-Iman (half part of the faith).
Hazrat Sayeed Ibn Musayyib (may Allah be pleased with him)
relates that the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said Oh
believers. keep your bodies clean as well as your courtyards
(afanyah) .(Jami-i- Tirmidhi, Abwab al-Istizan wa al-Adab, Bab
al- Nazafah). It is further reported that whenever the Prophet
(pbuh) saw any dirt or filth he utterly disliked it. He used to order
his Companions to remove the same and sometimes he himself
did this. If anyone went ahead to remove the fifth he very much
appreciated such a person (Sunan Nasai, Kitab al-Masajid, Bab
Takhliq al-Masajid; Shibli Nomani, Siratun Nabi, Darul
Musannifin, Azamgarh, 2003, 2/162). Besides, the Prophet
used to express his displeasure at people who wore dirty
clothes or whose hair was uncombed and dusty. He used to
urge such people to change their behaviour.
T
he issue of dress has great importance for both men and
women, as this is part and parcel of a civilized life.
The Quran and Sunnah stand for simplicity, soberness and
cleanliness of dress without specification of its category. The
Qurans stand is clear from its general declaration (Al-Araf:26)
that the dress (libas) is a means of covering body as well as
beauty (zinat). At the same time, the Quran states that the dress
of piety (libas al-taqwa) is far better for human beings. This
means that in using the dress for zinat, one should not exceed
limits in a way that zinat negates morality and modesty. In other
words, one should not use dress which does not serve the pur-
pose of satr (covering of the prescribed parts of the body) and
the person appears as if he/she was partly or fully naked. The
main addressees of this directive are women, as it is clear from
a Hadith which describes certain women as naked although
they wear clothes (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al- Libas, Bab al-Nisa
al-Kaasiyat al- Aariyat).
It is noteworthy here that the relevant Quranic verses and
Ahadith offer three important points about the etiquette of dress:
libas should be satir (covering whole body except what is per-
mitted to uncover), should not be so colourful or revealing that
it may excite sentiments of onlookers and it should not be such
as exhibit extravagance or show pride. The Quran does not for-
bid fine and fancy dress. What is prohibited is pomp and show
and feeling proud on wearing costly/fancy dress. The Prophet
(pbuh) is reported to have said: eat and drink, give charity and
put on dress, provided there is no extravagance and show of
proud behaviour (Sunan Ibn Majah, Kitab al- Libas, Bab ilbas ma
shita ma akhtaka sarfun au makhilah). Some ulama of the
modern period have added that men should not wear clothes of
women and vice versa, as this behaviour reflects a sick mind.
As regards the etiquette of eating and drinking, the
basic principle taught by the Quran is to use all lawful things
but not to indulge in extravagance and wastage which is disre-
spect to the favours and blessings of Allah (kufran-i- nimat),
ingratitude to Him and denial of the rights of poor and needy
which is never liked by Him (Al- Araf:31). This principle is appli-
cable to ones own meals as well as in serving the same to oth-
ers.
Secondly, while eating, one should be full of the sense of
gratitude to Allah Almighty and free from the feeling of pride and
arrogance. According to the Hadith, it is undesirable to eat while
resting on something like a pillow or against a wall unless it is
due to some disability as it is considered a sign of being proud
(Sahih Bukhari, Kitab al- atimah, Bab al-akl muttakiyan). The
Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said I take meal like a hum-
ble servant (abd) of Allah Almighty (Muhammad Farooq Khan,
Kalam-i- Nubuwwat, New Delhi, 2011, 3/285-286, note 7).
T
here are three essential etiquettes of eating and drinking in
Islam: star ting by saying Allahs name (Bismillah),
eating/drinking using the right hand and taking meal from the
front of ones plate. Significantly enough, these directives are
given in a single Hadith narrated by Hazart Umar Ibn Abi Salmah
(Sahih Bukhari, Kitab al- tasmiah wa al-akl bil-yamin). There is
another important issue eating and drinking while standing
which is a common practice in feasts and social gatherings
nowadays. This is not desirable in Islam, as it is clearly stated
in a Hadith recorded in Sahih Bukhari (Kitab al-ashribah, Bab
karahiyat al-shurb qaiman). Significantly enough, an eminent
mufassir of the modern period is of the opinion that the dislike
of eating while standing may also be inferred from a Quranic
verse (Muhammad:12) which states that unbelievers relish
worldly things and eat like animals. The commentator thinks
that, apart from eating aimlessly and without a sense of grati-
tude to the Sustainer/Provider of subsistence, another point of
similarity between them and animals is eating while standing. It
means that this is very much disapproved by the Quran (Tafsir-
i- Ahsan al-Bayan, Urdu Tr.: Muhammad
Junagarhi/Commentary: Salahuddin Yusuf, Farid Book Depot,
New Delhi, n.d., p. 1190).
These are some important aspects of social etiquettes
which are required to be observed by us to make our social life
pleasant and healthy. Acting upon the teachings of the Quran
and Sunnah always brings good results. May Allah Almighty
bless us taufiq for the same.
The author is professor of Islamic Studies
at the Aligarh Muslim University
Social etiquettes in the light of the Quran and Sunnah
The Quran and Sunnah stand for simplicity,
soberness and cleanliness of dress without
specification of its category. The Qurans
stand is clear from its general declaration (Al-
Araf:26) that the dress (libas) is a means of
covering body as well as beauty (zinat). At the
same time, the Quran states that the dress of
piety (libas al-taqwa) is far better for human
beings. This means that in using the dress for
zinat, one should not exceed limits in a way
that zinat negates morality and modesty.
The basic principle taught by the Quran is to
use all lawful things but not to indulge in
extravagance and wastage which is disrespect
to the favours and blessings of Allah (kufran-i-
nimat), ingratitude to Him and denial of the
rights of poor and needy which is never liked
by Him (Al- Araf:31). This principle is
applicable to ones own meals as well as in
serving the same to others.
BOOKS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 21 www.milligazette.com
Book: The Red Minaret: Memoirs of Ibrahim Ghusheh
Publisher: Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies & Consultations, Beirut
-- info@alzaytouna.net
Year: 2013 (First edition)
Pages: 288 pages p/b
Price: $25
DR. ISHTIAQ HOSSAIN
The Red Minaret: Memoirs of Ibrahim Ghusheh is the autobiogra-
phy of Ibrahim Ghusheh, the official spokesman of Hamas during
1991-1999. Originally written in Arabic, the work was translated
into English by Hassan Ibrahim and Salma al-Houry.
Since it is an autobiography, the volume should be consid-
ered against the general aims and objectives, and the main fea-
tures of an autobiography. Freeman defines an autobiography as
the specific kind of text that results from the first-person interpre-
tive reconstruction of either a life in its entirety, or a significant
portion of it with the aim of not merely recounting what happened
but also of understanding, from the vantage point of the current
time, the meaning and movement of the past (Mark Freeman,
Autobiography, in Lisa M. Given (ed.), The SAGE Encyclopedia
of Qualitative Research Methods. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE
Publications, 2008: 45-46). All these points will be kept in mind
while the book is reviewed.
The Red Minaret is an important work because it is the first
book of its kind written by a leader of Hamas. Therefore, it is
expected that the author would be describing not only his life and
experiences in and with Hamas but also the important events of
the Middle East throughout his lifetime. Perhaps more important-
ly, the author would express his opinions linking the past and con-
temporary events of the Middle East. It is also expected that
Ibrahim Ghusheh would throw light on the inner workings of
Hamas. Like any other autobiography, The Red Minaret covers
the significant part of the life and times of Ibrahim Ghusheh. The
author is in a good position to write about the events in the Middle
East with a focus on Palestine.
Ghusheh grew up during a period when events happened in
the Middle East that affected, directly or indirectly, either the fate
of the Palestinians or that of Hamas. One such event is Yawm an-
Nakba, the Day of the Catastrophe, remembered every year on
15 May, one day after the establishment of the Israeli state on 14
May, 1948. This day is remembered yearly by the Palestinians to
highlight their exodus before and after Israels unilateral declara-
tion of independence.
The author offers a passionate description of when his own
family had to leave his birthplace in Jerusalem. Ghusheh wit-
nessed many other key events, such as the 1967 war in the
Middle East, the expulsion of Palestine Liberation Organisation
(PLO) from Jordan in 1970, the Ramadan (October) War of 1973,
Irans Islamic Revolution of 1979, the Gulf War of 1991, the Oslo
Accords of 1993, and the assassination attempt on Hamas chief,
Khalid Mishal, in 1997 in Jordan by agents of Mossad, among
others.
The title of the book does not underline the authors revolu-
tionary credentials. Instead, it is so titled simply after the red-
coloured minaret of a small mosque that faces the authors home
in Jerusalems old city.
Like millions of Palestinians who were uprooted from their
homeland following the establishment of the Israeli state in 1948,
childhood memories such as those of the immediate neighbour-
hood or in this case, the colour of the minaret of a small mosque
are all that remains with those uprooted Palestinians. Ghusheh
joined the Muslim Brotherhood while he was in the seventh grade
when the movement began to regain its momentum in the West
Bank and the East Bank as Hizb ut-Tahir gradually became
unpopular because of its insistence on directing all movements
towards achieving an Islamic State. Ghusheh does not deny the
ideological links between the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.
Unlike many of his compatriots living in the refugee camps
scattered all over the Middle East who do not have access to
higher education, Ibrahim Ghusheh became a civil engineer. He
worked in several Arab countries like Jordan and Kuwait and vis-
ited various Arab capitals as a member of Arab delegations pro-
moting peace in the Middle East.
The opinions of Ibrahim Ghusheh as expressed in his autobi-
ography are honest and direct. Some readers may not agree with
all of his observations and opinions but most will certainly respect
them as those of an honest person who has intimate knowledge
of these events.
The Red Minaret is based on a chronological order of key
events occurring in the Middle East between 1936 and 2001. The
year 1970 occupies an important place in the history of the
Palestinians in Jordan, when the leadership and members of the
Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) took refuge in Lebanon
after being driven out by the Jordanian military.
The author blames reciprocal provocations between the
Palestinian fighters and the members of the Jordanian military for
the military action against the Palestinian fighters based in
Jordan. The author is of the opinion that these provocations
developed because the Palestinian forces set up bases in
Amman, Irbid and other Jordanian cities. The author is forthright
in discussing this issue, but was careful not to mention the
involvement of military personnel from a non-Arab Muslim state
[Pakistan] in driving the Palestinians out of Jordan.
The authors views on the 1973 October War and the 1979
Islamic Revolution in Iran are short and seem insufficient. The
October War was a game-changer in the history of the Arab-
Israeli conflict. It seemed that the Egyptian military had taken
important lessons from their defeat in the 1967 War and
employed the same pre-emptive and surprise tactic as the
Israelis did in their 1967 preventive war against the Egyptians
and Syrians. In 1973, the Egyptian military initially had the upper
hand but soon the tide of war turned. Like millions of Arabs,
Ghusheh was very happy with the initial stage of the war when
the Egyptian soldiers successfully crossed the Suez Canal and
broke through the invincible Israeli Defence Wall known as the
Bar-Lev Line in Sinai. But the joy of the Arabs soon turned into
serious dismay when the Israeli forces crossed the Suez Canal
and landed troopson the Egyptian mainland threatening to march
on to Cairo.
With the intervention of the Americans, a cease-fire was
arranged that stopped the war. A more detailed discussion was
warranted from Ghusheh about the reaction of the Arab masses,
especially the Palestinians, to the October or Ramadan War.
Ghushehs handling of Irans Islamic Revolution reflects the cau-
tious approach later taken by Hamas on the question of develop-
ing its political and economic relationship with Iran.
The Oslo Accord of 1993 is one of the most controversial
treaties in the history of the Middle East peace negotiations.
While the PLO, Israel, and its Western allies, like the US and the
UK, hailed the Agreement as a positive step towards an ever-last-
ing peace by having a two-state solution, serious reservations
have been expressed about the Oslo Agreements by various
Palestinian quarters and Arab countries like Syria. They point to
the continued lack of progress towards a final settlement between
Israel and the Palestinians as proof of their stand on the Oslo
Agreement.
Ghusheh considered the 1993 Oslo Agreement as a mecha-
nism to build a strong and effective Palestinian police force to
clamp down on opposition to the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Without doubt, The Red Minaret is an important contribution
towards explaining the Middle East through the eyes of a Hamas
leader, which over the years has appeared as an important polit-
ical force in Palestine. The book is a key publication because per-
haps for the first time an autobiography of a leader of Hamas has
been made available to the English-speaking world. However,
readers would have benefitted more if the author was more forth-
coming in expressing his opinions on some key events of the
Middle East. It is hoped that the book will be well-circulated.
(Intellectual Discourse)
The reviewer is assoc. prof. of political science at the International
Islamic University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The Red Minaret: memoirs of a Hamas leader
A Unique book full with startling revelations
Baar-e-Shanaasaee
Kuch log, kuch yaaden, kuch tazkeray
un shakhsiyaat kay jinhon nay Pakistan kee
taarikh banaee aur bigaadee
By Karamatullah Ghori
Pages: 200 / Rs 200 To order please see page 19 of this issue
Know the RSS with this 7th Revised and enlarged Edition
RSS Primer
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Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh unveiled in simple questions and answers
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What Sangh Parivar Stands for?
Pages: 46 / Rs 30 To order please see page 19 of this issue
A
nwar Ali Ansari, MP, and Shabnam Hashmi came to Alwar on
13 July to investigate the matter. Later they held a press con-
ference in which they said in clear terms that Cobra police has
been targeting only the minorities under a planned conspiracy and
Alwars SP, Vikas Kumar, is complicit in this conspiracy by dub-
bing Mewati Muslims as criminals and bringing a bad name to
them. They demanded of the government that a FIR should be reg-
istered against Cobra police and against Sidhu in particular, and
other accused policemen should be immediately arrested.
Shabnam Hashmi said that the manner in which Cobra police has
beaten innocent young children and the way they hurled dirty
abuses at innocent women, dragged them by their hair, kicked a
pregnant woman on the stomach and used highly vulgar and abu-
sive language against them, are legal crimes under the Anti-Rape
Law. They demanded that Alwar SP should be sacked immediate-
ly and innocent women and children who were subjected to inhu-
man cruelties should be paid compensation.
They said that if someone has committed a crime, police has
every right to arrest him but what innocent children and women
had done that policemen unleashed their beastliness on them.
Shabnam Hashmi, describing Cobra team as unnecessary and
unwanted, asked why after all these policemen went to the
mosque and houses only at night? She said that she would raise
the matter before the National Commision for Women because the
Alwar SP is describing this whole incident as false. Hence expect-
ing any justice from him is a waste of time.
This incident has reached Delhi but there is complete silence
over the issue here and in Jaipur. No local or national newspaper
has published even a single line on this incident, probably
because of a special reason that Rajasthans chief minister
Vasundhra Raje Sindhia had recently patted the back of Alwars
SP for constituting the crack Cobra team. Under such circum-
stances, no body wants to take the risk of accusing and criticis-
ing Alwars SP and his Cobra team.
The book is a key publication because perhaps for
the first time an autobiography of a leader of
Hamas has been made available to the English-
speaking world. However, readers would have
benefitted more if the author was more
forthcoming in expressing his opinions on some
key events of the Middle East.
Contd. from page 1
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Sharia courts & fatwa
The statement by Prof. Faizan Mustafa that The sharia courts of Bihar are
widely respected is not at all true, if the role of Imaarate Sharia Patna
will be evaluated after its existence more than many decades ago. This
Sharia court within Imaarate Sharia is mainly used to ensure divorce for
the poor Muslim Women mostly in case of triple talaque. But in case of
rich and influential families the Nazim of Imaarate Sharia personally
suggesting to approach for Ahale Hadish Maulana to avoid this triple
talaque. In case of poor and illiterate families the so called Sharia Court
within Imaarate Sharia will make relationship illegal immediately. There
are thousands poor and uneducated families devastated with many kids
because of the wrong influence of Imaarate Sharia and these Maulanas
are taking sadistic pleasure to pronounce this without understanding
Quranic positions of Talaque. From last thirty years, this Imaarate
Sharia is only used by influential clergy to extract political benefits from
ruling regime irrespective of the political parties starting from Congress
Jaganath Mishar, RJD Laloo Yadav and JDU Nitish Kumar. Political parties
are in competition to influence Nazim of Imaarate Sharia for media
statement for vote bank politics without any care for genuine grass root
issues of modern education, health, employment and rule of law for the
poor minority population of Bihar. This is a very sorry state of affairs that
a person like Professor Faizan Mustafa is quoting this Bihar case in a good
light without knowing the ground realities. P. Mohammad, New Delhi
pmohammad1976@yahoo.com
India and Gaza crisis
BJP leader Chandan Mitras statement that the Opposition partiess logic
to condemn Israeli aggression was more emotional than logical is
baffling. Mr. Mitra must understand that Gaza is like an open-air prison
where 1.5 million people are living under constant fear of shelling, while
the borders from all its sides are virtually sealed. Even the hospitals are
not spared by the Israeli air strikes. In such a heart-wrenching scenario,
what is wrong if the opposition parties are becoming emotional at the
plight of the Palestinians? Should the Israeli status of being an arms
supplier absolve us from condemning the cold-blooded murder of a
hapless people? If the logic of Israeli help during Kargil war was to be
valued, India has been a big recipient of oil, the nerve-centre of its
economy, from West Asia. It is time we, as a great nation which had been
a great supporter of the cause of Palestine should demand an immediate
halt to the violence in Gaza. Syed Sultan Mohiddin Kadapa (A. P)
sultan_awaz@yahoo.co.in
II
The BJP governments refusal to discuss the recent bloodshed in Gaza in
the Parliament and the External affairs minister Sushma Swarajs aversion
to make any discourteous reference to Israel are a sad commentary; as
how Indias foreign policy has morphed over the years, from being a
strong votary to the Palestinian self-determination.
Syed Sultan Mohiddin, Kadapa (A. P)
h.ayesha93@gmail.com
All power, no accountability
We are rightly proud of the fact that our country is the largest
parliamentary democracy of the World, it is our duty to strengthen and
preserve it which is possible only when all countrymen swear by it and
follow its norms. Accountability is its soul. How strange and shocking is
that in the temples of highest learning and knowledge i. e. Indian
Universities - temples of highest education, there is no tinge of democracy.
Its heads i. e. Vice-Chancelors of Indian Universities are acting like
despotic monarchs. There is no provision in any of the Indian Universities
Act for the removal or impeachment of the vice chancellor if he or she
misuses his or her powers or contravenes provisions of the universityact
and statues while the holder of the highest office of the country i. e. the
president of the Indian Union can be impeached if he or she misuses his
or her power, judges of the supreme court and high courts can be
impeached while ministers of both the central and state governments are
accountable to legislatures for all their actions and policies. One American
vice chancellor had once remarked that the prerequisite qualifications of
vice chancellor were that he should have Solomons wisdom, lions
courage, Machiavellians cunningness and possess the quality of having
goats stomach. U. G. C. which is the supervisory body of universities and
the H. R. D. ministry which controls all universities act like helpless
spectators. The glaring example in that of Muslim University whose 3
former bureaucrat vice chancellor (during the 80s and the last five years
of the last centry) carried on the administration of the university
despotically and took important decisions under emergency powers. They
contravened provisions of the university act and statutes by bypassing the
University Court the supreme governing body of the university by not
getting its approval for university budget and the annual report and sending
these directly of the Govt. of India and suspending students union a
statutory body for several years and the predecessors of the present v. c.
had been facing a CBI probe but HRD ministry did not direct him to
proceed on leave pending the completion of the enquiry which judicial
ethics demanded. In Delhi University semester system has been
introduced and the period of graduation has been increased by one year
by the Vice Chancellor without the approval of the Academic Councillor
and statutory procedure and established democratic norms have been
subverted. But the HRD Ministry is a silent spectator. The need of the hour
is that the existing University Acts of both Central and State Universities
should be amended and a new provision should be added for the removal
of the VC if he or she contravenes the provisions of the University Act. It
is hoped that Mr. Raju, the new HRD Minister, will do it.
Dr. M. Hashim Kidwai, ex-MP, Delhi - 110091
Indian stand on Gaza crisis
The Central Governments stand on the Gaza conflict in the Rajya Sabha
debate has exposed its diabolical running with the hares and hunting with
the hounds policy, which deserves to to be strongly condemned.
S. M. Pasha, Periamet, Chennai 600003
valimuhammad777@gmail.com
United We Live
Globally all religious groups and nations have united secretly under the
common plan to carryout all sorts atrocities, humiliation, barbarism,
terrorism against Ummat-e-Muslima by kept on tighting noose around true
Muslims from every corner. We are aware of miserable position of
Muslims around the World, we see Muslims are being continued to
victimised for no reason in India. We have the example of Palestine and the
pictures of Afghanistan, various Arab countries and African nations. In
India we routinely witness rowdyism against Muslims fully supported by
Law of the Land, we come across frequently the arresting and killing of
educated Muslim youths at regular interval by charging or implicating them
in false terrorism by the police and Hindutva forces fully supported by the
governments at all levels. In fact these acts are the clear evidence of
terrorism against Muslims but Muslims are projected as terrorists.
Similarly, USA and its European allied nations are openly engaged since
long in attacking bombing, destroying Muslim nations and killing lacks of
innocent people under one pretext or the other but non of them is called
terrorist whereas in an attempt to defend themselves from the barbaric and
inhuman actions the Muslims are branded terrorists. Since more than 65
years Israel is involved in all kinds of barbarism, illegal and forceful
occupation of Palestine and killing of lakhs of innocent Palestinians but
never it is called a rogue or terrorist country but poor Palestians if defend
themselves for the liberation of their land are branded militants.
Bushra Khwaja, Nagpur 440013.
Vaidik-Saeed
It is ugly that the Congress and other opposition leaders are making undue
hype of the the Vaidik and Sayeed meet in Pakistan Hundreds of leading
journalists travel though out globe and meet political social and religious
leaders and write on deferent topics and give the the readers a good
informative write ups.our media and opposition parties making Saeed a
hero or villain of the film and accusing Vaidik as he had instigate Saeed to
make another terrorist on Delhi to murder Modi and Amit Shah and 200
innocents. The congress government should have sent our commandos to
attack on Karachi kill Saeed and his top. Bras. But the congress
government started weeping like a helpless widow at the cost of our
national dignity in the international political arena. Now it is high time that
we should try to normalise our relations with Pakistan to make a base for
the friendship with China to restore our territory from China. The short
sighted and narrow minded Congress leaders should not make mountains
out of moles and make constructive criticism on BJP and let not the
precious time of loke Sabha and Rajiya Sabha be wasted in childish
issues. AH Maqdoomi, Hyderabad
Hindutva logic
In the Telegraph newspaper of 18 July 2014, Swapan Dasgupta says
that by pointing out that Yellapragada Sudershan Rao has published
nothing in a peer reviewed journal, [Romila Thapar] is, in effect,
suggesting that the community of professional historians is akin to a
private members club.... Will Dasgupta tell us who, then, is best placed
to evaluate the work of historians? People who have no clear idea of what
history is about? Or, perhaps, a lapsed historian such as himself? If
Raos authorship of popular articles on the epics doesnt necessarily
warrant condescending asides, then Dasgupta should tell us just how
popular were these articles. Certainly he is not an A. J. P. Taylor, whose
name has gratuitously been brought in. My guess is that no one outside
the Sanghi circle will have heard of Prof. Y. S. Rao. Oddly, Dasgupta
himself says that he had not heard of him until recently. Finally, if [t]he
ICHR is a completely redundant government body, then will it not make
more sense for the BJP sarkar to scrap it than it does to fill it with its own
people and thereby control the wasteful distribution of largesse?
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1140718/jsp/opinion/story_18624300.jsp
#.U8k9o3AwJko Mukul Dube, Mayur Vihar 1, Delhi 110091
dube.mukul@gmail.com
Gaza
Hamas had rightly rejected the unconditional Ceasefire Proposal brokered
by notorious and biased Egypt. Egypt being the most trusted and closest
ally of Israel can not be allowed to play the role of the mediator. Egypt is
the leading part of the conspiracy hatched by US and majority of Arab
Countries who are working for elimination of Hamas. It is Al- Sisli of Egypt
who has convinced US and Arabs that the only solution to Middle East
problems is the complete inhalation of Hamas So Egypt has convinced
Israel to continue it onslaught against residents of Gaza till nobody is left
there to stand against Israel and in the mean time it will engage the other
world players in discussing the ways and means to stop the conflict. Al-
Sisli feels that he has been successful in doing the same experiment with
Islamic Brotherhood to permanently silence them but he is mistaken,he
will have to pay heavy price for what he has done to his Country man.
Every body wants to settle scores with the Hamas.Saudi is angry because
Hamas did not listen its advice to fight against Assad in Syria and Al-Mursi
supporters in Egypt. In case of Syria, almost all Arab Countries were
united to dislodge Assad but Hamas had its own compulsions. Hamas
was surviving on the support of Hizbullah and assistance from Iran
through Syria so it could not afford to side with the opponents of Assad.
But let us know where all those who wanted regime change in Syria have
vanished. Regarding Egypt there is a division among Arabs, Qatar still
supports Mursi. If world powers are really serious to stop Israel atrocities
in Gaza then they should project some neutral country as a peace broker,
Turky is eligible to play this role although Israel with tacit support of Egypt
may not be willing to accept Turkey. Prof. Shamim Meraj Ahmad, AMU
profshamim@gmail.com
Sir Syed Ahmad and Ulama of his time
It is a known history that after the horrible failure of the First War of Indian
Independence in 1857, the Ulema of the time declared a total boycott of
anything which could be branded as the British. When it was brought to
the knowledge of the then Governor General, he replied with a broad smile,
It is nothing but the hubris of a fallen race (yeh kuchh naheen hei, sirf
eik giree huee qaum ka takabbur hei). I have used its full reference in my
book Quran and Modern Jurisprudence, but this time it is slipping my
memory. These Ulema kept on lamenting and weeping over the British
atrocities, without thinking that past was now irreversible, but did not pay
attention to what they must do for the future. On the contrary, Sir Syed
Ahmad Khan was a great visionary. He was sure that at least for hundred
years, it would not be possible to uproot the Britishers, and so the
confrontation with them will prove suicidal and disastrous. He did not
weep over the past, but rather drew inspiration from it to chalk out the
future strategy, and sought the Britishers cooperation and coordination in
a positive manner. What treatment he received from these myopic ulema
is also a history. I think this great vision of Sir Syed is still an example for
us to emulate. Those who keep on weeping over the past can never think
in a constructive way. Dr. Mustafa Kamal Sherwani, Lucknow
sherwanimk@yahoo.com
Muhammad Adeeb
The beautiful ar ticle Muslim Community on the crossroads by
Muhammad Adeeb, M.P., Rajya Sabha with comments by Zafarul-Islam
Khan is unfortunate. The points raised by the writer are very much correct
and pertinent to the current situation. As an avid reader of MG, I have
witnessed that MG is raising same thought/line continuously. What
personal agony of Zafarul-Islam Khan is with the writer is unknown to us
which led him to discuss the writers electoral defeat, number of votes
gained by winners or losers. For the welfare of community, this should be
eschewed. These are irrelevant points with reference to this beautiful
article. One may quote readership of your paper, which you are regularly
quoting that qaum so rahee hai. My personal opinion is that both
persons are doing very good milli work. Muhammad Adeeb is regularly
raising voice in Parliament on various issues related to Muslims. He is
representing the community in the media also. The editor of this esteemed
paper is raising various issues related to Muslim concern through pen and
paper. It gives us pain to read negative comments in this esteemed paper.
Muslim intellectuals should be utilized for betterment of society, which MG
cherishes. Umar Farooque, Patna
uf23193@gmail.com
Failed Abortion
In 2000, 19-years-old Gianna Jessen explained her life to a of U. S.
congressmen group: my biological mother was 17 years old and was 7
and half months pregnant when she decided to abort me by the process
of saline injection. I am the person that she aborted. I lived instead of
dying. My mother was at the clinic and doctors programmed the abortion
at 9 in the morning. Fortunately, the abortionist was not in the clinic when
I was born at 6 am on April 6 1977. I hurried. I am sure that if he had been
there, I wouldnt be here today because his job is to end life and not save
it. Some people say that I am a failed abortion; the result of a badly done
job. This is the summary of her life. But this would not be a complete
story if we do not know the life of her mother. A journalist finds her and
got the interview. Her name is Tina and told her that a member of her
family tried to rape her as a child. When she was 10 her parents divorced.
In adolescence and young adulthood she felt a sense of abandonment and
lack of affection that caused her depression and anxiety. She suffered from
compulsive overeating disorder and weighed 145 kg. She became
depressed again but this time she have decided to not to eat and weighed
55 kg. In these circumstances she met a young man and fell in love of him.
He left her pregnant and disappeared. She wanted to have the child, to the
point of becoming vegetarian to ensure childs health. But her friends
and family advised her to abort. And the main instigator of abortions in
the US arrived: Planned Parenthood. We assume the other part of the
history, until we relates it with the start of the story...
Jos Antonio Calvo, Zaragoza, Spain
antonio@aplicaciones.info
A new low in Indian politics
The coming days will be tough for our community. The RSS agenda of
Ayodhya temple, of full Kashmir integration into India, a uniform civil code,
Sanskrit and Surya namaskar in schools will be implemented in full swing.
But more serious is the poison of Muslim hate seeping into our armed
forces, the police, intelligence etc. That could wreck havoc for our
community. At 15 % population, we are about 200 million. But in social,
economic and educational terms we rank the lowest, even below tribals
and dalits. With RSS in command, Muslims will slowly fall lower and
lower, until the Golwalkar criteria is established, We will become the
untouchables of India. The only way to escape this horror is to go all out
for education, business and industry. In ten years, no Muslim boy or girl
should be married, without being a graduate, and that too in medicine,
engineering and management. Zakat must be used wisely to help our
weakest Muslims. Frequent Haj and umra must be discouraged. The
amount should be spent for our community. Our mosques must be simple,
avoid Taj Mahals. We need few, but excellent ulema. That requires they be
paid well. Finally avoid totally any sectarian divide within our community.
It can destroy us. We are all Muslims, believing in Allah, His Quran and the
Prophet. J. S. Bandukwala, Vadodra, Gujarat
Israelis are vulnerable all around the world. The Muslim World can very
well respond by holding them responsible for the carnage in Gaza. But the
ruling regimes are afraid of their own position, protected and supported by
US and its allies British and Israelis, and therefore hardly be expected to
move against any Israeli interest. Only massive show of protests by the
entire population and not just the Muslims, can force the rulers to act with
some conviction and force. We must gather support from all across the
board, for the tragedy is human, even though it has community
dimensions. Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
ghulammammed3@gmail.com
Hindutva politics
I await the determination of the precise dates of the events described in
that historical masterpiece, the Mahabharata. Once I get the date of the
death of either Ashvatthama, I can complete my astrological analysis of
the mating behaviour of white elephants, which is to be financed by the
Indian Council of Fairy Tale Research.
Mukul Dube, Mayur Vihar 1, Delhi 110091
uthappam@gmail.com
Palestine
In theory their best weapon is the very existence of Palestinians and the
demographic time- bomb they represent, but Israel will continue to work
on defusing it by means which could go all the way to a final round of
ethnic cleansing. Pamohamedameen
pakma19@gmail.com
An intolerable hell
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness,
starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro
streets at dawn looking for an angry fix, angel headed hipsters burning
for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the
machinery of night., wrote the poet Allen Ginsberg. Now drugs, often
mixed with alcohol, are wasted by some 48,000 young people between
14 and 18 and announcing serious dangers of getting involved with
cannabis and cocaine. They are 2.2 percent of the population. But the
phenomenon is already alarming, producing the aftermath of the lack
of memory, abandonment of classrooms and fights, which may be the
first signs of the problem. Narcotics are also at the root of the traffic
accidents. The more the drug is consumed, the more it is needed with
imperiousness. The seller provides for dupe teenagers, to take you to
paradise, but he doesnt tell that the price to pay is the self-
destruction, the physical and mental deterioration and that this a-
moment-heaven will become a prolonged and unbearable hell. The
fight against trade and consumption of narcotics, the will to stop this
harmful threat to society, which raises the murder, terror and promotes
physical and emotional devastation of many mor tals, claims a political
pact, international cooperation and the assistance of all. From the
depths of anguish, fear and escapist phenomena, such as drugs,
characteristic of the contemporary world, there emerges the idea that
the good and happiness are not obtained without the effor t and
commitment of everyone, said saint John Paul II.
Clemente Ferrer, Spain
clementeferrer3@gmail.com
REJOINDERS/OPINION/LETTERS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 August 2014 23 www.milligazette.com
The Milli Gazette, P.O. Box 9701, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025 Email: letters@milligazette.com Read more letters on MG website
RNI No. DELENG/2000/930 REGISTERED DL(S)-01/3215/2012-14
LICENCED TO POST WITHOUT PREPAYMENT U (SE)-57/2012-14
PUBLISHED ON 25 JULY 2014 POSTED ON 26-27 JULY 2014
ADV. FORTNIGHTLY AT NDPSO-110002
The Milli Gazette
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New Delhi 110025 India Tel.: 011-26947483, 0-9818120669 Email: edit@milligazette.com
24 The Milli Gazette,1-15 August 2014
Printed, published and owned by Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan and printed at Vibha Publication Pvt Ltd., D-160B, Sector-7, Noida, U.P. and published at D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I, New Delhi 110025.
Editor: Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan
With best compliments from Kaleem Kawaja , Washington DC
BOYCOTT ISRAEL POSTERS
www.tinyurl.com/Gaza-Posters-2014-India
BOYCOTT ISRAEL. List of Goods to Boycott
www.facebook.com/IndiaBoycottsIsraeliGoods
Two on-going projects which need your constant support
Construction of homes for Muzaffarnagar riot victims
We appeal to you to come forward to make this project possible. We plan to build some 60
self-contained small houses on a piece of land which has already been bought in Sunethi
village of Shamli district but our current funds will scarcely suffice for 20 self-contained
houses, each costing some 1.40 lakh rupees. Ever since the Muzaffarnagar riots, Charity
Alliance has spent Rs 33,67,660 in relief activities there.
Alliance School Murshidabad
With great pleasure, we inform you that West Bengal Board of Secondary Education has
issued a provisional No Objection Certificate to Alliance School Murshidabad thereby
giving us a one-year provisional CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION as an upper primary school
(Classes V-VIII). This provisional certificate lays down certain criteria which have to be met
within a year, especially building class-rooms according to the rules. Alliance School in
Murshidabad (West Bengal) needs your help to get pucca class-rooms for students in order
to be able to get a permanent recognition. Please donate for this cause. Approx. Rs 35 lakh
is needed to start construction work for the first phase. In the year 2013-14, Charity
Alliance spent Rs 12,50,026 in Murshidabad area on School, general relief, medical help
and vocational training.
Other activities during 2013-14 and the current financial year:
Aid to the family of the 24-year-old IT professional Mohsin Sadiq Shaikh who was lynched
in Pune;
*
continuous help in various ways to Burmese refugees
*
in Delhi and other
places,
*
Medical Assistance to poor patients,
*
Educational aid to poor students,
*
financial assistance to poor families,
*
Uttarakand relief,
*
Aid to orphanage
Please see page 17 inside for details.
Islamic T-shirts
We have 11 different T-shirts
with Islamic messages.
Ask for pictures by email,
sms, whatsapp.
For more details Call/SMS
0-9868656614
sales@milligazette.com
Round-neck Rs 250
(includes shipping)
Cash on Delivery/VPP
For events, promotion, you
can add your logo to the T-
shirts or have customised
designs messages, only for
bulk orders of 100 + pieces.
by
Source: http://ifamericansknew.org
Just before a father buries his baby in Gaza.
CHARITY ALLIANCE
Registered Trust