Editorial LETTERS ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 10

Tackling Terrorism: A Call Bouquets and Brickbats

Denial of Burial Misguiding mind about the circumstances
to Hindu and Muslim I have learnt with concern Muslims
of the killing of Hemant Karkare
and his colleagues, which
Religious Leaders about the decision of the Indian
Muslim Council, not to allow the
Before I began to read the
article, “Manual for Social
have arisen because of
inconsistencies in the official
burial of the nine killed Mumbai

T
he recent assault on Mumbai is the most deadly terrorist Harmony for Muslims,” in the and media reports.
attack that India has witnessed so far, and it has shaken attackers, on an Islamic December 2008 issue of Islamic Ever since Karkare had
every Indian. Every one of us is asking how it is that we graveyard. As a reason, the Voice, I found the writer’s name successfully unveiled the face
have become so vulnerable and what it is that we must do to confront Council declares, that the was a bit familiar. I am reading of Hindutva terrorism, he was
this situation. It has become a sort of fad to blame politicians for all attackers cannot be considered Islamic Voice for the first time. a target of abuse and
our ills and problems. Muslims because they went After reading this article, I have vilification. Senior political
The threat posed by self-styled jihadist outfits to Pakistan itself is against the teachings of Islam. decided not to pick up Islamic leaders like Advani and Thakre
very real. In both Pakistan and India, despite the vocal or tacit opposition Another Council-member Voice again. Though there are had even called him a traitor.
of the vast majority of people, extremists who have adopted the guise of said that the attackers had some good suggestions, I felt Obviously the Hindutva
religion have been able to strike very deep roots. Just as ardent defamed the religion. that this article advises us to be groups were rattled by the
supporters of Narendra Modi and his likes have millions of supporters Of course I agree that the slaves of the oppressors in the exposure. He was an obvious
in India, self-styled jihadist groups have a large number of backers in Mumbai attacks are contrary to name of democracy. The writer’s candidate for elimination.
Pakistan. This fact alone should suffice to make us realize that both the teachings of Islam. comments on Azan and Qurbani What Antulay has hinted
Islamist and Hindu extremists feed on each other and collectively pose However, viewed from a show that he is ashamed and at, and which I endorse, is that
the gravest danger to the people of South Asia as a whole. religious perspective, the fearful to be a Muslim. (Sorry for there might have been a
Terrorism and religious extremism have assumed the form of deep- decision of the Council is also the harsh words). What a parallel conspiracy to silence
rooted social phenomenon in our part of the world, and so obviously a defamation of the teachings of disgusting and disheartening Karkare and an elimination
cannot be countered simply through a law-and-order approach alone. the Islam which is based on solution about Azan. If you want squad may have been
Merely banning terrorist groups, sealing their bank accounts and respect for every human being, to guide the Muslim community, following him. When they got
arresting their activists is not enough. Such steps can only work in regardless of descent or guide them through the Quran an opportunity in the noise
the short-term and that too not very effectively. We must realise that committed crime and Hadith and not from you and dust generated by the
terrorism in South Asia is not an issue that concerns just one country The denial of a grave is not own thoughts and beliefs.
or community, and that all forms of terrorism are inter-related. We terrorist attack, they killed him.
only one of the most extreme Akhil Ahmed Chakwa
must also seek to understand the factors other than just political In any case the suspicious
signs of disrespect, it is also a c.akheelahmed@gmail.com
that are also responsible for generating terrorism, such as illiteracy, circumstances must be looked
poverty, social inequality, unemployment and violation of human
violation of the right of every Why is Antulay into by high level inquiry and
rights and moral values. Hence, and obviously, to seriously tackle human being on human dignity, they should not be simply swept
terrorism from its roots a mere political approach would be inadequate. confirmed in the Universal being Pilloried? under the carpet. As Indians we
We also need to address these other underlying causes as well. This Declaration of Human Rights. It What Mr A. R. Antulay said owe this to Karkare.
points to the need for civil society groups, in both India and Pakistan, is evident, that the killed is being deliberately Syed Shahabuddin
to take a leading role in social activism against the menace of Mumbai attackers are guilty of misinterpreted. He is being New Delhi
terrorism. Terrorism must be viewed as a social phenomenon, and, very serious crimes, for which pilloried and pressured to
accordingly, must be sought to be countered through a strong and they would be held accountable resign. He did not absolve Resear ch Pr
Research oject
Project
effective social movement, besides at the level of the state. on earth, in a fair and Pakistan nor deny that the
For this purpose, we need to chalk out a non-political programme independent trial, according to “Mudukulathur Muslims-
terrorists were of Pakistani
that would bring together civil society groups as well as serious- Today and Tomorrow”, a
international standards. origin and that the attack was
minded religious leaders from the different communities in the region research project has been
However, now they are dead, no organized in and launched
in a joint struggle against all forms of terrorism that are causing such initiated by www.mud-
Council or other authority has from Pakistan. What Antulay ukulathur .com. Those who
havoc all across South Asia today. Perhaps this could take the form
the right to deny them eternal said does not in any way have any information about
of a ‘South Asian Forum Against Terrorism’. Through such a forum
peace on a graveyard. diminish our case on Pakistani Mudukulathur can send it to
it would be easier for us to appeal to Hindus and Muslims throughout
Astrid Essed responsibility for the terrorist muduvaihidayath @gmail.com
our region with our message against terrorism. The most important
role in this forum should be that of responsible and right-minded Florijn 444, Amsterdam attack. or to M. Shanmu-gham, 33
Muslim ulema and Hindu religious personages such as The Netherlands No doubt he has brought Maranayanar Street,
dharmacharyas. astridessed@yahoo.com out the doubts in the public Ilayangudi-630702
Some months ago, the Dar ul-Uloom Deband organized a massive
rally, bringing together clerics from different Muslim sects to jointly Another Ship has Sunk vegetable seller on the street today follows a
method to sell his vegetables. He knows when his
issue a declaration or fatwa condemning all forms of terrorism and
I heard the sad news about another Muslim – tomatoes will rot and when his cabbages will stay
declaring these to be anti-Islamic. This was a very welcome step.
run magazine closing down in Delhi last month. It green.
Such mass rallies can be organized throughout South Asia by the
is a reality that the Muslim media today is in a Travel to Kerala if you wish to see the marvels
Forum wherein Hindu and Muslim religious leaders can jointly
pathetic state. Muslims do not have a single news that the Muslim-run media in Malayalam is doing
denounce terrorism and call upon Hindu, Muslims and others to join
channel which can voice the opinion of the there. Its pure professionalism. Yes! From the same
them in the struggle against it. If the leading responsible Muslim
voiceless. Religious channels are too preachy. place a Muslim-run magazine closed down after it
ulema and muftis of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh can jointly
Muslims do not have a national newspaper again. was kidnapped from Bangalore and later killed in
directly address jihadist Muslims and explain to them the errors of
There is no point in a magazine or newspaper if it is Calicut. This happened due to severe marketing
their views, it can have a very big impact on their thinking. They can
“by the Muslims, for the Muslims and of the mismanagement which is again a weak point in
thereby underline the gross misuse of the concept of jihad, which is
Muslims”. Our voices should reach the non- Muslim-run media. A paper will not survive on
now causing such pain, destruction and strife not just for non-
Muslims and the people in the corridors of power. goodwill of a few readers for a lifetime. How long
Muslims but for Muslims themselves. Likewise, if the Hindu religious
Muslims have lots of money, but they have no can you hook readers with the parrot-like line:”
leaders of the countries of South Asia get together and declare that
inclination to pump it into media. They will rather Buy it for Allah’s Sake!”
the fiercely anti-Muslim activities of extremists in a Hindu garb
donate the money in building fancy mosques with It’s people who can make or break a publication.
constitute a grave violation of the Hindu religion, it can certainly
the intention that they will be “rewarded”. For Their intentions and dedication plays a mighty
impress many Hindus. This sort of effort can play a major role in
them, media is boring and not lucrative for them in important role in the success.
bringing Hindus and Muslims closer and solving many of their
this world or the hereafter. Nigar Ataulla
problems and conflicts. It can help build confidence and trust between
On failure of Muslim run media, a lot depends Bangalore
Hindus and Muslims and between Pakistanis and Indians and in
on the people who run it and the people managing nigs3@yahoo.co.in
marginalizing the religious extremists on both sides. ■
it. Professionalism is the key. Even a small-time
 Community Round Up
People
Kishanganj DM Firaque
Ahmad to be honoured
Patna: The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has
decided to honor Firaque Ahmad, District Magistrate (DM) of
Kishanganj for fair execution of the annual examination of class
10th in the district in March 2008.
The Bihar School Examination Board conducts Secondary
School Examination twice every year, the annual and
supplementary examinations. The annual examination is normally
conducted in the month of February/March. According to Anup
Kumar Sinha, secretary of the Board, Kishanganj has been given
grade ‘A’ for fair examinations. There were no report of
irregularities and use of unfair means in the examination from
Kishanganj. Since the DM of a district is the controller of
examination for the whole district, the Board has decided to give
Firaque Ahmad an award for his commitment to his duty. Before
assuming office of the DM of Kishanganj, Firaque Ahmad was
the chairman of Bihar Text Book Publishing Corporation. He is
known for his honesty and punctuality. ■
Indian Shining in China
Bangalore: Suraiya Tarannum, Head of the
Telecommunication Engineering, AMC Engineering College
Bangalore was the sole representative from India to participate
in the 11th IEEE International Conference on Communication
Systems (IEEE-ICCS 2008) held in Guangzhou, China between
November 19-21, 2008. She presented her research paper
entitled,” Dynamic Hierarchical Communication Paradigm for
Wireless Sensor Networks: A Centralised Energy Efficient
Approach. ■
Put this under People column
DR SHOHAB IS AIUUTA GENERAL SECRETARY
Jammu : Dr Shohab Inayat Malik, Professor of Urdu in Jammu
University has been elected as the General Secretary of the All
India University Teachers Association (AIUUTA). A decision
to this effect was taken in an Urdu teachers conference held at
Kashmir University in which over 150 Urdu teachers participated.
Dr Malik took over charge of general secretary from Dr Ali Javed,
Director, National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language
(NCPUL). All India University Teachers Association (AIUUTA)
is a body of All India Urdu Teachers working on national level
for the promotion of Urdu language. Dr. Malik is also the
President of Rasa Javadani Memorial Literary Society (RJMLS),
a NGO working for the cause of Urdu language in the state. ■
Poor are getting Poorer
New Delhi: The All India Muslim Economic
Council (AIMEC) organised a conference on
December 2, 2008, of all Indian organisations
working on interest-free basis in Deoband,
Saharanpur. In his presidential address, Maulana
Hasib Siddiqui, chairman of AIMEC, said:
“Muslims dreamt for long to establish financial
institutions conforming to Shari’ah, but most of
their dreams remained confined to issues like
worship, religious education, nikah and
inheritance, so much progress could not be made
in the field of financial aspects of life and interest-
Hari Masjid Police Firing: Victim files PIL
BY A STAFF WRITER
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court recently
tightened the noose on the state and central
governments while hearing a public interest
litigation filed by Farooq Mapkar, a victim of firing
at Hari Masjid on January 10, 1993. Justice B. N
Srikrishna had indicted policeinspector Nikhil
Kapse for firing on worshippers inside Hari Masjid,
Wadala, which resulted in the death of six Muslims.
Farooq Mapkar, injured in the firing, had filed a
petition asking the CBI to look into the matter.
Mapkar has urged the court to direct the police to
book assistant police inspector Nikhil Kapse for
murder and also hand over the probe to the CBI.
Kapse, then a police sub-inspector attached to
the RAK Marg police station had ordered the
firing in the Masjid at Sewri. “The complaint
(made by Mapkar) on its own, along with the
(Srikrishna Commission) report, prima facie
discloses a cognizable offence”, observed the
judges. Public prosecutor Satish Borulkar told
the court that a Special Task Force appointed by
the state government to look into the
commission’s report that probed the 1992-93
Mumbai riots had said that no offence was made
out. Mapkar’s complaint about the incident
mentions one Shamsuddin, who had been injured
in the firing inside the mosque. As he came out
of the mosque, Shamsuddin bent down to tend
to his injured leg. Mapkar saw Kapse shoot him
at that moment. Mapkar had also recounted this
in his affidavit filed before the Srikrishna
Commission.
Justices F. I. Rebello and R. S Mohite of the
ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 11
free system of trade and commerce. Now we have
to take some steps in the light of Islamic banking
system based on Shari’ah.”
Expressing concern over the increase in number
of people living below the poverty line, economic
expert Dr. Syed Zafar Mahmood said: “It is the
need of the hour to establish interest-free and
cooperative institutions in order to eliminate
economic backwardness among Muslims.” “The
poor are getting poorer and capitalists are gaining
in their capital. The Islamic economic system is
the best means to prevent it,” he added. ■
Bombay High Court rejected the reasons given by
the CBI for declining to take up the Hari Masjid
case of the 1992-93 riots. The CBI had cited delay
as the first reason for refusing to take up the case.
Justice F. Rebello pointed out that this reason did
not hold. “A judicial commission of inquiry was
set up that gave its findings in the victims’ favour
in 1998. The government then set up the Special
Task Force which exonerated the police officer
without either examining the complainant (Mapkar),
or those injured in the incident. Nobody is listening
to the plea these citizens have been making since
1993. The CBI’s second reason was that this was
“a simple matter” which could be investigated by
the State government. Justice Mohite pointed out
that the matter was far from simple. “There are
undercurrents of communal bias,” Justice Rebello
said, adding, “The complaint is not only about the
general firing at the Masjid, but also a specific
allegation that an injured man has been shot at
point-blank range. Despite this, all these years the
State apparatus has been saying nothing wrong
has been done!”
Finally, the CBI had opined that taking up this
inquiry was not in “public interest”. “What is public
interest for the CBI?” asked Justice Rebello.
The court was appalled by the fact that the
statements of the injured were not recorded even
by the STF. Senior counsel Vijay Pradhan, who is
appearing for Mapkar, submitted that the STF never
visited the mosque or met any of the injured
persons, including Mapkar. “This is not how a
criminal investigation should be carried out,”
Justice Mohite said.■
www.twocircles.net
Informative Indian
Muslim Website
The brainchild of Kashif
ul-Huda, an engineer from
Bihar, now working in
America, www.twocircles
.net is probably the most
informative, useful and
enlightening Indian
Muslim site on the Internet.
It covers a host of issues
related to the Indian
Muslims, including
education, culture, politics,
history and economics.
Subscription is entirely
free. All you need to do is
fill in your email id in the
relevant box in the main
page of the website and you
can get free daily updates.■
 Community Round Up ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 12
Kerala Muslim Marriage Bill: Muslims to play a leading role in war on Terror
Positive Reactions
By Md. Ali
Trivandrum: The Kerala Law Reform Commission (KLRC) has
drafted a bill in order to regulate the practice of polygamy and check
the misuse of talaq as an instrument of divorce among the Muslims
in the state.
The bill titled as the Kerala Muslim Marriage and Dissolution by
Talaq (Regulation) Bill seeks to reform the Shariah laws. It proposes
the creation of conciliation councils in each district which will take
up the cases of indiscreet marriages and divorce among the Muslims
of the state.
The “conciliation councils” will be headed by a retired Muslim
BY MUMTAZ ALAM FALAHI and criminals are not brought to book (referring to
judge. It also considers the second marriage of either the husband or
New Delhi: Muslims took the lead in the 1993 Bombay riots and Gujarat 2002 pogrom)
wife as punishable offence under the IPC. This bill has been sent to
freedom struggle of the country and played the terrorism finds its way. He, however, condemned
the Muslim legal luminaries for their opinion and will be submitted to
most pivotal role in liberating it from the British those, if any, who are resorting to violence to get
the government soon.
Raj and now they are ready to play a similar role in justice and their rights and said there are democratic
It has sought a variety of responses from the Muslim community
liberating it from all sorts of terrorism and causes and peaceful ways for these purposes.
be it the common masses or its intellectual class. Moreover it has
thereof, said Muslim MPs, intellectuals and leaders Rajya Sabha MP and Jamiat Ulama-i--Hind
created a debate in the community to ponder over the effects of
of religious organisations. leader Maulana Mahmood Madani rejected the
polygamy and talaq on the community. The bill has sought positive
At the “Muslims Initiative against Terrorism view that if Muslims are repeatedly condemning
responses almost from all the women’s activists across the religious,
programme” last month at India Islamic Cultural terrorism saying it has nothing to do with Islam
political and ideological divides. They have been pitching for the bill
Centre in New Delhi the speakers strongly they are in a way admitting that they are terrorists.
and mobilizing forces to pressurize the government to legislate the
condemned all sorts of terrorism going on in the He said the entire Muslim community is not
bill. Kerala Women’s Front (KWF) is an organization working for the
country and demanded the government to terrorist, but admitted that a little part of the
empowerment of women in general and Muslim women in particular
strengthen intelligence system and deal with all community might have gone astray. Former MP
in the areas of socio-economic empowerment through education.
acts of terrorism with firmness and also ensure that and social activist Shabana Azmi said that if
TwoCircles.net talked to Febeena Seethi, the president of KWF. Her
the police and the agencies are not driven by Muslims in India were not seen with suspicion
stand was somewhere between a complete ban and complete freedom
communal colours. They also demanded that following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks it was
of polygamy. She pointed out that KWF supports the Kerala Muslim
Muslims should be included in any counter- because the community had taken lead to fight
Marriage and Dissolution by Talaq (Regulation) Bill.
terrorism set-up as has been done in the Rapid against terrorism in the country. They had
According to her polygamy is a double edged sword in the sense
Action Force. denounced it and expressed their resolution to
that it can be useful, but it can also be a way to exploit women.
A resolution adopted at the programme says: fight the menace along with the entire nation. Their
Usually it becomes a way of exploitation of women where their lives
The root cause of terrorism – discrimination, initiative changed the perception about them. She
are made miserable because of it. But at the same time she pointed
suppression, inequality and injustice – also need also applauded the role of the media for this.
out that there are tens of cases which she knows personally where
to be addressed in any strategy to eradicate the Former BJP MP and now party’s national
women who are in polygamous relationships and are happy. They
terrorism. spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said Muslims
are not being exploited and are rather very comfortable being a part
Kamal Farooqui, Chairman, Delhi State Minority are loyal to the country and they need not give
of the relationship. So in some cases it is a blessing.
Commission, and one of the organizers of the any certificate for this. Samajwadi Party MP Ilyas
“There should be a women and a religious scholar in the
programme, said Muslims today are “with the Azmi said that “to say time and again that we are
conciliation councils.” She explained that the representation of women
government and security agencies in the fight against terrorism is proof of our inferiority
and a religious scholar is very important. The religious scholar will
against terrorism without any ifs and buts.” complex.” Talking about Mumbai attacks, he
help in avoiding any kind of controversy and the woman member will
Newly-elected Rajya Sabha MP Mohammad expressed doubt over the circumstances in which
help the council in understanding the complex issues of women and
Adeeb said that Muslims of this country have three officers including ATS chief Hemant Karkare
thereby it will help the council achieve its purpose. But she had
always been against violence and terrorism. He, were killed. He rejected the government’s point that
something more to say about the practice of polygamy in Kerala.
however, admitted that when rights are suppressed no locals were involved in the attack. ■
First of all, she said, till now there has not been any proper study on
the practice of polygamy among the Muslims of the state. Usually
people say that polygamy is widely practised in Malabar but she has Taawun Trust to distribute blankets in
not come across any single case of polygamy in the region.
So before bringing about any legislation it is very important for flood affected states
the government and the public to know to what extent polygamy is New Delhi: Months after the flood that affected blanket which includes cost of taxes, transportation
being practiced in the state, then only will one be able to analyze its lives of millions in Bihar, Assam, and West Bengal, and documentation.
effects and consequences on people. A big section of all the people their conditions continue to be fragile. Millions All donations to the Trust are exempted under
who support the Bill feel that it is high time that reform must happen who have become Section 80G of the
in the Muslim Shariah law or Muslim Personal Law. homeless continue to Income Tax Act 1961,
(Twocircles.net)■ live in camps in pathetic and it has a permanent
conditions. registration under
Maulana Mohammad Ali Established in 1998, FCRA (Foreign
Taawum Trust has Contribution
Jauhar Awards 2008 been helping poor, Regulation Act). For
New Delhi: Charanjeet Singh Atwal, Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha helpless, orphans, and more details and
and Justice Mohammad Suhail Ejaz Siddiqui, Chairman, National widows and those donations: Account
Commission for Minorities Educational Institutions, are among those affected by natural Name: Ta’awun Trust,
to be honoured this year with the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar calamities. Chairman of the Trust, Dr. Mohd. Banker: State Bank of India, Zakir Nagar Branch,
Award 2008. Manzoor Alam in an appeal sent to donors said New Delhi-110025, Account No.: 10177189422 (for
Others to be honoured with the award are Manorama Deevan, that the Trust is planning to distribute 10,000 Foreign Donors)
Chief Editor, Press Asia International, Shahid Ali Khan (IPS), blankets to the flood affected people in Bihar, 10177189603 (for Indian Donors), Address: 162,
Mohammad Ateeq Siddiqui, Editor, AlYaum, New Delhi, Dr. Haneef Assam, and West Bengal. The Trust has already Jogabai Main Road , Jamia Nagar, New Delhi-
Tareen and Saulat Public Library, Rampur. The Maulana Mohammad distributed one thousand blankets in Bihar and 110025 (India) Ph: 26987467, 26981187, 26989253
Ali Jauhar Academy has been giving away awards in the fields of now seeking donation to fund rest of the blankets. Email: manzoor@ndf.vsnl.net.in Website: http:/
politics, journalism and social service since 1989. ■ The appeal by Dr. Alam said that it cost Rs. 350 per /www.taawuntrust.org/ ■
 Community Round Up
MIM launches campaign for Elections
Hyderabad: Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen
(MIM), the most influential Muslim political party
in Andhra Pradesh, has launched its campaign for
the forthcoming elections with a call to Muslims to
unite under one political banner to take advantage
of their strength and urged Hindus to join hands
of friendship. MIM, which has set its eyes on
doubling its strength in the state assembly from
existing five to ten, chose Malakpet to launch the
campaign. The MIM president and member of Lok
Sabha, Asaduddin Owaisi said that the MIM was
confident of wresting the Malakpet constituency
and the target can be achieved only if Muslims
remain united and demonstrate their strength in
the next elections. What has boosted the
confidence of the MIM to win more number of
seats is that the delimitation of the assembly and
Mumbai first eco-friendly Mosque
Mumbai: The Dawoodi Bohra community has
decided to give Mumbai its first eco-friendly
mosque. The construction of the mosque at the
Tambawala compound in Mazgaon in south central
Mumbai is expected to be completed in two years.
Architect, Esmail Neemuchwala said the primary
focus would on rainwater harvesting and using
less electricity. “We want to give the best to the
environment from which we take the most,” he said.
“In a 120-sq ft room, one fan is sufficient
because there are usually three people at a given
time. But the number goes up to 30 during prayers.
First Quran in Nepali adds cheer to Bakrid
Kathmandu: As Nepal celebrated Bakrid, for
thousands of Muslims, there was an ad-ditional
cause to rejoice with the gov-ernment for the
first time announcing a public holiday on
the occasion and the first Quran in Nepali
language being offered to the faithful.
“We thank the government for
de-claring Bakrid a state holiday,”
said Sheikh Ali Mirza, an Imam
at Kathmandu’s Kashmiri
Masjid, one of the two
main mosques in the
capital. “It is also a
matter of joy that the
holy Quran is now
available in Nepali so
that people who do not know
Arabic can comprehend it.” Bookshops near the
Kashmiri and Jama Masjids said there was a brisk
sale of the Nepali Quran. The Kathmandu-based
Islami Sangh Nepal took the initiative of getting
Lok Sabha constituencies in the state has changed
the demographic map of many segments in
Hyderabad in favor of Muslims. Earlier Hyderabad
Lok Sabha constituency had three rural assembly
segments of Ranga Reddy district, but after the
delimitation, Hyderabad has become a hundred
percent urban Parliamentary constituency. As the
ratio of Muslim electorate in this Lok Sabha
constituency has gone up to 70%, MIM is
confident that it has become an even more secure
fortress. MIM has been winning the Hyderabad
seat since 1984 without any break. Though the
TDP-Left alliance is planning to field a Muslim
candidate, the MIM is confident of retaining the
seat. In all the elections it defeated the BJP in a
direct fight. (Reported by Mohammed Siddique,
TwoCircles.net).■
And this calls for more fans,” Neemuchwala said.
“We have planned to bring down the number of
fans and reduce electricity usage by 20%.”
“Fatimi architecture will be prominent. It has
typical floral repetitive designs and conical shaped
arches. It is inspired by Mughal, Indian, and British
architecture,” he said. Green lawns will border the
mosque. This would help in bringing down the air
temperature as it moves towards the mosque,
according to Neemuchwala. The mosque will not
have solar panels and instead will use rainwater
harvesting as much as possible. ■
the entire Quran translated into Nepali.
The five-year project was funded by Al-Quran
Academy in London, an
international
organisation engaged in
Islamic research and
publication. About 2000
copies were printed in
New Delhi and are meant
to be circulated in Bhutan
and Myanmar as well, which
have a size-able Nepali-
speaking population. Nepal’s
first Maoist Prime Minister
Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda
issued a message saying Bakrid
was a source of inspiration and
hoped it would cement cultural and
social har-mony in Nepal. The top leaders of the
major parties also publicly greeted the Muslim
community.■
ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 13
Colony shuts out non-Hindus
Surat: Getting a house in Surat’s Hindu neighbourhoods always
remained a distant dream for Muslims. However, India’s diamond
capital has gone a step further by formalizing the social ostracism,
post Mumbai’s terror strike.
The diamond hub of Varaccha always had ‘Hindus only’ and
even ‘Patels only’ colonies. Now, many housing societies and real
estate brokers in the city have decided not to sell or even rent out
houses to non-Hindus, especially Muslims.
Recently, a housing society in Rander area has disallowed its
members from selling houses to people of other faiths. At Dhanlakshmi
Row Houses, society president Rajesh Patel says, “Our society is
exclusively for Hindus. We want to avoid any nuisance. All residents
have unanimously decided that no one will sell their houses to those
belonging to any other religion.” A resident of House No. 13 at
Dhanlakshmi Row House was forced to leave by other residents
because he belonged to the minority community, said Chirag Patel,
resident of this society located in Rander. A notice board put outside
the society reads, “As per a resolution passed by the society
members, no one will sell the house to a person of any other religion
and if done, action against the buyer and seller will be taken.”
Property Dealers’ Association (PDA) in Adajan and Rander areas of
the city had decided to refrain from selling or renting properties to
Muslims. “We have decided not to provide our services to any
Muslim customer,” says Manoj Gandhi, PDA president. Gandhi said
brokers from posh areas such as City Light are also mulling similar
move. The association also had staged a dharna at Jogani Nagar to
condemn the Mumbai attack and make people aware of threats.
Assistant commissioner of police, G division, J.S Kher, informed,
“So far, we have not received any complaint from anyone directly
affected by the decision. “ (Reported by Yagnesh Mehta | TNN) ■
GULSHAN-E-
SAYEDD
Mayhem in Mumbai
Terrorism in India has many Faces
BY MARTHA NUSSBAUM
I
f, as seems likely, the
terrible events in Mumbai
in November 2008 were
the work of terrorists, that’s more
bad news for India’s minority
Muslim population. Never mind
that the perpetrators were
probably funded from outside
India, in connection with the
ongoing conflict over Kashmir.
The attacks will feed a powerful
stereotype of the Muslim who
can never be a g o o d
democratic citizen. Such
stereotypes shadow the lives
of Indian Muslims, who
compose 13.5 per cent of the
population.
But it’s important to
consider Indian terrorism in a
broader context. Terrorism in
India is by no means peculiar
to one community. A string of
recent incidents has been
linked to groups, most of
these with foreign ties and
pertaining to Kashmir. The
bloodiest recent example of
terrorism in India however
was the slaughter of as many
as 2,000 civilians by Hindu
right-wing mobs in the state
of Gujarat over several
months in 2002.
This horrendous
violence was portrayed at the
time as retaliation for an
alleged torching of a train car
carrying mostly Hindu
passengers. Tw o
independent inquiries since
have concluded that the fire
was instead, a tragic accident
caused by passengers’
kerosene stoves.
But even if that was not
known at the time, most of the
people killed or raped or
beaten, lived far from the
original incident and could
have had no connection to it,
moreover, there was copious
evidence of pre-planning:
Hindu right-wing groups had
kept lists of Muslim dwellings
and businesses.
Evidence that Gujarat’s
state government egged-on
the perpetrators was also
overwhelming and led to the
US State Department in 2005
denying a visa to Narendra
Modi, Gujarat’s chief minister.
R e c e n t l y, the Indian
investigative journal Tehelka
uncovered even more proof of
government complicity in the
murderous, anti-Muslim
attacks.
Gujarat Violence
A Tehelka reporter using
a hidden camera interviewed
participants in the Gujarat
violence who described how
bombs were manufactured
in factories owned by
members of the Hindu right:
The attacks in
Mumbai will feed a
powerful stereotype
of the Muslim who
can never be a good
democratic citizen.
Such stereotypes
shadow the lives of
Indian Muslims, who
compose 13.5 per
cent of the
population.
how arms were smuggled from
other states; how the police
were instructed to look the
other way. One leader of the
Bajrang Dal (a para-military
right-wing group) described
his own role with pride; “there
was this pregnant woman, I
killed her…..they shouldn’t
even be allowed to breed. I
say that even today. Whoever
they are, women, children,
whoever, nothing to be done
with them, but cut them down.
Thrash them, slash them, burn
them, the idea is, don’t keep
them alive at all; after that,
everything is ours.”
The revelation that
members of the right have
ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009
embraced ethno-religious
cleansing should amaze
nobody. Since the 1930s, their
movement has insisted that
India is for Hindus, and that
both Muslims and Christians
are foreigners who should
have second-class status in
the nation.
Last year (2008), in the
eastern state of Orissa,
members of the Bajrang Dal
have murdered scores of
Christians who refused to
reconvert to Hinduism,
Peaceful villages have been
reduced to ashes, a church-
run orphanage was torched,
dozens of churches have
been destroyed, missionaries
and priests have been
murdered in cold blood.
Thousands have been forced
to flee their homes, and at
least 30,000 are homeless. The
rallying cry: “Kill Christians
and destroy their
institutions.”
In August, the Catholic
bishops of India closed
Catholic schools across the
country as a protest against
the atrocities on the Christian
16
community and other
innocent people. Such
actions, aimed at transforming
India’s pluralistic democracy
into an ethnocentric regime,
pose a grave threat to India’s
future.
Complicity
All of this is terrorism, but
most of it doesn’t reach the
world’s front pages, when it
does make it into newspapers
outside India, the word
“terrorism” is rarely used, the
result is a perception, in India
and abroad, that Muslims are
the bad guys in every incident
of terrorist violence.
Such stereotypes are so
prevalent that many state Bar
associations in India refuse to
defend Muslims accused of
complicity in terrorism-
despite the fact that India’s
Constitution guarantees all
accused, a cost-free defence.
Meanwhile, Muslim youth
are often rounded up on
suspicion of terrorism, an
analogue to the current ugly
phenomenon of racial
profiling in the United States.
Some are criminals, but
this does not justify
demonizing Muslims, any
more than the violent acts of
the Hindu right justify
stereotyping all Hindus as
rapists and murderers.
Let’s go after criminals
with determination, good
evidence and fair trials, and
let’s stop targeting people
based on their religious
affiliation.
( L o s Angeles Times-
Washington Post News Service)
(The writer is a professor of
law and ethics at the University
of Chicago). ■