By Rehan Ansari, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: In this month of Ramzan let’s once drift from the real world to the virtual one. It is the world of technology, gadgets and internet – all have affected all including religion and its festivals. It has brought about a revolution in thoughts and also empowered commoner to form and share his or her feelings.
E-Ramzan started with SMSes. The time the moon of Ramzan was sighted mobile got flooded with SMSes and mail box with e-greeting cards.
Many SMSes are making rounds like, “Na Rahe Ga Yeh Sada, Kuch Hi Din Ka Mehman Hai, Rahmat Se Bhar Lo Jholiyaan Aaya Mah-E-Ramazan Hai..!! Duaon Main Mujhe Zaroor Yaad Rakhna,” and “Ramazan Iftar – A glass of Care- A plate of Love-A spoon of Peace- A fork of Truth & A bowl of Duaas Mix with spices of Quraan. Enjoy this Iftar. Ramazan Mubarak.”
Emails pouring in inbox are full with gifts packed with animation and e-cards. A good to see gift is Al-Quran in Flash.
E-greeting is also developing from the flash to the animation and now music is also added. The http://www.123greetings.com/, the famous e-card website, has provided one more option of twitting. Another E-card site http://ramadan-cards.com/ has added the option of sharing on facebook.
Ramzan cards are composed with special Arabic music where the riq is supplemented /substituted with the tabla or daff (frame drum). Older ensembles used a jawzah or kamanjah instead of the Western violin.
E-greeting sites have provided some messages of prayers, prosperity, health and peace but also have the option to customize or personalize it.
Networking sites and videos portals are also buzzing with the Islamic threads and videos of speeches and lectures of Islamic scholars from around the world.
Apart from Ramzan web and mobile world is debating some other issues like Independence Day, Pastor Terry Jones, coming court verdict on Babri Masjid, Kashmir and flood in Pakistan.
This Ramzan was coincided with the Independence Day. Here are some SMSes which explain how India is getting more and more capitalist nation instead of socialist. One SMS says: “Bharat is still a slave of Capitalist IMPERIALISM where Pizzas reach people faster than ambulance and Police. Where rice is Rs.40 per KG but SIM card is free. Where car loan is @7% but Education Loan is @12%. Where Olympian Gold Medalist shooter gets Rs.3 crore but a shooter died in fighting terrorists gets only a lac of rupees. Let’s change the situation and bring the real Independence where Bahujan gets its fruits.”
Another SMS that reminded a quote of Rashtrapita Mahatma Ganhdi is: “On 15th August, 1947 he said, This Independence is only a political one, Bharat, still, has to fight a bigger battle for social, cultural, economic and ideological Independence.”
Another SMS informed that a decision on Babri Masjid is due in the second week of September and asked for the prayer in Ramzan. Gulam Haider, editor of a Hindi newspaper, SMSed me: “Specially Pray for Babri Msjid in all your prayers in Ramzan and Eid, at the time of Iftar, after Farz Namaz, in Shab-e-Qadr and after Eid Namaz.
Muslims in Mumbai, a network group on orkut has a thread like “Traveeh 8 rakaats or 20 rakaats.” It’s also discussing the “common mistakes during Ramzan. Members here are chatting on banning Facebook controversy (inviting cartoons of prophet mohammed PBUH).
On the Facebook, Jyoti Thottam, correspondent Time Magazine, South Asia, who was in Kashmir and reported famous incident of throwing shoe on Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, on Independence Day also posted news item, “Why Kashmir is burning?” on her wall.
Her article “Kashmir’s new warrior” started with Ramzan, “On Aug. 13, the first Friday of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, worshippers were finally allowed into Srinagar’s 600-year-old Jamia Masjid to pray. The mosque’s chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, mixed his sermon with politics. “Oh, Allah, Ramadan is the month of blessing, of freedom,” he said. “Bless us and give us freedom from the Indian occupation.”
Subhash Shirke, senior journalist in Maharashtra and now News Editor of TV9, posted on his wall “Bhai Log..Ramzan Shuru ho gaya hai.. Bara Handi…Suleman Usman Mithaiwala …wiating for u.”
Dr. Terry Jonnes’ page on the Facebook is buzzing with responses from all over the world especially from Israel and the Arab worlds. It seems that a virtual war is going on. Use of abusive language and hatred is common on this kind of disputed pages.
Besides appealing for Pakistan flood relief to help affected people commemorate the holy month of Ramzan, Sami Yusuf, the famous singer of the Muslim and Arab World has dedicated a new single from his brand new Album, “Healing” as a free download.