By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Chennai: Islamic Foundation Trust (IFT) of Chennai, Tamil Nadu hosted a belated Iftar Party to the members of Tamil Nadu Union of Journalists on 10 October. The get-together featured famous TV magnates such as Mr. Vincent Perera besides prominent Muslim as well as non-Muslim journalists from different media organizations.
L-R: K. Jalaludeen, Joint Secretary, IFT, A. Shabbir Ahmed, Chairman, IFT, Dr. KVS Habeeb Muhammad, Vice-Chairman, IFT, A.R. Syed Sultan, Associate Editor, Samarasam (Tamil Fortnightly)
Shafee Ahmed Ko, TwoCircles.net correspondent in Chennai and member of Tamil Nadu Union of Journalists, highlighted how Western and European media both print or electronic are vile and deriding Islam and its tenets, focusing international terrorism, as though Quran advocates it. Mr. Shafee vehemently opposed it saying that verses talking about different battles are only defensive and different battles fought were against Muslims. The guidance in the form of Quranic verses were only from Allah. No individual or organizations have to conclude that Islam supports terrorism taking isolated verses. “One should read Holy Quran, verse by verse to correlate them to understand its collective meaning. Any isolated verse and its interpretation will lead to misconstrue”. He further said, “The beastly killing of innocent children, women and elderly all, is not wisdom from Islam but, they are of geopolitical and socio-political conflicts and Islam unfortunately stands much politicized in the hands of bad elements. These have to be strongly condemned”
Mr. D.S. Ravindra Das, a veteran journalist and orator spoke that the mischief to Islam by the Western media whether print or electronic, these have to be ignored, not to be cared about, not to be affirmed, not any cognition be given. “A pig is a pig and it will not change its intrinsic qualities,” Mr. Das further went saying that Islam stood for peace process and it challenged war.
In his presidential speech Dr. Habeeb Muhammad, Vice-Chairman of Islamic Foundation Trust, a renowned orator and erudite Islamic scholar particularly propagating Islamic thoughts among non-Muslims highlighted the prime importance of kindness and fair dealing in Islam.
He emphasized that one should establish justice and fair deal within oneself and with others too.
He also talked about contributions of some right-thinking Hindus in strengthening Hindu-Muslim relations. He said a Brahmin community at Triplicane area in Chennai conducted a mass procession as a token of apology to Muslim community when Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992. He also referred to a well known Tamil sage Thiru Kundra Kudi Adigalar who was the first to express his anguish over the Babri Masjid demolition. Dr. Habeeb also recalled the enormous efforts by Ms. Teesta Seetalvad, a woman warrior against fascism and communalism, to bring the perpetrators of post-Godhra genocide to book. He further stressed that if any injustice is caused to a non-Muslim, Muslims should feel it their own issue and work to remedy it to prove equitable justice and Islamic brotherhood.
The meeting ended with vote of thanks by Mr. S. M. Sikandar with an explanation that the Iftar parties help to bring together Muslim and non-Muslim fraternities of different professions and help them understand the importance of Ramadan. “It is feast to mind and body as well as promotes religious harmony,” he said.