By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: When the word “Islam” or its adjective “Islamic” is attributed to a variety of things, more prominently today to terrorism and terrorists, a week-long international book fair concluding today at India Islamic Cultural Centre in New Delhi is also preceded with the word “Islamic”, indicating that the negative propaganda about the religion has only proved a boon for certain publishers.
The reputed Al Hasanat Books Private Limited and India Islamic Cultural Centre have jointly organized the International Islamic Book Fair. A variety of books catering to different aspects of Islam are available at the fair. The fair has stalls with books from as far as US and UK to as close as Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Publishers from Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Beirut are also showcasing their books in the fair.
If we can get books on Hadith, Fiqh and the life of the Prophet, we can also have books on terrorism and Islam, divorce and interest free banking. The book which almost ended the political career of a big BJP leader is also in good demand.
Jaswant Singh’s book on Mohammad Ali Jinnah is available both in English (Jinnah—India, Partition, Independence) and Urdu (Jinnah— Ittehad se Taqseem tak) at the Pakistani stall. Fareed Miyan from Pakistan says Jaswant’s book is selling in good number. Another good selling book from the stall, he says, is a pictorial book on holy places related to the Prophet (Tabarrukat-e-Nabvi ka Tasweeri Album).
Besides books, the fair has also stalls selling scarves, attar, pen stands and car hangings.
According to a sales manager at the fair, four to five thousand people have visited the fair in one week, with men and women in almost equal number.