By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Hyderabad: The second day of spring of Islam conference by Jamat-e-Islami in Hyderabad concluded seven more significant sessions of the conference.
The session for journalists, advocates and academicians was organized correspondingly which was addressed by many high profile speakers.
Justice Ahmadi speaking at the conference.
The session for journalists was on the topic of ‘how to make journalism a representative of the real issues’. AM Khan Yazdani of NTV, Shoukat Ali Sufi, Editor of Rashtriya Sahara (AP), and Syed Ali, journalist from Kolkata gave their views. Abdul Salam Puthige, editor and chief of Kannada daily Vartha Bharati gave the presidential address on how he perceives role of journalism for a better society.
Yovnne Ridely, British journalist who converted to Islam after she was in captive of Taliban was the key speaker of the journalist session. Ridely, who was denied visa by Indian government at the last moment to attend the conference, addressed the session live through Skype.
She in her brief but eloquent address said, that power of media should not be underestimated. Ridely said it is difficult to take on the world which is full of negative stereotypes propagated by the media. She advised Muslim youths to join media to spread the message of Islam. “If you cannot beat them, then join them and beat them from within,” she said.
She also said that non-journalists can also do their bit in fighting negative propaganda against Islam by writing letters to the editors whenever news agency carries false report portraying Islam in low light.
The advocates’ session was addressed by prominent lawyers and by the former chairman of state human rights commission E Ismail. The key note address of the session was delivered by former chief justice of India Aziz Mushabber Ahmedi.
Justice Ahmedi, in spite of his ill health, addressed the gathering of Muslim legal practitioners. In his address he said, Muslim community wants to properly utilize the law, then they have to remove any kind of fear of the system from their minds. He said Muslims like rest of Indians have been provided rights under the Constitution and Indian Muslims should apply those rights.
He asked Muslim community to properly use right to education and make their children educated. In his speech, justice Ahmedi, by giving examples, defined the importance of education especially for Muslim women.
Justice Ahmedi also discussed bias and prejudices in the criminal prosecution system. He said that people are losing hope from the criminal prosecution system as police have made a point to often arrest innocents, and police has developed a mentality that after arresting an accused their job is done.
He also gave suggestion that to make police public friendly, ‘lathi’ (stick) from their hand should be taken. “Nowhere in the Constitution it is given that police should have lathis, take lathis from their hand then see how their attitude towards general public will change,” Justice Ahmedi said.
In the academician session special importance was given to explore the ways to propagate education in the Muslim community. The session was addressed by former vice-chancellor of Osmania University Prof. Suleman Siddiqui, Dr. Aslam Abdullah university of Naveda L.A., and Dr. Faheemuddin Ahmed of Maulana Azad National Urdu University. The presidential address was given by Dr. Abdul Bari Momeen, President All India Ideal Teacher Association, teachers’
wing of JIH.
Another important session of the day was of social activists which explored the title of ‘Khairul Umateen’ given to Muslim community in Quran. Hamed Mohammed Khan, president of JIH sister organization Movement for Peace and Justice, gave the inaugural address, and illustrated the concept of ‘Khaira Umateen’ and its relation to social activism. The presidential address was given by Prof. AA Faizi of Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration, Mussorie.
After afternoon prayers two separate sessions for women and children were arranged. Many schools from the city made their children participated in the kid’s session, which was also attended by Hafiz Baig and Rashed Baig, receptionist of National children award 2012 by President of India. Awards were also given to the children who made an exceptional performance in arts. The women session also witnessed huge turnout which was addressed
mainly by JIH women wing leaders, including women section national chairman Atiya Siddiqui.
In the evening nearly 25,000 men and women attended general people session which was addressed by top JIH leaders. The general session began with fierce speech by Taufeeq Aslam Khan, JIH Maharashtra president on the ‘signs of domination of Islam’ and ended with presidential address by Khaled Mubasheer Zafar, in charge JIH greater Hyderabad.