NGOs need to work with Muslim orgs: Gagan Sethi
Gagan Sethi is the Managing Trustee of Jan Vikas, an NGO in Ahmedabad which has been active in the struggle for justice for the victims of the 2002 Gujarat genocide. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand he talks about his work.
YS: Jan Vikas is said to have played an important role in the battle for justice for the victims of the Gujarat genocide of 2002. What has been the nature of this work?
Indian American in White House! Why not?
By Kul Bhushan, IANS
While celebrating the election of Bobby Jindal as the governor of Louisiana, many Indian Americans are beginning to ask, "Why not an Indian American in the White House?"
Ashok 'Rocky' Madan writes from California, "The White House is not far now!"
Shipping shortcut poses environmental risks
By C.P. Rajendran, IANS
The Sethusamudram ship channel project is deepening a 75-km section of the 152-km passage in the shallow sea between India and Sri Lanka. On the face of it, the idea is excellent as it cuts out the need for ships to circumnavigate Sri Lanka, shortening the journey by about 335 nautical miles between India's east and the west coasts. The Rs.24.28- billion ($609-million) project is already forging ahead.
Indian American in White House! Why not?
By Kul Bhushan, IANS
While celebrating the election of Bobby Jindal as the governor of Louisiana, many Indian Americans are beginning to ask, "Why not an Indian American in the White House?"
Ashok 'Rocky' Madan writes from California, "The White House is not far now!"
Common rights in a plural society
Many minorities at many levels
By Syed Shahabuddin
Minority-majority is a numerical concept to describe the classification of the whole into parts in accordance with a principle of categorization. When applied to human society or to population within a defined area, the concept becomes charged with politics, depending upon the principle of categorization-race, language, religion, caste, class, occupation/profession etc., and becomes relevant to the management of the polity, the economy and the society in the age of democracy.
The Left has limited stake in India’s development
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS
Although the Indian communists are using an ideological cover to explain their opposition to the nuclear deal, there may be another explanation for their obdurate stand. It is the depressing realisation in their ranks that they will never play a major role in Indian politics. As such, they seem to have only a limited stake in India's development.
Muslims and Dalits discriminated in corporate India
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
For some time now and especially after publication of Sachar Committee Report Muslims put much emphasis on acquiring modern education. In rapidly globalized economy of India, education was promised to be the key to a brighter future for Muslim kids.
For some time now and especially after publication of Sachar Committee Report Muslims put much emphasis on acquiring modern education. In rapidly globalized economy of India, education was promised to be the key to a brighter future for Muslim kids.
Back Burma, not the generals
By Sanjoy Hazarika, IANS
The news item was buried deep in the inside pages of a Delhi newspaper. It said that security forces on India's side of the border had been instructed to stop any inflow of refugees or people fleeing the military junta's crackdown in Burma (also known as Myanmar). A couple of days later, another report spoke of people who had been caught trying to come into Manipur from the Burmese side.
Tehran opts for the hard way
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Pyotr Goncharov) - Tehran plans to take a tougher stance in its dialogue with the UN Security Council over its nuclear program.
This conclusion is prompted by the resignation of Ali Larijani as head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council on Saturday. He was Iran's chief negotiator on the nuclear issue.
Changing negotiators at a crucial moment is a bad policy, but Iran is changing more than personnel; it is changing its policy, along with the political elite.
Groundbreaking event in Muslim-Christian solidarity
By Claude Salhani, CGNews
"The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians." An open letter carrying this message was sent by 138 of the world's most senior Muslim leaders to the heads of all Christian churches — including Pope Benedict XVI, addressing Christians around the world on the eve of Eid ul Fitr, the Muslim holy day marking the end of Ramadan.
The right to change one’s religion
By Shaykh Abdallah Adhami, CGNews
From the Code of Hammurabi to the Code of Maimonides, most major systems of law have affirmed that apostasy must be punished.
In the renowned code of the Roman emperor Justinian (483-565 CE), corpus juris civilis — the basis of all Roman canon law and of modern civil law — apostasy was "to be punished by death" and there was "no toleration of dissent".
The marked people
By Harsh Mander,
In today’s world, many things have been globalised. One of these is prejudice. In the name of the global war on terrorism, an entire community has been labelled and demonised. Terror attacks, whether in Washington, London or Madrid, are followed by paranoid surveillance, strip searches and prolonged detentions of large numbers of Muslim youth, often without even tenuous evidence or respect for their elementary human rights.
Why India courts Myanmar’s military junta
By Rahul Bedi, IANS
India's continuing policy of 'constructive engagement' with Myanmar, even after the brutal crackdown on protesting Buddhist monks and despite pressures from the US and the UN to adopt a tougher line against the military junta, is driven exclusively by its strategic and economic interests.
Groundbreaking event in Muslim-Christian solidarity
By Claude Salhani, CGNews
"The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians." An open letter carrying this message was sent by 138 of the world's most senior Muslim leaders to the heads of all Christian churches — including Pope Benedict XVI, addressing Christians around the world on the eve of Eid ul Fitr, the Muslim holy day marking the end of Ramadan.
The right to change one’s religion
By Shaykh Abdallah Adhami, CGNews
From the Code of Hammurabi to the Code of Maimonides, most major systems of law have affirmed that apostasy must be punished.
In the renowned code of the Roman emperor Justinian (483-565 CE), corpus juris civilis — the basis of all Roman canon law and of modern civil law — apostasy was "to be punished by death" and there was "no toleration of dissent".
People of faith should come together to oppose communalism: Shakeel Ahmad
Shakeel Ahmad is the Administrator of the Cell for Legal Help and Guidance of the Jama‘at-I Islami’s Gujarat unit and is also the head of the Islamic Relief Committee (IRC), based in Ahmedabad. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand, he talks about inter-community relations in Gujarat.
YS: Three years after the anti-Muslim pogroms in Gujarat, what significant changes are taking place among Muslims in the state?
BJP wants de-recognition of Champaner Word Heritage Site
Saffron brigade’s bid to de-recognise a unique world heritage site representing pluralistic traditions
By Rupa Abdi, TwoCircles.net
Blatant double standard
By Jyoti Punwani, TOI
With Islamic groups "not being ruled out'' as culprits in the Ludhiana bomb blast, and Bangladeshis being interrogated for the Ajmer blast, it is clear that in India's fight against terrorism, one group of terrorists is being completely excluded.
Pakistan’s malaise
By An Oct 21, 2007 editorial of Malaysia's New Sunday Times newspaper.
The Prime-time terrorist attack in Karachi on Thursday did not need the genius of al-Qaeda.
Benazir Bhutto’s motorcade had traveled just 8km in 10 hours as it inched its way amid thousands of fans from the airport, where she had landed after eight years in exile, to the tomb of Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, where she was to address her adoring crowds.
Poverty and unemployment connected to communal conflict: Rafi Shaikh
By Yoginder Sikand
Meera and Rafi Shaikh run the Centre for Development in Ahmedabad. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand they reflect on the communal situation in Gujarat and talk about their own work.
YS: In the aftermath of the devastating violence in 2002 how do you look at inter-communal relations in Gujarat today?
A new deal for Gujarat
By Manish Tewari,
BJP and Congress are preparing for the big fight in December. Here, Manish Tewari, AICC secretary looking after Gujarat, argues that Modi’s ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ is a myth that will not hold
N-deal: Did the Congress lose its nerve like Rahul Dravid?
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS
Did the Congress lose its nerve, like Rahul Dravid in the Oval Test, and beat a hasty retreat on the India-US nuclear deal? And has it now decided to push through the deal again after realising that backtracking was a costly political mistake? Both explanations seem plausible in the context of the recent twists and turns in the policies of the Grand Old Party of Indian independence.
A unique Muslim identity in Trinidad and Tobago
By Fatima Jafri, Common Ground News Service
In a globalised world of increased communication and information exchange, men and women from the "third world" live in the complicated intersection of colonisation, Western hegemony, traditional expectations and religious customs. As a Pakistani-American woman, I stand at the crux of racial and ethnic difference, and I have spent much time considering how Muslim men and women in predominantly non-Muslim societies both absorb and affect the values and communal expectations of their new homes while simultaneously creating a distinct identity.
Bhutto charisma still holds – despite political blunders
By Nasim Zehra, IANS
As Benazir Bhutto prepares to land in Pakistan Thursday after a nine-year self-imposed exile, Pakistanis know her return qualifies as a major political event. The party her father founded almost four decades ago is still a living entity. Despite all the corruption scandals against her, the party cadres, even if they are fewer and somewhat decrepit, are still there. The cadres and the party supporters will no doubt put up a grand welcome for their party leader.
Terror wears uniform in Hyderabad
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
26 Muslim youth have been arrested in the aftermath of Hyderabad bomb blasts but none of them have been charged for bomb blast case. If Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee of India (CLMCI), a human rights organization based in Hyderabad is to be believed many more can be arrested. Muslims of Hyderabad are living under a terror where perpetrators are uniformed and all state machinery seems to be against its citizen.
26 Muslim youth have been arrested in the aftermath of Hyderabad bomb blasts but none of them have been charged for bomb blast case. If Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee of India (CLMCI), a human rights organization based in Hyderabad is to be believed many more can be arrested. Muslims of Hyderabad are living under a terror where perpetrators are uniformed and all state machinery seems to be against its citizen.
Love and be damned: Rizwan’s story
By Ram Puniyani
When Rizanwanur Rahman, a graphic designer, was found dead on the railway tracks of Kolkata, the police chief without 'wasting' any time, instantly proclaimed that it is a case of suicide. He had no patience to go through the proper investigation, postmortem report etc. This raised many a questions about the motives behind his immediate reaction, as the circumstances of his death raised a lot of questions at various levels.
Hindutva: terrorism’s new signature
By Subhash Gatade
May it be the suicide bombers of LTTE or the jihadists of Al Qaeda or ET guerillas working for a Basque region or the remnants of the Khalistani terrorists or for that matter terrorism unleashed by groups owning allegiance to the Hindutva brigade, the phenomenon of terrorism could be said to span every community or country in different measures.
India, has also of late witnessed a spurt in terrorist attacks. Recently we were told India stands among the top five countries of the world which are susceptible to a terrorist attack.
There may be bigger design behind attacks on mosques
Another bigger design behind these attacks could be Hindutva fascist organizations trying their hands in terrorism after graduating from Gujarat 2002. --- Editor
By Murali Krishnan, IANS
Security experts believe that there may be a definite pattern behind the string of terror attacks on Islamic places of worship across India.
What seemed to be an isolated case initially has become a source of worry for New Delhi and state authorities as they pore over what is clearly a design in the string of terror strikes on mosques and Sufi shrines.
Ajmer bomb blast: who want communal disharmony in India?
By Irfan Engineer
Another bomb blast on 11th October 2007, this time in Ajmer and the target was Dargah of Moinuddin Chisti, also known as Khwaja Garib Nawaz. People of all communities prayed at the Dargah for ages. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims descend in the town on the Urs of Khwaja Garib Nawaz and the entire town of Ajmer is full of pilgrims.
Stop domestic violence now!
This is the spirit of the new law that was passed to prevent domestic violence, provide immediate relief, and stand firmly by victims.
By Nasiruddin Haider Khan
The Prevention of Domestic Violence Act is a historic step towards a gender sensitive law in India. However, the big question remains, how is it different from other existing laws of the land? Why is this law unique? Most importantly, what are the benefits an aggrieved person can get from this law?
The Prevention of Domestic Violence Act is a historic step towards a gender sensitive law in India. However, the big question remains, how is it different from other existing laws of the land? Why is this law unique? Most importantly, what are the benefits an aggrieved person can get from this law?
Have political parties, but spare the pious iftar
By Firoz Bakht Ahmed
Iftar parties in the capital are falling into a rut - the president and the vice president's iftars have taken place while Sonia Gandhi and Shiela Dikshit are about to host their parties. There are so many of them that it is difficult to tell who was the first one to break the ice this year!
Godhra, Gujarat: POTA-affected families struggle to survive
By Yoginder Sikand
Almost six years after a deadly wave of genocidal attacks that targeted Muslims in Gujarat, the victims of the state's worst case of anti-Muslim violence still wage a tough battle for survival. In one of the worst-hit parts of the Gujarat, the Panchmahals district, scores of Muslim families have been reduced to penury after having lost their homes and possessions and with their male earning members still languishing in jails.
Almost six years after a deadly wave of genocidal attacks that targeted Muslims in Gujarat, the victims of the state's worst case of anti-Muslim violence still wage a tough battle for survival. In one of the worst-hit parts of the Gujarat, the Panchmahals district, scores of Muslim families have been reduced to penury after having lost their homes and possessions and with their male earning members still languishing in jails.
It’s changing India that greets NRIs coming home
By Kul Bhushan, IANS
When Surya 'Sue' Patel landed at Mumbai airport, she stepped out like many confident NRIs. Wearing the latest Nike sneakers, a designer pair of jeans and her Rolex watch, she thought she would make her presence felt among her relatives in Mumbai before going on to Gujarat to celebrate Navratri and, later, Diwali.
The Central Madrasa Board Debate
Creating a controversy on the issue of the Board betrays a lack of determination on the part of the government. More dangerously, it diverts public attention from the educational needs of the millions of Muslim children from impoverished families who do not attend madrasas.
Re-Imagining Islamic Ethics in the Context of Fiqh
The Quran is firstly a book of morality and ethics and only later a book of law. The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) mentioned that he had been sent to the world in order to fulfill morality or ethics. This is why we would need to re-read the Quranic revelation within the framework of the universal Islamic morality, which is based on human nature.
Jagjit Singh: a musical demiurge
By Sreeram Chaulia, IANS
With the release of the Gujarati ghazal album "Jeevan Maran Chhe Ek", Jagjit Singh has reasserted his position as a living musical genius of the entire Indian subcontinent. Multitudes of his fans across India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, for whom Gujarati is like Greek or Latin, are seeking out lexical aids to decipher the deep philosophical lyrics of Mareez, which Jagjit has rendered in simultaneously sombre and uplifting moods.
Gandhi, Religion and Indian Nationalism
by Ram Puniyani,
The Gandhi anniversary this year has been very special (2007). With UN declaring 2nd October as the International Day for Non-Violence, with the renewed interest in Gandhi all over the globe one needs to revisit the Father of Indian Nation and his yeomen contribution in the articulation of the concepts of non-violence and nationalism in Indian context. At another level his own unique definitions and practice of religion and definition of God as truth and non-violence have their own matchless place in the history of human thought.
Ram Sethu issue unlikely to boost BJP prospects
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS
The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) hopes of using the Ram Sethu issue for electoral gains are unlikely to be fulfilled. Like the temple, which is no longer of any electoral value for the BJP, the sethu (bridge) doesn't seem to have been of much use in mobilising voters for the party.
Hasrat Mohani: A forgotten freedom fighter
By Asghar Ali Engineer
We are celebrating 150 years of our first war of independence this year. All communities in India, Hindus, Muslims and others not only took part in this war but also made supreme sacrifices for this cause. This war of independence created unprecedented unity between people of India from top to bottom, from ruling classes to common people. All united to mount greatest challenge to the British rule in India.
We are celebrating 150 years of our first war of independence this year. All communities in India, Hindus, Muslims and others not only took part in this war but also made supreme sacrifices for this cause. This war of independence created unprecedented unity between people of India from top to bottom, from ruling classes to common people. All united to mount greatest challenge to the British rule in India.
Myth, History and Politics
by K.N. Panikkar,
Now that Ayodhya is no more a potent force, Ram Sethu has emerged as a possible alternative.
Gujarat: towards vibrancy or abolition of democracy?
By Ram Puniyani
There is a widespread impression amongst different sections of society and media that Narendra Modi is leading Gujarat towards the path of development. Also a section of patidras are happy with his policies which are giving them a fertile ground for social and economic enhancement. Another section of Hindus eulogize him for being the emperor of Hindu hearts, Hindu Hridaya Samrat, in the aftermath Gujarat anti Muslim pogrom, which took place when he was the Chief Minster. He had called this shameful carnage as the Gaurav (honor) of Hindus. Where do matters stand today?
Syria – a difficult but indispensable partner
By Marianna Belenkaya, RIA Novosti
Moscow : Tensions between Syria and Israel are coming to dominate preparations for a multilateral conference on peace in the Middle East, which the United States plans to hold next November.
Musharraf may stay calm until January
By RIA Novosty political commentator Pyotr Goncharov
Moscow : The presidential elections will take place in Pakistan as scheduled - on October 6. The only possible forecast is Pervez Musharraf's re-election.
In the last moment Musharraf took two decisions to guarantee his victory in the elections. First, he named his successor as supreme commander. Second, the government dismissed all accusations against the former prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto, who leads the influential Pakistani People's Party (PPP). No doubt, this decision was sanctioned by Musharraf.
All Muslim sects should agree to disagree: Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Based in New Delhi, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan is a noted Islamic scholar. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand, he talks about the urgent need to promote dialogue and ecumenism between the different Muslim sects.
YS: Although the Quran stresses Muslim unity, Muslims are divided into numerous sects, and some of them see the other sects as enemies. How do you account for this phenomenon of intense sectarianism and the fact that, unlike in the Christian case, there is really no Muslim ecumenical movement to bring the ulema of the different sects on a common platform for serious dialogue?
A Global Satyagraha against Imperialism
By Rohini Hensman
Gandhi’s birth anniversary on October 2 provides a fitting occasion to launch a global satyagraha — defined by him as ‘truth-force’, a non-violent struggle using the power of the truth — against imperialism. Such a struggle is urgently needed today, given the carnage being inflicted by imperialism in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan, and the threat of even greater carnage in Iran. Support for the people of these countries needs to be stepped up to a higher level globally if the continuing holocaust is to be halted.
The Indian Lobby and its Future
By Mike Ghouse
The Indian Lobby is in a good position to march ahead, as much as it is learning from the Israel lobby, it can also learn that going too far, can bring negative returns.
A healthy balance is more sustainable in the long run, than taking advantage of one another. India has always sought a middle ground, has never waged a war on another county, and neither has it aggressively sought to frighten the little nations and rule. It is paying off and we are going to have to sustain that policy and not fall prey to our new relationship.
No madrasa in India provides military training: Maulana Asrar ul-Haq Qasmi
Maulana Asrar ul-Haq Qasmi, a graduate of the Deoband madrasa, is the Assistant General Secretary of the All-India Milli Council and a former General Secretary of the Jami'at ul-'Ulama-i Hind. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand he talks about various aspects of the madrasa system of education in India.
YS: What do you feel about the allegations being leveled today that madrasas are engaged in spreading hatred against other communities?
NRIs celebrate India’s successes and live it up
By Kul Bhushan, IANS
The Indian diaspora has been celebrating a string of Indian successes in the past couple of weeks. Topping them all is the Twenty20 World Cup Cricket win that left the entire country delirious with delight on Sep 24. Many a non-resident Indian shed to be in India to relish the historic moment.
“Balance Has Moved in Favour of Palestinians”: Khalid Mish’al
Hamas ready to accept whatever Palestinians accept in a plebiscite
By Zafarul-Islam Khan
September 29: Musharraf’s Day of Blunders
By Nasim Zehra, IANS
The legal 'home-run' handed down to General Pervez Musharraf was never going to translate into immediate political gain. But the Musharraf government seems to have become adept at aggravating its political problems by its own blunders.
If Sep 28 brought some respite for the Musharraf camp, Sep 29 should have been a day of serious remorse and reflection. The dominant reality of the day was the unfettered application of brutal force by the police on protesting lawyers and on journalists reporting the protests.
Pakistani military bleeding through ‘someone else’s war’
By Rahul Bedi and Brigadier (retd) Arun Sahgal, IANS
The series of strikes on Pakistan's military battling Al Qaeda fighters and tribesmen aligned to the Taliban and its recurring operational setbacks are a pointer to the forces' declining morale and the overall will to fight.
Nearly 1,000 Pakistani soldiers have died fighting insurgents over the past year. And the army, under pressure from the US and other Western powers, appears increasingly unwilling to engage the well armed, battle hardened and cunning insurgents waging civil war against the state.
Ganeshotsav and Indian Muslims
There is no fatwa against Salman Khan but the writer also believed the disinformation of the corporate media. ---- Editor.
By Irfan Engineer
A step to make a home free from violence
By Nasiruddin Haider Khan, special to TwoCircles.net
A series on domestic violence in India
Pakistan will stay hotbed of confrontational politics
By Nasim Zehra, IANS
The split judgement on the petitions challenging General Parvez Musharraf's holding of two offices and also his candidacy for the Oct 6 presidential elections does give him a legal 'go-ahead'. However, it does not give Musharraf and more importantly the process through which he seeks re-election any political legitimacy.
The war shall continue
On the occasion of 100th birth anniversary today we publish Bhagat Singh’s own words.
Bhagat Singh wrote this petition on 20th March 1931, just three days before he was hanged to death that his struggle is against exploitation done by British or Indian and he rather be shot to death. He was just 23 when hanged to death. --- Editor
Bhagat Singh's last petition
To
The Punjab Governor
Sir,
Modern educated Muslims must take lead: Waris Mazhari
Waris Mazhari, a leading Islamic scholar, is the editor of the New Delhi-based Tarjuman- i Dar ul-Ulum, the official organ of the Old Boys' Association of the Deoband Madrasa.In this interview with Yoginder Sikand he talks about the problems that mark inter-sectarian relations among the Indian Muslim ulema.
YS: The Quran and Hadith places much stress on the unity of Muslims. How, then, do you explain the fact of fierce sectarian disputes among the different groups or sects of Muslims today?
What is the National Dharma Shastra?
By Ram Puniyani
Judiciary as the top arbiter of the disputes on all the issues is some times caught up in delivering judgments on things for which an individual judge may not be well equipped. The case in point is the famous 'Hindutva as a way of life' by Justice Varma of Supreme Court.
Deoband’s Rector on Central Madrasa Board
By Yoginder Sikand
The recent suggestion by Justice Siddiqui, Chariman of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, that the Government of India set up a Central Madrasa Board has been welcomed by a small section of the Indian ulema, but many of the more influential Muslim clerics in the country have strongly opposed it. Although the press has highlighted this fact, it has not cared to seriously look at the arguments that these clerics make in this regard, thus reinforcing the deeply-held stereotype of the ulema being allegedly wholly opposed to madrasa reform.
The return of the natives – global Indians are returning home
By Shubha Singh, IANS
Global Indians are wooing and are being wooed by top Indian corporates to return home to India. It is not just techies but Indians working in different sectors of industry are homeward bound to be part of a booming Indian economy. The number of returning non-resident Indians (NRIs) has swelled in the past one year as expatriates find better job offers in India.
Twenty20 final a night to remember for small town heroes
By K. Datta
It was a night to remember. Two sons of a muezzin from Gujarat who had prayed to Allah for their success in the holy month of Ramadan, a lad from a large Mumbai family of humble means who had sought Lord Ganesha's blessings for him, a stout-hearted son of an unknown "paan" stall owner from the dusty town of Rohtak in Haryana who didn't have the kind of resources to buy him cricket gear, small-towners with fire in their bellies and better placed metropolitan dashers.
Humanity doesn’t change with geography
By Pensee Afifi and Jane Slusark, Common Ground News Service
The Arab world and the West represent two sides of the same coin. Though we are from different parts of the globe, we are two parts that make up a whole: we live in the same world. In that respect, though we all have our distinct cultures, it is worth remembering — and strengthening — our universal culture.
The importance of meeting face-to-face
By Susan Harrison, Common Ground News Service
In 2004 I went to Qom, Iran to participate in a conference called "Revelation and Authority", a dialogue between North American Christian Mennonite scholars and local Muslim Shiite scholars. A few months ago, we met again - this time in Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. It was a joyful, collegial reunion and, in addition, a nonverbal connection seemed to occur when we looked at each other again, face-to-face.
Message from the Prophet is clear: coexist
By Hisham al-Zoubeir, Common Ground News Service
As the world watches the terrible eruption of violence between Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq and is subjected to sporadic communiqués by vigilantes calling for violence against their opponents both within the Muslim community and without, many who are unfamiliar with Islam and Muslims may be forgiven for thinking the worst of both the religion and its followers. Yet in Islam and Muslim history, the precedent for religious co-existence is primordial.
Maulana Saifullah Rahmani on madrasa reforms
By Yoginder Sikand
The media might portray them as vehemently opposed to change, but that is not quite an apt description of the Indian ulema as a class. Here, as elsewhere, such banal generalizations are quite unwarranted. In recent years, in fact, a number of ulema associated with leading Indian madrasas have been advocating reform, both in the madrasa system as well as in the relations between the ulema and the wider society. And, slowly but steadily, such changes are being noticed.
Is India aligning in a new Cold War?
By Sreeram Chaulia, IANS
Even as Russo-American tensions smoulder from Eastern Europe and Central Asia to the Arctic seabed, the US Secretary of State is denying the onset of a renewed Cold War. Yet, unmistakable signals of a counter-balancing effort by Russia and China were sent last month through the largest-ever war games of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a six-nation anti-US alliance.
Delhi: Restraint averts a major conflagration in Okhla
By V.K. Tripathi
On September 22, 2007, Batla House (Okhla) Delhi witnessed a confrontation between hawkers/ residents and police. In the same area few years ago an innocent person was killed in police firing. Hence, as newspapers on September 23 carried the news prominently on the front page about the incident, many people in other parts of Delhi felt alarmed. I got the news bit late as I was away to my village. At noon on September 23 I talked to Ajay Sahay, a close friend and Gandhian activist who works among the slum dwellers in the area. At 4 PM I left for Okhla.
Instability raises questions on Pakistan’s future
By Rahul Bedi, IANS
A steady collapse of governance across Pakistan and the resultant loss of state control over large swathes of its territory have heightened insecurity in the country, triggering ominous portents for the future.
The Pakistani state - represented almost exclusively by the army and the larger security apparatus - exercises limited control over the western Balochistan province, parts of neighbouring Sindh province and portions of North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
Fasting: conquest of spirit over flesh
By Rupa Abdi, TwoCircles.net
There’s a hidden sweetness in the stomach’s emptiness.
We are lutes, no more, no less. If the sound box
is stuffed full of anything, no music.
If the brain and the belly are burning clean
with fasting, every moment a new song comes out of the fire.
The fog clears, and new energy makes you
run up the steps in front of you.
Be emptier and cry like reed instruments cry.
Emptier, write secrets with the reed pen…….
There’s a hidden sweetness in the stomach’s emptiness.
We are lutes, no more, no less. If the sound box
is stuffed full of anything, no music.
If the brain and the belly are burning clean
with fasting, every moment a new song comes out of the fire.
The fog clears, and new energy makes you
run up the steps in front of you.
Be emptier and cry like reed instruments cry.
Emptier, write secrets with the reed pen…….
Ram Sethu issue could lead to Hindu vs Hindu clashes
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) must have realised by now that the Ram Sethu controversy will not be a rerun of the Ram temple issue of a decade-and-a-half ago which propelled the party from the margins of Indian politics to centrestage.
The reason is that there is no anti-Muslim angle in the sethu dispute. As such, it will not be possible for the party to exploit communal sentiments, as it did in the 1990s, to build up political support.
Matter of secularism and faith
By Irfan Engineer
In a developing country like India, if faith is pitted against secularism, it proves advantageous politically to the rightist political parties. It amounts to playing on their home turf. Sangh Parivar has always derided secularism as a western concept. The BJP, and to some extend media commentators and columnists also, have been seeing the issue of affidavit filed by the Archeological Survey of India in the Supreme Court in reply to a petition challenging Ramasethu Samudram Project in this light.
To Muslims, Ram is their Imam-e-Hind
By Firoz Bakht Ahmed, IANS
On behalf of all Muslims who believe in reason and sanity, I declare that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) affidavit (since withdrawn) questioning the existence of Hindu god Ram was vitriolic, scathing, unfortunate and blasphemous -not just to Hindus but to all those who cherish our pluralistic cultural heritage. How can a government decide the veracity of a figure like Ram?
He Ram ke wajood pe Hindostan ko naaz/Ahl-e-nazar samajhtey hein usko Imam-e-Hind!
Agra: a series of unfortunate events
By Kashif-ul-huda, TwoCircles.net
The night of August 28th and 29th was celebrated as Shab-e-Barat (night of emancipation) by Muslims of the city of Agra. On Shab-e-Barat, Muslims spend the whole night in worship, visiting graves and praying for the dead.
Where is the Aligarian spirit?
By M. Ghazali Khan
Inna Lillahi-wa-Inna Ilehi Rajioon! Once again an innocent life has been lost. Once again AMU is in the media for the failure of its administration in maintaining law and order and the unruliness of its students.
Endgame in Afghanistan and the Musharraf factor
By Brig Arun Sahgal (retd) and Rahul Bedi
The United States' apparent determination to somehow ensure a second term in office for Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf is closely linked to Washington's efforts to 'manage' Afghanistan that is fast spiralling out of its control.
Information pieced together from diplomats as well as military and Western security sources reveal that the US is embarked on a course to orchestrate the 're-coronation' of Musharraf in return for his assistance in brokering a deal with the 'good' and 'moderate' Taliban.
Endgame in Afghanistan and the Musharraf factor
By Brig Arun Sahgal (retd) and Rahul Bedi, IANS
The United States' apparent determination to somehow ensure a second term in office for Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf is closely linked to Washington's efforts to 'manage' Afghanistan that is fast spiralling out of its control.
Information pieced together from diplomats as well as military and Western security sources reveal that the US is embarked on a course to orchestrate the 're-coronation' of Musharraf in return for his assistance in brokering a deal with the 'good' and 'moderate' Taliban.
Terai agitation raises new questions before Nepal
By Shubha Singh, IANS
The Maoist decision to pull out of the interim government in Kathmandu and the worsening security situation in Nepal's Terai region have cast a shadow over the elections to the country's Constituent Assembly scheduled for November.
Aligarh Muslim University paralyzed again
By Mirza A. Beg
About five month ago Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) was in turmoil. Two students had been killed and the administration was moribund. The Vice Chancellor, Mr. Naseem quietly abdicated or felt forced to abdicate and skipped town through the back door. Alumni and well-wishers of AMU were abuzz with righteous hand winging and heartfelt advice. I expressed my views in an article, on the vicious cycle at the AMU. http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2007/april/12/articles/the_vicious_circle_at_aligarh_muslim_university.html
Awards galore for British NRIs
By Kul Bhushan, IANS
Most NRIs who have distinguished themselves in Britain have a cupboard full of awards. These British Asians, as they are called in Britain, have awards for being the top in almost every field: politics, showbiz, fashion, food (read curry), social service and business, which of course means just being rich. And of course 'The Most Powerful British Asian Women'!
The Gita as India’s National Book?
Bizarre judgment backs Hindutva's assault on Indian constitution.
By Gautam Kumar
Could Indian spirituality have helped Mother Teresa?
By Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, IANS
Mother Teresa has done unparalleled service to India. Could she also have benefited from the unparalleled spiritual wealth of India? Yes, definitely!
Although Mother Teresa lived in this ancient land of rich spiritual heritage, she stayed away from Indian spirituality and remained an island unto herself. It is not uncommon for spiritual seekers to lose sight of what is happening inside them when they get involved in serving others.
Islamic terrorism: myth or reality
By Mohd. Mohibul Haque
Terrorism has become a global scourge these days. It is a menace, which does not distinguish between Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus or anyone. Hence, it would be unrealistic to compartmentalize this global menace on the basis of religion and geography. It is simply inhuman, cruel and barbaric which must be condemned in all its forms and manifestations.
Searching for a Palestinian Mandela
By Byron Bland
Several years ago, a high-level Israeli official asked me to tell him everything I could about how the Israelis might find their Palestinian Nelson Mandela. His question was interesting and appropriate, but also troubling; the Afrikaners didn't really "find" Mandela. It took several months before the answer came to me: Show me the Palestinian to whom you Israelis are willing to lose, and I will to show you your Palestinian Mandela.
123 agreement: India got a better deal than China
By Gurmeet Kanwal, IANS
The Left parties have launched a stir to oppose the Indo-US nuclear deal and have, additionally, threatened to withdraw their support to the government if their concerns are not addressed. As the Left parties take their bearings from Beijing, they should compare the finer points and nuances of the deal that India has got with the 123 agreement that China signed with the US.
Pakistani dictators have a shelf life of 10 years
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS
Pakistan's tryst with individual dictators seems to last for about 10 years. Even Ayub Khan (1958-69), who had the advantage of assuming charge when dictators everywhere were America's favourites, couldn't last much longer.
Adams’ Bridge- Faith Verses National Interest
By Syed Ali Mujtaba, TwoCircles.net
The case of "Adams' Bridge", a mythical barrier situated south-east of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu, India, connecting Talaimanar coast of Sri Lanka has snowballed into a faith verses national interest controversy. The Supreme Court of India is hearing a public interest litigation petition on the multi core Sethusamundram canal project that involves dredging of a sea channel cutting across the Adams' Bridge across the Gulf of Mannar.
The case of "Adams' Bridge", a mythical barrier situated south-east of Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu, India, connecting Talaimanar coast of Sri Lanka has snowballed into a faith verses national interest controversy. The Supreme Court of India is hearing a public interest litigation petition on the multi core Sethusamundram canal project that involves dredging of a sea channel cutting across the Adams' Bridge across the Gulf of Mannar.
Change in madrasa structure and syllabus is imperative: Maulana Saeed ur-Rahman
By Yoginder Sikand
Maulana Saeed ur-Rahman is the principal of the renowned Nadwat ul-'Ulama madrasa in Lucknow. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand he talks about allegations madrasas as well as the question of madrasa reforms
YS: What do you have to say about the current propaganda against madrasas as allegedly being 'dens of terror''?
Leaving the “Islamic State of Indonesia”: An interview with Mataharitimoer
By Ayu Arman, Common Ground News Service
Jakarta – After more than ten years of hiding after leaving the Negara Islam Indonesia (NII) or Islamic State of Indonesia movement, Mataharitimoer has re-emerged with a surprising autobiography, Forbidden Jihad, a Story from the Underground. In the following interview, Eddy Prayitno, a.k.a. Mataharitimoer, describes the NII's vision and methods for implementing Islamic law.
Denial of democracy will only fuel extremism in Pakistan
By Alok Bansal, IANS
The manner in which former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was bundled off to Saudi Arabia on his arrival in Pakistan clearly indicates that 'genuine functional democracy' is not going to be ushered in Pakistan in the near future. President Pervez Musharraf may be down but he is definitely not out, as the only institution that counts, namely the army, still backs him and as long as he enjoys the support of his uniformed colleagues, he can withstand any Nawaz Sharif or Benazir Bhutto -- US pressure on him notwithstanding.
A Muslim’s real jehad is to expose terrorists
By Firoz Bakht Ahmed, IANS
With so many voices stating that the religion advocates violence, Islam is today under the scanner. Not all of them can be wrong -- people judge by what they see and today these terrorists speak and act violently in the name of Islam.
Ramadan -Opportunity to work for the better world
By Asfar Faridy
Muslims are getting ready to welcome the holy month of Ramadan. Its not only the month of fasting but also of more prayer and opportunity to come closer to the Almighty Allah, at the same time it gives immense opportunity to control oneself. In this way the holy month of Ramadan can be taken as annual prescription for the purification of the soul as well as maintenance of the body.
Why communalism persists in 21st century India?
By Vishal Arora, IANS
How can we expect the evil of communalism to go away if the commission investigating one of India's worst communal crimes, the demolition of the Babri mosque in 1992, makes civil society wait for more than 14 years -- without much hue and cry.
Playing hooky from reality – women’s hockey loses to ‘Chak De!’
By Chitra Padmanabhan, IANS
Time was when you watched a film and exclaimed that it had captured so much of real life. Today the trend has reversed: we compare a real life situation to a certain turn of the script in some film. "Just like in that movie," we say wonderingly. That sense of wonder has nothing to do with real life; it has everything to do with reel life. In fact, the image has become more real than the real thing.
Use religion for constructive purpose: Maulana Sayyed Hamid ul-Hasan
Maulana Sayyed Hamid ul-Hasan is the principal of the Jami'a Nazmia, Lucknow, a madrasa catering to the Ithna 'Ashari Shi'a community. He is one of the leading Shi'a ulama of India, having been educated at Najaf Ashraf under the well-known Shi'a mujtahid, Ayatollah Agha Khui. Interview by Yoginder Sikand
YS: What do you have to say about the current propaganda against the madrasas as 'dens of terror''?
Malegaon: a year later
By Aleem Faizee
THE TRAGIC MOMENTS THAT STILL HAUNTS
When the Malegaonians woke up to September 08, 2006, it was not an ordinary day but was...
N-deal ratification is not a good idea
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS
The nuclear deal has thrown up another contentious issue. It is the question of parliament giving its approval to an international treaty by ratifying it, as in the US Congress.
The Indian constitution, based on the Westminster model, doesn't have such a provision. Here, the government needs only to inform parliament about such treaties, the inference being that if a majority of MPs are against the step, they can bring down the government.
The rural perspective on the India-US n-deal
By Sudhir Rao, IANS
The recent past has seen the Indian polity in a state of entropy as a result of the proposed India-US nuclear deal. The Left Front ideologically considers the deal as a threat to India's sovereignty. The electronic and print media has covered a range of issues related to the deal. However, despite 70 percent of the Indian population being rural, the ongoing debate has ignored the perspective of the 'aam admi', the common man.
Masturat Trust: An oasis of hope
By Rupa Abdi, TwoCircles.net
After the 2002 communal riots of Gujarat, while the politicians were busy reaping the benefits of the violence and hatred that they had unleashed, and the media was busy writing about it, it was left to a few individuals like Mehrunisa Mansuri, resident of Juhapura - on of the communal cauldrons of Ahmedabad, to pick up the pieces.
After the 2002 communal riots of Gujarat, while the politicians were busy reaping the benefits of the violence and hatred that they had unleashed, and the media was busy writing about it, it was left to a few individuals like Mehrunisa Mansuri, resident of Juhapura - on of the communal cauldrons of Ahmedabad, to pick up the pieces.
Many madrasas are run like personal business: Waris Mazhari
Waris Mazhari is the editor of the Delhi-based Urdu monthly Tarjuman Dar ul-Ulum, the official organ of the Old Boys' Association of the Dar ul-Ulum, Deoband. In this interview with Yoginder Sikand, he talks about the much-debated issue of madrasa reforms in India in the context of the recent proposal of the National Minorities' Education Commission for the setting up of a Central Madrasa Board.
India’s Largest Naval War Game in Bay of Bengal
By Syed Ali Mujtaba
The largest-ever war game hosted by the Indian Navy, codenamed Malabar CY 07-2, is to be held in the Bay of Bengal from 4-9 September. However, this has stirred a hornet's nest in the country. Opinions remain divided for and against New Delhi's military engagement with the US.
Twenty-four warships from five countries are taking part in the Malabar series of naval exercises at 100 nautical miles west of the Andamans and 500 miles East of the Indian shores in the Bay of Bengal.
India’s chariot festival celebrates communal harmony
By Hemant Kumar Rout, IANS
Behind the cheerful chaos of India's many festivals lies its deeply syncretic core. Like the annual chariot festival where millions of Hindus across North India celebrate a triad of deities coming out of their temple homes, ably helped by Muslims who join in the festivities not because religion demands it, but because tradition and mutual respect call for it.
President Pratibha Patil – breaking a 60-year male bastion
By Liz Mathew, IANS
Table tennis champion, lawyer, veteran politician, wife, mother and now India's first woman president and supreme commander of its armed forces, Pratibha Devisingh Patil is the quintessential woman of substance reconciling her many facets with ease as she prepares to guide the Indian polity for the next five years.
Table tennis champion, lawyer, veteran politician, wife, mother and now India's first woman president and supreme commander of its armed forces, Pratibha Devisingh Patil is the quintessential woman of substance reconciling her many facets with ease as she prepares to guide the Indian polity for the next five years.
Dark clouds over Manmohan Singh government are lifting
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS
The immediate threat to the Manmohan Singh government over the civil nuclear deal with the United States seems to have disappeared. For a start, it has been able to work out a formula for pacifying the belligerent Left parties by setting up a committee to examine the deal. But it is clearly no more than a typical delaying tactic to defuse the situation and doesn't mean the pact is about to be scrapped.
It is really a step that will enable the Left to claim that it has not been roundly rebuffed.
Some questions related to Muslims and India
By Nasiruddin Haider Khan
Translated from Hindi by TwoCircles.net
By writing this I am taking the risk of being labeled by my friends. Some will try to put me into one stereotype mould or another. This is a risk worth taking for the questions that I have on my mind.
NRIs made a kill during sub-prime downturn
By Kul Bhushan, IANS
NRI investors are sharp. They waste no time in picking up stocks when the prices are down on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) -- and sell them quickly when the prices move up. The short-term investors know the game of making money on the BSE.
In defense Of pluralism
By Ram Puniyani
A debate has been raging in the society about secularists being anti Hindu. Numerous examples are cited, their stance on the culprits of Godhra train burning, culprits of Bane family burning in Radhabai chawl, and to cap it all their insensivity to the plight of Kashmiri Pundits and security of Hindus in Kashmir. What is the truth? Why the perception sustains in this direction, not only by RSS combine communalists but in milder form by other sections of society also.
The Pakistan paradox
By Nasim Zehra, Common Ground News Service
As Pakistan celebrates its 60th anniversary of independence this year, political turbulence and chronic problems such as low literacy and inadequate health services persist. But there is another untold story: Pakistan is experiencing a cultural and political reinvigoration.
A look back at the Turkish elections
By Saad Eddin Ibrahim and Mensur Akgun, C G News Service
We were both in Turkey before and after Sunday, 22 July, the day of the intensely debated parliamentary elections. Given the large-scale, contentious demonstrations and the post-modernist military intervention - via the internet - over the issue of secularism, there were hundreds of eager international observers expecting something spectacular to happen. But to their dismay, and to the dismay of many others, balloting was calm and orderly.
Communal Polarisation in South India and the Hyderabad Bomb Blasts
By Irfan Engineer
Yet another bomb blast in Hyderabad in Lumbini Park and Gokul Chaat on 25th August 2007, has left us all shattered. The sooner the culprits are caught and punished, the better for the society. At least the suspense would end as to who is involved and why?
News analysis: Can cabinet reshuffle save Abe’s political fortune?
By Ni Hongmei, Xinhua
·Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday reshuffled his 11-month old cabinet.
·As the ruling party president, Abe also named a whole new leadership of LDP.
·In Monday's shake-up, Nobutaka Machimura, 62, was appointed as foreign minister.
Tokyo : Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday reshuffled his 11-month old cabinet, replacing key ministerial posts including chief cabinet secretary and ministers of defense, foreign affairs and finance with veteran politicians.
India’s spiritual wealth is a sign of her strength
By M. Rajaque Rahman, IANS
As India turns 60, an open invitation to shape a new global order is awaiting India's affirmative response. One only has to go by reports of how the world is lapping up Indian spirituality to find that elusive magic formula for peace.
The popularity abroad of the formula of yoga, pranayama and meditation confirms that paranoia about Indian spirituality is gradually giving way to a sense of appreciation and acceptance. At least, outside India!
Will Left’s ideological rigidity be another ‘historical error’?
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS
Notwithstanding the possibility of a lowering of tension between the Congress and the communists over the India-US civil nuclear deal, two things can be predicted with a reasonable degree of certainty.
One is that the Manmohan Singh government will not be able to hold out for its full five-year term ending in 2009. The Left's ideologically driven opposition to closer ties with the US means that a point of no return is being reached between it and the Congress although, for the present, the comrades have decided not to destabilise the government.
Indian Muslims and Israeli propaganda
By Alan Hart
The Israeli report on the first ever “extensive tour” of the Zionist state by a delegation of “Indian Muslim leaders” is a prime example of pure propaganda masquerading as news. It’s not often that grotesque misrepresentations are hysterically funny, but this one is.
Tempest in a teacup over a deal!
By Arun Kumar, IANS
Washington : The tempest in New Delhi that threatens to unravel the India-US civil nuclear deal may well be the proverbial "storm in a teacup", as the hapless Indian ambassador here suggested in a moment of indiscretion.
It may be hard to hear reason in the din over Ronen Sen's self-admittedly tactless remark about "headless chickens", but analysts point out that the implementing the bilateral and highly technical 123 agreement finalised here last month is well within the lines drawn by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President George Bush.
Attack on Taslima: love of Islam or love of power?
By Asghar Ali Engineer
It was shocking that three MLAs of Majlis Ittahidul Muslimin in Hyderabad gate crashed into the book release function of her book “Lajja” translated into Telugu on 9th August and tried to beat up Taslima and shouted slogans using unbecoming words, even using abusing language. And all this in the name of Islam as if Islam stands for such hooliganism.
Science And The Islamic World
By Mohammad Tariq Saeed
In response to the article published in Outlook magazine by Parvez Hoodbhoy
This is a very good article and the author deserves our commendation for its being published in a major national magazine. Serves to clear up quite a few misconceptions, especially prevalent in the sub-continent. Also presents a wealth of contemporary statistics, showing very plainly and truly the intellectual poverty of the Muslim world. However there are a few points which need further discussion:
Global giants make foray into Indian advertising industry
By Sushma Ramachandran, IANS
The advertising scenario in the country came into sharp focus with the visit of Martin Sorrell, head of one of the world's largest advertising agencies, WPP. His agency also has a large footprint in India, having bought a stake in the major agencies like Rediffusion DY&R, Grey, and Ogilvy and Mather. During his visit, he made it clear that emerging markets like India and China are becoming increasingly important for multinational giants.
Indo-US Nuke Deal In Line of Fire
By Syed Ali Mujtaba, TwoCircles.net
"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a traitor who has betrayed the nation by continuous bluffing on the Indo-US nuclear deal. Had an American President done that he would have been removed, if it were in China they would have settled it with one bullet in his head." These comments are made by the NDA convener and opposition leader George Fernandes.
Fernandes comments have sparked off a fierce debate in the country, whether Indo-US nuclear deal is in India's interest or it undermines the national sovereignty.
Prepare youth to be the leaders of tomorrow
By Nathan Render, CG News Service
What do religious extremists and interfaith youth organisers have in common? A lot more than one might think.
College students begin their search for summer internships with enthusiasm and excitement at the opportunity to make an impact. Unfortunately, many end up doing busywork, unable to share their skills and talents. Still, these overworked, underpaid students are motivated to find meaning in their jobs. Most are trying to find purpose in their lives as they transition from childhood to adolescence, and ultimately adulthood.
Courtroom trial tells on India-Myanmar relations
By Syed Ali Mujtaba
The trial of the infamous 1998 ‘Operation Leech’ in Kolkata court is turning out to be a public relations disaster for New Delhi. This is crucially at a time when several big business deals with Myanmar's military junta hang in the balance.
‘Operation Leech’ refers to Indian intelligence sting operation capturing 34 Myanmar nationals in Andaman’s Landfall Island on February 8, 1998.
The Army’s version says they captured an "international gang of gun smugglers" waging a war against the nation.
India’s Statue of Liberty
By Dr. Joseph D'souza
International President, Dalit Freedom Network
www.josephdsouza.com
On August 15th, India celebrates her 60th birthday as a modern independent nation. Celebrations are already on as Indians proudly remember their past 60 years and the many successes in them. The Dalit freedom movement too celebrates the founding of the democratic Indian nation. There is much to be proud of.
Cynicism of ‘secular’ parties helps Hindu, Muslim extremists
By Amulya Ganguli, IANS
As if to show that Hindu extremism too is alive and well, the Shiv Sena of Mumbai followed up the Islamic fundamentalist Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen's (MIM) attack on Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen by ransacking the offices of Outlook magazine for depicting Sena chief Bal Thackeray as a villain.