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30 days in Afghanistan: arrival

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Engineer by degree, writer by chance, Muslim by birth and filmmaker by passion, JSG is in Afghanistan for 30 days. He will be taking advantage of his stay there to observe, reflect and write about it. TwoCircles.net will be publishing his posts from Aghanistan.

LGBT community unclear about my project: Monica Dogra

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By Siddharth Jha New Delhi : After facing criticism on social media for asking fans to crowdfund Rs.50 lakhs for her art project...

Shayara Bano case in SC: First understand all forms of separation under Muslim personal...

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By A Mirsab, TwoCircles.net, The Shayara Bano case in Supreme Court has ignited a massive debate across the country over the existing Muslim personal laws....

Time for the world to mend their biased opinion towards Muslims

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By Aziz A Mubaraki, It is although strange, but a fact. Almost a ritual that after every incident of violence involving a Muslim perpetrator, each and every one of the world’s billion-plus Muslims, especially those living in Asian sub continent (read India), is expected to issue a public condemnation denouncing it in strongest terms.

What government can do to curb communal societies and ghettoes?

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By Adnan Alavi, Bollyood actor Emraan Hashmi has said that he was denied a flat at Pali Hills in Mumbai because of his religion. He says that he was advised to buy it in his wife's name [she is a Hindu]. I have written several posts on this issue in the past couple of years. Yes, it's a major problem but it becomes a news when a celebrity says it. Shabana Azami said it once and it had generated a big debate.

जाति-धर्म की बंदिशों के बावजूद भी इन्सानियत ज़िन्दा है…

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विद्या भूषण रावत दिन था शनिवार 31 दिसंबर… जब सभी नए वर्ष के इंतेज़ार में थे. देवरिया ज़िले के बेल्हाम्मा गांव के कुम्हार जाति के...

Pope Francis’ efforts to promote inter-religious unity: A lesson for current day India

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By Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood In mid July 2017, the Interfaith Coalition for Peace organized a talk at India Islamic Cultural Centre (IICC), New Delhi by...

‘Unhappy’ at move to Textiles, Smriti fails to hand charge to Javadekar

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By Anand Singh New Delhi : Smriti Irani may have scoffed at speculation over her ouster with a "Kuch toh log kahengey", but the former...

Unseen and Unheard: The Battle for Shelter and Healthcare in India’s Homeless Population

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Sanjana Chawla, TwoCircles.net India, home to approximately 142 crore people, is bustling with activity and teeming with its populace. Yet, beneath the surface of this...

Hindu philosophy and Dadri lynching

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By Namrata Chaturvedi for TwoCircles.net A man was killed and his family tortured in a village in Uttar Pradesh last week. In a news report,...

Iran: No Cold War with China but Win, Win for all

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By Saeed Naqvi I don't exactly gasp but am puzzled by the indifference with which the media has treated two fascinating Indo-Iranian stories. Now that...

Modi Wave nullified anti-BJP Muslim voting in UP

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By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net, Bihar was a surprise with NDA winning 31 of the 40 seats but it was Modi tsunami in Uttar Pradesh that helped BJP cross the required 272 mark. BJP and Apna Dal won 71 and 2 seats respectively from the state that sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. I find it intriguing that of the seven non-NDA seats in UP two was won by Gandhi family (Sonia & Rahul) and rest five was grabbed by the ruling Yadav clan of Samajwadi Party.

शिकायतों और अनियमितताओं के आईने से प्रधानमंत्री मोदी के आदर्श ग्राम की हक़ीक़त

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समय पूरा होने के बाद भी आधे-अधूरे विकास से जूझ रहा है प्रधानमंत्री का आदर्श गांव जयापुर सिद्धांत मोहन, TwoCircles.net जयापुर/वाराणसी: मोदी के गोद लिए गए...

Some practical steps for boosting Muslims in Civil Services

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By Aabid Ali Haider for TwoCircles.net On Saturday, July 4th, 2015, the UPSC had declared the much awaited results of the prestigious Civil Services Examination,...

Some thoughts on inter-faith dialogue

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By Asghar Ali Engineer, Inter-faith dialogue is becoming commonplace these days and many organizations are organizing it in view of inter-religious tensions in many countries in the world. USA had not known it earlier or very few organizations were involved but post 9/11 Islam came under attack and tensions between Christians and Muslims increased and so many organizations came into being organizing dialogues.

How a malicious report in Times of India has ruined my life and why...

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By Arshad Mohsin for TwoCircles.net The power of mainstream media in spreading information and forming public opinions cannot be underestimated. We all know that when...

Communal violence bill – how useful to victims?

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By Asghar Ali Engineer, The Government has got clearance from the Cabinet for introducing the Communal Violence Bill in the coming session of parliament. The Bill was drafted originally in 2005 after 2004 elections in view of the Gujarat carnage of 2002 under the BJP Government headed by Narendra Modi. It was because of Gujarat carnage that Muslims voted for the Congress massively as a result of which NDA was defeated.

Amartya Sen was right about Left’s lack of pragmatism

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By Amulya Ganguli, IANS, When the Communists withdrew their support to the Manmohan Singh government on the nuclear deal issue last summer, it probably thought that its combative, anti-imperialistic ideological position would give it a boost during the next general election. To consolidate its position, it moved quickly to enlist the support of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) czarina Mayawati to compensate for the defection of the Samajwadi Party from the Leftist ranks to the Congress.

Opposition gives privilege notice against Odisha minister

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Bhubaneswar : The Congress party on Monday gave a breach of privilege notice against Odisha Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh for misleading the...

Of tribes and times

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By Bindu Gurtoo, CNS,

Media prejudice towards Muslims

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By Azizur Rahman for TwoCircles.net, The word “media” plural of the Latin word “medium” has evolved to connote the meaning “all the means of communication” be it print or electronic”. Literally, it does not make any distinction on what to choose and what not, to communicate to the people. Hence, the media is morally obligated to report everything that is in the interest of the nation irrespective of any bias towards what and whom it is relating to.

A look back at the Turkish elections

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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.

Latin America beckons: India must seize the moment

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By Deepak Bhojwani, IANS,

Why China does not want a boundary settlement with India

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By Ranjit Singh Kalha, Recent transgressions by Chinese troops in the northern border areas of India and the protest note by the Chinese foreign office on road building in Arunachal Pradesh have again highlighted the fact that the Sino-Indian boundary issue remains to be settled, despite negotiations for nearly half a century.

Historical mosques of Malabar

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By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net TCN Malabar series: Part 3

Re-defining minorities

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By Yoginder Sikand

Message from the Prophet is clear: coexist

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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.

Shivendra case: No-one to speak up for India

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By Anand Philar, IANS, Tournament Director Ken Read's rather officious justification of Shivendra Singh's three-match suspension (reduced to two following appeal by India) in the ongoing Hockey World Cup might sound plausible, but the punishment exceeds the crime. If anything, it smacks of FIH making an example of a country whose hockey administrators have rarely shown the spunk to stand up and be counted.

No breakthrough for Iran nuclear stalemate in sight after IAEA report

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By Wei Jianhua, Xinhua Beijing : A breakthrough in the deadlock over Iran's controversial nuclear activities remains as elusive as ever, two days after a report by the world's nuclear watchdog threw up more questions than it answered. While the report, circulated by IAEA Director General Mohamed El Baradei Friday, made no final judgment on the Iran nuclear issue, it did succeed however in stimulating contradictory responses from Iran and some western countries.

Delhi Dispute: Is LG Jung Wrong? Is CM Kejriwal right?

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By Kaleem Kawaja Delhi is not a state like any other state of India. It is union territory. In 1991, the Parliament framed some laws...

Mahatma Gandhi saw Independence as empowering individuals to express dissent fearlessly, says grandson Rajmohan...

Lead Story

Prof Rajmohan Gandhi (Research Professor, University of Illinois), who is the grandson of Father of the Indian nation, delivered an online lecture on “Does...

Many madrasas are run like personal business: Waris Mazhari

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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.

COVID vaccine: Is it Halal or not?

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By Asad Mirza, TwoCircles.net It’s not only the Muslims, even Hindus and Jews have raised questions about the use of the COVID vaccine, due to...

Ban killings in the name of ‘honor’

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By Centre For Social Research,

Congress has a lot at stake in Punjab

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By Jaideep Sarin , Chandigarh: When Punjab votes Wednesday, the Congress will have its fingers tightly crossed. The party has gambled by fielding its top...

Haj Subsidy: Religious and constitutional aspects

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By Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood,

Will Obama go further than Reagan in Reykjavik?

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(RIA Novosti political commentator Andrei Fedyashin) - Moscow as well as other capitals expected U.S. President Barack Obama to be more explicit on foreign policy issues at his first news conference. Apparently, because of the financial crisis, America needs time to collect itself.

Protests of Sri Lankan Tamils must not be dismissed as extremism

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By Dharsha Jegatheeswaran and Gajen Mahendra for Twocircles.net All pictures courtesy Tamil Guardian On Saturday September 24, Ezhuka Tamil, organised by the Tamil People’s...

Congress’ parting kick: K Rahman Khan humiliates upright officer

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By The Milli Gazette, In late January came the news that senior IPS officer Mohammad Wazir Ansari has been promoted as the new Chhattisgarh DGP. It was feared that Ansari would leave his current crucial assignment as Secretary of Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF). But he decided to stay with the Foundation.

Gujarat 2002 replayed in Digras (Maharashtra)

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By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,

Md. Nadeem, vice president of Minority Cell of Maharashtra State Congress Party, was with social activist Teesta Setalvad when she visited the violence-hit area of Digras, a taluka of Yavatmal district, on 31st July and 1st August. They listened to victims. Nadeem gives an account of what happened on 18th July in Digras after desecration of Holy Quran. Talking to Mumtaz Alam Falahi on phone from Yavatmal he says police was party to the miscreants who attacked on Muslim areas and ransacked their homes and shops.

Indian elections, BJP & the republicans

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By Mike Ghouse, Fascism was taking root in the world democracies since 2003, its fountain heads were Advani in India and Cheney in the United States. Both of them captured the base emotions of extremism of the people who form less than 1/10th of I% of their party membership, but unfortunately they are the ones that bark cohesively and intensely, and make it appear that it is the voice of all the people. Both the parties have thrived on fear mongering and both have failed miserably.

भारतीय न्याय व्यवस्था के समक्ष चुनौती या अवसर

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मोहम्मद ईनामुल हक़, TwoCircles.net के लिए 12 जनवरी को भारत की न्यायपालिका में एक ऐतिहासिक घटना सामने आई, जिसमें सर्वोच्च न्यायलय के चार वरिष्ठम...

CK Janu’s decision to ally with NDA in Kerala draws ire from other tribal...

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By Shafeeq Hudawi, TwoCircles.net Kozhikode: Kerala Adivasi leader CK Janu’s decision to side with the NDA and contest from the Wayanad seat has drawn criticism...

प्रेमचंद चाचा’ ने ‘अबू बशर’ के कांधे पर अंतिम यात्रा कर निकाली नफ़रत के...

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कृष्णकांत वे अभियान चला रहे थे कि किसी मियां के हाथ से सब्जी न ख़रीदो, तभी प्रेमचंद चाचा ने अबू बशर मियां के कांधे पर...

पहले तो हमारी सोच का दायरा इतना छोटा नहीं था…

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तरन्नुम सिद्दीक़ी, TwoCircles.net के लिए भारत के तमाम नागरिकों को भारतीय संविधान के तहत यह अधिकार हासिल है कि वो जिस धर्म को चाहे, उसके...

Shame on you hoodlums!

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By Firoz Bakht Ahmed ---------------------------------------- I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend, to death, your right to say it — Voltaire ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Quarter century after the political upheaval riots, Bhagalpur weaves India’s destiny

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By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net, A quarter century has passed since the communal earthquake had rocked the silk-city of Bhagalpur in Bihar on October 24, 1989 yet we are still piecing together the rubbles of social, political and economic fabrics.

123 agreement: India got a better deal than China

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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.

Rape: Patriarchy and selective historiography

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By Ram Puniyani

Love Jihad and targeting of religious minorities

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By John Dayal, The recent outpouring of support for the “development” agenda of the Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, by several leaders of the Catholic and Protestant churches may possibly stave off the immediate attention of the Intelligence Bureau and the Ministry of Home affairs, but it is not likely to reduce the deep and seemingly abiding distrust the Indian political and social system has of what is popularly called the “Missionaries”. Nor will it mitigate the hate that is now erupting in India against religious minorities.

A Communist-‘fascist’ tie-up against the nuclear deal

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By Amulya Ganguli, IANS, Instead of the "accidental" prime minister - Manmohan Singh's description of himself - it is the too-clever-by-half communists who have met with an accident in the sense of having suffered a sudden rebuff on the India-US nuclear deal. Significantly, they have been ambushed not by putative opponents like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is on their side in this matter, but their one-time allies - the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.

Coronavirus pandemic and Indian Muslims: Action Plan

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By Kashif-ul-Huda and Dr. Shamsuz Zaman India is anarchy at the best of times. The reason the country seems to be functional is due to...

Muslim expectations from AAP Government

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ZakatIndia's letter to Arvind Kejriwal Dear Sri Arvind Kejriwal Ji, Congratulations for your party's second victory in Delhi. We promise that we the office bearers & members of Zakat Foundation of India shall never seek any personal favor from you or your government for ourselves or any other well placed individual.

For her, New Year’s vow is wildlife conservation

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By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,

Father, tell me about Kashmir

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By Kay Al for TwoCircles.net The protest “B, We have to go a protest today. Do you want to come too?” “What is this protest,...

On the 50th anniversary of the martyrdom of Malcolm X

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By Dr.Asma Anjum Khan, TwoCircles.net, O, Malcolm, My Malcolm: You are present when you are away. Dearest Malcolm, You were just a name for me from my history books; until I read Maya Angelou’s account of meeting you at Harlem. That day something changed.

School-children are not meant to be killed

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By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net,