Mayhem in Mumbai ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 5

Terror in the
Name of God

Terrorism—and this includes terror resorted to by non-state actors as well as by the state—today poses a grave threat to the peoples
of both India and Pakistan. Islamist and Hindutva terrorism feed on each other, while posing to be each other’s most inveterate foes.
BY YOGINDER SIKAND different nations and that the latter could for autonomy in provinces increasingly a major impetus under the American-backed
“Never forget that the life of this world live in India only if they agreed to turn Hindu restive of Punjabi domination mounted, first and hugely unpopular military dictator,
is only a game and a passing delight, a or else be stripped of all civic rights—the in the erstwhile East Bengal, and then in General Zia ul-Haq, who cynically backed
show ….the life of this world is nothing but ideologues of the Pakistan movement Baluchistan and Sindh, the Pakistani state radical Islamist groups to win public support
means of deception: claimed that the Hindus and Muslims of pre- came to increasingly rely on an instrumental as well as to pursue the CIA-funded war
(The Quran, Al-Hadid: 20) Partition India were two irreconcilable use and cynical manipulation of Islam and against the Soviets in Afghanistan. It was
“There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim” nations that could not live together. On the on the bogey of Hindu or Indian domination at around this time that self-styled Islamist
(Baba Guru Nanak Sahib) basis of this specious argument, they to ensure its survival and increasingly groups began entering the political arena in
According to media reports, it is demanded a separate state for the Indian threatened legitimacy. Naturally, this a major way, setting up political parties and
possible that the recent deadly assault on Muslims. This is how Pakistan came into expanded the space and scope for groups, fighting elections. This led to all sorts of
Mumbai was masterminded by the Lashkar- being. not just the Lashkar, but scores of others as compromises, to widespread corruption and
e Tayyeba, a Pakistan-based self-styled Thus, the very basis of the Pakistan well, who claimed to speak in the name of to rapidly escalating militancy by different
Islamist terrorist outfit. Whether the attacks movement was the myth of undying hatred Islam to whip up anti-Indian and anti-Hindu Islamist groups competing with each other
were indeed the handiwork of the Lashkar, and hostility between Hindus and Muslims. sentiments. For them hatred of India and to prove to the electorate their purported
as is being alleged, or of some other agency, This so-called ‘two-nation theory’ remains the Hindus were considered as among the claims of representing and speaking for
such as the CIA and the Israseli Mossad, the official ideology of the state of Pakistan, defining features of Pakistani nationalism. Islam. The more obscurantist a group’s
as others believe, remains to be fully and is taught to every Pakistani child in The rise of the Lashkar and similar self- approach was with regard to a whole host
investigated, but there can be no doubt that school through carefully doctored styled jihadist groups thus cannot be of issues—women’s rights, the Kashmir
radical Islamism, like radical Hindutva, poses textbooks. To question the theory, as many understood in isolation from these broader question, relations with India and so on—
a major threat to peace and security in both Pakistanis privately do, is considered a political processes. These groups received Cont. on page 6
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Mayhem in Mumbai
Terror in the Name of God
Cont. from page 5
the more ardently ‘Islamic’ it considered
itself to be and it presented itself so to
the public whose support it sought to win.
Under Zia, several dozen radical
Islamist groups were liberally funded
by the Saudis and the Americans in the
war in Afghanistan, but soon these
went out of control. They turned
against their American patrons and
started dreaming of exporting their
self-styled jihad to the rest of the
world. Some of them, including the
Lashkar, even went to the extent of
calling for the establishment of a global
so-called Islamic Caliphate and for
conquering the entire world under the desperate effort to install the pro-Pakistan
‘Islamic flag’. Whether or not the leaders Taliban regime in Afghanistan, and this also
of these groups actually believed all this received American support. The Lashkar set
bombastic rhetoric no one can say, but it up several training camps in Afghanistan
certainly appealed to vast numbers of and gave the Taliban considerable military
youth, particularly from impoverished and moral support.
families, who were fed on a steady diet of It is thus the consistent assistance given
fanciful tales about the luxuries they by the Pakistani state to self-styled Islamist
would wallow in if they died or were groups that has allowed them to flourish in
‘martyred’ in the cause of what was the country, so much so that now, when the
presented to them as a divine mission. Pakistani state has itself begun to face an
These groups went on to serve what immense threat from these very groups, it
were seen as the strategic interests of the finds itself helpless. It is an indicator of how
Pakistani state, as for instance in Kashmir, powerful these groups have become in
where they were sent to battle Indian forces Pakistan that even though the present
as well as Kashmiri nationalist groups government might want to clamp down on
struggling for a sovereign Jammu and them it cannot do so. Large parts of Pakistan
Kashmir, which would be independent of are today characterized by extreme
both India and Pakistan. Since Pakistan was lawlessness where the writ of the state does
a crucial ally of the West, America chose to not run. Decades of cynical manipulation
remain mute in the face of these of Islam by the Pakistani state for the
developments. Likewise, these groups were narrowly construed ends of Pakistan’s elites
solidly backed by the Pakistani state in its have now led to a situation where even if
the state wants
to curb these self-
styled Islamist
groups it finds
itself helpless.
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ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 6
and ethos. Efforts by the few liberal
Islamic scholars that exist in Pakistan to
articulate progressive interpretations of
Islam on a range of issues—including
women’s rights, relations with non-
Muslims and relations between India and
Pakistan—have generally met with stern
opposition and even violence from
Islamist outfits, with some of these
scholars being forced to flee for safety
to the West. The sheer fear of being killed
for publicly opposing radicals and their
perverted brand of Islam keeps numerous
progressive thinkers in Pakistan silent,
thus perpetuating a vicious circle in
which the radicals are allowed to go
stani government claims to have banned
unchallenged. Furthermore, the state has
the Lashkar, to have frozen all its assets and
consistently denied space to progressive
to have put its leaders under arrest. But
Islamic scholars, fearing their potential
ample indications exist to suggest that, in
for dissent from the official view, seeing
actual fact, the Lashkar is being permitted
the radicals as more pliable and amenable
to operate freely after being conveniently
to manipulation. This explains, for
allowed to change its name and re-christen
instance, the fact that despite its
itself as the Jamaat ud-Dawa. The Jamaat
bombastic ‘Islamic’ credentials, Pakistan
ud-Dawa’s website is freely accessible on
is yet to produce any well-known Islamic
the Internet, relaying incendiary, hate-driven
intellectual who has sought to deal
speeches of its senior leaders, who seem to
creatively with the manifold demands
be under no control whatsoever. The
and challenges that modernity poses.
Markaz’s magazines in English, Arabic and
The status of Islamic, in addition to social
Urdu continue to be published, with a
science, research in Pakistan is woeful,
reported circulation of several hundred
and this can be explained, in part, by the
thousand. On a visit to Lahore three years
fear on the part of the establishment of
ago I chanced upon a bookshop in the very
voices of dissenting scholars that might
heart of the sprawling Urdu Bazaar that
challenge ruling myths. The fact that
specializes in Lashkar literature that
Pakistan spends less than 2 per cent of
spews venom and hatred against India
its budget on education and that
and the Hindus, but also against a whole
numerous Vice-Chancellors of Pakistani
host of Muslim groups that the Lashkar
universities are retired army generals are
does not consider genuinely Islamic—
indicators of this mind-set.
including the followers of the Sufis, the
Terrorism—and this includes terror
Barelvis, the quietistic Deobandi-related
resorted to by non-state actors as well
Tablighi Jamaat and the Shias, all of
as by the state—today poses a grave
which it brands as ‘enemies of Islam’ or
threat to the peoples of both India and
their ‘agents’. And, I was told, despite
Pakistan. Islamist and Hindutva terrorism
the fact that the Lashkar was officially
feed on each other, while posing to be
‘banned’, it still operated from its
each other’s most inveterate foes. I recall
headquarters in Muridke, not far from
reading some years ago—I cannot recall
Lahore, and also managed several dozens
where, though—the perverse pleasure
of centres across the country under
that a senior Lashkar expressed when the
various names. Is one to imagine that the
BJP-led NDA government came to power.
Pakistani government is so weak in the
Syed Maududi, the chief ideologue of
face of radical groups as to be unable to
the Jamaat-e Islami, who can be
close all these institutions down?
considered the major architect of modern-
In this context, the question arises
day Islamism, is on record as having
as to why Pakistani civil society has been
declared that he would prefer India to be
unable to effectively challenge the
an officially Hindu country to being
venomous (and what I, as someone who
secular because that would further his
has studied Islam for the past two
case for the ‘Islamic state’ that he
decades, regard as a wholly distorted)
dreamed of establishing in Pakistan.
version of Islam that is propelled by self-
Islamist outfits in Pakistan find ready
styled Islamist groups such as the
fodder for whipping up anti-Indian and
Lashkar. This issue is particularly
anti-Hindu passions by pouncing on acts
intriguing given the fact that radical
of terror and anti-Muslim violence
Islamist groups have consistently
received only a relatively small share of
spearheaded by Hindutva groups in
India, often abetted by the state.
the vote in successive elections,
Likewise, gruesome acts of terror
indicating that their hate-driven vision
committed by Pakistan-based Islamist
of Islam does not appeal to the majority
groups are quickly seized upon by
of Pakistani people.
Hindutva forces in India to further
There are several reasons for this,
demonise Muslims and to build their
among the most salient being the fact
Hindu vote-bank. Hindu and Islamist
that the liberal, progressive middle class
terror thus enjoy a symbiotic or mutually
in Pakistan is very miniscule, the country
beneficial relationship while claiming to
still remaining largely feudal, tribalistic
and extremely patriarchal in its set-up Cont. on page 15
Mayhem in Mumbai
BY A STAFF WRITER
N
ot possessing a
television set
myself, I able to
listen to the recording, hosted on
the Internet, of a conversation
which took place some days ago
between a terrorist holed up at
Nariman House in Mumbai and
calling himself ‘Imran Babar’ and
reporters of the India TV
channel. (http://uk.youtube.
com/watch?v=QhO6rynb1C8).
It is plainly evident from the
conversation that the terrorist
was a Pakistani, most likely a
Punjabi. This obvious from his
accent and the sort of Urdu he
speaks. One can easily make out
that he had been carefully
tutored by his mentors who
masterminded the deadly terror
assault on Mumbai to intersperse
his hate-driven harangue with
some Hindi words (shanti,
parivar etc.) and to use Urdu
words in the typical Hindi way
(jabardasti, instead of
zabardasti, etc.) so as to give the
misleading impression that he
and the other terrorists with him
were Indian Muslims, not
Pakistanis. The terrorists claimed
to belong to the ‘Deccan’, in
India, but it is obvious that this
was not at all the case. There can
be no doubt that these Pakistani
terrorists were trained to lie that
they were Indian Muslims who
were allegedly resorting to terror
in revenge for the atrocities
committed on Muslims in India.
Why the Pakistan-based
terror outfit behind the attacks
would do this needs no
explanation. The aim of the
attacks was probably to
destabilise India, fuel Hindu-
Muslim violence, instigate
Muslims to take to terror in
response to attacks by Hindus
and then drown India in flames.
This, indeed, is precisely what
several Pakistan-based self-
styled Islamist groups have been
consistently plotting to do for
decades, although, mercifully, by
and large, the Indian Muslims
have refused to fall into their trap.
It is to the credit of the Indian
Muslims that, barring some stray
exceptions, they have
consistently opposed all forms
of terror, including that
committed in the name of Islam,
despite the growing menace of
Hindutva-driven fascist terror
across India, sometimes abetted
by the state, of which they are
the principal and worst-hit
victims.
The Lashkar-e Tayyeba has
never made any bones about its
dastardly plans of destabilisng
and destroying India. It has gone
to the ridiculous extent of
claiming that it will not rest till
the ‘Islamic’ flag is hoisted atop
the ramparts of the Red Fort in
Delhi and till India is absorbed
into what it calls in its lunacy
‘Greater Pakistan’. In order to gain
theological legitimacy for its
deadly project it even claims that
the Prophet Muhammad is said
to have declared that Muslims
who participate in a war with India
would be saved from the fires of
hell. There can be no doubt that
this sort of horrendous misuse
and deliberate distortion of Islam
by the Lashkar has played a major
role in attracting vast numbers of
would-be terrorists in Pakistan to
its fold who are fed with the
poisonous propaganda that by
participating in what it calls a holy
war against India they would win
a ticket to heaven.
The Pakistani state, it must be
noted, has taken no action
whatsoever against this heinous
propaganda, and elements of the
ISI are said to be in cahoots with
the Lashkar and other such hate-
driven self-styled Islamist
groups in the country. In the
wake of the Mumbai attacks, and
when asked what action Pakistan
had taken against the Lashkar,
the Pakistani President hurriedly
shrugged off the question by
claiming that the Lashkar had
been ‘banned’. If that is indeed
the case—which it is obviously
not—then how does Mr. Zardari
explain the fact that, as the
Lashkar’s official Urdu website
itself announces, on the 29th of
November the Lashkar’s
supremo Hafiz Muhammad
Saeed addressed what it termed
a ‘mammoth’ convention at ‘New
Saeedabad’ (a locality named
after him?), organized by the
Sindh unit of the Markaz Dawat
ul-Irshad (the ‘religious’ and
political wing of the Lashkar). It
was held, of all places, in the
premises of the local Government
Degree College. The Lashkar’s
website is replete with news
about the whirlwind tours of
Saeed and his cronies across the
country, delivering rabble-
rousing speeches, thundering
against India and non-Muslims
in general. And the outfit, Mr.
Zardari wants us to believe, is
‘banned’.
Having been writing on
Indian Muslim issues for years
now, I can say with some
confidence that the general
Indian Muslim is completely fed
up and fiercely opposed to the
gross misuse of Islam by the
Pakistani state and Pakistan-
ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 7
Lies of the Lashkar
The horrendous misuse and deliberate distortion of Islam by the Lashkar
has played a major role in attracting vast numbers of would-be terrorists
in Pakistan to its fold who are fed with the poisonous propaganda that by
participating in what it calls a holy war against India they would win a ticket
to heaven.
based self-styled Islamist outfits. seen as a potential asset, rather that Hindutva terror and Islamist
Deep down inside, most of them than a liability, in the struggle terror only feed on each other
lament the very creation of against terrorism. Scores of Indian must also be urgently
Pakistan, based on the ulema or Islamic clerics are now acknowledged. Our very future
discredited ‘two nation’ theory, openly castigating all forms of as a country crucially depends
for it has left them permanently terror, organizing mass rallies and on all communities, particularly
helpless in the face of Hindutva even issuing fatwas to get the Hindus and Muslims, presenting
aggression. They know full well message across. The Indian a joint front to work together for
that, despite its bombastic state and civil society urgently peace and security. That would
claims, Pakistan is far being from needs to realize that hounding be a fitting reply to both
the Indian Muslims, instead of Hindutva and radical Islamist
the ‘Islamic state’ it claims to
seeking to listen to their voices forces, whose very existence is
be—with its problems of
and concerns and genuinely based on the frighteningly
poverty, illiteracy, mounting
dialoguing with them, can only Manichaean notion of perpetual
inequalities, endemic violence,
play into the hands of outfits of antagonism between Hindus and
and lawlessness, its corrupt
groups like the Lashkar. The fact Muslims.■
American puppet politicians who
have reduced Islam to a
plaything to be employed for
their own purposes, and so on.
They face the brunt of mounting
Islamophobia stirred up by
Hindutva fascist forces that play
upon Pakistan’s dubious
Kashmir policy and the heinous
crimes of Pakistan-based self-
styled Islamist radicals to whip
up violently anti-Muslim
sentiments in India. The general ADVT
Indian Muslim’s undisguised
disgust of the terror in the name
of Islam that groups like the
Lashkar are seeking to spearhead
is amply evident in the news that
is pouring in of Muslims across
the country roundly denouncing
the Mumbai attacks and even
insisting that the dreaded
terrorists not be allowed to be
buried on Indian soil.
India’s Muslims need to be
Mayhem in Mumbai ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 8
Pakistanis, You left us in 1947,
Now leave us Alone!
The Indian Muslims, particularly our Urdu Press should behave
responsibly. It is no time for a blame game.
BY A.M.JAMSHEED BAHSA politicians and helplessness of the government of the

T
he Mumbai terror attack has no doubt shocked
the nation. It was an attack on Mumbai, an
attack on India. It is a matter of concern for all
of us Indians. But the community that has to be concerned
most is that of the Muslims of India, because those who
came and attacked the financial capital on the fateful day
of 26/11 were bearing Muslim names and had come from
the so-called Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
It is a different thing that the Muslims would disown
them as practising Muslims, for they were sporting guns
and ammunition and above all they were wining and
dining, and who knows, womanising, something not
expected from hard-core religious elements. To a common
man they were just Muslim mercenaries on a mission to
cause maximum damage as per the directions of their
mentors sitting across the border. They did exactly that
and vanished from this world, a fate they deserved most.
Then what next? Pakistanis may try to put a brave face
but they cannot deny that these evil men were their
countrymen, born, brought up and trained by a terrorist
organisation in their country for this day.
The Indian Muslims, particularly our Urdu Press
should behave responsibly. It is no time for a blame game.
It is no time for concoction of a theory of conspiracy
alleging complicity of the saffron brigade. It may be best
left to the investigating agencies to unravel the real
players behind this sordid drama. The whole of India
and every Indian is angry. Not for the loss of life and
destruction caused alone, but for the attitude of the
day. The people’s ire would be shown elsewhere in the
next ballot, but the mood is one of action, a firm action, a
decisive message that should go across the borders and
the steps that should be taken to secure the nation and
insulate it from future attacks. Yesterday it was through
land, today it was through sea and who knows tomorrow
it may be through air. All these vulnerable places have to
be protected and secured for we should allow no
incursions into our land from any side. These steps are
vital for the future of this country. The prime concern of
the citizen today is how safe and secure we are in our
own country.
Like me, many such Indian Muslims are equally angry
and frustrated and unable to understand why disaster
after disaster is staring at them all the time. What’s wrong
with our community and why are we in such a position
of feeling like strangers and alien in our own land. We
have been living here for centuries and also after we
were ditched by Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Company,
who partitioned India in the name of two-nation theory.
Don’t the Muslims of today feel angry at them for they
were responsible for our present state of affairs? They
left us, and still they are not leaving us alone to deal with
our problems ourselves. Who are they to interfere in our
internal matters? Muslims should come out in open and
tell the people of Pakistan or any element fighting in the
name of Islam to keep off from our problems and mind
their own business.
The government of India did the right thing in issuing
a demarche, a strongly worded message to Pakistan, to
do something tangible to wipe out the remnants of terror
outfits from their soil and hand over all those listed
wanted criminals that are enjoying the hospitality of the
Pakistani people at the cost of Indians, including the
infamous Don Dawood Ibrahim, the kingpin of 1993
Bombay blasts. President Zardari, came on his knees
virtually pleading with India to spare Pakistan and not to
punish her as retaliation for the act of a few disgruntled
elements..
Indians demands firm action in one voice and would
not tolerate any more attacks on them. Muslims of India
are solidly behind the Government and the people of
this great country. It is incumbent on the Muslim
intelligentsia and the Urdu Press in particular that they
do not inflame passions in any way. Instead, they should
send a clear cut message to all the Muslims that India is
our country, where we have to live and die. We are
Indians and Muslims and there is no distinction between
these two. We the Muslims of India constitute the biggest
Muslim population of the world after Indonesia. Though
we are leaderless for the time being , we are resilient
enough to sort out our own problems without outside
interference as we have been doing in the last 61 years.■

No Place to Hide
BY AIJAZ ZAKA SYED believers around the world?

W
atching the terror nightmare
unfold in Mumbai over the
past three days on TV, my
children have repeatedly asked me: “Who
are these terrorists and why are they
doing this?” And every time I wished I
could offer them a convincing answer. I
was clueless why these people had taken
over Mumbai and were targeting people
who had nothing to do with them. I was
also ashamed to tell them that the terrorists
were Muslims and came from a country
that was created in the name of Islam.
At work, while my colleagues went
about covering the madness in Mumbai
and laying out pages with the images of
the Taj Hotel with its Islamic arches and
domes go up in smoke, I find it hard to
look at them in the eye.
This happens all the time. Every time
innocents are targeted in the name of
Islam around the world, one can’t face
one’s non-Muslim friends and colleagues.
A distraught friend who has devoted her
life to speaking and fighting on behalf of
Arabs and Muslims wrote: “I’ve had it
with the Arabs and Muslims and Islamic
militancy. Forgive me but I am throwing
in the towel.” I couldn’t write back to her.
She grew up in Mumbai and is upset. She
turn against them.”
went on to say: “The Muslims and Islam
have a problem and only they can solve
feel, imagine the sentiments and reactions
it. If they do not, the whole world will
of the rest of the world. Can you blame
Will we allow mainstream Islam to turn into a moderate
fringe, while extremists take centre-stage?
If this is how our most loyal friends
I know that Muslim leaders, including
those in the highest echelons of power,
have lately started speaking out against
the extremists. The Darul Uloom Deoband
in India, one of the oldest and most
respected centres of learning in the
Muslim world, issued a fatwa against
terrorism at a large gathering of Islamic
scholars in June. Last month, nearly 5,000
scholars backed the edict at a huge
congregation in Hyderabad. The
Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC),
and Saudi Arabia have, of late, been
vehement in condemning these repulsive
acts of violence targeting innocents. But
clearly, we need to do more to be heard.
The great irony of the Mumbai attacks
is the killing of ATS chief Hemant Karkare,
a brave officer trying to establish the link
between Hindu extremists and the
Malegaon blasts. He was killed outside
the Cama hospital.Obviously, some
Muslims do not know their friends from
their enemies.
It’s all very well for us to say Islam
has nothing to do with extremism and
terrorism. We can go on deluding
ourselves that these psychopaths do not
represent us. However, the world finds it
hard to accept this line of argument as it
sees the extremists increasingly assert
the world if it’s turning against Muslims?
themselves and take the centre-stage
What do you expect when not a day
while mainstream Islam turns into a
passes without the name of our faith
moderate fringe. (The writer is Opinion
being dragged through the mud by fellow
Editor, Khaleej Times) ■
Mayhem in Mumbai
Muslims have lost their Wisdom
T
he terrorists who assaulted Mumbai had done extensive planning. This made me think why these
people were so capable of negative planning, and completely lacked any inclination towards
positive planning. This sort of mentality has become endemic among many Muslims. Nobody is
doing planning for the positive task of spreading God’s message, and love and peace.
BY MAULANA WAHIDUDDIN KHAN
O
n November 26, 2008, Mumbai
witnessed the worst kind of
terror attack. Ten terrorists
entered several buildings and
indiscriminately fired at people, leaving
behind several dead and wounded.
According to a tradition, at the time
of the Prophet (Pbuh), there was a man
whose only concern was to speak
negatively of the Prophet and
spread wrong ideas about him.
The son of this man became very
angry and asked the Prophet to
allow him to kill his father. The
Prophet told him not to do that,
as then people would say that the
Prophet allowed killing among
his people. The lesson which can
be inferred from this incident is
that anything, which defames the
name of Islam should not be done.
These incidents are mentioned in
books but people fail to infer or
draw lessons from them as they
do not engage in deep study.
In the Jewish Talmud there are
many stories. In one incident, the
Prophet Moses prayed to God:
“O! God, take anything away
from my followers but do not take away
their wisdom.” God replied: “O! Moses,
if We decide to take away something from
a community, it is their wisdom that We
take away.”
Today, many Muslims have lost their
wisdom, as is evident from the events
which have taken place recently. Those
Muslims who are said to be involved in
terrorism in Bombay gained nothing. In
Palestine, the Arabs have been fighting
for the last 60 years and have not achieved
anything. In many places Muslims have
resorted to suicide bombings, although
suicide is unlawful in Islam. This is a result
of deterioration and lack of wisdom.
Those who are behind these suicide
attacks are not afraid of accountability and
the fact they will have to stand in front of
God after death.
What is the reason for this madness
and how did it originate?
The reason for this madness is hatred.
Hate can make a man do anything. Hate
began from Satan. When God created Adam,
He asked the angels and Satan to bow
before Him. Satan however, did not bow and
consequently, God said to him: “You and
your followers will go to hell.” Satan had
developed such hate for man that despite
knowing that he will be cast into hell, he did
not obey God’s command. Hate is so
blinding that it can take one to hell.
I have studied in the Muslim
seminaries and have participated in
numerous Muslim gatherings, and in
many of these places hatred and pride is
instilled in the minds of Muslims. They
are taught: ‘We are the caliphs and
vicegerents of God on earth.”
I once met an Arab whose first question
to me was, “Who are we?”. He then said:
“We are the Caliphs of God on earth.” I
told him that this is not written anywhere
in our books. The Sahih Al- Bukhari says
that Muslims are witnesses of God. That
is, they have to spread the message of
God on earth. The same is alluded to in
the Quran, that is, the task of Muslims is
to spread God’s message and lead a life
according to His instructions. However,
Muslims have made themselves the self-
appointed Caliphs, and have launched all
sorts of movements that propagate the
ideology of capturing political power. This
thinking emerged when the Ottoman and
Mughal empires declined, and Muslims
started considering the rest of the world
as usurpers and oppressors who snatched
their rights and power from them.
Political power is like an examination
paper. A test paper can never be the
monopoly of one; it would change hands
from people to people as God wants to
test every community. Hence if political
power has been taken away from you then
you need to have patience. When
political power was with you then it was
your test paper and now, when it has been
given to someone else, it is their test
paper. No Muslim leader could tell this to
the Muslims and pacify the political
shock which they received after the
breaking up of the Muslim empires in the
face of Western colonialism. No one told
them that their test paper of political
power was over and now they should
concentrate their effort on some other
constructive activities like education,
reform, dawah work etc. In Palestine, for
example, it was God’s decision to give the
political power to somebody else. Hence,
Muslims should have accepted it, but
they started fighting and now 60 years of
fighting has given them nothing. Muslims
should have realised that God had now
wanted to test some other community.
Therefore, he gave them political power.
But Muslims rose up to fight, and it was
equivalent to fighting God’s decision and
hence they attained nothing. As a result,
all the Muslims got conditioned in hateful
thinking.
Before the Second World War, the
thinking of the Japanese was same as that
of the Muslims. Hirohito was the Emperor
of Japan at that time. The Japanese had
the concept of Imperial Divinity, that is
their king – the so-called ‘god-king’—
should rule the world. Consequently, they
fought with many countries. It was the
Japanese who started the concept of
suicide bombing known as “hara-kiri”. But
in 1945, America dropped two atomic
bombs on Japan and the Japanese army
was completely destroyed. Japan suffered
a humiliating defeat. Then the Japanese
developed second thoughts, that is, if the
king was god then he would have saved
them, but because they were severely
crippled due to those bombs they realised
that the king was not god. Hirohito then
renounced the concept of Imperial
Divinity and the Japanese have never
looked back since then.
This makes me ponder as to why this
hate does not get finished among
Muslims? This is because Muslims’ hate
ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 9
is a reflection of a certain mind-set. The
so-called ‘god-king’ of the Japanese was
proved wrong and therefore the concept
of ‘god-king’ died. However, a mind-set
cannot be done away on its own. The
mind-set which inspires hate for others in
many Muslims cannot be killed like an
individual. Nor can it cannot kill itself.
This mind-set can be replaced by de-
conditioning alone.
Hirohito said “I’m not god,”
and this led the Japanese to
discard their unfounded notions
and pave the path to progress. But
the case of Muslims is very
different. In their case, their mind-
set has to be transformed to
change their thinking. The
thinking of Muslims has to be
changed. There has to be long
process of de-conditioning.
There are two kinds of de-
conditioning: one is the Prophetic
de-conditioning; that is the de-
conditioning which the Prophet
did of his companions. Then the
companions did the de-
conditioning of some of their
companions. But now self-de-
conditioning has to be done. This
is a very difficult task. Ideological de-
conditioning has to be done among the
Muslims to help them come out of hate.
It is essential to understand the
distinction between the negative
engineering of the mind and the positive
engineering of the mind. Today, minds
are being negatively engineered with
hatred and pride. Many Muslims live
in this fallacy that they are a special
race, and when they are not treated
specially then they are frustrated and
hold others responsible for their not
receiving the special treatment that
they expect.
The terrorists who assaulted
Mumbai had done extensive planning.
This made me think why these people
were so capable of negative planning,
and completely lacked any inclination
towards positive planning. This sort of
mentality, unfortunately, has become
endemic among many Muslims.
Nobody is doing planning for the
positive task of spreading God’s
message, and love and peace. This is
because as years passed by, this work
became dead in Muslims. But it alone
can promote positive planning as it
requires well-wishing for the whole of
humankind. We must therefore focus our
energies on spreading God’s love and
restrain from any negative and destructive
activities.■
Editorial LETTERS ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 10
Bouquets and Brickbats
some good suggestions, I felt
Denial of Burial that this article advises us to be
I have learnt with concern slaves of the oppressors in the
about the decision of the Indian name of democracy. The writer’s
Muslim Council, not to allow the comments on Azan and Qurbani
burial of the nine killed Mumbai show that he is ashamed and
attackers, on an Islamic fearful to be a Muslim. (Sorry for
graveyard. As a reason, the the harsh words). What a
Council declares, that the disgusting and disheartening
attackers cannot be considered solution about Azan. If you want
Muslims because they went to guide the Muslim community,
against the teachings of Islam. guide them through the Quran
Another Council-member and Hadith and not from you
said that the attackers had own thoughts and beliefs.
defamed the religion. Akhil Ahmed Chakwa
Of course I agree that the c.akheelahmed@gmail.com
Mumbai attacks are contrary to
the teachings of Islam. However, Toughest
viewed from a religious Punishment
perspective, the decision of the
I appreciate the work of
Council is also a defamation of
Islamic Voice. It was sad to see
the teachings of the Islam which
the irresponsible telecasting
is based on respect for every
through TV channels, when
human being, regardless of
Mumbai was under siege
descent or committed crime
recently.
The denial of a grave is not
The spirit was absent, when
only one of the most extreme
the anchors instead of reporting,
signs of disrespect, it is also a
injected an investigation
violation of the right of every
campaign and told the details
human being on human dignity,
about the terrorists when our
confirmed in the Universal
intelligence agencies were not
Declaration of Human Rights. It
able to even recognise who the
is evident, that the killed Mumbai
terrorists were. The terrorists
attackers are guilty of very
must be subjected to the
serious crimes, for which they
toughest possible punishment,
would be held accountable on
no matter which community they
earth, in a fair and independent
belong to and thereby, not only
trial, according to international
purifying the country of the
standards. However, now they
anti-social elements, but also let
are dead, no Council or other
common people live in peace.
authority has the right to deny
But it would be possible only
them eternal peace on a
when the real culprits are
graveyard.
arrested and then punished.
Astrid Essed
Abdul Hameed Qasmi
Florijn 444, Amsterdam
Markazul Ma’arif
The Netherlands
ahameed12@gmail.com
astridessed@yahoo.com
Resear ch Pr
Research oject
Project
“Mudukulathur Muslims-
Today and Tomorrow”, a
research project has been
initiated by www.mudukulathur
.com. Those who have any
information about Mudukulathur
can send it to muduvaihidayath
@gmail.com or to M. Shanmu-
gham, 33 Maranayanar Street,
Ilayangudi-630702
Misguiding
Muslims
Before I began to read the
article, “Manual for Social
Harmony for Muslims,” in the
December 2008 issue of Islamic
Voice, I found the writer’s name
was a bit familiar. I am reading
Islamic Voice for the first time.
After reading this article, I have (Please email letters to
decided not to pick up Islamic editor with your full
Voice again. Though there are address and email)
 Community Round Up
People
Kishanganj DM Firaque
Ahmad to be honoured
Patna: The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) has
decided to honor Firaque Ahmad, District Magistrate (DM) of
Kishanganj for fair execution of the annual examination of class
10th in the district in March 2008.
The Bihar School Examination Board conducts Secondary
School Examination twice every year, the annual and
supplementary examinations. The annual examination is normally
conducted in the month of February/March. According to Anup
Kumar Sinha, secretary of the Board, Kishanganj has been given
grade ‘A’ for fair examinations. There were no
report of irregularities and use of unfair means in the
examination from Kishanganj. Since the DM of a district is the
controller of examination for the whole district, the Board has
decided to give Firaque Ahmad an award for his commitment to
his duty. Before assuming office of the DM of Kishanganj,
Firaque Ahmad was the chairman of Bihar Text Book Publishing
Corporation. He is known for his honesty and punctuality. ■
Indian Shining in China
Bangalore: Suraiya Tarannum, Head of the
Telecommunication Engineering, AMC Engineering College
Bangalore was the sole representative from India to participate
in the 11th IEEE International Conference on Communication
Systems (IEEE-ICCS 2008) held in Guangzhou, China between
November 19-21, 2008. She presented her research paper
entitled,” Dynamic Hierarchical Communication Paradigm for
Wireless Sensor Networks: A Centralised Energy Efficient
Approach. ■
Put this under People column
DR SHOHAB IS AIUUTA GENERAL SECRETARY
Jammu : Dr Shohab Inayat Malik, Professor of Urdu in Jammu
University has been elected as the General Secretary of the All
India University Teachers Association (AIUUTA). A decision
to this effect was taken in an Urdu teachers conference held at
Kashmir University in which over 150 Urdu teachers participated.
Dr Malik took over charge of general secretary from Dr Ali Javed,
Director, National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language
(NCPUL). All India University Teachers Association (AIUUTA)
is a body of All India Urdu Teachers working on national level
for the promotion of Urdu language. Dr. Malik is also the
President of Rasa Javadani Memorial Literary Society (RJMLS),
a NGO working for the cause of Urdu language in the state. ■
ADVT
Poor are getting Poorer
New Delhi: The All India Muslim Economic
Council (AIMEC) organised a conference on
December 2, 2008, of all Indian organisations
working on interest-free basis in Deoband,
Saharanpur. In his presidential address, Maulana
Hasib Siddiqui, chairman of AIMEC, said:
“Muslims dreamt for long to establish financial
institutions conforming to Shari’ah, but most of
their dreams remained confined to issues like
worship, religious education, nikah and
inheritance, so much progress could not be made
in the field of financial aspects of life and interest-
Hari Masjid Police Firing: Victim files PIL
BY A STAFF WRITER
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court recently
tightened the noose on the state and central
governments while hearing a public interest
litigation filed by Farooq Mapkar, a victim of firing
at Hari Masjid on January 10, 1993. Justice B. N
Srikrishna had indicted policeinspector Nikhil
Kapse for firing on worshippers inside Hari Masjid,
Wadala, which resulted in the death of six Muslims.
Farooq Mapkar, injured in the firing, had filed a
petition asking the CBI to look into the matter.
Mapkar has urged the court to direct the police to
book assistant police inspector Nikhil Kapse for
murder and also hand over the probe to the CBI.
Kapse, then a police sub-inspector attached to
the RAK Marg police station had ordered the
firing in the Masjid at Sewri. “The complaint
(made by Mapkar) on its own, along with the
(Srikrishna Commission) report, prima facie
discloses a cognizable offence”, observed the
judges. Public prosecutor Satish Borulkar told
the court that a Special Task Force appointed by
the state government to look into the
commission’s report that probed the 1992-93
Mumbai riots had said that no offence was made
out. Mapkar’s complaint about the incident
mentions one Shamsuddin, who had been injured
in the firing inside the mosque. As he came out
of the mosque, Shamsuddin bent down to tend
to his injured leg. Mapkar saw Kapse shoot him
at that moment. Mapkar had also recounted this
in his affidavit filed before the Srikrishna
Commission.
Justices F. I. Rebello and R. S Mohite of the
ADVT
ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 11
free system of trade and commerce. Now we have
to take some steps in the light of Islamic banking
system based on Shari’ah.”
Expressing concern over the increase in number
of people living below the poverty line, economic
expert Dr. Syed Zafar Mahmood said: “It is the
need of the hour to establish interest-free and
cooperative institutions in order to eliminate
economic backwardness among Muslims.” “The
poor are getting poorer and capitalists are gaining
in their capital. The Islamic economic system is
the best means to prevent it,” he added. ■
Bombay High Court rejected the reasons given by
the CBI for declining to take up the Hari Masjid
case of the 1992-93 riots. The CBI had cited delay
as the first reason for refusing to take up the case.
Justice F. Rebello pointed out that this reason did
not hold. “A judicial commission of inquiry was
set up that gave its findings in the victims’ favour
in 1998. The government then set up the Special
Task Force which exonerated the police officer
without either examining the complainant (Mapkar),
or those injured in the incident. Nobody is listening
to the plea these citizens have been making since
1993. The CBI’s second reason was that this was
“a simple matter” which could be investigated by
the State government. Justice Mohite pointed out
that the matter was far from simple. “There are
undercurrents of communal bias,” Justice Rebello
said, adding, “The complaint is not only about the
general firing at the Masjid, but also a specific
allegation that an injured man has been shot at
point-blank range. Despite this, all these years the
State apparatus has been saying nothing wrong
has been done!”
Finally, the CBI had opined that taking up this
inquiry was not in “public interest”. “What is public
interest for the CBI?” asked Justice Rebello.
The court was appalled by the fact that the
statements of the injured were not recorded even
by the STF. Senior counsel Vijay Pradhan, who is
appearing for Mapkar, submitted that the STF never
visited the mosque or met any of the injured
persons, including Mapkar. “This is not how a
criminal investigation should be carried out,”
Justice Mohite said.■
 Community Round Up ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 12
Mumbai first
eco-friendly Mosque
Mumbai: The Dawoodi Bohra community has decided to give
Mumbai its first eco-friendly mosque. The construction of the
mosque at the Tambawala compound in Mazgaon in south central
Mumbai is expected to be completed in two years. Architect, Esmail
Neemuchwala said the primary focus would on rainwater harvesting
and using less electricity. “We want to give the best to the
environment from which we take the most,” he said.
“In a 120-sq ft room, one fan is sufficient because there are usually
three people at a given time. But the number goes up to 30 during
prayers. And this calls for more fans,” Neemuchwala said. “We have
planned to bring down the number of fans and reduce electricity
usage by 20%.”
“Fatimi architecture will be prominent. It has typical floral
repetitive designs and conical shaped arches. It is inspired by Mughal,
Indian, and British architecture,” he said. Green lawns will border the
mosque. This would help in bringing down the air temperature as it
moves towards the mosque, according to Neemuchwala. The mosque
will not have solar panels and instead will use rainwater harvesting
as much as possible. ■
Maulana Mohammad Ali
Jauhar Awards 2008
New Delhi: Charanjeet Singh Atwal, Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha
and Justice Mohammad Suhail Ejaz Siddiqui, Chairman, National
Commission for Minorities Educational Institutions, are among those
to be honoured this year with the Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar
Award 2008.
Others to be honoured with the award are Manorama Deevan,
Chief Editor, Press Asia International, Shahid Ali Khan (IPS),
Mohammad Ateeq Siddiqui, Editor, AlYaum, New Delhi, Dr. Haneef
Tareen and Saulat Public Library, Rampur. The Maulana Mohammad
Ali Jauhar Academy has been giving away awards in the fields of
politics, journalism and social service since 1989. ■
Community Round Up ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 13

ADVT
Mayhem in Mumbai
Theories going Around
We should not spread rumors and also refrain from spreading fantastic
theories about the terrorist attack in Mumbai.
BY ASGHAR ALI ENGINEER
M
any questions are
troubling our
minds – who were
these terrorists and why did they
carry out such horrific operation
resulting in death of nearly 200
innocent people (nine of them
terrorists themselves who cannot
be called innocents) in Mumbai?
The Government of India and
security authorities say they
belonged to Lakhkar-e-Tayyiba
of Pakistan and they were given
rigorous training for more than
six months to carry out this
operation. It appears to be true
as one terrorist who has been
arrested has given details and
other things seized from those
dead also provide some
indications.
However, other theories
which might appear rather
fantastic are also circulating on
internet. One Mr. Ameresh
Mishra writes that it was a joint
operation by RSS and
MOSSAD of Israel to avenge
arrest of Hindutvawadi Sadhvi,
the self-proclaimed
Sankracharya Pande, Lt. Col.
Purohit and others. And the
ATS Chief Hemant Karkare and
his team were eliminated in one
go. One Marathi News paper
Maharashtra Times has
reported that two terrorists at
Cama Hospital were speaking
with to the security guard in
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fluent Marathi and so question
arises how Pakistanis could
speak in Marathi. Also, one
who was shooting down at
CST railway station was fair
skinned and appeared to be a
foreigner.
Also, it has been pointed
out that before this operation,
certain Jewish religious
personalities had come from
Israel to meet sadhus and
religious personalities who are
known to be supporters of
Sangh Parivar and probably
this operation was planned
then. Mr. Mishra also claims
that Hemant Karkare was
“inches away from arresting
Pravin Togadia” and some other
high profile Hindutva
personalities and hence
Hemant Karkare had to be got
rid of and he was got rid of
through this operation.
But to be frank all this does
not appear to be quite
convincing. Hemant Karkare, if
at all that was the objective,
could have been eliminated
without such a massive
barbaric operation. Also,
though it may be true that
Israel and its intelligence
agency MOSSAD is
sympathetic to RSS or entire
Sangh Parivar, why should it
undertake such a massive
barbaric operation in Mumbai?
RSS and MOSSAD would not
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ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 14
spell of military rule, we should rise above narrow religious
not do anything to push people feelings, as religious
of Pakistan again into the dark chauvinism is as ugly as
era of military rule. Perhaps that national chauvinism.
could be one of the objectives Terrorism cannot disappear
of this barbaric attack, if simply through military or
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba is involved. security operations. We must
Military is getting increasingly address the root causes while
pushed away from political simultaneously exhorting our
arena and this may not go down youth to imbibe highest values
well with hawkish military of our religion, culture and
officers of Pakistan.
traditions. Mere moral
Peace with Pakistan is
discourses would be as
indeed very important for the
ineffective as security
entire subcontinent and
operations. All three things go
particularly for the people of
the two countries. Chauvinistic together – namely addressing
nationalism only leads to war root causes, moral exhortation
and sober elements in both and security operation to
countries should try their best address this complex problem.
to maintain peace between these (The writer can be reached at
two neighbors. Also, we should csss@mtnl.net.in) ■
The spirit of India is stronger
than the arms of terror
T
alking with people who do not believe in the same
things is not easy, but as concerned citizens, we must
use all our combined skills to find a common language
target Taj mahal and Oberoi of harmony and unite our country with a new inclusive vision of
Trident Hotels in any case and peace and brotherhood.
a Jewish Centre in between. We represent the moderate majority of our country who are
Also, on the other hand, convinced that no cause can be highlighted, much less served,
how 10 terrorists whatever through mindless violence. Terrorism is irrational and anti-life; it
amount of ammunitions, AK- can only subvert progress, undermine security and sharpen
47s and other explosives with mistrust.
them could hold massive hotels We strongly condemn the barbaric attacks on our foreign
like Taj and Oberoi to ransom guests and fellow citizens in Mumbai and denounce the sinister
without being overpowered in intentions underlying this cult of violence. As Indians we stand
addition to shooting at Jewish together united in our resolve to frustrate the sinister intentions
centre, CST (railway station) of these merchants of cruelty to wound our collective psyche
and Cama Hospital and our oneness as a nation. Terror may make our hearts bleed
simultaneously? At different but it will not break our bonds asunder. The spirit of India is
times different numbers were stronger than the arms of terror.
given, 15-17 or more but finally From this desperate and dastardly event, we hear an appeal
authorities have confirmed that comes to us, and to all Indians, loud and clear. We can no
they were no more than 10. It longer afford to live the lie that religions are dividing walls. They
hardly stands to reason how so are brides of brotherhood. The time has come for us that we
few terrorists could kill on such shall allow none to divide us along the lines of caste or creed.
a scale and hold on for 72 hours. The duties, loyalties and discipline implied in our citizenship
It appears to be incredible. should matter to us first and foremost, if our democratic culture
In my opinion we have to be and national unity are to survive. As Indians we are brothers
very patient until the whole truth and sisters and, as such, the keepers of each other’s life and
comes out. Not only that, we liberty. We are the proud progeny of Mother India and we shall
should not spread rumors and stay so, no matter what. We commiserate with those who have
also refrain from spreading lost their loved ones in this carnage and salute those who have
fantastic theories about the laid down their lives in combating the terrorists. We congratulate
incident. the security forces, especially the NSG, for a difficult job
It is also very important that splendidly done.
peace in the sub-continent be Signatories
maintained at any cost. If we 1. Valson Thampu - Member, National Integration Council
think of war with Pakistan as 2. Dr. G.S. Jayasree - Editor, Samyukta, Trivandrum
some people are saying, it would 3. Mini Krishnan - Editor / Publisher, Chennai
be really playing in the hands of 4. A. Faizur Rahman - executive committee member, Harmony
terrorists and their organisations. India, Chennai
They are out to provoke war 5. Usha Jesudasan - Writer, Chennai
between the two countries. 6. Vasantha Surya - Poet & Translator
Also, Pakistan has entered into 7. Fathima Muzaffer - Vice President, Islamic
the democratic era after a long Information Centre
8. V.M. Khaleelur Rahman - freelance journalist
9. Moulana Abdul Khalique Nadwi - Khateeb,
Masji-e-Hira, Chennai
10. Prof. T.M.Zackriah Badsha - Former, Joint Director,
Collegiate Education, Chennai ■
Mayhem in Mumbai
Terror in the Name of God
Cont. from page 6
oppose each other. This obvious
fact must be recognized when
conceiving responses to the
challenge of terrorism in our region.
There are no easy solutions to
the predicament we find ourselves
in today. But there is surely at least
one thing that we must do, and
this was suggested to me by the
noted New Delhi-based Arya
Samaj scholar, Swami Agnivesh,
who has consistently been
speaking out against all forms of
terror, including in the name of
Islam and Hinduism as well as
state terrorism. The most effective
way to challenge terrorism in the
name of religion, Swami Agnivesh
suggested, is for Muslims to
denounce and stiffly oppose terror
engaged in by self-styled Islamic
groups who claim to speak in the
name of Islam, and for Hindus to
do likewise with regard to terror
spread by militant Hindu groups.
Sadly, today, the approach of
many of us to the phenomenon is
selective and skewed, with many
Hindus denouncing only the terror
unleashed by self-styled Islamist
groups, and many Muslims
denouncing only acts of terror
masterminded by Hindu groups.
At the same time, many Hindus
and Muslims continue to turn a
blind eye to, or even support,
forms of terror being perpetrated
in the name of the very religion
which they claim to follow.
And there is something else
that we need to do as individuals,
and I have found that this simple
principle works wonders even at a
very personal level. It might sound
‘unfashionable’ or even ‘purile’ for
those who do not find any place
for God in their lives, but for millions
of people in India and Pakistan who
do believe in some higher force, no
matter what they name it, it would
strike an immediate chord.
This principle I owe to Rano
Devi, a landless Dalit labourer from
the Bhil tribe who had been
released through the efforts of a
human rights’ group from slavery-
like conditions in the estate of a
powerful landlord. I Rano met
while on a visit to Sindh in
southern Pakistan three years ago.
A powerful woman she was—dark
and tall, and walking proud and
erect. A courteous hostess, she
welcomed me into her one-roomed
hovel built on a scrawny patch of
land that a social activist friend of
mine had provided her and plied
me with milk-less tea and a roti,
which was all that she could
afford.
Rano told me her story, of how
she was enslaved by a landlord,
who happened to be a Muslim,
and who kept her for four years in
shackles. Then, after a protracted
legal battle, she was released
through the efforts of my friend
and his comrades, all of who
happened to be Muslims.
She went on to enunciate a
simple but very compelling
principle thus:
‘Live for your religion, don’t
die or kill for it. Express your
religion through love and service,
like the brothers who rescued me
did, not through oppression,
murder and mayhem, for that is a
heinous crime in God’s eyes. After
all, we are all accountable for all
our actions to God. To Him we
shall return after we die, when He
will decide our fate till eternity
based on our deeds in this world’.
‘If we were to realize that this
world is temporary and that real,
eternal life starts after death,’ Rano
continued softly, tears welling up
in her eyes, ‘and if we were to
constantly keep this in mind,
perhaps people would dread to
misuse God’s name for un-Godly
acts’.
And there was another thing
that Rano said that inspires me
as I write these lines:
‘We call Him Ishwar, and
Muslims call Him Allah, but He is
one and the same’, said Rano.
‘There are good people in every
community, just as there are bad
people, too. Just as that landlord who
enslaved me claimed to be a Muslim,
the brothers who freed me were also
Muslims. And there are both good
and bad people among Hindus as
well. Remember that, brother. It is
only when good people in every
community join hands that this
Hindu-Muslim problem or the
problems between India and
Pakistan can ever be resolved’.
That sage advice from this
impoverished Pakistani Dalit
woman is, to my mind, a basic
premise we need to start from in
our joint struggle against terror
in the name of religion and
national chauvinism. ■
ADVT
Terrorism is not Jihad and not the Road to Jannah
Cont. from cover page
77 % of the respondents agree that these
extremist organisations are acquiring their
ideological and religious nourishment
from the customized literature which
has no Quranic base or no
substantiation from Hadith. In the
name of Islam, this literature is widely
circulated to brainwash youth.
It is a documented fact that these
adulterated Jihadi literature was
funded and circulated by USA and
western agencies to fight their dirty
war in Afghanistan against the then
USSR. Ironically in the process,
organizations such as Jamaat-e-Islami
Pakistan, Jamiatul Ulema Pakistan
(JUP), Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh,
and other organizations allowed
themselves to be exploited by
becoming active playesr in USA
sponsored Jihad for which the Indian
Muslims paid a very heavy price.
Are educated Indian Muslims getting trapped
by the extremist organisations in the name of Islam?
Is our community aware that our youth are been
trapped by lunatic organizations such Lashkar-i-
Taiba, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Jaish-e-Muhammad, etc
when they are working abroad? In the name of
Islam, are they being brain washed? What is the
modus operandi of these organisations in trapping
the Indian Muslim youth?
There are enough substantiated reports which
point out that radical and extremist cadres of
Lashkar-i-Taiba, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Jaish-e-
Muhammad etc hunt for Indian Muslims who are
working in the Gulf countries. In the name of Ijtema
(gathering to learn Islam) these innocent Muslim
youth are brain washed. They are exposed to
twisted and adulterated version of Islam with all
kinds of sob stories of Muslim persecution in India
and other places.
Lashkar-i-Taiba, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Jaish-e-
Muhammad etc claim to represent Islam, but their
role and reaction to 26 / 11 reflects their hidden
agenda. Indian Muslims came out in open and
declared to the world that these so called
CCIM condemns Terror Attacks
T
he Coordination Committee of Indian
Muslims, which consists of leading
Muslim organisations like the All India
Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, Jamiat Ulama-e
Hind, Jamaat-e Islami Hind, Jamiat Ahl-e Hadees,
All India Milli Council etc, condemned the recent
beastly terror attacks in Mumbai. While paying
tribute to those killed in the attacks, the Committee
demanded a high-level transparent, unbiased
ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 15
benefactors of Indian Muslims should stop
thinking on their behalf. Indian Muslims are capable
to take care of themselves within the
frame work of the Indian Constitution.
There are voices amongst the
Muslims which blames such terrorist
acts on the Gujarat carnage,
discrimination against Muslims, Babri
Masjid demolition and so on. They also
quote the Sachar Commission report.
But these Muslims forget that under
no circumstances and conditions,
should terrorist activities be justified.
Islam does not permit killing of
innocent people.
The revenge theory has no place
in Islam. 88 % of the respondents said
that these terrorist attacks in India had
nothing to do with the plight of Indian
Muslims. In fact, the perpetuators of
this heinous act have their own hidden
agenda.
What could be the straight forward, high impact
community initiative to neutralize and expose the
hollow faces of these so called Jihadis or Fidayeen.
These Jihadis or Fidayeen claim that they are
committing the terrorist acts as it is Jihad and they
will get Jannah for their sacrifice. It is very simple
to expose this myth. There are ample Quranic verses
and authentic Hadith which will prove that their
claim is false.
Islam never tolerates unprovoked aggression
from its own side. Muslims are commanded in the
Qur'an not to begin hostilities, embark on any act
of aggression, violate the rights of others, or harm
the innocent. Even hurting or destroying animals
or trees is forbidden. War is waged only to defend
the religious community against oppression and
persecution, because the Qur'an says "let there be
no hostility except to those who practice
oppression" (Qur'an: 2:190-193).
The need of the hour is to take the simple
message of Islam based on the Quran, authentic
Hadith and Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) life, both
to Muslim and non- Muslims and clear the air of
suspicion, hate and terror.
(The writer can be reached at
mhl@rediffmail.com) ■
and truthful enquiry into these attacks so that
the real culprits might be brought to book soon
and punished severely. The Committee calls upon
the Muslims of the country to come forward to help
the victims of the incident. The leaders of the
Committee also requests Imams of mosques across
the country to condemn the terror attacks in their
Friday and Eid sermons. It also called on Muslim
masses to celebrate Eid with simplicity this year. ■
ADVT
Insights ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 16

ADVT ADVT ADVT

 Focus
Nellie: India’s Forgotten Massacre
BY HARSH MANDER
A
lifetime is much too
short to forget. It
was November 26,
2008, the day that was to become
etched in India’s history for the
audacious and traumatic
terrorist commando attack on the
country’s commercial capital
Mumbai. I happened to be on
that day at a location as distant
as possible from Mumbai —
psychologically, politically and
socially — at Nellie in Assam, the
site of one of free India’s most
brutal forgotten massacres in
1983. I had been invited by the
survivors to sit with them as they
recalled and commemorated the
events that had unfolded in this
distant impoverished corner of
the country 25 years earlier.
Journey into the past
We gathered in the soft
sunshine of early winter in an
open courtyard. A crowd quickly
gathered: the older men with
checked lungis and beards could
easily be distinguished as people
of East Bengali Muslim origin.
The women and younger men
dressed like anyone from an
Assamese village. There were the
initial courtesies of traditional
welcome, as they offered us
customary white Assamese
scarves with exquisite red
embroidery.
Senior officials of the State
government who accompanied
me had gently dissuaded me from
the visit, questioning the wisdom
of re-opening wounds of painful
events of such a distant past.
People have moved on long ago,
they assured me. What purpose
then would our visit serve? It
would only revive memories that
have long been buried. The same
advice came from many non-
official friends who worked in
development organisations in the
State. They added that the visit
would stir issues that were too
bitterly contested in the region.
But the survivors persisted in
their resolve that they wanted to
be heard. It was impossible for me
to refuse them.
ADVT
ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 17
The Mumbai terrorist attack of 2008 has witnessed an upsurge of killings started, she tried to run
understandable public anger, because a partisan and weak State leaves away but was attacked and badly
wounded. She was hospitalised
each of us unsafe. But States have long failed abjectly and shamefully to for two months, and her mother
protect ordinary citizens and uphold justice. The lives lost in Mumbai’s Taj and four siblings were murdered.
Hotel are precious. But the lives extinguished in distant hamlets of Nellie “They were butchered here in the
— and indeed the streets of Delhi, Bhagalpur, Gujarat and Malegoan — are place where we are standing
today,” she said, adding: “I have
no less valuable. found no peace of mind for the
last 25 years. I need justice for
my peace. Justice is important
Enormous suffering in the world,” she concluded hands and thrown in fire. I wept
because it was such a terrible
On February 18, 1983, in the quietly. in terror all day. The CRPF came
crime. I feel lonely and miss my
genocidal massacre organised in Deluge of grief in the evening and rescued me.
Nellie, just 40 km from Guwahati , In his early thirties, Later we came to know that our family…” Babool Ahmad, a tailor,
was two years old when he lost
2,191 Muslim settlers originally Mohammed Monoruddin began house was torched. Nothing was
from Bangladesh were to cry inconsolably as soon as left. All our belongings and stores his parents. He was brought up
by his grandparents, whereas his
slaughtered, leaving 370 children he sat before us. “My brothers, of rice were gone in the fire. My
orphaned and their homes in 16 sisters were all killed, hacked into elder brother, who was in Nagaon, sisters were raised in an SOS
villages destroyed. As the pieces,” he recalled. “I was seven brought me up. But I feel so village.
survivors spoke one by one years old then. I saw my parents lonely.” And so the stories flowed,
before our gathering a quarter slaughtered in front of me. I saw Many others spoke of their like a deluge of muddied waters
century later, all of us who heard another woman being killed and loneliness. Noon Nahar Begum of grief — long unaddressed and
them — including officials, her child snatched from her was 10 years old, and when the Cont. on page 18
academics, social workers — were
completely stunned, and shamed,
by the enormity and immediacy
of their suffering today, which
retained an urgency as though
they had only very recently
suffered the unspeakable
cruelties that they gave words to,
not 25 years earlier. The bodies
of many were twisted and
deformed by inadequately treated
injuries from the assaults by
machetes and daggers; others
pulled back their clothes to
expose frightening scars of the
attacks of a generation earlier.
Hazara Khatun, with scars of
a dagger attack on her face that
she survived in 1983, sat on the
ground before us and pointed to
her empty lap. “I was cradling my
child here”, she said in a low
ADVT
voice. “They chopped him into
two, down the middle”. Another
widow Alekjaan Biwi, was far less
calm. Her body was twisted, and
we could all see that she had lost
her psychological equilibrium.
Eleven members of her family were
slaughtered in the massacre, and
she acted out for us how the mob
had attacked them, how she had
cowered and hidden herself, how
she was discovered and
wounded, and how she survived
even though scarred and
deformed for life. “I have no one
 Issues ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 18
BY YOGINDER SIKAND up Muslims whom they had accused of as being them on Muslims and then seeking to galvanise Hindu

L
ast month, the Rajasthan unit of the People’s ‘terrorists’, the UP police ‘wanted to show that they, support. He spoke about the large number of Muslim
Union for Civil Liberties, along with several too, were doing something.’ youths, wrongly accused of being terrorists, who
other human rights’ groups, organised a two- Nilabh Mishra, editor of the Outlook Hindi magazine, continue to languish in jails. Several incarcerated
day public hearing in Jaipur on the theme, “State echoed somewhat the same sentiments. He accused Muslims, who, when found innocent by the courts and
Responses in the Name of Countering Terrorism and sections of the media for simply parroting the police released, do not even get an apology, let alone any
Religious Conversion”. It was attended by a large version of events in cases of terror attacks for which compensation for being picked up, imprisoned and even
number of activists from various parts of Rajasthan and Muslims were invariably blamed, and remarked how the brutally tortured. For the rest of their lives these people
beyond. mounting anti-Muslim prejudices spread by this section are tainted in the eyes of society, and often even their
In his opening remarks, the noted social activist and of the media was doing irreparable harm to inter- close relatives want to have nothing to do with them for
scholar, Ram Puniyani spoke about how communal community relations in the country and communalizing fear of being suspected by the police of being ‘terrorist’-
violence in India is now being rapidly transformed into vital pillars of the state machinery, including the police sympathisers.
organised pogroms against Muslims in which key and the judiciary. Noted Delhi-based columnist Girish Nikam voiced
sections of the state and the media are playing a major Senior Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan similar concerns. Reflecting on his own experience of
role. Condemning all forms of terror, including that remarked about how he believed that ‘Hindutva having worked in the ‘mainstream’ media for several
engaged in by some fringe Muslim years, he said that the attitude of large sections of the
media to the issue of terrorism was
Jaipur Public Tribunal on Terror
outfits, Puniyani opined that what
he called ‘Hindutva terrorism’ today ‘indefensible’, in particular their
threatens to take the form of full- relative silence on Hindutva terror
blown fascism, which, while Public tribunals serve a valuable purpose, enabling victims to and their sensational reporting of
ostensibly targeted against Muslims cases of Muslims being accused
articulate their voices when these continue to go unheard in the of terrorism even in cases when no
and Christians, actually aims at
corridors of power firm evidence had been brought
preserving the status quo in terms
of caste/class relations and also in promoting global against them. This reflected what he said was a deep-
imperialist forces. Lamenting the silence of the media on rooted sentiment held by many that Muslims were to be
‘Hindutva terrorism’, he claimed that it was possible that presumed guilty until proven innocent. And, he added,
several other terror attacks that India has recently any critique of this policy is often quickly branded as
witnessed other than those that occurred in Malegaon ‘anti-national’.
could also have been the handiwork of Hindutva groups. Others who testified at the tribunal included Kavita
He stressed the importance of public tribunals as this Srivastava, head of the Rajasthan unit of the PUCL,
one to articulate the voices of the victims of state terror Tej Kumar, an advocate who has taken up the case of
in a context when there was little hope for justice from some Rajasthani Muslim youth accused of as
the courts and the state machinery. terrorists, as well as several men and women from
Magsaysay Award-winner and social activist from various parts of Rajasthan whose relatives continue
Lucknow, Sandeep Pandey spoke at length about what to languish in jail and some others who had been
he saw as the deliberate hounding of innocent Muslim arrested on false charges but were later released.
youths across the country wrongly accused by the police Public tribunals like this one serve a valuable
and intelligence agencies of being involved in acts of purpose, enabling victims to articulate their voices
terror. He focused particularly on one case that he has when these continue to go unheard in the corridors
sought to intervene in—that of a Muslim youth from of power. However, given the fact that, particularly
Lucknow , Shahbaz Hussain, who continues to be in jail, in the wake of the recent Mumbai attacks, the issue
accused of being behind the deadly bomb attacks that of terrorism has assumed alarming proportions and
ripped through Jaipur some months ago. Pandey and the role of fringe radical Islamist terror in fomenting
some of his colleagues had visited Shahbaz’s house and strife in India groups cannot be ignored, it is
were convinced, so he said, that he was actually innocent. imperative that human rights groups take a broader
He cited another instance where he had personally organizations in India enjoy almost unfettered freedom and more balanced perspective. While state terror
intervened to help stop a fake encounter that had been to defy the law, to massacre people in their hundreds, and terror unleashed by Hindutva groups rightly
planned by a police officer and an army colonel involving with no action being taken by the state against them.’ deserve to be condemned, for us to turn a blind eye
a Kashmiri youth whom they had planned to shoot and And, despite this, he added, ‘they are referred to as to terror engaged by radical Islamist groups is not
then falsely brand as a terrorist. This had been plotted patriots, not as terrorists, which is what they actually just unacceptable, unfair and unethical, but also, from
soon after what Pandey called the ‘fake Batla House are.’ He pointed out that Hindutva forces are desperately the point of view of our joint struggle against all forms
encounter’. The intention, he said, was probably to seeking to export what they call the ‘Gujarat model’ all of terror, which feed on each other, extremely counter-
‘prove’ that just as the police in other states were picking over the country by resorting to terror attacks, blaming productive. ■

Nellie: India’s Forgotten Massacre
Cont. from page 17
denied — gushing from a breached dam.
The forgotten massacre in Nellie in 1983
established a bloody trail of open State
complicity in repeated traumatic bouts of
ethnic cleansing and massacres both in
Assam and in India. It was followed by
similar State-enabled carnages, in Delhi
in 1984, Bhagalpur in 1989, Mumbai in 1993
and climaxed in Gujarat in 2002.
Series of incidents
Assam in turn has seen a series of
violent ethnic clashes between various
oppressed communities, each bitterly and
ferociously ranged against other ethnic
groups which may be as dispossessed, if
not more so. The accord brokered by
government with militant Bodos in 1993
assured them autonomous control over
regions where their population was in a
majority. The government therefore itself
laid the foundations for ethnic cleansing.
Bengali Muslims were driven out of their
settlements by murderous attacks and the
torching of their homes in 1993, and this
scenario was repeated for Santhal and
Munda tribals (called Adivasis) — many
of whom are descendants of tea garden
labour imported by the British two
centuries ago — in 1996. Thousands of
them continue to languish today in camps,
some for 15 years, as they are still terrified
to return home. Assam remains a tinder
box of ethnic hatred, with recent attacks
on Bihari migrant labour, Jharkhand
agitators in Guwahati, bomb explosions
and recent clashes between Bodos and
Bengali Muslims this year, which left many
dead and thousands in camps seething
with hate.
The worth of lives
The government gave the survivors
of Nellie, compensation for each death of
as little as 5,000 rupees, contrasted for
instance with Rs. 7 lakhs that have been
paid to survivors of the Sikh carnage of a
year later in 1984. Six hundred and eighty
eight criminal cases were filed in
connection with Nellie organised
massacre and of these 310 cases were
charge-sheeted. The remaining 378 cases
were closed due to the police claim of “lack
of evidence”. But all the 310 charge-
sheeted cases were dropped by the AGP
government as part of the Assam Accord,
therefore not a single person has even
had to face trial for the gruesome
massacre. Some lives are clearly deemed
by the State of being of little worth
compared to others.
The Mumbai terrorist attack of 2008
has witnessed an upsurge of
understandable public anger, because a
partisan and weak State leaves each of us
unsafe. But States have long failed
abjectly and shamefully to protect
ordinary citizens and uphold justice. The
lives lost in Mumbai’s Taj Hotel are
precious. But the lives extinguished in
distant hamlets of Nellie — and indeed
the streets of Delhi, Bhagalpur, Gujarat
and Malegoan — are no less valuable. A
day must come when our rage and our
compassion responds equally to each of
these tragedies. We can be safe only by
standing and caring together. ■
Muslims & Economy ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 19

Redefining Poverty
The total lack of a humanistic social policy to
improve the lot of the poverty-stricken majority
of this country, as seen from the laissez-faire
attitude adopted towards them, is shocking.
BY A FAIZUR RAHMAN 1999-2000 to Rs 327.56 and Rs

T
he government’s
announcement of a
fiscal stimulus
package of approximately Rs
30,000 crore, including foregone
tax revenues may not help the
economy. A recent FICCI survey
has warned that several
manufacturing sectors may see
production cuts of up to 50 per
cent and job cuts of up to 30 per
cent in coming months. In any
case, if one goes by the new
allocations, the stimulus
package appears to be meant
only for upper middle-class
urban Indians, to bail out
exporters and such sectors as
jewellery manufacturing,
housing and automobiles.
The total lack of a humanistic
social policy to improve the lot
of the poverty-stricken majority
of this country, as seen from the
laissez-faire attitude adopted
towards them, is shocking. The
enormity of this institutional
neglect can be gauged from the
“Report on Conditions of Work
and Promotion of Livelihoods
in the Unorganised Sector”,
released by the National
Commission for Enterprises in
the Unorganised Sector
(NCEUS) in August 2007.
The report says 77 per cent
of the population — 836
million people — subsists on
less than Rs 20 per day per
capita.
Unfortunately, the stimulus
package has nothing to offer
these people. On the contrary,
their numbers have been
grossly understated to avoid
tarnishing the “India Shining”
image, and perhaps also to
escape censure for not
addressing the concerns of
this vulnerable group.
A study of the anachro-
nistic methodology adopted
by the government to calculate
poverty line of India would
expose this bias.
According to the official
definition, the poverty line is
the monthly cost of a “basket
of food” that gives 2,400
calories of nutrition per capita
per day in rural areas and 2,100
calories per capita per day in
urban areas. In 1973-74, the
government fixed this line at Rs
49.09 and Rs 56.64 per capita
per month for rural and urban
areas respectively. These
values were last revised in
452.11.
In other words, we are
expected to believe that a
person who earns Rs 328 a
month in a village and Rs 453 a
month in a city is not poor, as
he is above the poverty line.
One does not have be an award
winning economist to realise
how ridiculously low these
estimates are.
Astonishingly, these
outdated values still form the
basis of poverty calculations in
our country. A case in point is
the March 2007 report of the
Planning Commission, which
claimed that the number of
people living below the
poverty line has declined to
21.8 per cent from 26.1 per cent
in 1999-2000. But the NCEUS
report contradicts this
contention.
Therefore, in order to avoid
such conflicting and
misleading claims, the poverty
line must be redefined for a
realistic evaluation of the
number of poor in our country.
In this connection, the
methodology used by
Australia may be worth
studying.
The country takes into
account even non-income
indicators to calculate poverty
and updates its poverty line
every quarter. For instance, the
Australian poverty line for the
June Quarter 2008 inclusive of
housing costs was $ 714.27 per
week for a family comprising
two adults, one of whom is
working, and two dependent
children. This was an increase
of $ 7.08 over the poverty line
for the previous quarter, March
2008.
(Source: Melbourne
Institute of Applied Economic
and Social Research).
Adopting a similar
approach, Mohan Guruswamy
and Ronald Joseph Abraham of
the Centre for Policy
ADVT
Alternatives, Delhi in a
February 2006 report,
“Redefining Poverty: A New
Poverty line for a New India”
presented a case for fixing the
poverty line at about Rs 840 per
capita per month after factoring
in costs for nutrition (Rs 573),
health (Rs 30), clothing (Rs 17),
energy consumption (Rs 55),
and miscellaneous expenditure
(Rs 164).
Even this figure of Rs 840,
they said, would not fully reveal
the true state of poverty in
India because a person
spending more than Rs 840 a
month does not necessarily
have access to all the
fundamental needs of life such
as education, health, nutritious
food, clean water, clothing,
sanitation, transport, housing,
and access to national
resources.
But there seems to be no
effort from the government to
initiate targeted measures to
eliminate poverty as proved by
its apathy towards the Dalits and
the Muslims who are the most
“capability deprived” (to use
Amartya Sen’s phrase) sections
of our society as per the Sachar
Committee Report.
For instance, in the 2008-09
Union budget the amount
earmarked for the Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes is
Rs 7,762 crore, which is the sum
of a direct allotment of Rs 3,966
crore and 20 per cent of Rs 18,983
crore from other schemes. This
works out to just 1.03 per cent
of Rs 7,50,884 crore, the
estimated total budget
expenditure this year.
Muslims find themselves
even more neglected as the
finance minister could spare
just Rs 1,235 crore for all
minorities, which included
allocations to the ministry of
minority affairs (Rs 1,000 cr),
post-matric scholarship (Rs
100 cr), National Minorities
Development and Finance
Corporation (Rs 75 cr) and the
ADVT
Maulana Azad Education
Foundation (Rs 60 cr). At 70
per cent of the total minority
population the Muslims’ share
in Rs 1,235 crore may be taken
at Rs 865 crore or 0.1 per cent
of the total budget
expenditure.
So the Muslims get just 11
per cent of what has been
given to the Scheduled Castes
and Scheduled Tribes despite
being 55 per cent of SC-ST
population (2001 census) and
equally downtrodden. The
bias is obvious. If this is the
government’s attitude towards
deprived communities, the
chances of India staving off
recession and becoming a
global power are bleak indeed.
(The writer can be reached at
email.faiz@gmail.com) ■
 Life & Relationships
Mohammed: After the first
day when I went home, I did find
a tremendous change in myself
and the people who attended the
workshop. The breakthrough I
had was on the second day when
I forgave everyone. I cannot wait
to see the results of my daily life
after the workshop. The
workshop is brilliant and I
recommend it for everyone.
Better marketing has to be done.
Seedat: I was playing blame
game and was stuck in the box.
The workshop opened my eyes
and made me a better person in
the eyes of my husband and
children. Brought me closer to
them. The workshop was very
enjoyable.
Jahanara: I had allowed
myself to be stressed and not
focused. After having breast
cancer I had learnt to live in the
moment and slowly as time
passed I got caught up in living
in my head. This workshop was
a reminder and wake up call for
me. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It
has been a special learning
experience for me. I feel inspired
and motivated.
Zubeda: My life before the
workshop was filled with daily
questioning of why things
happen the way they do. I was
less calm and often worried
about what may occur, even it
has not happened. My major
turning point in the workshop
was finding spiritual upliftment
and calmness. When we did the
zikr, I felt at peace and everything
around me disappeared. The
workshop helped me realize my
role in achieving happiness and
success and life is what you
make of it wherever you are. On
the first day of the workshop, I
did not quite get it, but by the
third day, I began to realise a lot
and I am grateful to Mr
Sadathullah Khan for
conducting this workshop.
Alisha: Prior to the
workshop, I was living in the
past, bringing the past and not
wanting to see the future
because of what I experienced
could be fear and failure! I have
been married twice and divorced
twice. In that 30 years I always
thought why me? What did I do
to deserve this? It was blaming
and self pity etc. Even with the
members of my family I always
felt there were never there for me
in helping me to bring up my two
sons. Now after the workshop, I
have realized it has been me.
There is nothing wrong in me. I
have realized that in life YOU can
make the choice with the
guidance from Allah. I must start
living my life in the moment, I
must learn to forgive and stop
ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 20
Shut Out the Satan
looked for a meaning to anything
that happened around me. I
always suffered asking
questions about why me? Why
now? Why this way? After the
The “Discover Yourself Workshop” was conducted by A.W. Sadathullah workshop I have learnt to accept
life and make free choices. It made
Khan on 28, 29 and 30 November 2008 at Universal Sports Club, Harare, me realize where my beliefs,
Zimbabwe. Here some of the participants share their experiences. morals and practices were
coming from. I wish to correct
Before, I was giving in to my them and choose words that will
nafs, living as I pleased, not help me live the way Allah wants
listening to others advice, me to live. This workshop really
getting irritated on small things. helped me open my eyes to the
Now, I see a bigger picture and blindness Satan had trapped me
most importantly how to think in. I shall use the tools of the
positively. I feel lighter inside, workshops to shut the Satan
knowing that I can change my and take control of my life. I
future and accept whatever Allah wish the workshop was for a
blaming. determined to correct them. I will
has given to me and be grateful little longer period as it takes
Rashid: Before the members not let the whisper of Satan
for it. longer time to realize and accept
of my family had attended the guide me. I am sure that this
Zaheer: I was blinded in the self deception and point of
workshop in South Africa and I workshop will make a difference
denial of the decisions and point views we have created in our
saw a big change in them and so to my life. I want to organise
of views in my life as I always lives. ■
I decided to attend. On the first the workshop in Mozambique
day I could not understand what and we need to expand this in
it was all about and later Portuguese language. “DISCO
“DISCOVER VER YOURSELF”
understood it. I witnessed that I Faiza: Before the workshop, 3-DAY WORKSHOP ON
have been living my life in the my life was full of anger and Personality Development through Self-intorspection
box, living in the past. Now I am (Based on Islamic Principles)
jealousy. I used to blame others
aware of it and I can change and The workshop aims to achieve self empowerment
for my anger and discontent.
live in the now, not judging, not through the transformation of one-self.
After attending the workshop, I
assuming. I used to bottle up “Now we need a revolution, not for changing others, but to change ourselves”
things and now I know how to realised that all my problems are http://www.nanima.co.za/discoveryourself.html
because of me and not others. I
deal with it. In the first day of the workshop your anger disappears and you enter
Tahera: The first day I did not realised that I must forget the into a state of peace and tranquility. You feel free and light and your view of
see any changes. My husband, past because it affects my life, people around you and the world transforms.
present and future. This The next day you get rid off the burden of the past and the constrains the
my son and I attended. The
workshop is an awakening in my past imposes on your view of life. You get access to live in the present and
second day I saw a change in create a new future. You have the power, freedom and self-expression to take
all of us. My son for the first life and it should be conducted any challenge that life throws at you and life is no longer a burden. Your view
time hugged me and I felt he was frequently. of life alters. You create a new you, surrendering to the will of Allah. You
crying from deep inside himself. Fatima: The workshop purify your heart and truly get connected with Almighty Allah.
Now all of us talk with feelings helped me to listen to others. Third day you witness a whole new world around you by demolitioning
(fana) your ego. You see life as simple with Truth prevailing and Falsehood
for each other. I have a lot of Not to be judgmental. Learnt to
perishing. You experience, love, joy, peace, happiness, contentment
anger in me and I will over come care and share my experience and bliss, a gift Allah has given you to experience and share with others.
it. I find this workshop is related with others. To be forgiving. To Unless there is individual transformation there will be no Universal
to Islam completely. see others for what they are. To Transformation. Now we need a revolution, not for changing others,
Qaader: Within myself, I help my community in anyway I but to change ourselves
feel that I have found exactly can and help me make the right SRINAGAR
what I have been searching for choices and decisions in life. FOR MEN AND WOMEN
a long time. I can feel the change Amina: Earlier life was DATES: 19, 20 & 21 DECEMBER 2008
in myself. God willing, I wish to meaningless. I did not know VENUE: B.ED COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
pursue with determination the what to do with my life. Now I M.A ROAD, SRINAGAR
path that we have discovered feel that I can face challenges (Arrangements for heating the avenue already made)
here. I have become conscious and I can handle any situation CONTACT FOR DETAILS AND REGISTRATION:
of my small mistakes and I am more confidently and positively. Mr. Bakkal, Mobile No. 9419032956 (10am to 5pm)
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Mrs. F. Bukhari, Mobile No. 9419015411 (10am to 5pm)
E-mail: fouziabukhari@gmail.com
WORKSHOPS IN JANUARY 2009
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ORGANISED BY : Islamic Womens Association, Stavanger
Contact for details:
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Workshop Designed and Conducted by:
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Editor, Islamic Voice,
Cell: 0091-9845158996
Email: awskhan@gmail.com/ editor@islamicvoice.com
 Book Review ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 21

Discourse on Discrimination
REVIEWED BY: Azamgarh, the central madrasa
ARSHAD AMANULLAH of Jama’at-i-Islami Hind,
Masud’s has an insider’s take on
“Bhai saheb! My village is
Jama’at’s realpolitik and work-
completely Pakistan which is Hindustan Mein Zaat-Paat Aur Musalman (Urdu) culture. In fact, one of the
surrounded by India”. “What do Author: Masood Alam Falahi important reasons which
you mean by India and Publisher: Al-Qazi, F-A/86, Abul Fazl Enclave, New Delhi 110025 prompted him to write the book
Pakistan?”, I asked. Only Price:Rs.250/- is the casteist behaviour of the
Sheikhs and Syeds live in the
cadres and office-bearers of the
village and on the periphery,
they do it to woo the ummat-i- location of the author and his Islam (a person whose family has Jama’at. (P373). In addition to
there are settlements of Kunjras
da’wah to embrace Islam, not to approach to the politics of been within the pale of Islam for engaging the issue in normative
(Green-grocers), Qasais
radicalize the behavioural aspect jurisprudence production. To put more than a generation), due to fashion, he quotes instances
(Butchers), Jolhas (Weavers),
of the concept of equality among the book in perspective, one the temporal distance which from real life of the predominantly
Dhuniyas (Cotton-carders), Nais
the believers. Being a narrative needs to explain briefly the comes to characterize their ashraf leadership of the Jama’at.
(Barbers),etc”, he replied.
of an Islamist alim, though the dominant discourse about association with Islam. The “Personal histories, interviews,
(An excerpt from the book,
book under-review also carries discrimination and forms of textual Islam (the Qur’an and the observations and incidents
p: 453).
some of these limitations and social exclusion among Indian Hadiths) does not conceive which the author has been a
The discourse (secular/
biases, it offers fresh information Muslims, before delving into the social organisation of the witness to”(P27-28), thus,
religious/ both) on the South
on the theme and throws a host genealogy of the volume and the Muslims in terms of these constitute a major chunk of the
Asian Muslims has been so
of questions to ruminate on. saga of its several rejections from stratifications, however majority book. On a much larger plane, he
ashraf-driven that either it hardly
In the light of the insights the publishers. of the Indian ulama have been applies the same strategy of
engages, in a pragmatic fashion,
obtained from years of Apart from social intercourse, justifying the same in the data-collection to the
the issues of social equality as a
ethnography on the caste the caste-based discriminatory jurisprudence, through outstanding ulama of all
tool to put an end to economic
demography of the Indian praxis among Muslims find interpretations of the Qur’anic denominations and prominent
and cultural exclusions, or
Muslims, the present volume expressions in at least five forms: verses which serve their purpose religious bodies of Indian
whenever it tries to address them
problematizes the social equality khilafat, imamat, kufu/kafa’at, and also with the help of Muslims. That is why potential
(the issues of social equality), it
project of textual Islam, employment and education. concocted ahadith. of his book to critique the
does so with great rhetoric.
especially when the latter Majority of the ulama consider Due to several factors like agenda and vision of the present
Mohammad Iqbal’s verse “Ek Hi
negotiates with the strong local khilafat a prerogative of the socio-democratic programmes of Muslim religious establishment
Saf Me Khade Ho Gaye
societal institutions. That descendents of the Prophet the Constitution, secular and Islamist leadership is simply
Mahmud-o-Ayaz / Na Koi Banda
process of theology while it is only ashrafs who character of the Indian polity, unmatched.
Raha Na Koi Banda Nawaz,”
manufacturing is marked by a jurisprudentially qualify for the industrialization-led-intense It is against this backdrop,
very aptly exemplifies the extent
constant reproduction of the imamat (to lead the prayer in the process of urbanisation, etc, one needs to understand why
of simplicity and rhetoric the
local societal institutions and mosque). Further, the ulama deem have reduced the occurrence of Jama’at-i-Islami Hind, after three
ulama and the Islamists have
hence their perpetuations, is the observance of ‘Kufu” other discriminatory praxis, years of dilly-dallying
reduced such a complicated
another motif of the book. What mandatory for the islamicality of however, the institution of Kufu discovered that it could not
question to. Another limitation
enhances its complexity is the a marital alliance. Literally is still violently in practice. It has publish Masud’s monograph
which categorizes their
academic and ideological meaning eligible/suitable/equal, thus continued to come under and why an Ahl-i-Hadith
narratives on the theme is that
the kufu in its hermeneutical criticism from the backward caste publisher from the city of
sense, stands for the following: ulama time and again. In this Maunath Bhanjan, Uttar Pradesh
four castes of the ashrafs (Syeds, regard, among others, Mufti demanded to remove those
Sheikhs, Mughals and Pathans) Habibur Rahman Azmi’s portions of the book which
are generally considered suitable monograph Ansaab Wa Kafa’at offered insights about the caste-
marriage partners for each other, Ki Shar‘i Haisiyat and Maualana driven writings of the Ahl-i-
making it a complete Abdul Hamid Nomani’s tract Hadith ulama and practical
endogamous affair while the ajlaf Masla-i-Kufu Aur Isha’at-i-Islam politics of the present
(communities based on as critiques of the dominant establishment of Markazi Jami’at
professions) can marry only narrative of the Kufu deserve Ahl-i-Hadith Hind. Interestingly
among themselves, not the mentioning here. Though enough, before he found his
ashrafs. The arzals (the Masud Falahi’s book comes to publisher, Jamia Asaria Darul
untouchables) form the socially signify the most recent effort in Hadith, an Ahl-i-Hadith madrasa
and physically excluded lot of this series of protest writings, it of Maunath Bhanjan, had started
the Muslim society. Moreover, marks a departure from its a serial reproduction of some
no Jadidul Islam (new converts predecessors in several ways. portions from the book in each
to Islam) can marry a Qadeemul A graduate of Jamiatul Falah, issue of its monthly magazine
Aasar-i-Jadid (from February
2007).
Divided into ten chapters,
the timeline of Masud’s narrative
starts with the Aryan invasion
ADVT on India and comes down to the
current period. His hypotheses
is that the Muslim intellectuals
(religious/secular), instead of
discouraging the caste-based
discrimination among the Indian

ADVT Muslims, have consciously or

unconsciously projected it as an
Islamic concept and tinkered
with the classical Islamic texts to
lend it a jurisprudential sanction.
Consequently, it has caused an
irreparable damage to the
Cont. on page 27
 Qur’an Speaks to You ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 22
In the name of Allah the Merciful the Beneficent

R
elate to them in all truth the story of the two sons of Adam:
how each offered a sacrifice and the offer of the one was
accepted while that of the other was not. (The latter) said: “I
will surely kill you.” (The other) replied: “Allah accepts only from the
righteous. Even if you lay your hand on me to kill me, I shall not lift my
hand to kill you: for I fear Allah, the lord of all worlds. I would rather, you
should add your sin against me to your other sins, and thus you will be
destined to the fire; for this is the just retribution of the wrongdoers.”
His evil soul drove him to kill his brother: he murdered him and thus
he became one of the lost. Allah then sent a raven which scratched the
earth to show him how to bury the naked corpse of his brother. He cried
out: “ Woe to me! Am I too weak to do what this raven has done and so
bury my brother’s naked corpse.” He was then overwhelmed by remorse.
Because of this, we decreed to the children of Israel that whoever
kills a human being, for anything other than in punishment of murder or
for spreading corruption on earth, it shall be as though he killed all
mankind. And that who ever saves a human life , it shall be as though he
has saved all man kind. Our messengers brought them clear proofs (on
the truth), but despite all this, many of them continue to commit excesses
on earth. (The Repast, “Al-Maidah:” 5; 27-32)

Killing One Life or Killing Humanity

COMMENTARY BY SAYYID QUTB happy in life. Most certainly that this remorse was not one of committed against peaceful peace treaty with the land of
TRANSLATED BY ADIL SALAHI he lost his future life as he added repentance. Otherwise, Allah and good-natured people who Islam. This legislative rule

I
his new sin to his earlier ones. would have accepted it from him. harbor neither grudge nor ill- should be well remembered.
n the first part of this story
The ghastliness of his crime It was the sort of remorse which feeling towards others. A We should also remember that
of the two sons of Adam,
was made to appear to him in its comes with the realization that reminder and a warning may the land of Islam is that in
one of them threatened to
most physical shape. The dead one’s action is futile and leads achieve nothing with those which the rule of Islam prevails
kill the other out of blind envy,
corpse of his brother started to to nothing but trouble. who have an evil nature. and the Islamic law is
after his own offering was not
rot and its nakedness became It may be that the burial of Adopting a peaceful attitude implemented.
accepted while that of his brother
intolerable. Murderer as he was, the dead raven by his brother is may not be sufficient to prevent Allah has decreed this
was. His threats were met by a
he was soon made to realize his something that ravens do as aggression. For all this, the principle for the children of
calm response of his brother who
powerlessness as he did not some people suggest, it may also ghastly crime of killing one Israel, because at that time,
made it clear to him that he would
know how to conceal the be something super natural person is considered so grave they were the recipients of
not lift his hand to kill him in any
nakedness of his brother’s which Allah wanted to show to and so sordid that it is equated divine revelation and as such,
situation because he feared
corpse. He was weaker than a the killer at that particular time. with the crime of killing all they represented the land of
Allah. He added a word of
raven among birds: “Allah then To us, both cases are the same. mankind. On the other hand, Islam as long as they
warning telling him that should
sent a raven which scratched the The Creator Who gives every efforts to prevent killing and to implemented the law of the
he kill him, he would add a new
earth to show him how to bury species of His creation its spare the life of one person is Torah in its fullness, without
sin to his old one and incur a
the naked corpse of his brother. nature and habits can considered a great action, equal any distortion. But the
double punishment in the life to
He cried out: “Woe to me, I am accomplish whatever He wills to saving all mankind. The law children of Israel exceeded
come.
too weak to do what this raven through anyone of His given to the children of Israel their limits after Allah’s
He depicted to him how
has done and so bury my creatures. His power is merely included this principle which messengers came to them with
loathsome to him was the very
brother’s naked corpse. He was indicated by either course. equates the life of any human clear proofs of the truth. Since
thought of committing murder in
than overwhelmed by remorse.” The surah then makes use being with every life. The right the time of Prophet
the hope that he would help him
Some reports suggest that of the profound effect of to live is applicable to all. Muhammad (peace be on him),
thus to resist the evil thoughts
there were two ravens and one relating the story in this Hence, killing one person is an numerous among them are
towards a peaceful brother. He
of them killed the other. Other particular manner in order to aggression against the right to those who commit excesses of
explained to him that the sinful
reports suggest the that the enhance the feeling which live which is common to all. all sorts. The Quran records
burden of a murder crime was
raven found a dead raven or gives a positive response to It should be clarified here against them these excesses as
too heavy that he would do well
brought the dead one with him the legislation enacted to that this rule applies to the well as the fact that they have
to avoid it in order not to end up
and started to scratch the earth achieve the dual purpose of people in the land of Islam, no argument to justify their errors
with a double
and then buried the dead one. weakening the motive to whether Muslims or not, as after Allah’s messengers have
punishment. The only way to
The murderer expressed his commit a murder and to long as they are living under come to them: “Our messengers
rid himself of it was to fear Allah.
feelings in the way reported in establish the just punishment the protection of the Islamic brought them clear proofs (of the
In his persuasion, he went as far
the Quran and did like what he for such a crime whenever it is authority. As for those who are truth) but despite all this, many
as any man could go. But the
saw the raven do. It is clear that done: “Because of this, we in the land which is hostile to of them continue to commit
example of an evil man cannot
the murderer had never seen a decreed for the children of Islam, neither their lives nor excesses on earth.” What excess
be properly depicted until we
dead man being buried. Israel that whoever kills a their properties are protected is greater than distorting or
know what sort of response he
Otherwise he would have buried human being, for anything unless they have concluded a ignoring Allah’s law? ■
made in such a persuasion: “His
his brother. This may have been other than in punishment of
evil soul drove him to kill his
because the murdered brother murder or for spreading
brother; he murdered him and
was the first of Adam’s children corruption on earth, it shall be
thus he became one of the lost”
to die on earth or may be because as though he had killed all
After all these admonition
the killer was still young and had mankind.”
and persuasion, in a perfectly
never seen a burial before. Either This type of person does
peaceful and gentle approach,
case is probable. It also appears exist and aggression is
the evil soul prevailed and crime
was committed. His evil soul was
able to over-ride every hindrance
and made him less resistant to
the thought of killing. Thus he
killed his own brother, only to be
ADVT
doomed: “Thus he became one
of the lost.” He lost all as he ADVT
brought himself into ruin, and
lost his brother who should have
been his friend and support.
He also lost his world, since
a murderer can never be
Hadith
E
very Muslim knows
that Prophet
Muhammad (Pbuh)
provides the best example for us
to follow. Whatever he did or
said, should be followed by us,
because following the Prophet’s
example is a duty of every Muslim
and ensure rewards for him or her
on the day of Judgement.
Moreover the Prophet teaches
us only what is good for us and
Always a Prayer for something Good
for human life. He was the man
who attained perfection with
Allah’s help.
We often make supplication
for the achievement of certain
objectives in the life to come or
in this life. Numerous are the
affairs of this life for which we
pray to Allah to accomplish our
purpose.
We make a supplication to
have an increase in wealth a better
income, a good job, a comfortable
life, passing exams, recovery from
illness, etc. All such purposes are
legitimate. We cannot pray to
Allah to enable us to do something
he has forbidden. It is unthinkable
that one makes a supplication to
Allah to help him win in gambling,
because gambling is
forbidden in Islam. Yet; some
people
do that in ignorance. It is also
forbidden to pray to Allah to
cause harm to someone else,
unless it is a supplication by a
person who has been at the
receiving end of oppression or
injustice. The Prophet has
warned us against a supplication
by someone to whom injustice
has been caused at our hands.
This is in essence a warning
against injustice. It is an
exception Allah makes to such a
person because he answers his
supplication against his
oppressor. We should not read
answering such a prayer as
causing harm to someone, but we
should take it as the
establishment of justice.
The Prophet had no
personal grudge against people
They were confirmed enemies of
Islam who treated Muslims very
badly and persecuted those
Muslims who were under their
control. He prayed against a few
individuals who spared no
efforts in scheming against Islam.
Such a supplication against the
opponents of the cause of Islam
is perfectly legitimate. Moreover,
the Prophet never made a
supplication against a Him alone.”
The Prophet never made a supplication against a community of
disbelievers. When he went to Taif seeking support for his cause, he
was given a very hostile reception.
community of disbelievers. The same applies in the case
When he went to Taif seeking of the tribe of Daws when they
support for his cause, he was rejected his message. The story
given a very hostile reception. of the efforts to bring Daws
The chief of Thaqeef induced round to accept Islam is very
their teenagers, servants and interesting. A man from Daws
PHOTO OF
MADINA
slaves to chase him out, stoning called At-Tufail ibn Amr once
him as he walked, until both his came to Makkah to visit the
feet were bleeding. As he sat Kaaba. That was at the time
down to rest after walking some when the Prophet had only
distance away from the city, recently been preaching the
Allah sent him the angel in message of Islam in public.
control of mountains who told Some people of Quraish met
him that he was at his service. If At-Tufail and warned him
he wished, he would make the against listening to the Prophet
mountains collapse over them or saying that he was a sorcerer
make the earth swallow them. The who said things which caused
Prophet refused any such discord between a man and his
suggestion, saying: “I hope that wife, or a man and his children
Allah will bring out of their and tribe. He was largely
offspring people who worship influenced by what they told,
to the extent that he did not
ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009
wish to see the Prophet or listen
to what he said. It so happened
later that the Prophet went to
pray at the Kaaba when At-
Tufail was there. At first, Al-
Tufail tried to move away. Then
he thought that he was a
reasonable man who understood
poetry and could distinguish fine
speech from harmful one. What
he overheard the Prophet say in
his prayer appealed to him.
Therefore, when the Prophet
finished and went to his home,
At-Tufail followed him and
knocked at his door. He asked
him about what he preached and
the Prophet explained the
message of Islam. He soon
became a Muslim.
When At-Tufail went to his
23
tribe which was fortified, he told
his wife and his father that he
would have nothing to do with
them unless they accepted Islam.
Both became Muslims without
hesitation. At-Tufail then started
to call on his tribesmen to become
Muslims.
At a subsequent visit to
Makkah, At-Tufail noticed that
the Prophet was facing great
hardship because of the hostility
of his people. He suggested to
him to move out to Daws, where
he would have the benefit of the
fort there and would have the
tribe of Daws defending him. The
prophet preferred to stay in
Makkah. Apparently, the main
reason for the Prophet’s refusal
was the fact that Islam had not
made much ground there and the
number of Muslims in Daws was
still small. This is clear from the
fact that in yet another visit to
Makkah, At-Tufail ibn Amr
mentioned to the Prophet that
his efforts were not achieving
any great success. At-Tufail
said: “Messenger of Allah, Daws
have disobeyed Allah and
rejected your message. Pray
Allah to punish them.” The
Prophet turned towards the
Kaaba and lifted his arms as he
would in supplication. Most
people thought that the Prophet
would pray against the tribe of
Daws. The Prophet, however,
said: “My Lord, guide the tribe
of Daws to the truth and let them
come over to Islam.” (Related by
Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
At-Tufail continued his
efforts with his tribe and was able
to make better headway after the
Prophet’s supplication.
At the time when the Prophet
fought in the battle of Khaibar
against the Jews, At-Tufail
brought 80 men of his tribe to
join the Muslim army. When
Makkah fell to the Prophet two
years later, At-Tufail suggested
to him that he, i.e, At-Tufail be
sent to the idol named Thul
Kafayn which was worshipped
by Amr ibn Hummamah, to burn
it. The Prophet sanctioned that
and At-Tufail burnt that idol
which was a symbol of
polytheism in Arabia.
On the other hand, the
Prophet never hesitated to make
supplication on behalf of any
individual who requested him to
do that or whom he felt needed
such a supplication. ■
 Our Dialogue ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 24
Extremists: Between Motivations and Justifications
any support to extremism or A Political look at today’s They present Islam as “Islamic
Question: How can Islamic extremists think they can get
terrorism. And no Muslim can Conflicts fascism” or “terrorist Islam” in order
into heaven by murdering innocent people when there is no
believe that the killing of innocent Despite the foregoing, why do to push their imperialist agenda.
justification in the Qur’an for doing so.Their motives seem to humans can earn rewards in some people in the Muslim world And the real causes of the conflicts
be more about hatred than the love of God, as they seem more Heaven, as such killings are reportedly resort to the use of are blurred out. This is the tragedy
motivated by what God can give them in paradise, as opposed to categorically prohibited in Islam. violence? Palestine, Afghanistan, of the present day world, which
any love of God. Al-Qaeda in Iraq, for example, seem to think What is more, justice is one of and Iraq can serve as good ignores the terrible massacre of
they can kill whoever they want by saying “God is Great” while the most important values (if not examples. over 600,000 Iraqis or the systematic
they murder people, which they imagine absolves them of any the most important value) the Some media reports and genocide and dispossession of the
wrongdoing. (Dieter-Germany) Qur’an wishes its adherents to presentations of events in areas Palestinian people.
cherish and honor: of conflict are biased and slanted Indeed, Islam is a religion like
COUNSELOR: SHAHUL HAMEED fighting as a last option, when all *{O you who believe, stand to such an extent that we do not Judaism and Christianity. It is the
Answer: Salam, Dieter. other avenues are closed: out firmly for justice as witnesses get a correct picture of what is third of the three Abrahamic
Thank you for your question. *{Fight in the cause of God to God, even as against happening. Modern wars are religions. Islam teaches its followers
Murdering Innocents = those who fight you, but do not yourselves or your parents or your fought on various battlefronts, not to respect all the prophets
transgress limits; for God loves not kin, and whether it be (against) rich least on the media front. mentioned in the Bible, including
Murdering Humanity. First of all, I
transgressors. And fight them or poor: For God can best protect Embedded journalists cannot Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.
would like to emphasize the Islamic
wherever you catch them and turn both. Follow not the lusts (of your know the war from the other side, It teaches that there is only One
teaching that murdering an
them out from where they have hearts), lest you swerve, and if you nor can they report it objectively, God, Who is the Creator and
innocent human is like murdering turned you out, for tumult and distort (justice) or decline to do even if they know the truth. World Sustainer of the universe — the All-
the whole of humanity. You can oppression are worse than justice, verily God is well- media is controlled by the rich and Merciful, All-Just. And Islam holds
read the meaning of the following slaughter}* (Al-Baqarah 2:190- acquainted with all that you do.}* powerful countries of the world, as holy all the precepts of mercy,
verse in the Qur’an: 191). And again, this verse (An-Nisaa’ 4:135) and it is only natural that their kindness, justice, and truth
*{If anyone slays a human stresses that permission is given And again we read what interests are safeguarded in the preached by all the Prophets of God.
being — unless it be [in for those who are being means: featuring of news stories. Hype, An American writer wrote
punishment] for murder or for oppressed to fight their *{O you who believe, stand slant, and spin are the order of the about the US attack on Iraq and
spreading corruption on earth —, oppressors: out firmly for God as witnesses to day in the media world. its “impact” on the Americans:
it shall be as though he had slain *{To those against whom war justice; and let not the hatred of a You have mentioned “Al- I noticed no signs of grief in
all humankind; whereas, if anyone is made, permission is given (to people cause you to swerve from Qaeda in Iraq.” Just think for a our supermarkets on the days
saves a life, it shall be as though fight), because they are justice; be just; that is the closest moment: Couldn’t this be a label when children’s arms were being
he had saved the lives of all wronged;— and verily, God is to piety.}* (Al-Ma’idah 5:8) invented by biased media outlets blown off, not even the day the
humankind}* (Al-Ma’idah 5:32) most powerful for their aid;— These verses mean that it is to discredit the Iraqi resistance Anglo-American forces marched
Also take note of the Qur’anic (They are) those who have been the duty of Muslims to do their against the occupation? If the into Baghdad, killing thousands of
command: expelled from their homes in utmost to see that justice is done resistance fighters are called “Al- Iraqi men, women and children all
*{Let there be no compulsion defiance of right,— (for no cause) under all circumstances, no matter Qaeda,” immediately their cause is on the same day, the vastness of
in religion}* (Al-Baqarah 2:256) except that they say, “our Lord is what the cost is. Justice should be blacked out, and they are taken for the killing shocking our own
which means that no force God.” Did not God check one set done even to the enemies who terrorists who are bent on soldiers who were THERE without
should be used to make a person of people by means of another, fight Muslims or even if they have “murdering innocent Americans”! a CNN filter. ... I could see laughing
follow the dictates of religion. This there would surely have been to act against the interests of their People who used to be victims of people hauling bags and bags of
means that no one can force pulled down monasteries, own close relatives or friends. Saddam Hussein are ruthlessly nitrate-jammed, high-fat,
anyone else to become a Muslim churches, synagogues, and Blaming Islam for the Actions of bombarded with depleted processed foods out to their cars
or follow a certain religion, as faith mosques, in which the name of Muslims uranium bombs and cluster … And a further look too often
concerns the heart. God is commemorated in abundant Muslims should never act out bombs to implement cemented the link. There it would
Fighting for Self-Defense and measure. God will certainly aid of narrow partisanship or out of “democracy.” It is interesting to be, on the bumper: God said it, I
Justice those who aid His (cause);- for selfish motives, because God says see how US forces in Iraq are believe it, and that settles it.
But the above verses do not verily God is full of Strength, that doing justice is the closest using Saddam’s own Abu Ghraib (Thomas, Lisa Walsh. The Isaiah
preclude fighting in self-defense Exalted in Might, (able to enforce action to actual piety to Him. for this “purpose.” Crowd: How Their Neo-
or fighting for justice. In fact, God His Will).}* (Al-Hajj 22:39-40) Muslims are persons who should Any groups who want to fight Christianity is Killing Us. 4 June
in the glorious Qur’an permits such The above verses do not lend live by the Qur’an and the Sunnah, against this so-called preemptive 2003. Counterpunch.org.
and they should never ever try to invasion are depicted as terrorists Accessed 27 May 2007.)
flout the explicit commands of God who are “motivated by what God When Religion becomes a
in the Qur’an and the example of can give them in paradise.” Victim
the Prophet (peace be upon him). This means that they are not Sometimes religion becomes a

ADVT For the same reason, we cannot

blame Islam for the actions of
certain people that contravene
Islamic precepts any more than we
can blame Christianity, for
instance, for the misdeeds of
certain Christians in derogation of
the teachings of that religion.
fighting the invaders and
occupiers, but they simply wish
to get rewards in the Islamic
Paradise, eager to commit suicide
in the process!
Very few people seem to notice
the terrible hypocrisy and double
standards followed by the leaders
of “civilized world.”
cover for committing atrocities.
If the religion of Jesus Christ
is not to be blamed for the greed
and sadism of certain Christians,
how can Islam be in the dock for
the political struggles of liberation
that take place in Afghanistan,
Iraq, or Palestine?
(www.islamonline.net) ■

ADVT ADVT ADVT

 Soul Talk ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 25
BY DR. SYED LIAQATH PEERAN Friends share their deep secrets and between them, You look for friends under light and shade, to share

T
his is an old adage about friendship. Friendship
is not mere casual contact or relationship. It is
a deep relationship and a bond thickened
through true feelings of give and take which brings joy
and happiness in the relationship of two or more persons.
Among friends there is no grouse or complaints and
neither they carry any heavy feelings or a baggage. The
hearts open up to each other and genuine feelings of
it is closely guarded and friends do not betray the trust
and confidence in each other. Friends rescue each other
in troubled times and help each other to cross the barriers
and bridges. Friendship is blessed and the proverbial
friendship is of our holy Prophet(Pbuh) with his
companions, particularly with his foremost companions,
those of Hazrath Abubakar Siddique(RA), Hazrath Omar
Farooq(RA), Hazrath Usman(RA) and Hazrath Ali (RA).
joys, mirth and gaiety. To seek comfort, solace and
happiness. To share woes and enrich hopes. To stir the
ship of hope and happiness to safe shores.
Friendship renews bonds to kindle warmth, which is
hidden in nature’s breast. It instills in mind strength of
iron, to unfold thrill, to trickle sweet dreams, to reach the
zenith of inner peace. Divinity sparkles in friendship.
One of the attributes of Allah is ‘Wali’. Allah is a friend

Friend in Need is a Friend in Deed

Friendship is blessed and the proverbial friendship is of our holy
Prophet(Pbuh) with his companions.
concern and well being is carried by friends. The Friendship is like a white lily, its fragrance is sweet
relationship is gentle, light hearted and between them like honey; lasting till times endless sight. Flowing
there is laughter and true concern for each other. Truth smoothly like a river, without asking for any material gain
prevails between them. There is no cover up, camouflage and wealth in return.
or trickery. There is give and take and friends do not Companions have in their bosom love aplenty and
stand on formalities. The relationship is more for gain Sun’s generosity, shining on them, the tranquility of moon
than any loss between them. They mutually respect each and vastness of an ocean for clarity. Friendship enriches
others feelings. The relationship is more than brotherly. the mind and the soul.
of sincere persons, who surrender to Him with all humility
and put all their trust in Him. Thus friendship purifies the
mind, enlightens the soul and lightens the burden of
craving. The burning greed vanishes from the heart,
raising goodness to a Divine Path.
(The writer is Editor of ‘Sufi World’ He can be reached
at internationalsuficentre@gmail.com. Please visit
www.internationalsuficentre.org) ■

SENIOR
ADVT CITIZEN
 Update ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 26

New Development in Islamic Studies in India

For the first time in India, distance-education learners can now do a regular course in Islamic Studies.

BY A STAFF WRITER students are allowed to take up to Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New

F
or the first time in India six years to finish the Bachelor’s Delhi, Maulana Waris Mazhari,
, distance-education degree course. editor of the monthly Tarjuman Dar
learners can now do a Faced with the lack of suitable ul-Ulum, the official organ of the
regular course in Islamic Studies. textbooks for the course, Nadvi Deoband Madrasa Graduates’
This three year-programme is and a team of colleagues have Assoc-iation, the noted Islamic
being offered by the Hyderabad- prepared special texts in Urdu, five scholar Maulana Khalid Saifullah
based Maulana Azad National of which have been published so Rehmani from Hyderabad,
Urdu University (MAANU). far. Work on the third year BA texts Professor Naim ur-Rehman Faruqi,
Launched in 2007, the course is in Islamic Studies is now under head of the History Dep-artment,
one of the eight optional way. ‘Unlike many texts used in Allahabad University, Professor
subjects that students enrolled most madrasas, these seek to Zafar Ahmad Nizami, former head
Academy. provide a historical perspective of the Department of Political programme. These have been
in the three-year Bachelor’s
‘MANUU’s Bachelor’s level and also reflect on contemporary Science at the Jamia Millia Islamia relayed on Doordarshan’s Urdu
degree programme in the Urdu
distance learning programme has issues. They also avoid the sharp and Professor Shahid Ali Abbasi, channel, and students will soon
medium through distance-
some 1,50,000 students, of which sectarianism and heated polemics head of the Department of Islamic be able to view them in MANUU’s
learning can opt for. Students
some 5000 have opted for Islamic that is characteristic of many books Studies at Hyderabad’s Osmania study centres, which will be
must select three out of these eight
Studies as one of their three taught in traditional madrasas, so Unive-rsity. equipped with computers and
optionals, in addition to
optional papers’, Nadvi explains. that they appeal to Muslims of Nadvi explains how the televisions. Plans are also afoot to
compulsory English.
‘Almost half of our students are different sects’, Nadvi says. ‘The programme functions. Text books launch a video conferencing
Maulana Fahim Akhtar Nadvi,
females, many of whom are books provide a general overview are sent out to the students by educational programme for
a well-known Islamic scholar,
unable, for various reasons, to of the different sects, not in a post, and they are made to write students of Islamic Studies, in
heads the Islamic Studies
attend regular colleges, and so polemical mode, but, rather, in two assignments a year for which addition to the other subjects that
programme at MANUU’s
can study through our such a way as to present them as are then graded. In addition, they MANUU’s Distance Education
Distance Education Department.
programme while being at home’, their own adherents themselves appear in an annual examination, Department offers.
Author of several books, mainly
he says. Admission is open to under-stand them.’ which is held in some 140 centres Nadvi says that he hopes to
on contemporary developments in
anyone who knows how to read The texts have been prepared of the MANUU located across be able to devise an MA
Islamic jurisprudence, he holds a
and write Urdu, no matter what by a professional and well- India . A new centre has come up programme in Islamic Studies
doctorate from the Islamic Studies
his or her educational qualified team, with separate in Jeddah and plans are afoot to through the distance education
Department at the Jamia Millia
qualifications, provided the sections being commissioned from establish another one in London mode that will start probably two
Islamia, New Delhi , and has
candidate passes an entrance renowned Islamic scholars across as well. years hence. ‘This will be of
worked for over a decade in as a
examination. To make the the country. These include With the help of the immense value to those who want
Mufti and in-charge of the
programme even more widely Professor Akhtar ul-Wasey, head MANUU’s Instructional Media to study Islam but are unable to
Academic Section of the New
accessible and convenient, of the Department of Islamic Centre, Nadvi’s department is in do so in the few universities in the
Delhi-based Islamic Fiqh
the process of preparing audio- country that have Islamic Studies
Salath Timings for Bangalore visual material for Islamic Studies
students. So far, it has produced
Departments’, he adds.
For more details, contact Dr.
Month End Sun Mid-day Asar Asar Sun ten DVDs, each of a half hour Fahim Akhtar Nadvi on
Isha
Date Sahri Rise Shafi Hanafi Set duration, for the Islamic Studies fanadvi@gmail.com ■
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 Special Report ISLAMIC VOICE, JANUARY 2009 27
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