ALEEM FAIZEE

Mumbai: Around 60% of Muslims in urban and rural areas of

Maharashtra are living below the poverty line (BPL) in abysmally
vulnerable conditions, and just about 25% of them are marginally
above the poverty line, Dr. Mehmoodur Rehman Committee has
said.
The Committee has found that 59.4% of the urban population
and 59.8% of the rural population of Muslims is below the pover-
ty line (BPL).
More than five years after it was constituted to look into the
educational, social and economic backwardness of around 10.3
million Muslims in Maharashtra and propose remedial measures
that could be taken by the Government, Dr. Mehmoodur Rehman
Committee submitted its report to Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan
on 21 October.
The committee has noted that more than 70% of Muslims
live in urban areas and face the problem of housing and do not
have satisfactory access to poverty alleviation programmes in
operation in the rural areas, it said.
Besides poverty, the committee also threw light on the poor
educational status of the Muslims in Maharashtra. Only about
2.2% of total Muslims complete graduation, and 1.4% Muslim
women reach graduation stage. The work participation rate
among the Muslims is 32.4% and the women work participation
is only 12.7%, it said.
The report expressed concern over alarmingly low represen-
tation of Muslims in govt jobs. Their share in the IAS Cadre in
Maharashtra at present is reported to be nil, and in the police force
Muslims account for about 4.4%, the committee said adopting
the Sachar Committee reported figure of 4.4% as share of
Muslims in Government Services in Maharashtra.
The committee also expressed its concern over the large
number of Muslims who are in jails. While the Muslim population
in the state is 10.6%, their share in the jail occupancy is ranging
from 32-35%, the report said.
It is a cause for concern. The committee has recommended
setting up a commission to inquire into the reasons behind dispro-
portionate share of Muslims in state jails and suggest corrective
action, it said.
One of the major recommendations made in its report, the
committee proposed a maximum of 10% or at least 08% reserva-
tion for the Muslims. The recommendation is made on the basis
of the population of Muslims in Maharashtra which stands at
10.6%.
The committee has unanimously come to the conclusion that
in view of the negligible presence of Muslims in the government
and semi-government employment vis--vis their population of
10.3 million against the total state population of 96.9 million
(Census of India 2001), the Muslims should have a reservation of
10% or at least 8% in the employment and admissions to all edu-
cational institutions including the professional courses, the
report said.
The committee also recommended immediate vacation of
unauthorized occupation of Waqf properties and release of out-
standing rents by the government offices. It also recommended
creation of a Waqf Service and construction of a Waqf House in
Mumbai.
The Committee also recommended handing over of the Ismail
Yusuf College and its adjoining land to the Muslims - a demand,
the report said, is supported by a huge majority in the state and
the country.
Muslims from all over Maharashtra, and more overwhelm-
ingly from the rest of the country, have supported the proposal of
the transfer of management of Ismail Yusuf College to the
Anjuman-e-Islam, which is one of the oldest and effectively man-
aged institutions, the report said.
The committee also suggested to handover the Haj
Committee building at Palton Road to Muslims. The present Haj
House building at Palton Road, Mumbai, constructed out of big
and small donations, is recommended to be handed over to the
Muslims of the state as per their very justifiable demand made to
the Study Group for organising socio-religious and cultural func-
tions.
The Office of Chief Executive of the Central Haj Committee is
recommended to be shifted to any other hired or official building,
the report said.
The committee has also highlighted the difficulties the
Muslims in Maharashtra are facing while seeking permission for
building mosques, and for getting approval for burial grounds.
The police department in the state creates a lot of hassles to
the community members seeking permission for building
mosques, and many a time, denies permission to construct
mosques. The cases of Kolhapur and Sanpada (Navi Mumbai) are
examples in this regard, the report observed.
This not only violates the basic constitutional rights but is
also very discriminatory. In case of any dispute, the open dialogue
and interaction between the communities need to be promoted as
is being done in many European countries. The state needs to act
tough against the policemen violating the basic fundamental rights
of the community, it said.
About the permission for burial grounds, the report said,
Muslims at many places in the state are struggling to get land for
burial grounds. Their request for land for this purpose remains
unheeded by the urban local bodies. The struggle of the commu-
nity to get burial grounds in Vasai and Mumbai are suitable exam-
ples in this regard.
Presently, the land allotments for burial grounds need to be
approved by a resolution from local bodies (municipalities/munic-
ipal corporations) but given that the Muslim representation is quite
low in elected local bodies, the resolutions are not passed or are
delayed. The issue requires immediate attention and action by the
Government of Maharashtra, it said.
The Government should delink the land allotment for burial
grounds from approval by the local bodies. The collector should
be authorised to allot the land and delay in this regard must be
considered violation of fundamental rights guaranteed by the
Constitution, it said.
Other recommendations that the committee has made in its
report include adoption and implementation of Cultural Diversity
Index and establishment of Equal Opportunity Commission at the
state level, expansion of the OBC list to include extremely deprived
strata of Muslim community, inclusion of Dalit Muslims into the
scheduled caste category and anti- discrimination Act in line with
the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of
Atrocities) Act for Muslims.
Also recommended in the report are: all norms and proce-
dures prescribed for SC/ST students related to government free-
ships, scholarships and fees to be applied to Muslim students in
toto, need to establish quality Urdu, Marathi and English Medium
schools and higher education centres in Muslim-concentrated
areas, mandatory representation of Muslims in selection (recruit-
ment) committees, construction of a new Urdu Academy house,
its reorganisation and popularisation of Urdu and Sanskrit as
pleaded by Justice Markandey Katju, renaming of Karjat or
Matheran Railway station as Adamji Peerbhoy railway station.
The report also suggested that the government should
encourage reform in the Muslim community with regard to gender
equality. The arbitrary talaq should be prohibited and alimony to
the divorced women be made compulsory.
24 pages ` 15 ISSN 0972-3366 Fortnightly Vol. 14 No. 21 Issue Serial # 331 facebook.com/milligazette www.milligazette.com 1-15 November 2013
Muzaffarnagar 3,5,8
Mobile records of rioters 8
Modi 11
J&K 10 Analysis 11 Special Reports 3,13
Issues 2,11,13 Speaking Out 11 Books 21
Newsmakers 12 International 16-20
Community News 14-15 Islamic Perspectives 20
Our Publications 19 Classifieds 22 Letters 23
Inside
MG
60% Muslims in Maharashtra below poverty line
Mehmoodur Rahman committee recommends
far-reaching measures for Maha Muslims
THE
MILLI
GAZETTE
INDIAN MUSLIMS LEADING ENGLISH NEWSPAPER SINCE 2000
DR NAZEER AHMAD...12 MOVIE ON ADV. SHAHID AZMI...2,9
M
G
/
Y
u
s
u
f
One of the major
recommendations made in
its report, the Mehmoodur
Rahman committee
proposed a maximum of
10% or at least 08%
reservation for the Muslims.
The recommendation is
made on the basis of the
population of Muslims in Maharashtra
which stands at 10.6%.
So, how much crowd
should I report for
your rally?
Dr. M Rehman
2 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 ISSUES / OPINION
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DR JAVED JAMIL
Lord Meghnad Desai, in his Sunday Indian Express article, The
Muslim Question (http://m.indianexpress.com/news/the-muslim-
question/1184879/), has discussed the Muslim part of the com-
ing Lok Sabha elections. While he has admired my recent paper
(Muslim Agenda 2014) and has also privately written to me
endorsing all the demands that we have included in the Muslim
Agenda 2014 draft posted to the top functionaries of all political
parties, he openly supports BJP in his article and condemns all
secular parties including Congress. While he may be right on
the mark in stating that the secular parties have been befooling
Muslims since Independence, the truth is also that BJP (or Jana
Sangh) has failed to earn the confidence of the second largest
majority despite the failures of secular parties. The failure, in
fact, provided the forces of Hindutva an excellent opportunity to
win the hearts of the people. Instead, they chose to do the oppo-
site. Instead of wooing them, it chose to marginalise them with all
their statements and actions and their selective approach towards
issues concerning them. If secular parties have used Muslims as
vote bank, which they allege at least one hundred times on a
daily basis from different platforms, what are they indulging in if
not vote bank politics by trying to consolidate the Hindu voters
instilling in them fear and hatred for everything Muslim.
Everything about BJP is farce. From ideology to practice, it is
drowned into deception. Religion is an important part of human
life; it must in fact be the most important. Secularism in the Indian
context is not the negation of religion but synthesis of religious
values enshrined in different religions. Every community in India
has the right to practice, profess and even propagate its religion. I
do not agree with those who want separation of religion and poli-
tics. Negation of religion as such means total negation of the
goodness of religion and the moral values which are associated
with it. What is bad is not the religionisation of politics but politi-
cisation of religion, which often breeds communalism and the
negation of minority rights.
If BJP had been preaching religious values enshrined in Hindu
Dharma, that would be fully acceptable to all. If it had been fight-
ing for the rights of Hindus, even then it would not have created
much of havoc.
The problem with BJP is that its definition of Hindutva, in prac-
tice as well as in theory, is based on its aversion of Muslims and
everything that is or can be made to look linked to Muslims. They
are not interested in introducing the Hindu vision to the constitu-
tion but in demolishing Muslim personal laws. They are not too
much fond of building temples; they are more concerned about
demolishing mosques. They love singing Vande Mataram not
because of its inherent beauty or grand message but because it
irks Muslims who find hard to worship the land instead of the
Creator of the land. Even if the Hindutvadis do not read their scrip-
tures with any regularity, they would want to impose it on Muslim
students. They are not concerned about saving Hindu lives from
fellow Hindus; they derive pleasure if Muslims are humiliated,
killed and uprooted. They are not campaigning for bringing com-
forts to their fellow religionists; they are more interested in teas-
ing and harassing Muslim populace. Even their hatred towards
Pakistan is based not on nationalism but on hatred because
Pakistan is a Muslim country. They count only the Hindu dead or
displaced. The Muslim victim counts hardly bother them. When
talking of Gujarat riots, they will shout about the deaths in Godhra,
the blame for which they have put on the heads of Muslims with-
out any proof, and would not want to count the dead in the riots
that followed. In Kashmir, they will keep counting the number of
the Pandits killed, which does not cross even a few hundred mark,
and would keep mum on the killings of more than 40,000
Kashmiris.
Desais argument that Muslims need not fear BJP is partially
right. Yes, they need not fear to confront any forces that are bent
on destroying the secular and plural nature of Indias constitution
and social and cultural fabric. They must face their challenge with
a plan and thought out strategy. Instead of succumbing to their
designs and just focusing on emotional issues, they must
empower themselves - ideologically, educationally, socially and
economically.
I have purposely chosen Ideological empowerment first
because it is through intellectual pursuits that they can destroy the
myths that BJP and its allies propagate day and night.
However, Muslims should not fall in the trap that they should
accept BJP because it wont do anything worse than the secular
parties. If BJP wants to win the hearts and votes of Muslims, it
must build confidence in them by openly giving up those parts of
their ideology and action plans that irk Muslims. Instead of trying
to win their support by instilling fear in them, as they have done in
Gujarat, they must seek their support through offers that are gen-
uine and true.
Muslims on the other hand must remember that they have to
pressurise the secular parties to give them their due share rather
than trying to earn their votes by instilling fear of BJP.
This is a country of Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and
many other religious and ethnic people. They all have to be
accommodated in a way that each of them plays a meaningful role
in the countrys affairs befitting their status.
The writer is Delhi-based thinker and writer with over a dozen
books including his latest, Muslims Most Civilised, Yet Not
Enough and Muslim Vision of Secular India: Destination &
Road-map. He may be contacted at
doctorforu123@yahoo.com
In a landmark judgement, a Malaysian court on 14 October ruled
that non-Muslims cannot use the word Allah to refer to God and
prohibited a Christian newspaper from using it in the Muslim-
majority nation. Didnt the Bard of Avon say: Call rose by any
name and itll smell sweet? How can god be different than Allah?
Its been clearly mentioned in the Quraan that Allah is Rabbul-
Aalameen (the Sustainer of the universe) and not just Rabbul-
Muslameen (the Sustainer of the Muslims). God or Allah is a
divine idea. Its a spiritual or theological manifestation of believ-
ers. This unnecessary debate is akin to the fervid insistence on
calling only Allah and not even Khuda as the latter term belongs
to Persian and everywhere in Quraan, whichs in Arabic, does
one come across the Arabic word Allah for the Almighty. In one
of his mystic Persian poems of Sanai, the predecessor to Rumi,
says, Which name should I call YOU by? A child has so many
names for his mother. Yet, mother spontaneously responds to
every name that a child calls her by. She doesnt correct her child
and insist that he must call her by a specific name. Here a world-
ly mother makes no bones as to how her child addresses her, then
why should Allah have any objection. Todays Muslims must
imbibe the spirit of Sanais words spoken nearly a millennium
ago. Stop being so blinkered and let Allah belong to all. Dont
confine God/Allah to a limited religious lingo.
Why I want to watch Shahid?
Call me prejudiced, monomaniac, monolithic, even a liar and what
not but let me tell you honestly that Ive not seen any movie that
hit the marquee after 1980! Neither did I hear any song after the
demise of Muhammad Rafi in the same year, 33 years ago. But
now Im going to break my principle, nay, solemn vow and
thinking of watching the movie Shahid whichs receiving rave
reviews from critics and cine-goers.
Just a few minutes ago, while browsing through movie sites,
I came across an audacious comment on this movie. Someone
wrote that Its a funded movie to destabilise the country.
What Ive gathered from my dispassionate friends, whove
watched the movie, is that one ebullient lawyer Shahid Azmi (its
a true story) fights tooth and nail for Muslim youngsters, branded
as terrorists, and gets them acquitted in many cases. He was
eventually killed. So many young Muslim guys are booked and put
behind the bars to languish till death. Most of them are framed and
falsely implicated. No one comes forward to save them from this
predicament and life-long humiliation.
Any bomb-explosion anywhere in the country or abroad is
thought to be masterminded by the Muslims. This worldwide mor-
bid thinking must be changed.
I believe, this movie will have such prejudiced people thinking
anew that not every Muslim is a terrorist. This universal stereotyp-
ing about Muslims needs a revamp and such movies can con-
tribute a bit in that direction.
Casteism: Hinduisms
Ineradicable Legacy
The news in Indian Express Converted to Buddhism for haircut
and shave, says Gujarat villager (IE, 21 October) is just shock-
ing. Barbers in a village of Gujarat dont shave or give a haircut to
a Dalit because upper caste people wont come for a shave or a
haircut!
Caste discrimination is an uncomfortable reality in Hindustan
and its still integral to Hinduism. Because of this flagrant discrim-
ination, many Dalits embraced Buddhism in 1954 along with Bhim
Rao Ambedkar in Nagpur. Caste is an inalienable label in India that
one carries till death. Its so engrained in peoples psyche that not
only in villages, but also in towns, big cities and even metros, peo-
ple ask you the caste you belong to. But the question remains: Do
such converted people really get social sanction and do they also
reconcile to the fact and the changed perspective that theyre no
longer a part of the erstwhile caste they belonged to prior to the
conversion?
This is a socio-ethnic conundrum and Im afraid that even
non-Hindus (neo-religionists) havent been able to really come out
of it. I remember, once I was reading an Urdu newspaper in a clin-
ic while waiting for my turn to see the doctor. The chirpy recep-
tionist, who happened to be a Muslim young woman in her mid
twenties, began to talk to me in her rustic Hindi of Maharashtra
which quite disconcerted me. That young woman was confused
by my name and ability to converse in chaste Urdu. She sudden-
ly blurted out, Aap kis caste kay hain? I was flabbergasted. I just
told her that Id no caste, creed or even a country. Now it was her
turn to be baffled. That even Muslims enquire about caste, under-
scores that its become our social reality. And tell me whos
responsible to drill this garbage of caste, class and even country
into the gullible collective consciousness of mankind, not just
Hindus, Muslims or Indians? Hinduisms caste and class distinc-
tion led to the formation of many a tributary like Jainism,
Buddhism and other quasi religions. Many untouchables
embraced Christianity and Islam because they couldnt cope with
the pejorative treatment meted out to them by the upper caste
Hindus. Years ago, Romain Rolland, French scholar and a great
friend of Rabindranath Tagore and Gandhi, emphasised the point
that the core of Hinduism was casteism and this rabid ideology
caused other religious offshoots to branch out of the tree of
Hinduism.
Were indeed living in a caste-based, polluted set-up and
there seems to be no way out of it because we dont want to get
evolved on this count.
SUMIT PAUL
sumitmaclean@hotmail.com
Is Allah different to God?
This unnecessary debate is akin to the fervid insistence on calling only Allah and
not even Khuda as the latter term belongs to Persian and everywhere in Quraan,
whichs in Arabic, does one come across the Arabic word Allah for the Almighty.
Lord Desai, BJP & Congress: the Muslim Question
If BJP had been preaching religious values enshrined in Hindu Dharma, that would be fully acceptable to
all. If it had been fighting for the rights of Hindus, even then it would not have created much of havoc. The
problem with BJP is that its definition of Hindutva, in practice as well as in theory, is based on its aversion
of Muslims and everything that is or can be made to look linked to Muslims. They are not interested in
introducing the Hindu vision to the constitution but in demolishing Muslim personal laws. They are not too
much fond of building temples; they are more concerned about demolishing mosques.
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 3
Respond now if you care about your
community
White Paper on Terrorism
The issue of fake terrorism charges and the unjust arrests and defamation of our community,
especially since 2001, is the biggest challenge facing the community ever since. A grand con-
spiracy hatched by the powers that be, IB, Police and media, has sullied and defamed our com-
munity. This campaign has affected our lives, peace of mind and has thwarted our efforts to
progress and educate our children to join the national mainstream.
Our efforts so far to present our case, to bring out our innocence and force the national and
state governments to listen to our grievances have mostly failed. All we have received are a few
words of solace which have no real meaning and have not changed the situation on the ground.
Our children by their thousands are still languishing in jails on the basis of fake confessions
obtained through torture and blackmail.
As a long-term solution and a serious response to this problem thrust upon us, AIMMM
decided last year to bring out a white paper on the Muslim-related terrorism in the country.
The work is going on with all seriousness and many researchers, scholars and journalists are
busy preparing writeups on various aspects of this issue, covering the history, genesis, com-
munalism, vested interests in various related fields, analysis of various laws like TADA, POTA
and UAPA, fake encounters, narco tests, torture, acquittals, IB & Police role, media attitude,
case studies, statewise surveys, SIMI, Indian Mujahidin, Hindutva terror, individual tragedies
of victims, Azamgarh, Bhatkal, Malegaon, Darbhanga modules, some basic documents, etc.,
etc.
The target is to bring out this white paper during the next seven months and to release it in
a big convention at Delhi as a combined effort of major Muslim and civil rights organisations,
and thereafter present this huge document of over 600 large format pages to politicians, media,
human rights organisations, especially outside the country, in order to enlighten public opinion
at home and abroad as well as to build pressure on our blind and deaf government.
The estimated cost of this white paper is Rs 35 lakh divided as follows: Rs 15 lakh cost of
preparation and payments to contributors plus six months salaries to researchers and experts;
Rs 15 lakh for designing and printing the document in a world-class format; while the grand con-
vention at Delhi will cost at least 5 lakh. Effort will be made to release the White Paper in some
state and world capitals also.
You can help this effort in four ways,
1. To buy copies of the White Paper on Terrorism in advance to help defray part of the huge
cost of research, printing, publication and distribution of at least one thousand complimentary
copies. The estimated price of the white paper is Rs 2000 per copy in India. You may place an
advance order by paying Rs 1000 only per copy in India including postal charges). Payments
for the copies may be made to The Milli Gazette, D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar, New
Delhi 110025. Email: edit@milligazette.com. Individuals and organisations ordering a minimum
of 100 copies in advance will be included as Sponsors of the White Paper.
2. Contribute to the cost of the grand convention to be held at Delhi towards the end of 2013.
This should be payable to the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, D-250, Abul Fazal Enclave,
Jamia Nagar, New Delhi-110025. Tel.: 011-26946780 Fax: 011-26947346. Email:
mushawarat@mushawarat.com.
3. Donate your time: If you are a scholar, researcher, journalist: join our team for a few
months working in our Delhi office or from your own home to complete this project - write
to the Editor, MG now at edit@milligazette.com.
4. Contact us if you have vital information/documents about this issue.
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New Delhi:
Leader of a
major Muslim
or gani zat i on,
Jamiat Ulema-
e- Hind on 15
October stirred
a controversy
by suggesting
that so-called
secular parties
should seek
votes on the
basis of achievements instead of wooing vot-
ers by creating fear of someone coming to
power, an apparent criticism of invoking the
bogey of Narendra Modi.
The BJP and Left parties latched on it to
attack the Congress and accused the ruling
party of using people for their votes.
Mahmood Madani had said that these so-
called secular parties should first make their
agenda and manifesto clear about what they
wish to do for the peopleThese so-called
secular parties should explain what their gov-
ernments in different states have done. What
promises they have fulfilled and which ones
still remain to be fulfilled. They should seek
votes on this basis and not on the basis of fear
of somebody else (coming to power).
He said all such parties should not do neg-
ative politics. Instead, they should inform peo-
ple whether they have created equal opportuni-
ties.
BJP and Left parties used these remarks to
criticise the Congress. It is now clear as to
how Congress has been exploiting people for
votes. It has been scaring the voters to get their
votes. But people have gradually realised this,
BJP Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.
He said people are worried about price rise and
corruption which are the the primary issues.
Another BJP leader, Siddarth Nath Singh,
alleged that the Congress believes in divide and
rule. People know that Congress always
believes in divide and rule. It creates a rift
between Hindu and Muslim brothers.
CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury said any
type of communal polarisation from any quar-
ter for political benefits is not good. We need
to rouse people against such things to protect
our secular, democratic traditions, he said.
Congress embarrassed by
Mahmood Madni remarks
ANHADs Fact-Finding Report
on Muzaffarnagar riots
New Delhi: ANHADs head, Shabnam Hashmi, said at a
press conference here while releasing her organisations
24-member teams report on Muzaffarnagars communal
riots last September that the subject of communal riots in
Muzaffarnagar and its neighbouring village is an extreme-
ly sensitive and serious one which should be investigated
by the CBI because Narendra Modis right-hand man Amit
Shah was present in UP during those days. She said that
Shah was sent to UP with a particular objective and he
has been fulfilling this objective. Hashmi said that in vil-
lages of western UP where 10 to 15 percent Muslims are
settled, RSS has sent its members who are trained under a planned scheme so that these people could
create circumstances under which communal hatred and riots could take place. She said that incidents
like harassing and beating of Deoband students before the riots, provoking and misbehaving with
Muslims, preparing the grounds for inciting communal riots etc were part of this nefarious plan. She said
that eve-teasing is being described as the trigger for Muzaffarnagar riots which is mere propaganda
because in the FIR registered in Kawal there is no mention at all of this incident. She said that riot-affect-
ed people repeatedly named mainly two persons, Ramesh Malik and Sanjiv Walia, but no complaint has
been registered against these people nor have their names appeared in any media. She said that the
Central government and civil society should intervene in this matter. She said that dismissal of the state
government, which some people and organisations are demanding, is not the solution of this problem
but in order to prevent such incidents in future it is essential that communal violence bill be passed in
which the provision, among other things, is that for any communal riots district and police officers
should be held responsible.
ANHAD member Mansi said that when her team reached Lisadh to take stock of the situation, the
team members were subjected to rude and threatening behaviour in the presence of police personnel.
Moreover, the attitude of SHO Phugana was extremely unbecoming. She said that the maximum num-
ber of deaths took place in Lisadh and added that when she and other members of her team went there
under army escort, on the one hand the SHO did not allow them to talk to anybody and on the other
hand he said that these people themselves have set fire to their houses in order to get compensation.
The riot-affected people accused village Pradhan Ajit Singh openly but police has not taken any action
against him so far.
Bhasha, human rights activist who also was a member of ANHADs team, said that in this whole
area communal tension is being deliberately created in a planned manner. Many other people said that
swords were being distributed among people, and receipts of Rs 10 for each sword were being given
and that people of Tablighi Jamat and students of Darul Uloom Deoband were being deliberately
harassed and beaten in the region. People said that in relief camps at Kairana, food for an estimated
12 thousand people was being cooked by people of the area but the government falsely claims that it
is running and managing these camps. The interesting thing is that on the other hand local administra-
tion has declared these camps illegal and has lodged on FIR against 300 people.
Supreme Courts lawyer Naushad Ahmad said that even now FIRs of many riot affected people
have not been registered. Affected people who have been lodged in Loni Camp are being compelled by
the local police and officers to go back to their places and desspite of FIRs lodged on behalf of victims
of rape and sexual abuse, no action is being taken against the culprits. On this occasion many riot-
affected people including Ramzan Chaudhary and other members of the team also narrated their own
experiences. There were 24 members in this team of ANHAD who toured riot-affected villages, talked
to people of both communities and after reviewing the situation personally, prepared their reports.
Jamiat builds colony for
Muzaffarnagar victims
New Delhi: President of Jamiat Ulama-e Hind (JuH) Maulana Arshad Madni laid the foundation stone of
Jamiat Colony consisting of 72 houses at Khampur village on 6 October for the rehabilitation of those
riot-affected people who are not prepared to go back to their abandoned houses in the riot-affected vil-
lages. After completion of these 72 houses, people and their families will be accommodated who are
firm on not going back to villages where they were attacked and their houses burnt. Before building these
houses JuH had conducted a survey of refugee camps to identify people who did not want to go back
to their villages at any cost, where they had lost everything and where the villagers were not at all friend-
ly. Hence Maulana Arshad decided to rehabilitate them at Khampur where, after acquiring the required
land, he laid the foundation for 72 houses. Each house will be built on 100 yards plot and the total cost
is estimated to be Rs 1.25 crores. He said that a spacious mosque will also be built there in which a
madrasa for imparting religious education to children of the colony will be started. According to him, a
small mosque is already there which will be expanded to include the madrasa.
Speaking on this occasion, Maulana Arshad Madni said that rehabilitation of thousands of people
who are living in refugee camps under the open sky was in fact the responsibility of the government but
seeing its carelessness and insensitivity, JuH decided to first rehabilitate those people at the earliest
who are not at all prepared to go back to their old places. He said that governments must get Communal
Violence (Prevention) Bill passed in Parliament at the earliest, which Jamiat Ulama (and other organi-
sations) have been demanding since long. He asked as to why after all Congress-led government is sit-
ting silently when riots so frequently erupt at different places and houses of Muslims are being burnt
and they are being killed? He said that the government showed special interest in getting many bills
passed by Parliament and in the same way Communal Violence Bill also would have been passed,
which would have protected lakhs of Muslims from becoming homeless in Assam nor so much destruc-
tion would have taken place in Muzaffarnagar.
He said that promoters of communalism are the same forces which have been dreaming since long to
turn India into a Hindu state and Muslims are being targeted because they want to preserve and promote
secular traditions of the country. He said that communal forces are now becoming so bold and active that
they have started penetrating secular organisations and establishments. This demands strong vigil and
action, otherwise the country will break up and the foundation of communal harmony will be shaken.
Maulana Asjad Madni, who is a member of JuHs working committee, said while speaking on this
occasion that this is not the first time that Jamiat Ulama is building houses for homeless people. Before
this also, it has been doing this kind of constructive work. He said that since independence, whenever
and wherever Muslims have been subjected to oppression and excesses, Jamiat Ulama has helped in
their rehabilitation and providing legal assistance to them in false cases of terrorism etc. He said that in
the 1992 communal riots in Mumbai, when many Muslims were rendered homeless, JuH had built about
600 houses for them. Similarly in Ahmedabad and other places like Bhagalpur, Assam, Meerut,
Bhiwandi and other places in Gujarat etc., Jamiat Ulama built thousands of houses for homeless peo-
ple and provided relief in other ways in man-made as well as natural calamities. He said that many other
organisations take care mainly of food, water, tents etc of people affected by riots and natural disasters
but Jamiat Ulama takes care of their other necessities also like arranging marriages of young girls, pro-
viding education for children, encouraging them to follow religion in addition to building houses for them
and providing legal assistance etc. N. A. ANSARI
MUDASSIR RIZWAN, TWOCIRCLES.NET
4 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Eggs on the face
of Special Cell
In a major embarrassment for Delhi Police
Special Cell, a Session Court at Tis Hazari
on 26 September acquitted two Kashmiris
arrested in what has turned out to be a
fabricated terror case. The court ordered
action against the policemen who were
involved in their arrests.
The Delhi cour t in its judgement
acquitted Javed Ahmed Tantray and Ashiq
Ali Bhatt, and ordered the Delhi Police
Commissioner to initiate immediate action
against the police officers who had
arrested the two men. The court gave the
Police Commissioner one months time to
file his report on what action he has taken.
The court in its judgement observed
that the two men were picked up from
Amarnath Express and were falsely
implicated in the said case.
Javed Ahmed Tantray and Ashiq Ali
Bhatt were arrested on 6 August, 2009 in
New Delhi along with huge cache of arms
and ammunition. Justifying their arrest,
police had claimed that the two were
plotting terror strikes in New Delhi on
Independence Day at the instance of
Pakistan-based HM chief Syed
Salahuddin.
After the acquittal of the duo in the
case, questions are now being raised
about the source of the huge cache of
arms and ammunition that the Delhi
police had claimed to have seized from
them.
As against the court observation that
the two were arrested from Amarnath
Express and falsely implicated in the case,
the police had claimed that the two were
coming from Jammu to Delhi in a car. The
Delhi police chargesheet claimed that the
two alleged HM militants left Jammu for
Delhi in the morning of 6 August in a car
bearing registration number HR - 36 C
3036, carrying two assault rifles and two
hand-grenades. However, the defence
lawyer exposed the police theory with the
help of toll plaza records and other
evidence.
As per the records of two toll plazas
in Ambala and Karnal, their car crossed
the tolls at 6.45 pm and 7.41 pm,
respectively and reached Daryaganj in
Delhi at around 11 pm. Interestingly, the
same car has been recorded as crossing
the tolls at 7.48 am and 8.42 am,
respectively in the same morning. If
Tantray and Bhatt had left Jammu on
6 August, how come their car was present
hundreds of kilometers away in Haryana?,
asked lawyer MS Khan, Tantrays lawyer.
Delhi police had also claimed that the
two assault rifles were hidden under the
rear seat of the car stolen from Panipat
four months before the incident. But
witnesses said there was no cavity under
the rear seat of the car to keep rifles due
to the petrol tank of the car.
This is not the first time that Delhi
police has faced embarrassment.
Recently, they had arrested Liaqat Ali
Shah, also a Kashmiri, claiming that he
was planning terror strike in New Delhi.
Later investigations, however, revealed
that the charges against Liaqat Shah were
false and fabricated.
Similarly, investigating agencies in
Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra had
also arrested Muslim youth in terror
cases that took place in Hyderabad and
Malegaon, respectively. But
investigations later revealed that the
cases against them had no substance,
and the blasts at the two places were
actually the handiwork of terrorists
associated with Hindutva outfits.
Arrests of Muslims in false cases are
reglularly taking place in India.
Last month, Union Home Minister
Sushil Kumar Shinde wrote a letter to all
chief ministers urging them to make sure
that no innocent Muslim is framed in a
false case. He was instantly criticised by
the Hindutva parties including the BJP.
Muslim leaders termed Shindes letter
a poll-time gimmick. We dont want such
letters. We want action. If the government
is really serious on the issue, it should
release all those Muslims who are in jail in
false cases, Samajwadi Party MLA in
Maharashtra Abu Asim Azmi said.
Mumbai: Activists and NGOs on 19 October expressed
concerns over the inflammatory posters that are seen
pasted in trains leaving for Gujarat and have asked the
government to remove them immediately and take appro-
priate legal actions against those involved in pasting these
inflammatory posters.
These posters are very inflammatory and divi-
sive. All the citizens of the country have to follow the
laws of the land. Asarams son Narayan Sai is
absconding from last several days. Nobody can be
above law. The police authorities must get the posters
removed and take immediate action against those who
have put up these posters, President of All India
Secular Forum (AISF) and a member of National
Integration Council (NIC) Ram Puniyani said. Aleem
Faizee of Citizens for Development & Peace (CDP)
expressed similar concern and demanded their imme-
diate removal.
We are still to come out of the shock of the
Muzaffarnagar riots. It is no more a secret that the
communal forces are trying to create communal flare-
ups in the run up to the assembly elections in five
states and the 2014 general elections to polarize voters
in the favour of a particular party. The government
needs to be extra alert. It is its responsibility to check
how these posters found place in trains and take stern
action against the culprits, he said. Posters with Hindu
sants, who have faced or are facing actions for differ-
ent crimes, appeared in different compartments of
trains leaving for Gujarat.
The sants shown in the poster are Shankaracharya
(allegedly involved in Shankar Raman murder case),
Swami Nityanand (allegedly involved in sex scandals),
Baba Ramdev (allegedly involved in mixing bone pow-
der in Ayurvedic medicines), Asaram Bapu (allegedly involved in rape and
molestation cases) and Kripaluji Maharaj (allegedly involved in molestation).
The text in the posters says that Hindu society is under siege and the guides
of Hindu society are being harassed.
Subramaniam Swami of BJP is quoted in the posters as saying that as per
the verdict of his legal team, Asaram Bapu is innocent. The poster says there
is a conspiracy against Hindu society; its sants are being hounded. This is an
attack on Hindu culture.
Throw Shindes directive in dustbin, BJP tells its CMs
Bangalore: Accusing Congress of pursuing a divisive agenda, BJP on
7October asked its chief ministers to trash Union home minister Sushil Kumar
Shindes directive that no innocent Muslim youth is wrongfully detained in the
name of terror. ... are you the home minister for the country or for one com-
munity. It is irresponsible, idiotic approach of the government of India, senior
BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu told reporters in Bangalore, attacking Shinde for
defending his directive. Naidu said the directive was against secularism and
the Constitution and the approach should be that no innocent person should
be arrested. Shinde has shamelessly defended the move. I am asking BJP
chief ministers to throw it into the dustbin, he said.
Naidu also flayed Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President
G Parameshwaras reported remark that it should not matter if Muslim benefi-
ciaries did not repay loans and state law minister TB Jayachandras statement
on proposed setting up of fast track courts to try cases involving minorities.
The Congress is running away from discussing development and following a
divisive agenda, Naidu said.
UPA urged to pass bill on communal violence
New Delhi: Activists and social organisations on 8 October called upon the
UPA government to enact the communal violence (prevention) bill in the win-
ter session of Parliament. They said the legislation should protect people from
targeted violence by making accountable those in positions of public authori-
ty. The activists sent memorandums to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and
Law Minister Kapil Sibal outlining 11 points that must be included in the
communal violence prevention bill.
Addressing mediapersons here, Supreme Court advocate Vrinda Grover
said the common minimum programme of UPA-I held out a promise of com-
prehensive legislation to prevent and deal with communal violence.
The promise has not been fulfilled in the past nine years, she said.
We are demanding a law to protect people from communal and targeted
crimes by making those in positions of public authority accountable, punish-
ing those responsible for perpetrating, abetting or conspiring to cause violence
and fair and equitable reparation to all affected persons, she said.
Grover said the draft bill prepared by the National Advisory Council had
provisions for protection of victims belonging to minority community.
Grover said there were administrative lapses in incidents of communal
violence in different parts of the country, including Gujarat, Mumbai and
Muzaffarnagar. If administrations had done their job, the tragedies would not
have occurred, she said.
Grover said the Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and
Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in 2005 and
the government in 2009 introduced 59 amendments but it remained deeply
flawed and entirely unacceptable.
Along with Grover, the memorandum was released by social activists
Shabnam Hashmi, Navaid Hamid, Maulana Niaz Farooqi and Maulana
Mahmood Madani of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and former Delhi Minorities
Commission chairman Kamal Faruqui.
Shabnam Hashmi said had the bill been enacted earlier, it would have
helped prevent communal violence in Muzaffarnagar. If needed, we will exert
more pressure on the government to pass the bill in the winter session.
The demands in the memorandum, signed by 92 individuals and social
organisations, include robust witness and victim protection, recognising peo-
ple as internally displaced in the context of communal violence and respect-
ing their rights according to UN guiding principles.
Inflammatory posters in trains leaving for Gujarat
The Deviousness of the Hindutva with the BJP Heading it has been Exposed with these posters that
have SUDDENLY appeared in ALL TRAIN COMPARTMENTS leaving Gujarat TODAY. That it is a BJP
and Modi backed move is clear from the fact that Subramaniam Swamy - a favourite with televi-
sion anchors-- is seen in the visual...
Will the BJP be held to account for this communalising of the atmosphere when it comes to the
Rule of Law? Should criminality whereever it occurs not be prosecuted?
Will the Noisy Newshour put the Hindutva Party, BJP and Modi in the Dock for this kind of Poster?
No prizes for the answer..
See this Sinister Poster Up in Trains emerging from Gujarat... Send Protest Letters to the Media
and the Prime Minister and Home Minister Against this Communalisation of the Public Sphere
Demand Action by the Gujarat Government and DGP against those who printed and were allowed
to paste these posters
TEESTA SETALVAD
A Homage to Muzaffarnagar victims
Our democracy is mature: It has strong roots,
It has always been fed by pure Muslim blood;
It is this blood which nurtures political system,
It is used to give a shining to the nationhood .
DR. MUSTAFA KAMAL SHERWANI
Lucknow
Mumbai: Over two dozen Muslims, who were
detained for slaughtering cow during Eid al-
Adha on October 16 and later charged for attack-
ing police personnel in Sansrod village near
Karjan some 40 kms from Bharuch, were
allegedly beaten mercilessly by Gujarat police-
men. The policemen later allowed activists
belonging to Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and
Bajrang Dal to beat the Muslims who were in the
police lockup.
Over 30 Muslims who were arrested in the
last one week for slaughtering a cow during Eid,
were mercilessly beaten by the Gujarat police. Not
only this, the police also allowed activists belong-
ing to VHP and Bajrang Dal to beat them in police
lock-up, an activist and lawyer Altaf Husain of
Ahmedabad said while talking to ummid.com on
phone.
He said it is beyond imagination how police
allowed outsiders to beat people who were under
their custody. He demanded immediate action
against those involved in this grave act.
Another activist Zahoor S., claimed to have
photographs with marks on the bodies of the
Muslims showing the brutality of the police and
the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists.
A Mumbai-based Urdu daily published a
report with photographs on 22 October showing
the police brutality against the Muslims in custody.
According to Advocate Alatf Husain, the police
had raided Sansrod village, situated around 15
kms from Karjan town, after receiving an informa-
tion that cows were being slaughtered in the
Muslim-dominated area. They arrested four per-
sons immediately, and also beat up a Muslim girl
who objected to the police arrest. This resulted in
a brawl between the police and the locals.
After the arrest of four persons on
16 October, the police arrested seven others next
day and another 17 on 18 October. They regis-
tered an FIR against over 120 people for attacking
the police, he said.
SP (Vadodara Rural) Sandeep Singh, however,
said that they found four persons engaged in
slaughtering a cow and arrested them, upon which
a group of villagers protested, surrounded the
police team, and attacked them with swords and
stones.
It is learnt that after the arrest and beatings by
the police and VHP and Banjrang Dal activists,
Muslims in the village are living in a state of shock
and fear.
People are living under continuous fear as the
police have arrested some people who had gath-
ered for a funeral, Altaf Husain said.
Interestingly, the Jamiat Ulama-e Hind Gujarat
State (JuHGS) general secretary, Quiyum Haque
wrote a letter on 21 October to the police claiming
that the cops included names in the FIR on the
basis of information from their informers. In his
letter, he claimed that one of the accused Khurshid
Tudi is in the United Kingdom and another, Latif
Behra, is in South Africa. Also, two of the accused
mentioned in the FIR, Hasan Ganja and Yakoob
Zamindar, have already died. An accused, Musa
Ganja, is 65-year-old and is suffering from
asthama while both eyes of another accused,
Umarji Musa, were recently operated upon, he
said. (ummid.com)
Guj police, VHP activists beat Muslims in lockup
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 5 www.milligazette.com
New Delhi: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has decided to build 200 hous-
es for Muzaffarnagar riots victims, a press note issued on 24
October said.
A delegation led by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Secretary General
Nusrat Ali visited Muzaffarnagars relief camps at Loi, Budhana,
Shahpur and Basi Kalan and assessed the relief and rehabilitation
work and decided to build 200
houses for riot victims.
Jamaats relief committee has
completed a detailed survey of all
riot victims. According to the
report, a total of 113 persons were
killed and 30 others are still miss-
ing in the communal riots in
Muzaffarnagar and adjoining dis-
tricts last September. Among the
113 killed, 97 were Muslims and
16 Hindus.
Shafi Madani Jamaats national
secretary, Mr. T. Arif Ali Kerala
Jamaat President, Maulvi Mamoni
from Kerala, Maulana Inamullah
Islahi UP (West) President, Mr.
Rafiq Ahmad. secretary, Human
Welfare Foundation, and
Dr. Alauddin, in-charge of the
Jamaats relief committee were
part of this delegation.
The delegation met victims liv-
ing in relief camps and listened to
their problems and sufferings. It
also met relief camps in-charges
and assured them of providing all
basic needs for the affected per-
sons. Mr. Nusrat Ali, while talking to
the victims, assured them of estab-
lishing temporary schools in the
relief camps for the students whose
education has been disrupted due
to the displacement.
Jamaat is erecting one thou-
sand water-proof tents which will
save camps residents from cold
and rain. It has also provided two
thousands beds and quilts. A med-
ical camp was set up in the Loi
relief camp, comprising of doctors
of the Muslim Education Society
Medical College, and volunteers of
Ideal Relief Wing Kerala. The med-
ical camp is offering free services,
medicines and treatment for the riot
victims. A mobile medical van is
also giving 24-hour free service to all the relief camps.
Mr. Nusrat Ali while addressing a press conference held at
Budhana near Loi camp, asked the government to take a quick
step for rehabilitating riots victims and to ensure their returning
safely back to their original homes. He said that the government
should give adequate and maximum compensations for all the
loss which victims suffered. He also emphasised on good mutu-
al relations among different communities, saying, It is the
responsibility of the government as well as of peace-loving people
to minimise the widening gap between Muslims and Jats for cre-
ating good atmosphere, and religious leaders of both the commu-
nities should come out to uphold good mutual relations.
Jamaat to build 200 houses for riots victims
New Delhi: Uttar Pradeshs high-handedness is not just reflected
in the arbitrary transfer of officers such as Durga Sakthi Nagpal
and slapping of bogus cases against dissenters (as in the case of
Dalit scholar Kanwal Bharti), it can also be seen in the massive
number of illegal arrests made by the UP police.
According to National Human Rights Commission data, UP
records an overwhelming majority of illegal arrests in the coun-
try, accounting for more than 80% of all such cases. In fact, it tips
its nearest competitor, Delhi, by over 3,000% almost year after
year.
In the past three years (April 2010 to July 2013), UP account-
ed for 3,397 illegal arrests out of 3,950 such cases recorded
across India by NHRC. The count for the rest of the 27 states and
seven union territories put together was just 553.
What do you expect from a state where many politicians
themselves are criminals? How do you expect them to have any
respect for law and order or human rights? says Colin Gonsalves
of Human Rights Law Network.
From April 2012 to March 2013, NHRC recorded 703 cases
of illegal arrests in all. As many as 589 of these were against the
UP police. UP accounts for 161 of 192 illegal arrests in 13
Its closest rivals in this dubious distinction, Uttarakhand and
Delhi, were way behind with 14 cases each. Data for this period
shows only two other states where the number of illegal arrests
had crossed double figures - Karnataka (12) and Andhra Pradesh
(10).
In 2013 too (April 1 to July 20), UP accounted for 161 such
cases of the total of 192 recorded by NHRC in the entire country.
Its closest rival, Delhi, was again way behind with only five cases.
Year 2011 was the worse for UP, with the state police being
at the wrong end of the law 1,101 times of the total of 1,249
cases registered by NHRC. Delhi again took the second spot with
38 cases. In 2010 too UP recorded 1,546 such cases of the total
of 1,716. These are cases that were brought to NHRCs notice.
The real figures for both UP and other states are bound to be
higher as many complainants go to state human rights commis-
sions instead of knocking at NHRCs doors.
Conversely, sources say, UP being closer to Delhi, more peo-
ple may tend to approach NHRC in the capital. But if that was
true, neighbouring Haryana would also show a high number of
illegal arrests. However,Haryanas figures for many years have
remained in single digits. (Deeptiman Tiwary, Times of India,
16 Aug, 2013)
Lawlessness of Hindutva goons
Hyderabad: Dr Khayam Khan, President of MBT, demanded that
Andhra Pradesh Police msut take stern action against the right-
wing activists who are indulging in consecutive attacks on
Muslims in the guise of stopping cow slaughter. Dr Khayam Khan
said that there is no law which prohibits sale or purchase of cat-
tle and there is no law which prohibits transport of cattle.
Addressing a meeting of party workers at Chanchalguda here
on 5 October, Dr Khan said that the Hyderabad City Police was
acting as a mute spectator to the attacks on Muslim youth in dif-
ferent areas. He alleged that BJP leader Raja Singh has openly
said that he was leading such attacks by forming armed gangs.
He asked as to why police was not taking action against Raja
Singh and other activists who were inciting communal feelings in
the name of cow slaughter. Under pressure from the right wing,
Hyderabad and Cyberabad police are booking animal traders in
different cases of prohibited animal act or cruelty of animal act
whereas the cattle is not a prohibited animal nor the transfer of
cattle comes under cruelty of animal act.
Dr Khan condemned the sporadic attacks on Muslim youth
and elders by Hindu Vahini activists in different locations in
Hyderabad. Stating that seven incidents of physical assault or
stabbing have occurred during the last 15 days in the south
zone of the city alone, he said that such attacks have been
occurring before every Baqrid festival since the last two years.
Describing the attacks as preplanned, he said that the right-
wing terrorists were trying to vitiate the atmosphere in the city
before the Eid.
The MBT President condemned the role of Hyderabad
Police which has been downplaying such incidents. He said
that instead of registering cases against the real culprits,
police was fabricating stories to show such attacks as acci-
dents.
UP accounts for over 80% of illegal arrests
Mushawarat condemns SP
report about madrasas in
strife-torn Muzaffarnagar and
Shamli and warns against
hasty attempt at forcible
repatriation of refugees
New Delhi, 24 October, 2013: The All India Muslim Majlis-e
Mushawarat, umbrella body of Indian Muslim organisations,
today condemned the report submitted by the Samajwadi party
delegation after visiting Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas, which
claims that madrasas out of their self interest are thwarting
attempts to repatriate the refugees to their villages. The
Mushawarat also condemned the UP Samajwadi governments
attempts to forcibly repatriate refugees against their wish to their
villages where their relatives were killed and burned alive, where
their houses were torched and where their women were raped
and girls kidnapped.
Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, President of AIMMM, said in a state-
ment here that while Mushawarat appreciates UP Samajwadi
Partys attitude in taking care of the refugees and paying compen-
sation in record time, it takes very grim view of the UP adminis-
trations attempts to forcibly repatriate the refugees against their
will while their killers are roaming free and attacking even media-
men visiting those villages. Dr Khan said while villagers who fled
out of fear only have mostly gone back but those who witnessed
murder, arson and rape and whose homes and properties were
burnt to ashes and where their women were raped and girls kid-
napped, are not ready to go back. Dr Khan said, we have ascer-
tained this independently without any intervention or presence of
madrasa people while interacting with refugees during two visits
to over a dozen of these camps,
Dr Khan said, if UP administration is serious about repatriat-
ing the refugees, it should first arrest all those accused by the
refugees, get their homes, shops and factories repaired and
rebuilt and place a permanent picket of Rapid Deployment Force
or Army in each village which witnessed atrocities like the villages
of Lisadh, Kutba-Kutbi, Phugana, Lakh and Batawdi, etc.
Dr Khan further said that the madrasas and mosques played
an admirable role and sprang to action while the state administra-
tion was still sleeping. They provided shelter and food to these
victims. We thank the administrators of these madrasas and
mosques and reject in its entirety the slur made by the Samajwadi
Party team whose aim is only to save the face of the party which
has been blackened by its passive participation in the riots.
Jamaat-e-Islami survey shows that a total of 113 persons were killed, 97 Muslims and 16 non-Muslims, while 30 are still
missing. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has also decided to build 200 houses for Muzaffarnagar riots victims. Jamaat has already
provided 1000 water-proof tents to the refugees in addition to quilts and other necessary items. It is also running a mobile
clinic to serve the camps.
RAM PUNIYANI
ram.puniyani@gmail.com
The country is yet to recover
from the aftermath of
Muzaffranagar violence last
September. This violence was
engineered over a period of
time in the areas of Western
UP where Jats and Muslims
had thick social interaction,
despite belonging to different economic strata.
Communal violence has been instigated,
engineered earlier on various issues like cow
slaughter, Babri demolition, sexual assault on our
women amongst others.
The primary weapon used to communalise
this region was the community honour. Muslim
youth teasing and luring Hindu girls was made
the central part of the Hindutva propaganda.
While other factors like role of Sangh Parivar
components in uploading the video clip, in mobil-
ising Hindus in the name of Bahu-Beti Bachao,
have been discussed, one needs also to look at
the way this saving our daughters, the so-called
Love Jihad by Muslims, had been opera-
tionalised in the area.
For a couple of years, deliberate teasing of
girls was planned in the area in and around
Muzaffarnagar. Rumours were spread and the
word Love Jihad was propagated. (See Evil
stalks the land: Anhad Report on Muzaffanagar
violence). The falsehood of Muslim boy talking to
Hindu girls to lure them to marry and so to con-
vert to Islam was heavily publicised. The major
concoction around which the riot was engineered
also related to a Hindu girl being teased by
Muslim boys.
The word Love Jihad which played a major
role in mobilising the Hindu community for vio-
lence, has a strange history. As such, the two
components of this word Love Jihad, whosoev-
er manufactured it, have a very different meaning.
Since 9/11 (2001), the word Jihad has been
employed in the popular media and has also
become part of the social common sense.
Contrary to the meaning of the word Jihad in
Koran, which means striving, it came to be pro-
jected as killing of non-Muslims. The word Love
Jihad must be a creation of an evil genius and it
has come to be used to further demonise the
Muslim community. The propaganda has been
that some Muslim organisations are funding
Muslim youth to lure non-Muslim girls in order to
marry them and to increase the Muslim popula-
tion. These youth are given money to buy motor-
bikes, mobiles etc to be able to lure non-Muslim
girls.
While doing Google search, if you type, why
Hindu girls are, the other sentence which pops
up on the search engine is are attracted to
Muslim boys!
Recently in Maharashtra, a group called
Hindu Rakshak Samiti has been claiming to
save Hindu religion by breaking up the Hindu-
Muslim couples, if the girl happens to be Hindu.
Not that there are too many such couples, its just
a suspicion and these self-appointed guardians of
Hinduism pounce on the suspected boy. A book-
let in Marathi on Love Jihad shows a Muslim boy
riding his motor bike, with a Hindu girl riding pil-
lion.
The word has been so popularised that even a
Christian group in Kerala allied with the Sangh prog-
eny, VHP, to stop this non-existing phenomenon.
In India, the word first began to be used in
coastal Karnataka, Mangalore, and in parts of
Kerala. It was Sri Ram Sene, founded by RSS-
trained Swayam Sevak, Pramod Muthalik, which
started attack on Hindu girl-Muslim boy couples.
The marriages of such combinations started
being looked at with suspicion and if parents were
opposed to the marriage, Sri Ram Sene would
help to take the matter to the court also. The pre-
text was that the girl has been forced to marry the
Muslim boy. Funnily, in the case of Sijalraj and
Azghar, the judge of Karnatak High Court went on
to give the ruling, that the facts (Love Jihad) had
national ramifications concern security,
besides the question of unlawful trafficking of
women! So it ordered the Director General and
Inspector General of Police to hold a thorough
investigation into Love Jihad. Pending that, the
girl was asked to stay with her parents. The case
was that of a simple Hindu-Muslim marriage and
the girl stood to her version and refused to bow to
the social pressures. The police investigation
showed that the Love Jihad is a cooked up
story with no substance whatsoever.
In a similar case, earlier the Kerala High court
while hearing the appeal of two parents, passed a
similar order. Two Hindu girls had eloped, got
converted to Islam and planned to get married.
Kerala court too ordered the police authorities to
investigate this phenomenon. The police investi-
gation again showed that there is no such phe-
nomenon as Love Jihad. The organisational pro-
motion of such marriages is a hoax but has
become part of social understanding.
Shri Ram Sene propaganda stated that over
4000 Hindu girls have been lured into conver-
sions. This concoction was aggressively put
across through various media. This laughable fig-
ment of imagination spread like wild fire and
frightened parents. The trajectory of many of
these girls who initially state that they are in love
with the boy and have done voluntary conversion,
changes many a time after they are forced to stay
with their parents. Under emotional blackmail,
some girls give in and later say that they were
brain-washed, shown a Jihadi CD and what not.
We have witnessed such acts in the form of
propaganda in Gujarat in the wake of the 2002
carnage, that Muslim boys are luring Adivasi
girls. There Babu Bajarangi, who was also a
major participant in the carnage and is currently
in jail undergoing life imprisonment, formed a
goon-gang. This gang attacked couples and
forced them to separate if they belonged to differ-
ent religions. All this is presented as defence of
religion.
At another level inter-caste, inter-religious mar-
riages are a normal natural part of a plural society.
With the rise of the communal politics, these inter-
religious marriages are being vehemently opposed.
We have the case of Rizwanur Rahman who married
Priyanka Todi, daughter of an affluent and powerful
business magnate of Kolkata. She was forced to turn
around under emotional blackmail from parents and
relatives. The full details are not known. What is
known is that later Rizwanur Rahman was forced to
commit suicide.
In all such cases the role of police and state
machinery has been totally against the spirit and
provisions of law, the protectors of law acting to
support things totally against the law.
Such campaigns against inter-religious, inter-
caste marriages are not only against the spirit of
national integration, they also aim at controlling
the lives of girls in the patriarchal mode. In addi-
tion, the bogey against a minority is whipped up
to serve divisive politics. It is a double bonus for
divisive politics. Since in patriarchal norms,
women are regarded as property of man and are
made to live under a control-structure defined by
men, such an issue rouses high emotions.
The agenda of communal politics targets
minorities, especially Muslims, at one level and
promotes patriarchal norms at the other.
Over a period of time, from being just a
mechanism to control the lives of Hindu girls, a
tool to ensure that girls dont have the right to
choose their own life partners, this phrase has
been used to instigate violence as witnessed in
Muzaffarnagar. Most of the pretexts of communal
violence are cooked up and gradually manufac-
tured.
This Love Jihad has by now become a dan-
gerous weapon in the hands of Hindutva forces.
On one side, it demonises the Muslim youth in a
negative light and on the other it aims at curbing
the freedom of women.
Politics in the name of religion, the politics of
Sangh Parivar here in India or that of Talibans in
Afghanistan, Islamic fundamentalists, or even
Christian fundamentalists, all operate on the same
wavelength as far as crushing the rights of
women is concerned. In line with this, starting
from Sri Ram Sene to Babu Bajrangi to those
orchestrating violence in Muzzafarnager, they all
operate on the premise that women are the prop-
erty of men and their lives have to be controlled.
The truth is not the issue here. The myth has
been drilled into the thinking of society. This
phrase has double-edged nature, which is some-
thing we need to register and combat. This phrase
has tragically become a powerful concoction in
the hands of communal forces.(pluralindia.com)
Love Jihad: From Illusory Slogan
to Potent Hindutva Weapon
6 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
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Meat Products since 1979
Al-Kabeer Exports Pvt Ltd
53 Jolly Maker Chamber No. 2,
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NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 7 www.milligazette.com
N P CHEKKUTTY
In normal circumstances, journalists are not
people in the limelight- they are supposed to be
the first witnesses to history in the making. Their
role is as observers of incidents and purveyors
of what goes on in the public sphere. And they
discharge their duties as representatives of the
citizens, generally enjoying the public confi-
dence. That explains the key role of media in a
democratic polity, as representatives of the vari-
ous segments of people and as a forum where a
dispassionate debate of public issues can take
place. Like the Red Cross personnel on a war
front, media-persons are expected to do their job
without hindrance or harassment, keeping away
from the sound and fury of public life.
Not that there are no exceptions. I remember
the days of Emergency, during 1975-77, when
as a student activist I had to demonstrate against
the curtailment of democratic rights and sup-
pression of press freedom in the country. It was
a time when the entire media was subjected to a
severe regime of press censorship, some edi-
tors like Kuldeep Nayar of Indian Express were
put in jail and many newspapers and journals
were closed down. Later on, in 1983 when I first
joined Indian Express as a trainee sub-editor, the
news desk was still reverberating with stories
and memories- often peppered with a few doses
of whiskey and a little self-propulsion, perhaps-
of that dark period in our history: It was a period
of terrible memories when newspersons
became the targets of vindictive policies of a
powerful executive, mere victims of the whims
and fancies of the bureaucracy and police. This
was an experience common to most journalists
all over India, those days.
Those were the days of Indira Gandhi and
Vidyacharan Shukla, the powerful I&B Minister
in Delhi, who died recently leaving behind the
bitter memories of what he did to destroy a
throbbing media in the country. Lal Krishna
Advani, who later occupied his chair in the
Morarji Desai Government that came to power in
1977, teased the Indian media that they were
merely asked to bend and they readily crawled.
That was not a joke, but a sad reality of our
media history. Except for a few bold souls like
Kuldeep Nayar and Nikhil Chakravartty, who as
editor of Mainstream Weekly decided to fold it up
in protest, and newspaper owners like Ramnath
Goenka of Indian Express, most media-persons
and media organizations had taken a sub-
servient line under government pressure.
Survival was a much graver concern than being
truthful to ones calling and objectivity and fair-
ness in ones reporting of news and information
to the public.
But the lessons of Emergency had been well
taken- it dawned upon everyone that making the
media a victim in our narrow political interests
was wrong, and counter-productive. It was sui-
cidal and would really hurt the nation and its real
and deeper interests. So, ever since, we had
very rare instances of the Government machin-
ery taking conscious and deliberate actions to
curb the media, though there were many
instances where mediapersons and media
organizations were harassed, their advertising
cut, journalists put in jail and even murdered.
Some of these incidents took the form of a mad
hounding, like the series of cases foisted upon
Indian Express in the days of Rajiv Gandhi in late
1980s when Arun Shourie took upon his govern-
ment, and the NDA Government in the 1990s
relentlessly pursuing Tehelka.com after some of
their expos that put egg on the face of the gov-
ernment. Still, the kind of punitive actions that
the British colonial administration did take on the
Indian nationalist press had never been resorted
to-like closure of a newspaper through executive
orders, seizure of its printing presses, arrest of
editors, etc. In fact, the Indian administration had
always remained within a Laxmanrekha and
never tried to trespass it in its impatience with
the media and their antics, even when it put them
into considerable difficulties.
But, it seems, it is no longer so.
There are mounting indications that the gov-
ernment wants to curb the Indian media, both
print, electronic and online. Every action of the
media is being seen as overstepping its role in a
democratic system and now there are talks
about bringing in new institutions and legislation
for control of the media organisations and also
to put new controls on who should be a journal-
ist and who should not; as if the government has
a right to dictate what the citizens should write,
think and read and what they should not. It looks
and feels dangerously like a totalitarian state in
the making.
It is in these circumstances that the recent
show-cause notice issued to the Thejas Daily, a
Malayalam newspaper published from Calicut
and four other centres in Kerala, by Government
authorities becomes a matter of grave public
concern.
The notice, dated 13 September, 2013, was
issued by the Additional District Magistrates of
Calicut and Trivandrum, under provisions of the
Press and Registration of Books Act 1867, says
that it has come to the notice [of the govern-
ment] that the newspaper is publishing news
items, articles and editorials seriously affecting
the national interests and national unity and
demands the printer and publisher of the news-
paper to show cause why action shall not be
taken against the newspaper under the provi-
sions of the said act and its declaration with the
Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) be can-
celled and its publication stopped.
It is not clear what has prompted the
Government to issue such a notice and the
notice does not specify which article, or editori-
al or news item/s had given rise to the impres-
sion that it has indulged in compromising the
national interests or national unity through its
columns to invite such drastic steps as cancel-
lation of its registration. Since the notice does
not give any instance of such writings, it
becomes quite impossible to make a proper
rebuttal of the charges raised. The newspaper, in
its reply, has denied all such allegations and
demanded the Government to make any specif-
ic charges it may have so that a proper reply
could be given based on facts.
I
t is not difficult to see why sections in the
Government or the ruling classes are not
happy with a newspaper like Thejas. It is a new-
comer to the media scene, a kind of untouchable
forcing itself into the august realms of this elite
profession. The newspaper was launched on 26
January, 2006, and its vision statement declares
that it would remain a newspaper for the margin-
alised sections in Indian society, and it would
demand equality before law, social justice, and
empowerment of those segments at the receiv-
ing end-like minorities, Dalits, Advasis and other
oppressed groups. In fact, in the seven years of
its existence, the newspaper has been success-
ful in building up a mass base in these sections
and its reporters, writers and journalists are gen-
erally drawn from their ranks.
I was associated with the Thejas newspaper
ever since its inception in 2006, serving first as
its executive editor, and then, since May 2012,
as its editor. As a person with some experience
in Indian journalism, I can say with a sense of
confidence that those gentlemen in the
Government who have drawn up this weird
charge-sheet without even a shred of evidence
against the newspaper do not know what they
are talking about. What is national interest, in
their view? Does it include the interests of those
who plunder this country of its resources, does
it include the interests of those who seek to
divide our country on the basis f parochial and
religious sentiments? It would appear this is
what they meant by national interest -because
some time ago there was a circular issued by a
Central Government authority that the newspa-
per had opposed Indias friendly policies
towards the United States, that it has supported
the extremists and Maoists in the struggles in
the name of land in various parts of India, and
that it was a part of a pan-Islamic media effort.
The first two points need not make any
Government jittery and the third is a palpably
false claim because this newspaper has people
who represent a true cross section of Kerala
society, with its staff and journalists drawn from
all communities and with a good representation
for women and Dalits, etc.
But the present moves to harass the newspa-
per is nothing new - it started three years ago, with
a sudden withdrawal of Government advertising to
Thejas from 16 May, 2010 during the final year of
LDF Government in Kerala. Despite repeated
requests, they refused to restore the ads and the
newspaper filed a case in the Kerala High Court-
alleging discriminatory practices against it. The
Oommen Chandy Government, which came to
power in May 2011, restored the ads later on con-
dition the case be withdrawn, but it stopped it again
after a few months. There have never been any rea-
son given why such patently illegal actions at arm-
twisting of a small and fledgling newspaper- except
hints that there were secret police reports against
the newspaper. In view of this, as editor of the
newspaper, this writer met the Home Ministers of
Kerala and Central Government, in the past one
year, requesting them to conduct a fair and impar-
tial inquiry into these secret charges, so that its fair
name could be cleared. But unfortunately it has
never happened, and what has come up at the end
is this notice asking why its publication shall not be
stopped altogether.
It is interesting to note the irony of it all: It
was exactly 100 years ago the Dewan of
Travancore banished one of the greatest editors
in Malayalam, Swadeshabhimani Ramakrishna
Pillai, from his native land, after closing down
his newspaper. And what better way for a dem-
ocratic government to remember this incident
than muzzling another newspaper on its cente-
nary, using the same colonial laws that the
British left with us?
Who said we Indians did not have a sense of
history?
N P Chekkutty, editor of Thejas Daily, Calicut
worked as chief reporter of Indian Express, Calicut;
director of news at Kairali TV, Cochin, and bureau
chief of Madhyamam, New Delhi.
See also PETITION FOR A FREE MEDIA:
http://www.milligazette.com/news/9315-kerala-
india-thejas-daily-a-newspapers-encounters-
with-the-ruling-powers
Thejas Daily: A Newspapers Encounters with the Ruling Powers
New Delhi: A petition filed in the Supreme Court by an NGO and
Muzaffarnagar riot victims on 17 October while alleging that pow-
erful accused are being dropped as accused and serious offences
of rape and violence against women have not been recorded,
demanded CBI probe and appointment of a High Power
Committee of Court Commissioners to look into the entire inci-
dent.
The Supreme Court consequently issued notice to the state
government asking it to file a reply on the allegations as levelled
by the petitioners.
The petition filed by Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) with
co-petitioners Shahid Hassan and Samaydeen, two riot victims,
also demanded the appointment of a High Powered Committee of
Court Commissioners to survey the four worst affected districts in
the violence last September (Shamli, Baghpat, Meerut and
Muzaffarnagar), assess details of the dead and missing as also
the scale of damages and monitor the transparency and quality of
the probe/investigation.
The petition also prayed for investigations into the overall
criminal conspiracy in which majoritarian outfits are involved,
which is related to communalising the atmosphere prior to the
elections using the services of Hindu supremacist outfits, espe-
cially the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
Individual incidents of conflict have been converted into
mass mobilisation by these outfits with hateful anti-minority prop-
aganda being a ready tool, the petitioners said.
The petitioners requested the court to issue directions to the
state of Uttar Pradesh to register First Information Reports (FIRs)
against the named powerful accused persons in respect of arson,
theft, attempt to murder, murder and rape and molestation.
A High Power Committee of Court Commissioners compris-
ing of the persons/officers, should be constituted to visit the
affected areas, rural as well as urban, where people suffered mur-
der, loot, arson, rape and other criminal acts, but have not been
able to lodge FIRs for the offence committed against them due to
fear, threat and intimidation, the petitioners said.
The petitioners also demanded the High Powered Committee
to make sure a thorough investigation into all the FIRs which have
already been lodged from 27 August 2013 to date relating to ille-
gal meetings and unlawful assemblies, targeted loot, arson, circu-
lation of fake photographs and videos, inciting communal pas-
sions by holding unlawful meetings and Panchayats and fixing the
responsibility for the aforesaid offences.
The petitioners also demanded the identification of the offi-
cers, individuals, representatives, political leaders, organisations
and other persons who instigated the general public by convening
a Panchayat in village Nagla Mataund in Muzaffarnagar on
7 September 2013 where people were allowed to assemble not
only from adjoining districts but also from outside the state, armed
with dangerous weapons.
The petitioners also asked the Supreme Court to direct the
state government to release effective compensation to all sur-
vivors of the dead and injured and those who have suffered heavy
losses.
The petition lists in detail the chronology of events leading up
to the ghastly killings in and around Muzaffarnagar that have ren-
dered 41,000 people homeless and questions how the state police
and administration allowed armed Khap panchayats and
Mahapanchayats when a communal atmosphere was building up
in the four districts of Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat and Meerut.
A list of 161 worst affected villages from where minorities
have had to flee has also been annexed to the petition.
Muzaffarnagar Riot: Powerful accused let off, charges of rape ignored
The recent show-cause notice issued to the Thejas Daily, a
Malayalam newspaper published from Calicut and four other centres
in Kerala, by Government authorities becomes a matter of grave
public concern. The notice, dated 13 September, 2013, was issued by
the Additional District Magistrates of Calicut and Trivandrum, under
provisions of the Press and Registration of Books Act 1867, says that
it has come to the notice [of the government] that the newspaper is
publishing news items, articles and editorials seriously affecting the
national interests and national unity and demands the printer and
publisher of the newspaper to show cause why action shall not be
taken against the newspaper under the provisions of the said act and
its declaration with the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) be
cancelled and its publication stopped.
Lucknow-based Rihai Manch (RM) on
10 October released audio records of
conversations on mobile phones between
some rioters in Kutba-Kutbi village
alongwith their transcripts. Both the
audio records and their transcripts are in
Hindi. Following is a translation of the
full released records.
Shamli / Muzaffarnagar / Luckonw: Rihai Manch,
while releasing to media the intercepted conver-
sations of a rioter on his mobile phone. This riot-
er was involved in the anti-Muslim communal
violence of which Katuba-Katubi village was
among the worst victims. RM demanded a CBI
enquiry into the communal riots in
Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Baghpat. The Manch
said in its statement that it has got proofs which
prove that the mass murder of Muslims had
taken place under a planned conspiracy and that
attempts are being made by the administrative
staff now to conceal and destroy proofs in order
to protect the rioters. The Manch said that it will
soon place these facts at a suitable platform. In
this statement, members of RMs investigation
team (Asad Hayat Advocate, general secretary
of Awami Council for Democracy and Peace,
Shahnawaz Alam, Rajiv Yadav and Ghufran
Siddiqi) said that the administrative staff of the
state government itself was complicit in this
conspiracy, hence there is no use or justification
of the inquiry being made or ordered by the state
government.
Members of Rihai Manchs investigative
team demanded an inquiry by the CBI on the
basis of intercepted conversation on the mobile
phone of a rioter who was involved in the riot
and violence in Kutba-Kutbi village where eight
Muslims were brutally killed.
In the intercepted conversation, the rioters
were talking among themselves about the killing
of Muslims, setting their houses on fire and ask-
ing PAC/CRPF to reach the village a bit late.
They were also telling each other how PAC etc
were made to agree to reach the village a bit
late so that they could get enough time to kill
Muslims and burn their homes.
Rihai Manch further said that many riot
affected Muslims told the RM team that two
members of Mumbai ATS chief
K.P. Raghuvanshis family in this village, Pintoo
and Nitoo, were equipped with modern and dan-
gerous weapons as shown in films (possibly AK
56 or 47) were spreading panic and terror in the
village. They also said that from the information
obtained from the audio recording, it was found
that a girl (whose mobile no. is 9917731428)
had told a boy named Anuj on 8 September on
mobile, the day when riots had erupted or rather
when the riots were excuted, that she had, after
talking to Uncle, made the PAC agree to reach
the village late.
Rihai Manch demanded that the person
whom the girl was referring to as Uncle should
be identified and an enquiry should be made
about him and his role in the riots. Advocate
Muhammad Shoaib, head of Rihai Manch, and
Hare Ram Mishra said in a joint statement that
the complicity and close relationship between
K.P. Raghuvanshi, a person notorious for false-
ly implicating innocent Muslims in acts of terror
and Col Purohit, the mastermind of bomb blasts
in Malegaon, Makkah Masjid, Samjhauta
Express etc, indicates an active role of Hindutva
forces in the violence of Kutba-Kutbi village
which is the native place of K.P. Raghuvanshi.
This proves that Hindutva forces and top
bureaucrats were hand-in-glove in playing an
important role in fomenting the anti-Mulsim riots
in this village where at least eight Muslims were
killed, their houses and shops burnt and their
businesses were completely destroyed. They
demanded that K.P. Raghuvanshis role in all
this should be enquired into and the whole mat-
ter should be entrusted to CBI for investigation.
Below is an English translation of the inter-
cepted conversation in Hindi obtained by Rihai
Manch team in which first of all mobile number,
date and time is mentioned. Thereafter, descrip-
tion of conversation and in place of some mobile
numbers, names that have been saved can be
seen.
1.
+ 919917731428 - 2013-09-08-
10.38.112021392617
1. Caller (a lady): Hello
Receiver (R): Hello
Caller (C): Tell me one thing.
Receiver (R): What is that?
C: Did those (or their) people in the village die or
not?
R: They died.
C: Is it confirmed news (pakki khabar)?
R: Yes confirmed. Houses have been set on fire.
C: Pakka (confirmed)?
R: PAC is coming. It looks like PAC.
C: PAC is coming? Thats what we were talking
about just now. Has it come just now or will
come a bit late. And do you know why it has
come late?
R: Yes.
C: It was made to come late. Uncle was request-
ed to stop it for some time. On my request, it
was got stopped because the entire team had
come to know that riot has erupted there. It was
asked to stop for 10 minutes only.
R: Five or six have died?
C: OK, chokha (local language, it means very
good). And Kutba?
R: Five or six died in Kutba; the rest fled.
C: Yes, ok. Have all died in Kutba?
R: All had fled.
C: ok, nice.
2.
+ 919917731428 - 2013-09-08-09.36
Man (M): Hello.
Woman (W): Hello
W: So, whats going on in the village?
M: The village is on fire. You protect yourself.
W: It is on fire, only then I am phoning you. (Not
clear)
M: Not clear at all.
W: Should I tell you one thing?
M: Yes.
W: Don't bring dishonour to us.
M: Yes?...
W: Dont cause dishonour to us. The entire
police force has hailed us and stressed that if
nothing is done this time, it will be a matter of
shame. The police wont say or do anything or
prevent anyone even if you kill too many of them.
The entire police force is saying that Hindus are
not doing anything.
M: Yes.
M: Now you must have understood everything.
3.
SIM 120130908-2138
Caller (C): Hello.
Receiver (R): Hello.
C: Ummer speaking. Was held up in Kheda.
Killing was going on.
R: Yes, going on between Hindus, Muslims.
C: Received some bruises.
R: OK, all is ok.. You dont worry.
C: Where are the remaining ones?
R: Six are there. We have surrounded them.
C: OK, my mother?
R: Your mother is at one place.
C: OK.
C: And have men fled?
R: No, no. They are chasing the men.
C: OK.
Other voices are not clear.
4.
918859855930--2013-09-08-23. 07. 30-
649065850
C: Hello.
R: Are you sleeping?
C: No.
C: Do not sleep.
(Some conversation not clear).
C: Why should I sleep, no question of sleeping.
R: Wherefrom you got this number? OK.
Might have got from him.
(Again some conversations not clear.)
R: Got some news?
R: Yes, Ghayoors house set ablaze
(. Again many things not clear.)
5.
9 1 9 5 2 8 3 9 0 3 3 1 - 2 0 1 3 - 0 9 - 0 8 -
10.57.391974441216
Woman: We are in Kutbi, ji. What is going on in
Kutbi?
Man: Kutbe mein baj rahi hai (in local language:
that they are being beaten up).
W: Yes? Are they being beaten up?
M: Yes.
W: Who?
M: Some had fled, only a few were left. Houses
of all of them were burnt. Killing, fighting etc is
going on in full swing.
W: OK.
M: Yes.
W: (Many conversations are not clear) I
thought of finding out on phone what is going
on.
M: Yes, this is going on.
W: Same thing going on?
M: PAC is coming, in large number.
W: Were Hindus hurt?
M: No, they were not. Two villages are on our
target: Gharsoli and Basi. We know about these
two villages where we are attacking. Sisoli
and. (rest of the conversation is not clear)
6.
D. K. 2013-08-09-10.52.401386049590
C: What is the condition there?
R: Everything is OK. Everyone is ready.
C: Have they taken up arms also?
R: Yes, whatever is being given, we are taking.
C: Are there some in your house also?
R: Yes, one pistol and two bullets.
C: Only this much?
R: Yes.
C: What can you do with one pistol and two bul-
lets?
R: One pharsa is also in my hand.
C: If you have got pharsa, why were you using
bullets?
R: No, I had not used the bullet yesterday.
C: Didnt you use the bullet yesterday?
R: Give me the bullets. You gave me the bullets
yesterday.
C: OK.
R: Arrange for the bullets.
C: OK. It will be done.
R: From anywhere.... (Not clear). Arrange 2-4
belts [of bullets]. Get them ready.
C: Where it is available?. (Not clear). If
someone has got it in stock, he can give.
R: Pradhan. (Not clear). Should I phone?
C: Yes, try.
R: Did you set some houses etc on fire in the
riots?
C: A mosque was set on fire but the pigs [used
for Muslims out of contempt] had fled. They will
be set on fire subsequently.
R: Subsequently or later is a different thing.
(... Again many things not clear)
7.
+ 9 1 9 7 1 9 2 9 0 6 9 1 - 2 0 1 3 - 0 9 - 0 8 -
17.19.021396270438
C: Hello.
R: Hello.
C: Is Pappu speaking?
R: Not Pappu but Anuj speaking, what is the
matter?
C: Which Anuj?
R: Which Anuj should I tell you? I am the only
Anuj here.
C: From Kutbi?
R: Yes, from Kutbi, who are you?
C: I am Pappu speaking.
R: From Delhi?
C: Yes. Tell me what is the matter?
R: Was there any quarrel or riot?
R: Yes, quarrel/riot had taken place and is over
now. Force has arrived.
C: (Voice not clear).
R: Yes, got 6-7 killed.
C: OK.
R: (Voice not clear). 6-7 were killed and the
rest were taken away by the military in vehicles.
In both villages, there is no Muslim; neither in
Kakday nor in Hadoli. All have gone.
C: Now there will be peace, I suppose.
R: Yes, it is peace now but force is camping
there.
C: Yes, force would be camping there.
R: .
8.
RASS.. babuu-2013-09-08-20.49.471708753
C: Hello.
R: (Woman): Hello. What is going on?.
C: Muslims have been cut to pieces [killed].
R: Cut to pieces?
C: Yes, eight of them.
R: OK.
C: In the village.
C: Kutba wallas chased and cut them to peices.
Baoli wallas have thrashed [or killed] them. In
all villages of Barot: Daha, Nerpada... (Not
clear) Everywhere we are thrashing them.
R: Dont know what will happen?
C: Nothing will happen. These Muslims will be
destroyed. They will go [be killed] - ten, twenty
hundred, fifty thousands will be killed now. This
is all that is possible now.
R: Hindus too will die.
C: Why Hindus will be killed, ji. When the force
comes, and if Hindus are seen being killed, it
[force] will automatically shoot them
[Muslims]. (Not clear) has said this.
R: OK.
C: And Hindus in the force have themselves told
us, Catch hold of Muslims and give them to
us. It [force] told us what was the need for you
to call us? Why didnt you kill them?
R: . (Not clear).
C: They have been ordered not to kill.
Issued by Shahnawaz Alam and Rajiv Yadav A.
Rihai Manch - 09415254919, 09452800752,
Office: 11/60, Harinath Bannerji Street, Naya
Gaon Poorv, Latouche Road, Lucknow -
rihaimanchlucknow@gmail.com
For an audio record of this record, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/rihaimanch or
Listen to the audio recording:
http://twocircles.net/2013oct12/mobile_conver-
sations_reveal_extolling_killing_muslims_burn-
ing_houses_halting_pac_%E2%80%9810_minu
t
(Translated from Hindi by The Milli Gazette)
Muzaffarnagar riots: Conversations of rioters
prove planning and high-level support
Uncle has asked PAC to come 10 minutes late.
Dont cause dishonour to us. The entire police force has hailed
us and stressed that if nothing is done this time, it will be a
matter of shame. The police wont say or do anything or prevent
anyone even if you kill too many of them. The entire police force
is saying that Hindus are not doing anything.
8 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 9 www.milligazette.com
Differences are in ideology and ethics, not in religion: Scholar
MANZAR MEHDI
Lucknow: Allama Aqilul Gharavi, a leading Indian Shia scholar and
intellectual who now lives in London, said at a meeting here on
13 October that differences among Muslims are not because of
religion but because of ideology and ethics. He said that Muslims
of all sects firmly believe that five times Namaz is to be offered
daily, that there are 17 rakats in Namaz, that Allah, Quran and
Prophet are one. Allama Aqilul Gharavi who has been selected as
the representative of the Indian Subcontinent by Ayatullah Mohsin
Araki, President of the Majma Taqreeb Mazahib-e Islamia, had
come to Luckonw where on an invitation by Madrasa Waezeens
Maulana Jaabir Jorasi to speak in a programme organised for
Ittehad-e Millat, he expressed the above views. This Ittehad-e
Millat programme was chaired jointly by Maulana Dr Kalbe Sadiq
and Raja of Mahmoodabad, Sulaiman Mian. Important dignitaries
like Maulana Saif Abbas, Justice Haidar Abbas Raza and many
others were among the audience.
Allama Aqilul Gharavi said that the religion which our Prophet
brought to us is fresh, safe and secure even today. Even after the
passage of 1400 years, there has been no change in Islams text.
There are, no doubt, some ideological differences for the removal
or settlement of which efforts should be made in all seriousness
but the same, unfortunately, are not being made. He said that we
should introspect in our minds and souls. We have also got a
member of Prophets family, Imam Husain, whose sacrifices we
describe and remember. He said that all Marjas unanimously say
that mimbars (pulpits) should not be used for tabarra and raising
controversial issues. What is more important and worth consider-
ation is: what we give to others. He said that in the name of serv-
ices or tribute to Imam Husain, if we have made Zaakiri (reciting
elegical verses or description of Hazrat Imam Hussains martyr-
dom) a means of livelihood, it is regrettable. He said that Meer
Anees and Mirza Dabeer through their Marsias (elegies) have
made Imam Hussain a household name in this part of the world
but today we have made mourning a controversial matter through
our style of speech and conversation.
Justice Haidar Abbas said, while speaking on this occasion,
that there are many towns and cities where the population of
Shias is extremely small but there also Sunnis organise mourning
Majalis on a grand scale. He said that whatever is happening in
Lucknow is a result of votebank politics.
Raja of Mahmoodabad said on this occasion that the most
important reason of our mutual differences is our greed for power
and authority. He added that today the need of the time is that we
should forget our mutual differences and devote ourselves to con-
structive work.
Dr Kalbe Sadiq said in his presidential address that Maulana
Aqilul Gharavi is an intelligent person and a good speaker. His selec-
tion by Iran for the responsibility of bringing about and promoting
Ittehad-e Millat is a good decision. He, however, said that there is
complete unity among Muslims. Though some differences and dis-
sensions are found everywhere but we should not be disappointed.
All sections and sects of Muslims very well understand that the entire
world is against Islam today but to combat this, there is no other way
out but to strive for mutual unity and understanding. During his two-
day stay in Lucknow, Maulana Aqilul Gharavi continued his cam-
paign for unity at individual level and met a number of scholars.
Muslims of all sects firmly
believe that five times
Namaz is to be offered daily,
that there are 17 rakats in
Namaz, that Allah, Quran
and Prophet are one.
We have got a member of
Prophets family, Imam
Husain, whose sacrifices we
describe and remember. He
said that all Marjas
unanimously say that
mimbars (pulpits) should not
be used for tabarra and
raising controversial issues.
What is more important and
worth consideration is: what
we give to others.
ROBERT J. BURROWES
People always lie for the same reason: fear. But
the precise fear that makes a person lie in one
circumstance might be different from the fear
that makes them lie in another.
When a child is young, it will naturally tell
the truth. Most usually, it starts to learn to lie
(consciously or unconsciously) when it dis-
covers that it is not believed when it tells the
truth or it is blamed and punished for telling the
truth (particularly if the truth is unpalatable to a
parent or other adult). In these circumstances,
lying might occur in an attempt to be believed
or in an attempt to avoid blame and punishment
and the lie might take the form of the child fear-
fully telling the parent what the child knows the
parent wants to hear. Why does this happen?
Because a child is genetically programmed
to behave functionally (evolution had to get this
right or individuals and species would not sur-
vive infancy), it would always tell the truth. But
if it is not believed then the child must learn to
devise strategies, including lying, to be
believed. This might start as a fearfully con-
scious response but it will probably become
increasingly unconscious and automated as it
learns what is expected.
If the child is blamed and/or punished for
telling an unpalatable truth then, again, it must
learn to devise strategies, including lying, to
avoid blame and punishment. Given that many
social institutions routinely require behaviours
that evolution did not intend and which are not
functional (for example, sitting in a school
classroom all day), the child will be progres-
sively dysfunctionalized in a variety of ways,
including ones that scare it out of telling the
truth about how it feels and what it needs (as it
would otherwise do naturally).
By the time the typical child has reached
adolescence, it will live in a world of consider-
able delusion about itself, other people and the
world in general. In these circumstances, the
emerging adult will now lie unconsciously, pri-
marily in order to maintain its delusions about
itself and the complementary delusions it has
about others and the world. This is why most
politicians lie. But they are not alone.
For example, a mother will want to maintain
a sense of herself as a good mother (howev-
er dysfunctionalized and/or violent she is) and
if one or more of her children decide to chal-
lenge her dysfunctional/violent behaviours or
even to discontinue their relationship with her,
then, rather than acknowledge her dysfunction-
al/violent behaviours and accept responsibility
for dealing with these (which would require her
to have the courage to feel the suppressed fear,
pain, anger, sadness and other feelings that
drive her dysfunctionalities and violence), she
is most likely to reinforce her own delusions
about herself by lying about herself and her
child, including about the reasons her child no
longer wants to have a relationship with her.
But much of her lying will be unconscious
because, to lie consciously would mean that
she could acknowledge (at least to herself) her
dysfunctional/violent behaviours and, perhaps,
accept responsibility for dealing with these.
However, of course, this almost invariably does
not happen precisely because of her fear
(based on her own childhood experience) of
being blamed and punished for making, and
acknowledging, mistakes. It is far less fright-
ening to fearfully lie (and act accordingly) than
to acknowledge her delusion about herself and
to accept responsibility for her dysfunctional
and violent behaviours.
So why do most people believe lies? Each
child is born with a predisposition to believe the
adults in its life. This is evolutionarily function-
al because childhood survival depends on adult
care. But the child is also born with the poten-
tial to develop a truth register: the mental
function, related to anger, that enables it to
detect lies. Unfortunately, the truth register, like
all potential capacities, is a subtle and easily
damaged mental function and if a child is lied
to chronically by a parent or other significant
adult during its childhood, the truth register will
either not develop or it will be weakened to
such an extent that it will no longer readily
detect lies.
A person who has been lied to chronically
will develop a gullibility that is obvious to those
with a developed truth register but even the
gullibility of others will be obscure to those with
an undeveloped or weakened truth register of
their own.
What can we do about lying? Just four things
will fix this chronic problem: always tell the
truth fearlessly yourself, always believe chil-
dren, always take affirmative action in
response to the childs truth, and never punish
anyone (including whistleblowers like Bradley
Manning and Edward Snowden) for telling the
truth.
You can run from the truth
You can hide from the truth
You can deny the truth
But you cannot destroy the truth
Robert has a lifetime commitment to understanding
and ending human violence. He has done extensive
research since 1966 in an effort to understand why
human beings are violent and has been a nonviolent
activist since 1981. He is the author of Why
Violence?
http://robertjburrowes.wordpress.com
The purpose of fear is to suppress awareness of the truth
Why do people lie? And why
do others believe them?
Shahid: The Witness of
Injustice Killed by System
I met Shahid as if in a dream for
a few hours over two days almost
a decade ago. I was doing a
course in journalism at the
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and living
in Zakir Nagar area of New Delhi.
I was following the news about
Shahid in newspapers. He was
the youngest teenager booked
under the draconian TADA.
When my friends informed me
about his acquittal, we decided to
receive him at the gate of Tihar Jail. After 6-7 hours of waiting, Shahid finally emerged form gate no.
6. We walked for a while and took an autorickshaw for Zakir Nagar where some of his relatives lived.
When I was watching the movie Shahid at a multiplex here last week, the entire scene flashed
back into my eyes. It was around 8 pm when we reached Zakir Nagar. We had tea and biscuits togeth-
er. After half an hour, Shahid left for his relatives. Next morning we ran into each other at the same tea-
shop. I asked Shahid about his future plans. He said he had already completed graduation behind the
bars, now he would pursue a career in journalism. Then we departed.
Years passed by. One day I came to know about advocate Shahid who was fighting for those who
were falsely implicated in terror cases. Then in 2010, I heard about his painful assassination.
When I came to know about the movie Shahid, it was only natural that I wanted to watch it at the
earliest possible. The film is exceptional. Its a slap in the face of the entire system and provides an
opportunity for us all to look within.
The movie says that Shahid was the counter-product of saffron politics. We blame Shahid for his
terror link, but what motivated him to cross LoC if he really did? This is the question which needs to
be answered. We never think what instigated a teenager to take such an irrational step, though in real
life Shahid was acquitted of all charges. Are the demolition of Babri Masjid and anti-Muslim riots of
Mumbai not the reasons? How could the feelings of a teenager be pacified who saw with his own eyes
Muslims being massacred by police and Shiv Sainiks working together?
After his acquittal in real life, Shahid wanted to live a graceful life. But again he experienced the
same systematic barbarism and brutality being meted out to Muslim youths in the name of war on ter-
ror. He tried to fight this injustice and got 17 innocent persons acquitted over seven years of his legal
career. He did not charge families which were not able to bear the expensive justice. Shahid stood
against injustice and didnt surrender till his last breath.
By subjecting me to injustice, the Lord taught me the importance of fairness. By throwing pain,
humiliation, and torture my way, He taught me to be strong. These are the words which are voiced-
over by the protagonist of the film Shahid as the movie starts playing.
Shahid had to undergo the unimaginable form of torture and humiliation. But he overcame torture
and left the shadow of his dark past behind, and became the savior of those who were facing the same
kind of humiliation and torture.
The satirical sentences with a bit of humour uttered by Raj Kumar Yadav (Shahid in the movie) are
in fact an spontaneous overflow of emotions which reflect the reality of our judicial system. Agar iska
naam Donald ya Suresh hota, toh kya yeh yahaan khada hota (If this mans name was Donald or
Suresh, would he still be standing here)? questions an emotional Shahid, in a Mumbai court room,
addressing a judge, pointing to Faheem Ansari who has been in prison without any proof or evidence
for 28 months.
Unlike most of the Bollywood movies which are masala-packed ages away from day-to-day reali-
ties and real life, this movie has lots of spice of a common man and is bound to show a mirror to the
hypocritical legal system of the country which usually delivers justice when it is too late.
In the end, Shahid is shown to be gunned down in cold blood presumably for defending a 26/11
accused but the move is silent on who killed Shahid. Obviously, Shahid was fighting the system, which
had nothing to do with the gang wars of Mumbai. So it was agents of the system who silenced the
problematic Shahid (which means witness in Arabic).
This movie is a fitting tribute to the slain advocate and the real life hero. At the same time it puts
some genuine questions before the judicial system, giving it a call to stop and retrospect. Hats off to
Hansal Mehta who made such a breathtaking and mesmerizing movie with a cause.
SYED ZUBAIR AHMAD
AFSANA RASHID, SRINAGAR
About 2700 Village Defence Committee (VDC) members are on the
payrolls of the government in Chenab Valley. Information, reportedly
obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, says that 2771
VDC members are on the payroll of the government in Kishtwar, Doda
and Ramban districts of the Jammu province of the state.
The information, circulated by Kashmir Center for Social and
Development Studies (KCSDS), a civil society group, here October
20, says that 12,709 VDC members are active in the Chenab
Valley. While 11,745 members belong to the Hindu community,
964 are from the Muslim community, it says.
It further says 3287 VDC members are active in Kishtwar.
Three persons were killed and several injured after communal
clashes broke out in Kishtwar, after Eid-ul-Fitr prayers on August
9. Following clashes, curfew was imposed in Kishtwar and sever-
al other towns of the Jammu province for several days.
The information further says 865 VDC recruits are being paid
honorarium in Kishtwar. The number of VDCs in Doda is 6521 and
among them, 1729 members are being paid honorarium by the
government, it adds. In Ramban, 2901 persons have been
engaged as VDC volunteers, out of which 177 are drawing hono-
rarium, it further adds.
Pertinently, the state government during its recently conclud-
ed session of the state legislature (September 30 to October 9),
admitted the role of VDC in triggering violence during Kishtwar
communal clashes.
Consequently, the civil society group, KCSDS, October 20,
demanded immediate disbanding of VDCs. The group alleges that
the militia has created security disequilibrium and communalized
the situation in Jammu region.
The group also said that it would approach Council for Human
Rights of United Nations to bring to its notice the unconstitutional
and illegal creation of the committees.
The KCSDS spokesperson, in a statement here on October 20
said that the militia has all along been misused to harass and
intimidate innocent civilians, particularly members of the majority
(Muslim) community. Besides, it has been used to further the
political ends of a particular ideology that seeks to divide people
on religious and ethnic grounds.
The government however, rules out disbanding VDCs, despite
admitting cases of misuse of weapons by VDC members.
In response to a query by PDP legislator, Choudhary Zulfikar
Ali, the state government in the Legislative Assembly, October 1,
said at least 49 complaints have so far been received regarding
misuse of weapons by VDC members.
The members are being armed with Rifles 303 (all marks) and
Rifles 7.62 mm and Bolt Action, said the reply. Twenty-four
weapon misuse cases by VDC members have been registered in
Rajouri district followed by 15 in Doda, five in Ramban, two each
in Reasi and Udhampur and one in Poonch. About 3751 VDCs
were set up in 12 districts; 10 in Jammu and two in Ladakh,
informed the government. No VDC exists in Kashmir.
The objective of the VDCs is to ensure safety and security of
identified villages along the border, infrastructural installation in
and around them and to supplement ongoing efforts of the secu-
rity forces and police to deal with militancy and trans-border
movements. Given the security situation in the state and role
played by VDCs, it may not be advisable to disband them at this
stage, said the government in its reply.
Demo for murdered youth
Holding banners and placards, the family of a local youth staged
protest demonstration here, October 12, while demanding his
release. The youth, Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh was detained under
Public Safety Act (PSA) for the third time, September 19. He has
been arrested on charges of stone-throwing. PSA allows detention
without trial for atleast two years.
Sheikh, 18, a bus-conductor by profession and resident of
Saidapora-Nowhatta was shifted to a sub-jail in north Kashmirs
Kupwara district. The lone bread-winner of the family, Sheikh has
seven sisters and aged and ailing parents.
We dont have anyone to look after us and he is our only sup-
port, said Sakeena, one of Sheikhs sisters.Sheikh was first
arrested in 2008 and was booked under PSA and shifted to Kot
Balawal jail in Jammu. He was again arrested in 2010.
Meanwhile, Third Front, a group of mainstream politicians,
here on October 12, demanded the release of political prisoners
lodged in various jails of the state for minor offences, on the eve
of Eid-ul-Azha that was celebrated, October 16. The group said
hundreds of youth, in jails for minor offences over the last few
years, should be released under general amnesty and as a good-
will gesture to improve the ground situation in Kashmir.
The group further alleged that PSA has been grossly misused
against political prisoners by repeatedly booking them on one or
the other pretext. They stressed that prisoners with serious ail-
ments should be released on compassionate grounds and cases
against youth, who have been booked for minor-offences, should
be withdrawn.
Rampage after CPRF bus kills youth
Restrictions were imposed in north Kashmirs Palhallan in
Baramulla district after a group of youth allegedly attacked a police
bus on Eid-ul-Azha day observed on October 16, and the driver
lost control of the bus resulting in his death.
Police registered a case vide FIR No. 264/2013 under section
302, 153, 153B and 120A of RPC to investigate the death of the
driver.
Local residents allege that Central Reserve Police Force
(CRPF) and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu Kashmir
Police went on a rampage and not only ransacked houses but beat
up the inmates as well. Streets of Palhallan and its adjacent areas
wore a deserted look and spools of concertina wire were laid
down to thwart any fresh protests, said the reports.
Police, however, denied the allegations saying that youth of
Palhalan are responsible for the murder of a policeman. There
is no curfew in the town. Weve imposed restrictions as a pre-
cautionary measure. We appeal to the elders of the town to
come forward and assure us that no such incident occurs in
future, said J P Singh, Deputy Inspector General of Police
(DIG), nor th Kashmir, October 19. He added it has become a
routine for the youth in Palhalan to attack any police vehicle
passing through the area.
Restrictions were later lifted and normal life resumed in the
area, October 20.
Accusing the armed forces of turning Palhalan into a concen-
tration camp Hurriyat (G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani,
October 20 said that the conglomerate has decided that in case
restrictions arent lifted, theyll call a state-wide protest. The sup-
pressive measures and continuous imposition of curfew has led
to a serious situation in Palhallan. Continuous imposition has cre-
ated a tension in the area.
Geelani who is also chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH)
strongly condemned the arrest of its activists and demanded their
immediate release. Since 2010, Palhallan is continuously being
made a target by armed forces and our workers are being
harassed and arrested.
Putting the entire population into concentration camps is
actually a medieval practice and rulers and their masters in Delhi
are using these barbaric tactics to suppress the voices of freedom
in Kashmir, said Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chair-
man, Mohammad Yasin Malik, October 19.
Terming it as a clear frustration of the rulers and their ani-
mosity against common Kashmiris, Malik, in a statement here
said, The rulers are always using their armed forces to impose
curfew to hide their failures. It is like a collective punishment for
the entire area.
Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Khawja Ghulam Ahmad vis-
ited the area, October 20 and interacted with the business com-
munity and senior citizens.
Clashes also broke out at some places in old Srinagar city and
Baramulla soon after Eid prayers, October 16.
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First English Newspaper of Indian Muslims. Telling the Muslim side of the story fortnight after fortnight since January 2000
Demand to disband Village Defence Committees
10 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
SYED KHALED SHAHBAAZ
Do you know that thousands of crores of inter-
est on Muslim deposits in banks goes waste? It
is shameful to note that this huge money is
being used by banks to promote their business-
es which do not help the Muslim community in
any way.
If offering a crown of diamonds and gold to
a temple is the best use of this money, then
where does the idea of building refuge for the
poor, investing in the uplift of weaker sections
and providing services to the deprived stand?
Isnt it a wake up call?
Forbidden by the divine law, Muslims
across the globe, particularly in Gulf countries,
NRIs and many others, refrain from putting
interest to any use. Some, who take this law lit-
erally, dont even bother to withdraw the interest
amount, even when the accumulated interest on
their bank deposits cumulatively grosses thou-
sands of crores.
So, what do the banks do of this huge
money which runs in thousands of crores. This
money has the power to morph a dilapidated
town into a dream city, or levitate the financial
status of thousands of the needy and provide
the lifeline to lakhs of the poorer and deserving
people of the community.
But this is not where this surplus money is
being used. Instead, we find a certain bank
using this monry to offer a crown of gold bejew-
eled with diamonds to a Hindu deity. Its our
money being used for an entirely unproductive
purpose.
Although Islamic law does not permit
Muslims to charge or take interest (usury) on
loans, such surplus money still belongs to the
Muslims and should be used, very judiciously
and rightly, towards the benefit of the poor in the
Muslim community without expecting any divine
reward (sawaab) from it.
Some schools of thought in the community
may term this contrary to the Islamic law, but
history is witness to several reforms and fatwas
issued by authoritative Muslim bodies in the
context of modern times and needs of a poor
community.
In Saudi Arabia, millions of goats are
slaughtered every year as a mandatory ritual
during Eidul Adha as a rite to complete the holy
pilgrimage of Haj. For long years, hundreds of
tons of this meat had to be buried under the
sand until Saudi authorities decided some three
decades ago to distribute this meat to the
Muslims in poorer countries and thereby prevent
it from going waste. Islam forbids wastage.
Similarly, Islam allows certain flexibility in
matters that can be deemed welfare-worthy.
Scholars and heads of Muslim bodies continu-
ously investigate and consult among each other
if certain situations demand a fresh look at the
law or previously agreed rules.
Many people who seek money from banks
in the form of educational, home and gold loans
and so on often get bogged down in the quick
sand of the interest payable on such loans. It is
also seen that many times the amount paid by
the debtor over the years is exponentially higher
than the actual amount. The worse part is that
the actual amount still remains payable.
Of prime importance in this situation is:
firstly, whether the Muslim authorities would
investigate and take action against banks that
use the interest money arising out of Muslim
deposits to fund their whims instead of investing
in the welfare of the community?
Secondly, whether the consensus of Islamic
scholars allows such interest amount to be used
for the betterment and uplift of the suppressed
and economically backward Muslims?
Thousands of Muslim girls who are aging
unmarried as their parents are unable to meet
the dowry demands or are incapable to afford
the huge marriage expenditure could benefit
from this money. Infrastructure could be built in
poor Muslim localities like sewer and toilets
using this money.
At the national and regional levels, Muslim
NGOs run by dedicated and honest members of
the community can be authorised to establish
businesses and industries that will generate
thousands of job for unemployed Muslim youth,
pay for lawyers who can fight the wrongly
accused Muslims lying in jails or rehabilitate the
Muslims affected by communal riots by utilising
this money. This will be a better way to spend
the interest money than utilising it for the pro-
motion of polytheism.
Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan, President of the All
India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, stressed the
need to utilise the interest amount for the wel-
fare of poor Muslims. He said that Islam allows
the flexibility to utilise and consume even what
is otherwise haram (forbidden) by divine law as
the same becomes halal in situations of crisis
and extreme need for survival.
The wrier is a Hyderabad-based techie
Muslims bank interest use it for the poor
If offering a crown of diamonds and gold to a temple is the best use of
this money, then where does the idea of building refuge for the poor,
investing in the uplift of weaker sections and providing services to the
deprived stand? Isnt it a wake up call?
An unconstutional organisation funded and
protected by the State, VDCs have 12,709 active
members in the Chenab Valley. While 11,745
members belong to the Hindu community, only
964 are from the Muslim community,
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s electoral
campaign for parliamentary elections sug-
gests that this party is totally confident of
assuming power at the Centre with Narendra
Modi at its prime ministerial candidate. The
BJP is also going overboard to assert its
secular credentials by allotting some
importance to Muslim voters. BJPs cam-
paign suggests that Modi may prove to be a serious political
threat for return of Congress to power. The BJP definitely wants
media and electorate to hold this opinion. However, the fact that
a major difference prevails between what this party as well as
Modi desire and the socio-political reality cannot be ignored.
The hard facts suggest that projection of Modi as BJPs prime
ministerial candidate can spell a major political danger for this
partys electoral gains.
The parliamentary elections are not confined to a political
battle between two parties, that is Congress and BJP. Prospects
of either party forming the next central government without sup-
port of smaller and regional parties may be dismissed as non-
existent. It may be recalled, a former key NDA member, Bihar-
based Janata Dal-United (JD-U) parted company with this coali-
tion over BJPs selection of Modi as its prime ministerial candi-
date. It is possible, that following parliamentary polls, a few
other parties and independent members may decide to part
company with NDA over their opposition to Modi being BJPs
prime ministerial candidate. At present, Modi is only the BJPs
prime ministerial candidate and not of entire NDA. This also
suggests that political noise being made by BJP regarding Modi
as its key campaigner and prime ministerial nominee does not
guarantee this party the majority support of electorate during
elections and of NDA after the results are announced. BJP may
be forced to project somebody else as its prime ministerial can-
didate to secure support of secular allies and be able to form the
central government.
The BJP won parliamentary elections in 1996 but could not
stay in power for more than 13 days. In 1998, the BJP returned
to power with the support of NDA. To secure alliance of several
NDA parties, including JD-U, the BJP had to put its Hindutva-
agenda that of establishing a Hindu State, on the backburner.
The coalition split in May 1999 when the Tamil Nadu-based ally,
AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) withdrew
its support. The BJP-led NDA returned to power in 1999 parlia-
mentary polls.
Clearly, if BJP is banking on a strong parliamentary victory,
primarily because of Modis campaign, the party is chasing a
political mirage. It is difficult to assume that all NDA members
would accept Modi as their prime ministerial candidate. In real-
ity, the BJP is likely to face a major political shock. Where ques-
tion of Muslims supporting Modi is concerned, their decision
may be expected to be based on Gujarat-carnage (2002). In
fact, the Gujarat-carnage led to a majority of secular Indians,
including non-Muslims, vote against BJP in 2004 parliamentary
polls. The return of Congress to power rested on secular
Indians decision to push BJP out of central government. They
were against Gujarat-carnage being repeated in other parts of
the country. Modi was Gujarat chief minister in 2002 and holds
this office ever since. Perhaps, had Gujarat-carnage not taken
place, Congress may not have received the chance to form the
central government in 2004 and then again in 2009. Only the
Indian Muslim vote was not responsible for the return of the
Congress to power after Gujarat-carnage.
Against this backdrop, would it be fair to assume that BJP
can perform well in parliamentary polls primarily because of
Modis campaign? The BJP is certainly going overboard to
project that Modi will help it return to power. But this is one
side of the analysis, based on what BJP desires. To promote
this, BJP is also trying to display that it has the support of
Indian Muslims by including supporters wearing skull-caps in
its functions and rallies. It would, however, be wrong to
regard these few Muslims as representatives of the entire
Indian Muslim community.
Of late, news has been spread about Indian Muslims fear-
ing Modi. There is a view that this is a political strategy of the
Congress to secure Muslim vote. Certainly, an attempt is being
made to spread news about fear among Muslims of Modi.
However, this does not imply that such a fear really prevails.
There is a major difference between political campaigns and
their impact. If Indian Muslims were really scared of Modi-fac-
tor, they would not have expressed their views openly against
him and Gujarat-carnage.
Undeniably, there may be some credence in attempts being
made by Modi and BJP to secure Muslim votes. They have no
other option. At present, their campaign is not confined to
Gujarat but is at the national stage. This, however, does not
ensure them support of Indian Muslims and secular non-
Muslims.
The degree to which Modi really succeeds will be indicated
in a few months from now. The parliamentary poll results will
also indicate whether Modis campaign has helped BJP or
proved damaging for it!
Speaki ng Out
Modis Campaign: BJP
Chasing a Political
Mirage?
NI LOFAR SUHRAWARDY
WAHAJ HASHMI
Though more than seven months are left for 2014 elections, BJP has
started its campaign by declaring Modi PM candidate. It seems that
this time BJP is more serious about grabbing power. It has no big
agenda now, like the building of Ram temple, to garner votes of
Hindus for the upcoming election. Another new phenomenon is that
now for the first time the party is eying for Muslim votes too.
As soon as Modi was anointed as the prime ministerial candi-
date, he wore that veil of secularism.
Modi can never be a secular because he is closely associated
with the hardcore Hindutva and the fascist organisation, RSS, which
aims at turning this secular country into a Hindu Rashtra following
the ideology of Nazis and fascists.
Sensationalising the issue of Ram temple, RSS and BJP demol-
ished the historic Babri Masjid. The Ram mandir was a part of their
fascist Hindu Rashtra agenda.
During its governance in 1999 to 2005, BJP tried to materialise
its Hindu Rashtra agenda by distorting historic facts from textbooks
and had attempted to saffronise education.
In 2002, Modis Gujarat witnessed Muslim genocide which was
premeditated and state-managed. Seeing the worst situation of the
Gujarat state then, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had admon-
ished Modi and ordered him to follow Rajdharma.
Modi has been asked a number of times to apologise for that
barbaric and beastly pogrom but he continues to arrogantly reject
such suggestions.
Tara Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhis granddaughter, opined. I did
not find any trace of anguish on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra
Modis face when he spoke about the 2002 post-Godhra riots in his
state. She further told, I am surprised as to how Modi, being in pol-
itics, being a human being and belonging to Gujarat, can speak about
the riots and that phase of violence without showing any pain. This
is the true face of Modi.
In an interview, Modi was asked if he regretted the riots. He
replied with his perverse mindset that even if a puppy comes under
the wheel of a car, one felt sad.
At what grounds Modi could be a secular? He denied the pre-
matriculation scholarships to minority students. Union government
implemented in 2008 two scholarship schemes that are a part of the
package offered for the uplift of
minorities, especially Muslims.
Modi government in Gujarat
has not implemented this
scheme, saying that it is dis-
criminatory in nature. Gujarat
High Court rejected Narendra
Modis contention. Justices V
M Sahai, D H Vaghela and
Aqeel Kureshi said that it is an
affirmative action and not
discriminatory in nature.
During the three-day fast,
wooing Muslims with his
sadbhavna rhetoric,when
Maulana Shahid Saiyed offered him a skull-cap, Modi rejected it.
Imam Shahid later said that Modi does not have any goodwill
towards the minority community. Those wearing skullcaps at the
function were not Muslims, but manual labourers paid Rs 200 to be
there, he added. Modis communalism was also seen at the time of
disbursement of the compensation to the families of those who were
burnt alive in Sabarmati train. To their families, Modi offered
Rs.500,000, but for those who were killed in the subsequent riots,
he offered only Rs. 200,000. A shameful amount of Rs. 500 was
given for the houses ruined and burnt during the riot.
For becoming PM Modi pretends to be secular
After his anointment as the prime ministerial candidate, he
quickly softened his stand on Pakistan at the Rewari rally. At a mas-
sive rally in Jaipur, Muslims were requested by the BJP to attend
wearing burqas and skull-caps to make their presence obvious. Modi
said at a rally of ex-serviceman in Haryana that politicians should
learn a lesson in secularism from the Indian armed forces. In his
speech, Modi asked those who question his secularism to take les-
sons in secularism from the Army.
BJP projected Modi as a secular nationalist at the partys
mahakumbh in Bhopal on 25 September. To mask his image of a
Hindu hardliner, it was decided to mobilise 50,000 Muslims, includ-
ing 5,000 women from the community to attend his meet. The
Muslim participants were to be provided with a special seating
arrangement so that they dont feel uneasy in
a saffron conclave.
In an obvious attempt to somewhat dilute
his hardliner image, 11 years after the Gujarat
riots, the Narendra Modi-led Gujarat govern-
ment has decided to pay for the repairs of
mosques damaged during the riots. The
Times of India reported that, that the state
governments u-turn came after close to 10
years of legal battle, during which it refused to
own up responsibility for restoring and repair-
ing the shrines damaged by marauding Hindu
mobs across the state. It is understandable
that the party would want to join the appease-
ment model that even regional parties like the
Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party have nurtured.
The case of the mosques was based on a petition filed by the
Islamic Relief Committee-Gujarat. In fact, the government, which had
tittered and contested the Islamic bodys demands for ten long years,
has assured the Supreme Court that it will come up with a credible
scheme to pay for repairs by October this year. It doesnt take a
genius to figure out the reason behind the sudden softening of the
Gujarat governments stance on repairing over 500 mosques and
religious properties across the state. The move serves two purpos-
es: One, it sends out a clear message that if the Gujarat CM were to
take up a bigger, national role, he would be more accommodating
towards Muslims than he is currently made out to be. Secondly, it
doesnt really require a very apparent stepping down for Narendra
Modis image in the form of directly canvassing for more votes.
Modi can never be secular
In the light of the interview Modi gave to Reuters at his official
residence in Gandhinagar, it is clear that Modis secularism is noth-
ing but Hindu nationalism. He told Reuters, I am nationalist. Im
patriotic. Nothing is wrong. I am born Hindu. Nothing is wrong. So
Im a Hindu nationalist. So yes, you can say Im a Hindu nationalist
because Im a born Hindu, he said.
If Modi wants to be secular he must distance himself from the
fascist RSS and rise above the Hindu agenda in the interest of sec-
ularism.
ANALYSIS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 11 www.milligazette.com
Modi: a Nationalist Indian or a Hindu Nationalist?
What about 80%
of Gujarati
Muslims, Mr. Modi!
DR JAVED JAMIL
Modi and his team has met in Delhi to chalk out
a strategy to bring Muslims, at least some of
them, into its fold. They are planning to bring a
Muslim Vision Document of their own. Modi
has told the gathering that 20-25 pc of Muslims
in Gujarat voted for BJP. He forgot to tell that
even if his figures are assumed correct, 75-80
pc did not vote for him. And this is despite the
fact that he has been ruling the state for more
than a decade. And of course, he has no time to
tell us why they did not vote for him.
Why a Chief Minister could not win their
confidence even after such a long rule?
Rising from media debate on his
Independence Day address, which he must be
rejoicing because media attention is what he rel-
ishes, he was trying to prove to Muslims that he
has an agenda for them too.
The curious part though is that Muslims are
more eager to know his hidden agenda rather
than the agenda that BJP will bring in its Muslim
Vision document.
I am one of those who believe that agree-
ments can be struck not only with allies but also
with enemies. There may come a day when
Muslims may think of opening a serious dia-
logue with the forces of Hindutva. That day will
come when these forces will redefine Hindutva
right, as an ideology based on the principles of
Hindu Dharma and not as one that revolves
around hatred for Muslims and everything that is
linked to Muslims - from Islam to Pakistan.
Any such serious dialogue can begin only
when no elections are round the corner and
must focus on finding common grounds like
social vices, economic disparity, corruption,
family values and purity in public life.
But this is election time. And at this time
whatever comes from the horses mouth cannot
be taken at face value. I have always firmly
believed that in case of ordinary mortals, our
friends and relatives, we must look at their posi-
tives rather than their negatives. In case of ide-
ologies, systems and leaders, we must focus
more on their negatives and choose one that has
minimum and least offensive demerits.
Whatever the positives that BJP may try to
project, the truth remains that its negatives will
outweigh its positives. This is true for the very
ideology on which it has positioned itself but
also its leadership.
Modi may be a big orator. So are most of the
BJP leaders. Political leaders of almost all other
parties including UPA are nowhere in compari-
son. But they must understand that oratory with-
out substance and the truth of intent is nothing
more than demagoguery and rabble rousing.
Rabble rousers may earn cheers from the
audience but not the long-terms commitment
which comes only after words are converted
into actions that benefit the whole nation rather
than certain sections.
When it comes to actions, unfortunately, no
political party or group seems to be much con-
cerned about them. They seem to be concerned
only about votes and notes and as notes come
only from certain sections of the populace, the
votes are often forgotten immediately after they
are cast. Then onwards, it is only the notes that
matter.
There were two speeches that the media
focused on the Independence Day. Unfortunately
for the whole nation, both lacked in substance
and merit. There was hardly anything except per-
haps the Food Security Bill that could attract
attention. With elections round the corner, peo-
ple expected some big solid steps that would
change the lives of the deprived and the margin-
alised. Nothing much was audible to that effect.
And of course, Muslims were conveniently for-
gotten. As Always.
Dr Javed Jamil is Delhi-based thinker and writer with
over a dozen books including his
latest, Muslims Most Civilised, Yet Not Enough and
Muslim Vision of Secular India:
Destination & Road-map.
He may be contacted at doctorforu123@yahoo.com
SYED MUSTAFA HASHMI
and SYED MURTAZA HASH-
MI, elder and younger broth-
ers who are medical students
at Osmania Medical College
were in the news when they
recently won the finals of
Tata Mutual Fund Finance
Quiz contest. Though students of medical science they were apparently
misfit for this finance quiz contest but their almost rudimentary knowledge
about history of banks, currencies etc stood them in good stead and in
spite of rigorous selection process, these two brothers were among only
six teams out of 170 who made it to the final round. Moreover, in view of
the fact that their competitors were from the countrys top business
schools, their win in the final round of Quiz Contest was really creditable.
MAULANA BADRUDDIN AJMAL QASMI, religious scholar, Jamiatul Ulama
leader, businessman of Assam and MP has been unanimously re-elected
President of Jamiatul Ulamas Assam Unit.
ABDUL MALIK RASOOLPURI, research scholar and
Guest Faculty in Delhi Universitys Department of
Arabic was conferred PhD Degree by Delhi University
on his research treatise Arbi zaban wa Adab aur
Uloom-e Islami mein Ulama-e Haryana wa Punbaj ki
Khidmaat which he completed under this
Departments President, Prof Muhammad Noman.
MEN & WOMEN IN NEWS
OBITUARIES
12 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 NEWSMAKERS www.milligazette.com
Dr Nazeer Ahmad, a space
scientist of world fame, trans-
lator of the Quran, Islamic
historian, social worker, phil-
anthropist and a former MLA
of Karnataka is gifted with a
many-sided personality. Born
to a peasant family of
Karnatakas Tumkur district in
1939 the son of a Sufi Saint
he was brought up in religious
atmosphere, he had a reli-
gious bent of mind from his
very childhood. In 1952 he
secured first position in a Public School examination in the whole
state of Karnataka and won the prestigious Maharaja of Mysore
Gold Medal of the time. In 1961 he obtained MS Degree from
California Institute of Technology, USA and after joined NASA and
became associated with the team engaged in the highly important
project of designing, assembly and completion of Hubble Space
Telescope which has been very useful in researches and discov-
eries of Mars and other planets.
When this author recently attended his and his colleague,
Balighul Hasans lecture programme in Delhi and when he demon-
strated a part of his researches on a projector it appeared as if all of
us in the audience were travelling in space. Thereafter when he
spoke about the future system of education and research through
digital technology, people among the audience came to the conclu-
sion that books, copies, pens etc will soon become things of the past
and in the near future not only in India but in the whole world educa-
tion will be imparted through digital technology and in anticipation of
the shape of things to come, our millat should get ready to keep
abreast of digital technology.
Dr Nazeers degrees and qualifications in the academic field are
BS (Engineering) from University of Mysore (1961), MS
(Aeronautics) 1962, Ae E (Aeronautics) 1964, PhD (Applied
Mechanics) 1967, MBA (Management) 1975 and PE etc. Since his
researches are mainly in the field of space telescope, he has got
registered 12 patents in his name in the USA in the field of Space-
based laser technology
It is a bit paradoxical but true that such a great scientist of NASA
is also an Islamist. He has translated the Quran into (American)
English so that American people could easily understand it. His other
books on Islamic topics are Islam in Global History and What
makes us Human? which run into many volumes.
He held many important posts also in his professional career,
some of which are: Chief Scientist, Hubble Space Telescope, NASA;
Programme Manager, SDI Programmes for US Department of
Defence; Director, Encylopaedia of Islamic History; Institute Scholar,
California Institute of Technology; Executive Director, American
Institute of Islamic History and Culture, Director, System
Development, OEA (Aerospace (USA), Adjunct Professor, University
of New Mexico, etc.
He is simultaneously an Indian as well as American citizen. In
Tumkur city since Muslims were facing shortage of graveyard space,
he donated 6 acres of his personal land for the graveyard and
Eidgah whose design and architecture is equally impressive. In
Nazarabad he has set up a school of world standard and in many
schools of Karnataka and Moradabad education is being imparted
through digital technology under his patronage. (Shakilur Rahman
Baghonvi)
GUJARATI MUSLIM WHO
GAVE ONE CRORE TO NETAJI
Memon Abdul Habeeb Yusuf Marfani, a businessman from
Dhoraji town of Saurashtra, donated almost his entire fortune of
Rs 1 crore to the Indian National Army
Ahmedabad: While Gujarati businessmen donated generously for
Mahatma Gandhis non-violent freedom struggle, there were some
who helped Netaji Subhas
Chandra Boses Indian
National Army (Azad Hind
Fauj). A businessman from
Dhoraji town of Saurashtra,
Memon Abdul Habeeb Yusuf
Marfani, donated almost his
entire fortune of Rs 1 crore to
the Indian National Army, a
princely sum in those days.
The Memon family was set-
tled in Rangoon. On July 9,
1944, when Netaji founded
INA in Rangoon, Marfani was
the first to come forward to
contribute financially to the
Azad Hind Bank. Soon, the coffer swelled with contributions from
Indian expats in Rangoon and Singapore.
Historian Yunus Chitalwala says Marfani was among the first
donors and Netaji expressed his gratitude by awarding him a Sevak-
e-Hind medal. He was the first recipient of this award. Marfanis ges-
ture has been documented in various history books. Historian Raj
Mal Kasliwal in his book Netaji, Azad Hind Fauj and After says,
"One Muslim Burmese business magnate of Rangoon donated a
crore worth of cash and jewellery and offered his services to the
Independence movement." After he emptied a plate full of jewellery
and placed a bundle of title deeds before Bose, the leader praised
the gesture saying, "Brothers! I am very happy today that people
have started realizing their duties... People are ready to sacrifice
everything. What Habeeb sheth has done is commendable and
those who emulate him in serving the homeland are really praise-
worthy."
Marfani is not the only Gujarati Muslim to have contributed to
INA. Surats Ghulam Husein Mushtaq Randeri was the recruiting
officer for the army. During the recent celebration of Boses birth
centenary, Marfanis grandson Yacoob Habeeb was felicitated in
New Delhi for his ancestors action. However, these references
were missing from chief minister Narendra Modis speech when
he donned the INA cap and tried hard to establish the Gujarat
connection with Bose. (Saeed Khan, The Times of India, 14 July
2012)
DR NAZEER AHMAD
MUHAMMAD IBRAHIM MANSOORI, social
worker and businessman of Amroha was hon-
oured with Bharat Jyoti Award by Tamil Nadus
former Governor Bhishm Narain Singh, Orissas
former Governor MC Bhandari and former Chief
Justice OP Varma at a function held at India
International Centre, New Delhi on 3 October in
recognition of his great social service. This
national level Award consisting of an insignia
and a Commendation Certificate is given by
India International Friendship Society on the
occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on 2 October. In
addition to Ibrahim Mansoori, this Award was
also given to many other important personalities
of the country for their important role in promot-
ing national unity and economic progress.
Prof ARIF NAZEER, Head of Hindi Depar tment
of AMU was honoured with Uttar Pradesh
Hindi Sansthans University-level Award by UP
chief minister Akilesh Yadav. The Award, con-
sisting of Rs 50,000 (cheque) and a cer tifi-
cate was given to him in Lucknow on the
occasion of Hindi Day. Prof Arif Aziz who has
been teaching graduate and post graduate stu-
dents in AMU for more than 30 years is an
author of 8 books and and more than 80
research treatises in Hindi, honoured with 2 D.
Litts by 2 universities on different topics, took
par t in about 75 national and international
conferences on Hindi,
travelled to many
countries in connec-
tion with promotion of
Hindi and honoured
with about 10 awards
and honours including
UGCs research
award, Nagri Lipi
Parishad Puraskar,
Abdur Rahim
Khankhana Samman,
Hindi Ratn Samman,
Tulsi Samman,
Pravasi Maha Kavi
Hari Shankar Aadesh
Sahitya Sindhu
Samman (for research) etc etc and has
already completed 5 research projects.
ALTAF HUSAIN MUHAM-
MAD YUSUF SETH of J. G.
College of Commerce,
Ahmedbad, M. P. Rafiq of
Institute of Mass
Communication, New Delhi
and (Ms) SAYEDA EMAN
MAZHAR of AMU were
declared First, second and Third respectively in the
All India Essay Writing Competition on the topic of
Sir Sayyads Thoughts and Efforts for Womens
Education sponsored by AMU. The cash prizes for
those declared first, second
and third in this essay com-
petition were Rs 25000,
15000 and 10,000 respec-
tively. In addition to these
national level prizes, candi-
dates / students who had
secured maximum marks
and stood First in their respective states in this
competition were also given Rs 5000 each as con-
solation prizes. About 60 boy and girl students
from all over the country had taken part in this
competition. The Awards were given to the winners
at a function held in AMUs Kennedy Hall on Sir
Sayyads birthday on 17 October.
(Dr) Prof FAHAD KHURRAM, Asstt Professor in
JN Medical Colleges Dept of Plastic &
Reconstructive Surgery, AMU has been hon-
oured by Times Research Media with Best
Lecturer in Plastic Surgery Award 2012. Dr
Khurram was nominated for this Award by
National Association of Plastic Surgeons.
MUHAMMAD MATLOOB, noted woodcraft arti-
san was among the many woodcraft and handi-
craft artisans who were awarded for their skill in
different kinds of arts. Muhammad Matloob was
honoured by Delhis chief minister Shiela Dikshit
and her minister Haroon Yusuf with a cash
award of Rs 25000 and a certificate at a func-
tioned held in Delhi on 28/09/13.
AWARDS
KHALIL AHMAD KHALIL, noted poet
who served the cause of Urdu selfless-
ly finally died on Eiduz Zuha day after
one weeks struggle between life and
death in Lucknows Trauma Centre at
the age of 84 years. His most impor-
tant poetic work is Guldasta-e Khalil,
an anthology of his poems. His two
more anathologies consisting of naats
and ghazals are under compilation. He
translated Surah Al Baqar into Urdu in
verses which he considered his lifes
earning and a means of his salvation.
He leaves behind four daughters and
two sons.
MUFTI MUHAMMAD ASHFAQUE
HUSAIN NAEEMI of Rajasthan died in
his native place in Rajasthan on 15
October at the age of 94 years. He
spent almost 66 years of his life in the
service of religion in different ways, like
impar ting religious instructions,
Tabligh, founding scores of madrasas,
mosques and other religious institu-
tions. About three months ago a 40
bighas land was acquired in Jodhpur
on which he had planned to set up
Ashfaqia University but after his death
his followers and close associates
have decided to fulfill his wish and plan
soon. In 2006 when 50 years of his
religious services were completed,
golden jubilee was celebrated at a
function when he was weighed in silver
coins. He first set up Darul Uloom
Ashfaqia of which now there are
branches in 34 out of 42 districts of
Rajasthan and till date the number of
pass-out students of this group of
madrasas exceeds 7 thousand.
MANSOOR AHMAD BIJNORI, noted
poet and general secretary of Majlis
Ahrar-e Islam suddenly died of heart
attack in Dehradun on 6 October. He
had gone to Dehradun in connection
with senior poet Shakir Karatpuris
anthology of poems release function at
Governors House where he suddenly
died of a massive heart attack. He was
55. He was rushed to military hospital
but could not survive. The book was
released by Governor Aziz Qureshi.
AIYYUB HASAN QIDWAI, Samajwadi
Party leader, president of Educational
Forum who retired from UPs ministry
of agriculture died of heart attack in
Bara Banki (Fatehpur) on 14 October at
the age of 70 years. After the heart
attack he was being rushed to Luckow
for treatment but died in the way. He
was a man of reserved but hospitable
nature.
Communist Party leader and social
worker Comrade SALAHUDDIN who
was hit by a train on 12 October died
because of severe head injuries at
Najibabad. His both legs were also cut
off under the wheels of the train.
According to eye witnesses, he had
gone for a morning walk and while
returning, as the manned gate was
closed, he wanted to cross the track
but since a train was coming on the
next track, he was standing on another
track and waiting for the incoming train
to pass but on the same track goods
train was also coming at great speed
which he did not notice with the result
that he was badly crused and both his
legs were amputated. People standing
at the gate shouted also but he could
not listen. He was 64 and leaves
behind his wife, two sons and one
daughter. He was laid to rest same
night. Being an active social worker, he
was very popular among the people.
HABIB AASIM, noted poet of Delhi died
in Delhi on 18 October at the age of 74
years. He is survived by his life, four
sons and four daughters and was
buried at Delhi Gate Graveyard.
Dr WAZARAT RASOOL KHAN, found-
ing chairman of Shadaan Group of
Educational Institutions, educationist
and a former MLA died in Hyderabad
after a prolonged illness on 21 October
at the age of 67 years. He worked tire-
lessly for removing educational back-
wardness of Muslims and with this
end, in Shadaan Group he set up more
than 50 educational institutions right
from KG to PG colleges including as
many as 24 engineering colleges and 2
medical colleges of which one is exclu-
sively for girls. He leaves behind his
widow and four sons who will continue
his mission of removing educational
backwardness of Muslims.
KHWAJA MUZAFFAR HUSAIN RIZVI,
religious scholar and Sheikhul Hadees
in Faizabad districts Darul Uloom
Noor-e Haq died on late night of 19
October at the age of 80 years. Since
he belonged to Purnia district, his dead
body was taken to his native village
Sanghia where he was buried in the
presence of thousands of his disciples
from Assam, Mumbai, Guwahati, Delhi,
Kolkata, Jharkhand etc on 21 October.
He was well versed not only in Islamic
sciences but also equally in mathemat-
ics, old and modern philosophy and
Islamic Fiqh.
AMU students take relief to Muzaffarnagar
SPECIAL REPORT The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 13 www.milligazette.com
MG/Yusuf
Aligarh: A group of students of
Aligarh Muslim University compris-
ing Mumtaz Numani, Aamir Khan,
Sajjad Husain, Syed Jafar,
Mohammad Azam, Danish Farouqi,
Nazakat, Asif, Abdul Rashid,
Moinuddin and Javaid, visited the
riot-hit Muzaffarnagar district, espe-
cially Kairana, and met the victims
in camps. The team carried relief
worth Rs. 2.6 lakh which was col-
lected by the students residing in
different halls of residence. At
Kairana, the team made a survey of
12 relief camps in order to acquaint
themselves with the problems faced
by a large number displaced people
who took shelter in these camps.
The team members said that the
condition in these camps was
pathetic and people were forced to
live in an extremely poor and unhy-
gienic environment. AMU students,
who felt moved by the pathetic con-
dition of the displaced people, went
to Panipat and arranged essential
commodities for general distribution
to victims. The team distributed 150
charpayees, 200 quilts, cooking
pots, buckets and mugs, soaps, tir-
pals, school bags, notebooks, pen-
cils, erasers and sharpeners to the
families. Financial assistance was
also provided to pregnant women
and wounded.
The team discussed the problems in
these camps with the local authori-
ties for providing easy and safe
admission in nearby schools to the
riot affected children. The team of
students remained in this area for
six days and focused on working
out possibilities of arrangement of
shelter, cloth, education and hygien-
ic food with the help of local people.
The team specifically thanked Mr.
Ayub Jang without whose coopera-
tion the task could not be accom-
plished.
AMU student,
Fawaz Shaheen,
participates in
Youth Parliament
Aligarh: Fawaz Shaheen, a student
of BA/LLB (Fourth Year) at the
Aligarh Muslim University partici-
pated in the National Youth
Parliament event organised by the
Times Now and The Times of India
which was later shown on Times
Now channel. The event known as "I
Lead India" is an initiative which
intends to engage youth in the dem-
ocratic process and seeks to pro-
vide them a platform to ask ques-
tions to the political class and
demand their accountability in their
process of Policy framing.
Fawaz Shaheen made a por-
trayal of metropolitan English-
speaking fashionable youngsters
as the "youth" of India. He highlight-
ed the illegal arrests of the innocent
Muslim youth in false terror cases,
sidelining of the Dalit voices, issues
before the youth of small towns etc.
He strongly argued that as a socie-
ty, India has failed to address
issues facing marginalized section
of society. He protested against the
criminal silence on atrocities meted
out to tribals, minorities, dalits,
poor etc and pointed out youths'
disenchantment, depleting values,
contents in Students' Union
Elections and other students' relat-
ed issues. He, however, made it
clear that the society itself is to
blame and not the politicians for
maladies in Indian polity.
ANHAD to bring out
misdeeds of Modi
New Delhi: ANHAD and other civil society
groups have come together to bring about
Kachcha Chittha (Hindi for dirty linen) of Gujarat
chief minister Narendra Modi. They plan to peri-
odically hold press conferences and release a
series of stories exposing Modi. To document
those stories in public domain they have
launched a website: www.secularstore.net.
A statement issued after a joint press confer-
ence on 23 October said, "We strongly believe that our democracy and secularism is directly under
threat. The spectre of the country's descent into fascism stares at us. The long reign of the UPA has
not halted or arrested the march of the communal fascist forces; indeed there seems today to be a
greater acceptance of ideas that we would call fascist. The strident demands for death penalty , the
impatience with rule of law; the acceptability among the young urban people of a man as a potential
Prime Minister, under whose watch minorities were systematically targeted, this desire for a strong
authoritarian leader, all again point to the circulation and reception of fascist ideas." There have been
several riots at least since last year across the country. On the one hand, one sees local-level riots
engineering machinery gearing up, and on the other the cleansing and anointing of Modi as the devel-
opment man, they added.
Maulana Shamsudeen Qasimi, who runs Azhagiya Kadan IAS Academy from Makkah Masjid, Chennai,
believes the Indian civil service forms the backbone of the government and can help the Muslim commu-
nity earn its rightful place.
Ours is one of the most discriminated and least understood communities today. The utter con-
tempt and hatred for the Muslim population cannot be justified by the acts of terrorism by a few in
our community. It is downright humiliating and degrading. The saddest and scariest part of this sit-
uation is that we have nobody to defend or speak for us. Today, to be heard, we require a certain
degree of power. Of course, getting into politics would be one way of safeguarding our interest. But
politics too has its drawbacks; there is always pressure from the top brass and besides there is no
stability in politics. So our only option became the Indian civil service, the backbone of the Indian
government, said Maulana Shamsudeen Qasimi, chief imam of the Makkah Masjid in Anna Salai,
Chennai.
He doesnt pull his punches while speaking about the discrimination against his community. But he
has set out to do something constructive about it. He founded the Azhagiya Kadan IAS Academy. It start-
ed in February last year on the mosques premises.
The academy trains Muslim students for the competitive civil service examinations. It does so free of
cost, providing accommodation and food as well.
The maulana sees the civil service in India as a powerful and prestigious organ of the government.
Unfortunately, he says, in the past 18 years, no Muslim candidate from Tamil Nadu has cleared the IAS
exam.
We started the academy with the aim of reversing these statistics. Today, I am proud to say that of
our initial batch of 30 students, three have successfully cleared the UPSC (Union Public Service
Commission) preliminary exam. Three others have cleared TNPSC (Tamil Nadu Public Service
Commission) Group 1 exam. Five of our academy students have also cleared the staff selection commis-
sion preliminary exam. (rediff.com)
IAS academy in a mosque
Imams urged to use
pulpits for Muslim
empowerment
New Delhi: While the streets and roads in
the National Capital were wearing a
deserted look on Sunday, 13 October, due
to Dussehra and official weekly holiday,
hundreds
of imams
and clerics
s i t t i n g
inside the
maj est i c
I n d i a
I s l a mi c
Cu l t u r a l
C e n t r e
here on
L o d h i
Road had
gathered to discuss the present and future
of India's second largest majority commu-
nity.
Packed to capacity of 300 seats, the grand
Abdur Rahman auditorium on the first floor
of IICC was rapt attention to the speech of
Zakat Foundation of India president Dr.
Syed Zafar Mahmood who had called the
meeting. Dr. Mahmood, without mincing a
word, said the Congress-led UPA govern-
ment had done little to the real empower-
ment of the Muslim community in the last
nine years of its power at the Centre. After
presenting 20 demands, Dr. Mahmood
urged the imams to use the pulpits of the
mosques to raise Muslim empowerment
issues. He categorically said, without the
active involvement of the imams a mass
movement cannot take form, and without
that no government is going to listen to the
genuine demands of the community.
Dr. Mahmood in his speech raised the
issue of Reservation to Dalit Muslims and
Christians, De-reservation of assembly
and parliamentary seats reserved for
Scheduled Castes as Muslims are almost
majority in those seats and SCs have
small population. He also demanded fast-
track courts for disposal of terror cases.
Taking a strong stand on Muzaffarnagar
riots and their aftermath, Dr. Mahmood
demanded redeployment of Army in
Muzaffarnagar and neighboring areas
which witnessed riots and migration of
over one
l a k h
Musl i ms.
He said
A r m y
should be
there until
the situa-
t i o n
returned to
compl et e
normalcy.
He also
demanded the central government not to
hold Lok Sabha elections in the riot-affect-
ed Muzaffarnagar and neighboring dis-
tricts as over one lakh internally displaced
people may not cast their votes. When he
asked the gathering if they support this
demand, hundreds of hands went up to
endorse it.
The gathering included a good number of
people from the riot-hit areas of
Muzaffarnagar. Presiding over the pro-
gram, Maulana Abdullah Phoolpuri of
Azamgarh appealed to imams and clerics
to implement the proposals of Zakat
Foundation of India. Mufti-e-Azam Punjab
Maulana Fuzail Usmani asked the Govt to
consider proportional representation to
Muslims in the legislature. He decried the
failure of UP and central governments in
Muzaffarnagar and asked for facilitating
the return of the one lakh displaced
Muslims to their houses under military
care.
The Presentation is available at
http://www.zakatindia.org/images/20point
s-UPA%20Action%20Plan%20PPT.pdf
All its meat?
Isnt only 1/3 that
you should keep
for yoruself?
I want a fridge
big enough to
store all its
meat to savour
it for a month
Khirkiya riots: NSA against Goraksha activist
Indore: Harda police slapped NSA against Rajasthan resident
Surendra Raj Purohit for inciting mobs after inspecting the video
footage of the incident. He has been residing in Khandwa for the
last six months for carrying out Goraksha campaign under the
banner of Akhil Bhartiya Gorakshi Commando Force. A Rs 5000
reward has been declared for the arrest of the absconding culprit
who tried to trigger violence in Harsud also in an earlier incident.
Urdu, Hindi to be included in Maharashtras Bhasha Bhavan
Mumbai: Maharashtra government plans to build Bhasha Bhavan
in Mumbai at a cost of Rs 8 crores mainly for the promotion of
Marathi language but in addition to Marathi, other minority lan-
guages also spoken in Maharashtra i.e. Urdu, Hindi, Gujarati etc
will be taught here for the promotion of these languages too. A del-
egation led by Maharashtras minister for minorities affairs Arif
Naseem Khan met states chief minister Prithvi Raj Chauhan in this
connection. The delegation included Maharashtra Urdu
Academys interim chairman Dr Khurshid Siddiqi and Urdu
Academys member Farooq Ansari, Mumbai Universitys head of
Hindi Department Karuna Shankar Upadhya along with some Urdu
and Hindi literary figures. Arif Naseem Khan informed the chief
minister that in accordance with the decision taken by the state
cabinet, Bhasha Bhavan will be built near Metro Cinema mainly
for the promotion of Marathi language but minority languages of
the state i.e. Urdu, Hindi and Gujarati will also be promoted and
offices, libraries etc of these languages also will be set up.
Naseem Khan said that in the cabinet meeting it was decided that
other languages in addition to Marathi will be included but when
the copy of this decision / resolution was given to ministers, there
was no mention of Urdu. He asked the chief minister to include
Urdu also in the minority languages to be promoted through
Bhasha Bhavan to which he agreed and assured that Urdu too
would be promoted in and from Bhasha Bhavan.
Why no Madrasa Education Board in UP: court
Lucknow: Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court, in response to
a PIL filed regarding the Madrasa Education Board, hearing of
which was taken up on 7 October, asked the UP government why
even after a long time Madrasa Education Board was not consti-
tuted by it (government)? The court also told the government that
the person whom the government describes as the Chairman of
Madrasa Education Board is a government officer, which is not in
accordance with the rules of Madrasa Education Board. The Court
directed the Additional Advocate General to collect all relevant
information in this connection by 10 October and submit them to
this court which expressed its surprise that Madrasa Education
Board was constituted under law but even then it could not be re-
constituted so far. Next date of hearing of this case is fixed for
10 October and hence the Court asked the state government
through its lawyer to file a reply to its query on 10 October when
this case will be taken up for hearing.
Khandwa Jail break: Security at Varanasi tightened
Varanasi / Indore: Security at Varanasi has been tightened follow-
ing reports that a man resembling one of the six absconders from
Khandwa jail Muhammad Aslam was spotted at Mirzapur (60 kms
from Varanasi). and three others at Bhadohi. Police has been put
on high alert as the Vindhyavasini temple during Navratri attracts
thousands of devotees. An additional reason for such measures is
the presence of Amit Shah, BJPs poll campaigner / strategist,
who is touring Varanasi and Mirzapur area.
Intelligence sources believe that the Khandwa jail break was
master minded by Tahsin Akhtar alias Monu who had been
assigned the task by Yasin Bhatkal prior to his arrest. The NIAhas
declared a reward of Rs 10 lakhs for Tahsin Akhtar who was
reported to be with three / four persons at Varanasi railway sta-
tion. Meanwhile, remand of Abid, the nabbed absconder, has
been extended upto 12 October. Jail headquarters in its report
have admitted to several lapses at the jail that gave the abscon-
ders a cake walk. Despite protests by local staff the six abscon-
ders were lodged in a jail that had inadequate security. The report
concedes human errors and utter neglect of jail manual.
II
Indore / Khandwa: More and more facts are emerging about the
sensational jail break which exposes the laxity and mismanage-
ment at the jail It has been disclosed that a meeting at Khachrod
had been organised at the time of Zakir Husains visit to Khachrod
court on 30 August. 15-20 police teams have been deployed to
search places in Gujarat and Maharashtra as despite intensive
combing of Choral forest no one could be nabbed.
Jail staff now disclose that not Abu Faisal alone, had chalked
out the escapade on paper but had been rehearsing it quite reg-
ularly which the local authorise failed to notice. It is disclosed that
two persons had visited the jail, claiming to be brothers, two days
prior to escape. In a sensational disclosure a guard is accused of
being the insider who assisted the escapees. The guard had
recently been linked with SIMI. Police raided a place in Malikhedi
(Nagda).
The watch tower, the most crucial location, is being attended
by Dwijendra Kumar Tiwari. He had undergone a spine surgery
operation and moves with the help of a walker. Abid, believed to
be a collaborator was deployed as convict-cum-night watchman.
His turn was on Monday, however, he volunteered for double duty
on the night of the escape.
The rifle, snatched from the police party on patrol party, was
recovered from a cotton farm in Narmada Puran area. Sukhram
Helper of the farm owner Ibrahim baba, spotted it two days after
the incident. The sniffer dog led the search party to Mordhad sta-
tion, 10-12 kms from Khandwa where the fugitives are believed to
have boarded the Akola bound train.
AMUs branch will be set up in Mumbai
Mumbai: Union HRD minister of state Jatin Prasad said here on
6 October that Aligarh Muslim Universitys branch will be set up in
Mumbai, adding that an amount of Rs 17,300 crores has been
allocated in the 12th Five Year Plan for the educational and eco-
nomic welfare and development of minorities. He said that in
Gujarat even the pre-matric scholarship scheme (for minorities)
was not implemented. He also said that chief ministers of many
states want to keep the people of a particular community under
constant threat and fear by promoting dissension, hatred and rift
in society. He further said that educational institutions will now be
set up at block levels in minority majority district because earlier
this scheme was enforced at district levels but real benefits could
not reach the concerned people.
Vanzara may expose facts of Haren Pandya murder
Ahmedabad: Crucial facts about Modis role in Haren Pandya mur-
der are likely to be divulged, should Vanzara decide to spill the
beans. According to Jagriti Pandya, wife of the slain leader,
Vanzara knows several facts pertaining to the case. Mufti Sufiyan
and members of his family have been shifted to a place near the
Bangladesh border where state funds are being provided to keep
them detained there. His escape and several other details are in
Vanzaras knowledge and he can explode another letter bomb if he
makes up his mind because he alleges that the murder was a polit-
ical conspiracy
Sohrabuddins brothers fear security breach
Nagda / Ujjain (MP): Rubabuddin Shaikh, brother of Sohrabuddin
killed in fake encounter, complained to cyber crime branch of
Ujjain police that social media is spreading baseless rumours
about his family thus creating a security risk to families of all the
four brothers. He apprised the CSP office that rumours were
being spread that Congress has given not only Rs 5 crores but
also promised party ticket to one of the brothers. He named a per-
son from Ghaziabad, Milind, and a few local persons. This is
being done to ensure the win of BJP candidate.
Shehla Masood murder: Zahida, Saba fear security threat
Indore: Sunil Shrivastav, pleader of Zahida and Saba accused in
Shehla Masood murder case, drew the attention of the court to his
clients security which they fear in wake of forthcoming elections
for assembly in which BJP leaders are afraid of losing public sup-
port. Both of them showed marks of injuries on their bodies. They
arrived in the court with swollen eyes and injuries marks on their
back, abdomen and head pleading that they were assaulted thrice
with the motive of killing them. The duo claimed that the jail staff
wants to eliminate them. When they lodged a complaint with the
jail Superintendent a false FIR was lodged against them. The court
set up a committee to visit the jail and enquire.
Muslims and police avert communal flare up in Vadodara
Vadodara: Restraint on the part of Muslims and prompt interven-
tion by police averted a communal flare up during Ganesh immer-
sion procession. While an idol was being taken in a procession in
Wadi area another procession came from the opposite side. While
the two processions confronted each other miscreants pelted
stones on Miya Mahmood Mosque. Before it could result in a flare
up a police party rushed to control the situation. There was a dis-
pute over playing of DJ at Mandvi Jamna Bai Hospital. Muslim
friends of police promptly eased the situation.
Chennai: Popular Front of India (PFI) star ted Jail Bharo move-
ment in Chennai and Madurai in protest against violation of
human rights and targeting of Muslims in false cases of ter-
rorism. The movement star ted on 7 October in front of
Chennai Collectors office. Addressing the gathering of pro-
testers on this occasion, A. S. Ismail, state president of PFI
said that for the past few months in Tamil Nadu an atmosphere
of fear among Muslims and demonising them under the pre-
text of being par t of terrorism network, search operation in
Muslim populated areas by the police, creating violence in the
name of bund, discovery of explosive materials and arms,
false news of intrusion of terrorists in coastal areas and pro-
jecting them (Muslims) as terrorists and criminals in the eyes
of others is being created in this state. Hence they are living in
great stress and fear. He said that so far such an atmosphere
was being created in nor thern states of the country by invok-
ing UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) and arresting
them indiscriminately but now this strategy is being adopted
by the police and security agencies in Tamil Nadu also. He
said that a large number of innocent Muslims were arrested by
implicating them in false terrorism and other cases but subse-
quently they were acquitted by cour ts when no such proofs
against them were found, but their tension because of being
labelled as terrorists, loss of jobs and their and their family
members being suspects in society always haunted them. He
said that after being freed by cour ts neither the police nor gov-
ernment authorities even apologised for their misdeeds nor
any financial or other help was giving to them for star ting their
life anew. He said that in order to protest against this, PFI has
star ted this campaign in order to create awareness among
Muslims and other people and also to sensitise the govern-
ment against the harassment and demonisation of Muslim by
the police.
This campaign by PFI was supported by many important
Muslim and non-Muslim intellectuals and organisations including
VC Partys chief and MP, Troma Valoon, Social Democratic Party
of India (SDPI)s state president T. Baqvi, Indian Tauheed
Associations president S. M. Baqar, Tamil Nadu Muslim
Federations president A. K. Muhammad Hanif, CPIs state work-
ing committee member M. Veera Pandiain, IUMLs general sec-
retary Fatima Muzaffar, Political observer T.S.S. Mani, NCHROs
state vice president Prof A. Markas etc who also addressed the
protestors. Jail bharo movement was lead by PFIs vice
President M. Sheikh Ansari.
In this protest movement more than 20 thousand men and
women were arrested but shortly thereafter released. Also,
resolutions were passed against violation of human rights of
Muslims of Tamil Nadu, Muslims being treated as suspects,
use of black laws like UAPA against Muslims, action to be
taken against police personnel who take the law in their own
hands, implicating innocent Muslim youths in false cases and
so on. Resolutions passed in this protest demonstration
against the above mentioned illegal acts said that while
strongly condemning the continued violation of human rights
of Muslims, PFI demands chief minister Jaya Lalita to stop
Tamil Nadu police from committing excesses on Muslims and
violating their human rights, T N government should immedi-
ately release all innocent Muslims who have been falsely
implicated in various cases and give them suitable compen-
sations, police and investigating authorities, instead of always
implicating only Muslims in all cases of terrorism should
investigate all such cases impartially and not partially and
with a sense of bias and prejudice, black laws like UAPA were
being misused in Tamil Nadu which the state government
must put a stop to with immediate effect, restrictious imposed
on all demonstrations and demands being made peacefully
and within democratic limits should be removed, the drama of
implicating and arresting only Muslims being enacted in north
Indian states which is being repeated by TN police also must
be stopped and police personnel and officers found guilty of
such crimes must be penalised and strong action should be
taken against them, in accordance with supreme courts
directive that Police Complaints Authority should be set up in
every state for filing complaints against police or intelligence
officers who violate the law, such a Police Complaints
Authority should be set up in Tamil Nadu also with immediate
effect so that complaints against such personnel who violate
the law could be filed. (N. A. Ansari)
More than 20000 arrested in Chennai and
Madurai under PFIs jail bharo movement
against human rights violations
14 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 COMMUNITY NEWS www.milligazette.com
Mushawarat takes notice of
Rahul Gandhi's statement, asks
him to seek proof from the IB
New Delhi: The All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat,
umbrella body of Indian Muslim organisations, on 25
October took serious note of the claim of the Congress Vice
President Rahul Gandhi the previous day that "A couple of
days ago, an intelligence officer walked into my office and
told me that people from Pakistan are talking to the relatives
of Muslims killed in Muzaffarnagar. The officer told me that
he has been trying to convince victims not to get swayed
by Pakistani propaganda."
Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, President of AIMMM, said that
this is yet another concocted story perfected by the IB
which has caused 21 fake encounters in Gujarat and many
more elsewhere like Batla House. Dr Khan said Mr Rahul
Gandhi should ask IB to provide proof of what its officer has
claimed. Failing to produce clear proof, this officer should
be punished because he is simply paving the ground to fake
another "IM" module in Muzaffarnagar to persecute
Muslims who are already victims of Sangh violence. Dr
Khan said this is the same IB whose director had faked the
CD of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination site which showed that
IB was in cahoots with his killers. Regrettably, that officer,
long retired, still enjoys the government's largesse.
Dr Khan said IB is an unconstitutional body which has
tried to usurp a lot of powers and authority over the years.
An Act of Parliament should be quickly passed to make this
rogue organisation accountable to Parliament. Moreover, its
huge secret funds must be scrutinised by outside auditors
and by CAG. Over the years Sangh elements and sympa-
thisers have heavily infiltrated into this secret outfit and
they are using it to marginalise and criminalise minorities,
Dr Khan said.
Scholar asks Modi to read Hindu history
New Delhi: Prof U. R. Ananthamurthy, Kannad writer and
Jnanapeeth Award winner, while advising Narendra Modi to study
Hindu history, has asked BJP leaders if they have at all read Hindu
texts? He said that it is clearly written in Hindu texts that Brahmins
in olden days sacrificed cows and also consumed beef. He said
that if BJP leaders including VHP, Bajrang Dal leaders and mem-
bers had studied Hindu history they would not make cow slaugh-
ter or a ban on it a political issue. He said that he sincerely advis-
es all these outfits and their leaders to read all history books relat-
ing to Hinduism. He said that ancient Hindu texts such as Rig
Veda clearly mention that cows were routinely slaughtered by
Brahmins and eating of beef by Brahmins is also officially record-
ed in Hindu history and other texts. It was also customary in those
days to entertain guests with special dishes prepared with cow
meat. It may be noted that Prof Ananthumurthy is himself a
Brahmin.
Muslim students account for only 13.2 percent in U.P. schools
Sunday October 20, 2013 7:20 PM, ummid.com Staff Reporter
Aligarh: Muslim students in Uttar Pradesh account for just 13.2
per cent of the total strength in Uttar Pradesh schools, an NGO
claimed here on 20 October. According to latest reports, Muslims
form only 13.2 percent segment of the total students strength in
UP schools whereas they should be 18.5 percent based upon
their population, said Farhat Ali Khan, chairman of Minority
Education Cell. Uttar Pradesh is behind even Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra and Gujarat in the literacy rate of Muslims, he said
adding, the present government is not serious about educating
Muslims.
Monitoring Committee found with report of DIAS for 2012-
13 that, every third Muslim child is being deprived of school
admission, he said. He further pointed out that, Apart from pro-
viding scholarships to some Muslim children, the government
must come forward to provide adequate atmosphere and sustain-
able infrastructure to Muslim children.
He said that Uttar Pradesh government is continuously ignor-
ing establishment of Urdu-medium schools by not granting per-
mission to Urdu medium schools and refusing financial help.
AMU Court member Prof. Humayun Murad said that educa-
tion is no doubt necessary but the issue of security of Muslims
has top priority. He said that the victims of Muzaffarnagar riots are
still displaced and the region is still reeling under fear while the
Samajwadi Party and the Congress are indulging in politics.
Dargah caretaker commits suicide: harassed
Indore / Dhar: Haji Abdul Ghaffar (60), caretaker of sufi saint
Nizamuddin Shah Qalandar dargah at Nalchha (near Dhar), com-
mitted suicide by jumping into the pond near the shrine. He
blamed four persons (including a BJP leader) for abetting the sui-
cide in a 12-page suicide note. A case has been registered under
section 306 of IPC against four persons - Pawan Kushwah,
Lokesh Yadav, Manoj Gwal and Nandram Dawar. Kushwah is a
BJP activist. Haji Abdul Gaffar was supervising arrangements for
the forthcoming urs scheduled to 26-27 October. Residents of the
area levelled a charge against him of encroaching on government
land; forced him to stop levelling work and reported the matter to
tehsil officials. Slogans were raised against him demanding his
arrest because of which he went into depression In his suicide
note he blamed the four persons for their alleged harassment.
Heavy police arrangements have been made in view of the prevail-
ing tension.
Good care provided to orphan girls in Varanasis orphanage
Varanasi: In Varanasis Darul Amaan, which is Yateem Bachchion
ka ghar or House of orphaned girls good and suitable education
is imparted to orphan girls and along with modern education,
training in home science which includes house-hold affairs is also
imparted to them which will make their future bright. This is the
impression Dr Viddya Raj Shekharan, Director of an American
Centre who is undertaking research work on Muslim girls and
their educational activities. She recently visited the Darul Amaan
and after meeting the Head of Darul Amaan, Haji Khalil Ahmad
Saraf first, and with his permission she met the students of Darul
Amaan and Madrasa Muhammadia and had detailed talks with
them. When she asked the orphan girls about their activities, inter-
ests, choice of profession etc they told her about their preferences
and said that after completion of education they want to be engi-
neers, doctors, teachers and so on. Darul Amaans warden
showed her (Dr Viddya) girls rooms, workshop, kitchen etc and
also skill of their hands and products made by them. She praised
their good manners, skill, cleanliness etc and was fully satisfied
with their upkeep, security, training, teaching etc. She also bought
a beautiful ladies purse made by the girls. She told the head of the
institution Haji Khalil Ahmad hat she will distribute books among
the girls according to their tastes and interest.
BJP at Khwajas durbar
Ujjain: Leaving no stone unturned to woo the minorities, BJP
office bearers offered chadar at the shrine of Maulana
Mughisuddin Chishti, disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia (R A).
Following this a team of volunteers undertook a journey, on foot,
to the shrine of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (R A) of Ajmer
for seeking his blessings for the partys success in the forth com-
ing elections.
Financial assistance to young widows by Hyderabad trust
Hyderabad: Hyderabad Zakat and Charitable Trust, after conduct-
ing a survey in villages of all 30 districts of AP state, has been giv-
ing financial assistance to widows of less than 30 years of age for
their needs and their childrens educational needs for the past
three years. This Trust has given financial assistance to the tune
of Rs 27 lakh to 975 young widows of Telangana in the first stage
and further assistance will also be given to about 3000 widows
and their 4500 children in the current year for which Mrs Aalia
Waqar, Azra Khalid, Durdana Mahmood, Asghari Ahmad and Mr
Muniruddin Sheikh Imam of Hyderabad toured and surveyed
Nizamabad and Warangal districts. Messrs Ziauddin Nayyar,
Abdul Naeem and others also toured Mahboob Nagar and
Khamam districts for the same purpose. In the second stage
Rayalseema and coastal areas of Andhra will be surveyed and
financial assistance to about 2000 widows will be given. In addi-
tion to financial assistance by this Trust, financial help under var-
ious other schemes will also be given to such widows. Widows
who want to re-marry will be given household and other goods
etc worth Rs 25000 along with cash amounts also. Also, widows
who want and are able to do some business of their own will also
be given interest-free loans.
Haryana Waqf Board builds a mosque in Panchkula
Panipat: Haryana Waqf Board has built a grand mosque in the
states Panchkola towns posh area at a cost of Rs. 15 million
(1.5 crores) from its own income, a feat which no other Waqf
Board in the country has been able to achieve so far. This is a 3-
storeyed mosque which is built on a plot whose area is 4500 sq
ft or 500 sq yards in which about 3 thousand people can offer
Namaz at one time. According to Haryana Waqf Boards Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Parvez Ahmad all expenses on this
mosque from the initial design to the final touches have been met
from the Boards own income. He said that Haryana Waqf Boards
chief, who is called the Administrator, Haji Naseem Ahmad who is
a former Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Mulsim University, paid his
personal and special attention in the building of this mosque
which was previously occupied illegally and was in a very bad
state, but after getting the illegal occupation vacated it was
extended and rebuilt. The CEO said that it is built in modern style.
Competitions held in AMU and Jamia Rahmani, Munger
Aligarh / Munger: The Aligarh Movement and Millat Bedaari
Mohim (Millat Awareness Movement) jointly held a competition
on Importance of Sir Sayyad Movement in the 21st century on
14 October in connection with the 196th birth anniversary of AMU
founder Sir Sayyad Ahmad Khan in which more than 500 boy and
girl students of different schools, colleges and universities took
part. The competitors were divided into two categories. In the
senior category were students from BA to PhD and in the junior
category were students from 8th to 12th classes. First, second
and third positions in the senior category were held by (Ms) Mina
Mahmood of AMUs BA, LLB (3rd year), Aaqib Kamal of Arts
Facultys MA (Urdu) Final year and (Ms) Roshni of Social Science
Facultys MA (Previous) respectively. In the junior category first,
second and third positions were held by (Ms) Alaq Al Husna (of
Iraq) of Aligarh Public School (10th class), (Ms) Anjali Singh of Sr
Sec School (Girls)s 12th class and Aseer Faizan of 8th class of
Aligarh Public School. Prizes for students who stood 1st, 2nd and
3rd in both categories were Rs 1500, 1100 and 800 respectively
along with a certificate each.
Jamia Rahmani, Munger of Maulana Muhammad Wali
Rahmani also held written and debating competitions and in addi-
tion, competitions in recital of Naat, Qirat, Azan, calligraphy and
poetry were also held. In all, 148 boy and girl students were given
prizes in the form of religious and reformative books as well as
cash.
Madrasa systems being adopted by modern universities
Munger: Jamia Rahmani, Mungers Head and noted Islamic
thinker, scholar and religious leader Maulana Muhammad Wali
Rahmani said while addressing the students of Jamia Rahmani on
3 October that the objective of studying in religious madrasas is
to acquire proficiency in religious sciences and after acquiring
such knowledge, to preach Islam. He said that this objective is
clearly mentioned in verse No 122 of The Holy Qurans Surah
Tauba and Madrasa students should always bear this objective or
instruction in mind. He also said that acquisition of knowledge
and proficiency in business for the purpose of employment is not
and should not be the objective of reading in madrasas. He said
that students should remember that acquisition of religious
knowledge is meaningless if one does not follow religion and reli-
gious instructions in daily life.
He said that the educational system that our forefathers had
introduced in religious madrasas years ago is the best system for
education and training which famous and important universities
of today are adopting. The fact that the world famous Oxford
University is inviting a Madrasa Molvi like me to deliver a lecture
and advise on how to impart better academic education and train-
ing clearly proves that the educational system prevailing in
Madrasas is better but it is a pity that the (educational) system
which the world greatly values and appreciates is not being appre-
ciated and trusted by you and me. He said that the tradition of
reading tomorrows lesson today in madrasas set up by our fore-
fathers is being followed in modern universities and colleges by
the name of preparation. Further, the tradition or practice of dis-
cussion and question-answer which is prevalent in madrasas is
also being followed in universities today by the name of discus-
sion. He advised the students to strictly follow the systems and
practices being followed in madrasas and said that they are fully
capable of convincing the world provided they themselves realise
and assess their capabilities and then move forward towards their
destination with full confidence.
Maulana Rahmani also motivated the students to take part in
all competitions with full confidence and asked them never to
miss any such opportunity. He asked them to develop a sense of
competition because this is the age of competition and without
competition there is no success. He said that in Jamia Rahmani
different types of written and debating competitions and quiz are
held to test and improve the student skills, capabilities and facul-
ties. These are very good opportunities for students and hence
they should never miss any opportunity to take full advantage of
these, he said.
Minorities affairs ministry a mere showpiece
New Delhi: Member of the Planning Commission and former pro-
fessor of Economics in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Delhi,
Abhijit Sen said in a report that the union ministry of minorities
affairs which the UPA constituted with great fanfare, for the wel-
fare and development of minorities has been reduced to a mere
show piece, adding that the government spent very lavishly on
this ministry but in actual practice having been vested with no
powers, it has miserably failed in achieving the objectives for
which it was constituted. For example, he said, the governments
plan was to grant educational scholarships to Muslims through
this ministry but such scholarships could not reach Muslim stu-
dents because the actual task of distribution of these scholarships
among Muslim students was assigned to state governments
which failed to do so. He suggested that instead of creating a sep-
arate ministry for this, a compact and comprehensive scheme
should be formulated for their (minorities) welfare and develop-
ment.
New Delhi: Vice Chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu
University (MANUU), Hyderabad, Prof Muhammad Mian said in
Delhi on 14 October that educational activities in MANUUs cam-
pus at Sambhal (UP) will soon begin. He said that Al Kareem
Society in Sambhal has gifted a 7 acres piece of land for
MANUUs campus at Sambhal where building work has already
started. He said that in the first stage College of Teachers
Education will be started in this complex at Sambhal and he
hoped that in the next session education for B.Ed course will also
begin. He further said that thereafter Polytechnic, ITI, Girls
College, Model School and other short term professional cours-
es will also be started. Speaking about this campus he said that
popularisation and spreading of education among deprived peo-
ple is among the priorities of this University (MANUU) and setting
up of MANUU campus in Sambhal is one of the important objec-
tives in this direction.
Meanwhile, MANUUs Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr Khwaja M.
Shahid along with Delhis Regional Centres Director, Dr Shahid
Parvez inspected 17 acres of land in Noh (Mewat), which the
Haryana government has allotted for MANUU campus here (in
Noh). Pro VC Dr Khwaja Shahid also met local MLA, Aftab Alam
and other people and assured them that here also MANUUs
educational activities will be started soon. Incidentally, it may
also be stated that the Universitys Model School and sub-
regional centre has already been set up here in Noh.
Meanwhile, taking credit for MANUUs regional centre in
Sambhal, the area MP, Dr Shafiqur Rahman Barq said in a press
conference at Sambhal on 15 October that the establishment of
MANUUs campus in Sambal is the result of his efforts for which
permission was given by the then union education ministers
Arjun Singh and M. A. Fatemi in 2004. He said that he and
Nadeem Tareen, a social worker and businessman had request-
ed these ministers to approve a campus / centre of MANUU in
Sambhal for the education and welfare of minority community
people of Sambhal for which recently an allocation of Rs 50
crores had been made. Contradicting the claim of UPs minister
of state Nawab Iqbal Mahmood that on his (Iqbal Mahmood) rec-
ommendation the state government had gifted Urdu universitys
campus in Sambhal on the occasion of Eiduz Zuha and for this
the state administration has promised to allot 50 acres of land,
S. R Barq said that the claim of the minister of state is totally
baseless because the state government has nothing to do with
this university because MANUU is set up by the central govern-
ment and setting up any campus or centre of this university is in
the hands of the central government. He said that recently he had
met union minorities affairs minister K. Rahman Khan and
demanded a special package for the welfare of minority popula-
tion of Sambhal. He said that even before Sambhal, this
University (MANUU)s first campus had been set up in
Darbhanga (Bihar) and construction work of Sambhal centre or
campus at Muradabad Road is in progress. He said that in this
centre BA, LLB, Engineering, Mass Communication etc courses
will be taught in the initial stages. He further said about the
Sambhal campus that courses of Diploma in mass communica-
tion (Urdu), Diploma in Engineering BA, MA and B.Ed are already
being taught since 2006-07. Nadeem Tarin Educational Societys
secretary Mushir Khan also said that MANUUs sub regional cen-
tre in Sambhal is working since 2006-07. (N. A. Ansari)
Educational activities to start soon in
MANUUs campus in Sambhal
COMMUNITY NEWS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 15 www.milligazette.com
No wonder our leaders tell us not to worry our lit-
tle heads about our wars -- just support those
troops, go shopping, and keep waving that flag.
WILLIAM ASTORE
There is a new normal in America: our government may shut
down, but our wars continue. Congress may not be able to pass
a budget, but the U. S. military can still launch commando raids
in Libya and Somalia, the Afghan War can still be prosecuted, Italy
can be garrisoned by American troops (putting the empire back
in Rome), Africa can be used as an imperial playground (as in the
late nineteenth century scramble for Africa, but with the U. S.
and China doing the scrambling this time around), and the mili-
tary-industrial complex can still dominate the worlds arms trade.
In the halls of Congress and the Pentagon, its business as
usual, if your definition of business is the power and profits you
get from constantly preparing for and prosecuting wars around
the world. War is a racket, General Smedley Butler famously
declared in 1935, and even now its hard to disagree with a man
who had two Congressional Medals of Honor to his credit and
was intimately familiar with American imperialism.
War Is Politics, Right?
Once upon a time, as a serving officer in the U. S. Air Force, I was
taught that Carl von Clausewitz had defined war as a continuation
of politics by other means. This definition is, in fact, a simplifica-
tion of his classic and complex book, On War, written after his
experiences fighting Napoleon in the early nineteenth century.
The idea of war as a continuation of politics is both moder-
ately interesting and dangerously misleading: interesting because
it connects war to political processes and suggests that they
should be fought for political goals; misleading because it sug-
gests that war is essentially rational and so controllable. The fault
here is not Clausewitzs, but the American militarys for misread-
ing and oversimplifying him.
Perhaps another Carl might lend a hand when it comes to
helping Americans understand what war is really all about. Im
referring to Karl Marx, who admired Clausewitz, notably for his
idea that combat is to war what a cash payment is to commerce.
However seldom combat (or such payments) may happen, they
are the culmination and so the ultimate arbiters of the process.
War, in other words, is settled by killing, a bloody transaction
that echoes the exploitative exchanges of capitalism. Marx found
this idea to be both suggestive and pregnant with meaning. So
should we all.
Following Marx, Americans ought to think about war not just
as an extreme exercise of politics, but also as a continuation of
exploitative commerce by other means. Combat as commerce:
theres more in that than simple alliteration.
In the history of war, such commercial transactions took
many forms, whether as territory conquered, spoils carted away,
raw materials appropriated, or market share gained. Consider
American wars. The War of 1812 is sometimes portrayed as a
minor dust-up with Britain, involving the temporary occupation
and burning of our capital, but it really was about crushing Indians
on the frontier and grabbing their land. The Mexican-American
War was another land grab, this time for the benefit of slavehold-
ers. The Spanish-American War was a land grab for those seek-
ing an American empire overseas, while World War I was for mak-
ing the world safe for democracy -- and for American business
interests globally.
Even World War II, a war necessary to stop Hitler and Imperial
Japan, witnessed the emergence of the U. S. as the arsenal of
democracy, the worlds dominant power, and the new imperial
stand-in for a bankrupt British Empire.
Korea? Vietnam? Lots of profit for the military-industrial com-
plex and plenty of power for the Pentagon establishment. Iraq, the
Middle East, current adventures in Africa? Oil, markets, natural
resources, global dominance.
In societal calamities like war, there will always be winners
and losers. But the clearest winners are often companies like
Boeing and Dow Chemical, which provided B-52 bombers and
Agent Orange, respectively, to the U. S. military in Vietnam. Such
arms merchants -- an older, more honest term than todays
defense contractor -- dont have to pursue the hard sell, not
when war and preparations for it have become so permanently,
inseparably intertwined with the American economy, foreign poli-
cy, and our nations identity as a rugged land of warriors and
heroes (more on that in a moment).
War as Disaster Capitalism
Consider one more definition of war: not as politics or even
as commerce, but as societal catastrophe. Thinking this way, we
can apply Naomi Kleins concepts of the shock doctrine and
disaster capitalism to it. When such disasters occur, there are
always those who seek to turn a profit.
Most Americans are, however, discouraged from thinking
about war this way thanks to the power of what we call patriot-
ism or, at an extreme, superpatriotism when it applies to us,
and the significantly more negative nationalism or ultra-nation-
alism when it appears in other countries. During wars, were told
to support our troops, to wave the flag, to put country first, to
respect the patriotic ideal of selfless service and redemptive sac-
rifice (even if all but 1% of us are never expected to serve or sac-
rifice).
Were discouraged from reflecting on the uncomfortable fact
that, as our troops sacrifice and suffer, others in society are
profiting big time. Such thoughts are considered unseemly and
unpatriotic. Pay no attention to the war profiteers, who pass as
perfectly respectable companies. After all, any price is worth pay-
ing (or profits worth offering up) to contain the enemy -- not so
long ago, the red menace, but in the twenty-first century, the mur-
derous terrorist.
Forever war is forever profitable. Think of the Lockheed
Martins of the world. In their commerce with the Pentagon, as
well as the militaries of other nations, they ultimately seek cash
payment for their weapons and a world in which such weaponry
will be eternally needed. In the pursuit of security or victory, polit-
ical leaders willingly pay their price.
Call it a Clausewitzian/Marxian feedback loop or the dialectic
of Carl and Karl. It also represents the eternal marriage of combat
and commerce. If it doesnt catch all of what war is about, it
should at least remind us of the degree to which war as disaster
capitalism is driven by profit and power.
For a synthesis, we need only turn from Carl or Karl to Cal --
President Calvin Coolidge, that is. The business of America is
business, he declared in the Roaring Twenties. Almost a century
later, the business of America is war, even if todays presidents
are too polite to mention that the business is booming.
Americas War Heroes as Commodities
Many young people today are, in fact, looking for a release from
consumerism. In seeking new identities, quite a few turn to the
military. And it provides. Recruits are hailed as warriors and
warfighters, as heroes, and not just within the military either, but
by society at large.
Yet in joining the military and being celebrated for that act, our
troops paradoxically become yet another commodity, another
consumable of the state. Indeed, they become consumed by war
and its violence. Their compensation? To be packaged and mar-
keted as the heroes of our militarized moment. Steven Gardiner, a
cultural anthropologist and U. S. Army veteran, has written elo-
quently about what he calls the heroic masochism of milita-
rized settings and their allure for Americas youth. Put succinctly,
in seeking to escape a consumerism that has lost its meaning and
find a release from dead-end jobs, many volunteers are trans-
formed into celebrants of violence, seekers and givers of pain, a
harsh reality Americans ignore as long as that violence is acted
out overseas against our enemies and local populations.
Such heroic identities, tied so closely to violence in war,
often prove poorly suited to peacetime settings. Frustration and
demoralization devolve into domestic violence and suicide. In an
American society with ever fewer meaningful peacetime jobs,
exhibiting greater and greater polarization of wealth and opportu-
nity, the decisions of some veterans to turn to or return to mind-
numbing drugs of various sorts and soul-stirring violence is trag-
ically predictable. That it stems from their exploitative commodi-
fication as so many heroic inflictors of violence in our name is a
reality most Americans are content to forget.
You May Not Be Interested in War, but War Is Interested in You
As Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky pithily observed, You may
not be interested in war, but war is interested in you. If war is
combat and commerce, calamity and commodity, it cannot be left
to our political leaders alone -- and certainly not to our generals.
When it comes to war, however far from it we may seem to be,
were all in our own ways customers and consumers. Some pay
a high price. Many pay a little. A few gain a lot. Keep an eye on
those few and youll end up with a keener appreciation of what
war is actually all about.
No wonder our leaders tell us not to worry our little heads
about our wars -- just support those troops, go shopping, and
keep waving that flag. If patriotism is famously the last refuge of
the scoundrel, its also the first recourse of those seeking to
mobilize customers for the latest bloodletting exercise in combat
as commerce.
Just remember: in the grand bargain that is war, its their
product and their profit. And thats no bargain for America, or for
that matter for the world. (alternet.org)
William J. Astore, a retired lieutenant colonel (USAF), now
teaches at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. His books and
articles focus primarily on military history and include Hindenburg:
Icon of German Militarism (Potomac Press, 2005). He may be
reached at wastore@pct.edu.
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16 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 INTERNATIONAL www.milligazette.com
The Business of America Is War
Allah not for all?
Kuala Lumpur: In a landmark judgement, a Malaysian court on ,
14 October ruled that non-Muslims cannot use the word Allah
to refer to God and prohibited a Christian newspaper from using
it in the Muslim- majority nation.
A unanimous decision of the Court of Appeal here allowed
the governments appeal to set aside the 2009 decision of a High
Court which had allowed The Herald, a Malaysian Catholic
newspaper, to use the word Allah to refer to God.
In December 2009, the High Court had declared the decision
by the home ministry prohibiting The Herald from using the
word Allah as illegal, null and void.
Anger over that ruling had sparked arson attacks and vandal-
ism at Malaysian churches and other places of worship.
Federal Court judge Seri Mohamed Apandi Ali, leading a
three-member panel, said it was the courts considered finding
that the home minister had not acted in any manner or way that
merited judicial interference on his decision to prohibit the publi-
cation to use the word Allah.
On evidence before us too we are satisfied that sufficient
materials have been considered by the minister (home minister)
in discharging his function and statutory power under the Printing
Presses and Publications Act 1984, he was quoted as saying by
the Bernama news agency.
The judge said it was also the courts judgement that the
condition set by the home ministry in the Heralds publication
permit, which prohibited The Herald from using the word
Allah, did not infringe any churchs constitutional rights.
It is our common finding that the usage of the name Allah
is not an integral part of the faith and practice of Christianity,
said Justice Apandi, who read the summary of the decision. The
other two judges presiding on the panel were Justices Abdul Aziz
Abd Rahim and Mohd Zawawi Salleh.
Herald editor Father Lawrence Andrew, responding to the ver-
dict, said the ruling was flawed and the church would appeal
against the ruling.
On February 16, 2010, the Roman Catholic Church led by
Archbishop Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam filed a judicial review applica-
tion, naming the home ministry and the government as respon-
dents and seeking, among others, a declaration that the home
ministrys decision to prohibit the use of the word Allah in The
Herald publication was illegal. The weekly, published in four lan-
guages, has been using the word Allah to refer to God in the
Herald Malay-language section, specially to cater for the people
in Sabah and Sarawak.
Allah is the Arabic word for God and is commonly used in
the Malay language to refer to God. The Malaysian government
insists that Allah should be exclusively reserved for Muslims
due to concerns that its use by others would confuse Muslims
and could be used to convert them.
Egypt court to start trial of President Mursi on 4 November
Cairo: An Egyptian court has set 4 November for the trial of oust-
ed President Mohamed Morsi along with 14 other senior Muslim
Brotherhood figures on charges of inciting the murder of protest-
ers. On December 5, 2012, an estimated 12 people were killed in
clashes in front of the presidential palace sparked by Morsis
decree expanding executive powers. He is additionally facing
charges for insulting the Egyptian judiciary, according to state
media. Morsi has been held in a secret location since he was
overthrown by a military coup on July 3. The military-backed
government has since launched a severe crackdown on the
Muslim Brotherhood.
UK Man Wins Case Against BBC For 9-11 WTC 7 Cover Up
Tony Rooke refused to pay a TV license fee because the BBC
intentionally misrepresented facts about the 9/11 attacks, he
alleged. It is widely known that the BBC reported the collapse of
World Trade Center Building 7 over 20 minutes before it occurred.
WTC 7 was a 47-story skyscraper that was not hit by a plane on
9/11 but collapsed at free-fall speed later that day.
So Rooke said the BBC had to have had prior knowledge to a
terror attack making them complicit in the attack. He presented
the BBC footage to the judge along with a slew of other evidence,
and the judge agreed that Rooke had a reasonable case to
protest. Rooke was found not guilty and he was not fined for fail-
ure to pay the licensing fee.
For all intents and purposes a UK ccourt has just ruled that
the BBC was complicit in the september 11th, 2001 attacks in the
United States. Fantastic. A small victory but a huge symbolic vic-
tory and one you would have never otherwised have heard of. So
I suggest to you the reader to get the word out on this one.
Spread it far and wide. This is big ifonly symbolic. (worldob-
serveronline.com)
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administrative facilities free of cost as well as free advertising space, and the trustees are barred by the trust deed from receiving any
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INTERNATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 17 www.milligazette.com
KHALID AMAYREH
The latest criminal attack on a Coptic church in Cairo should not sur-
prise observers of the Egyptian affairs, especially since the occur-
rence of the murderous army coup against the democratically-elect-
ed regime of Dr. Muhammad Mursi on 3 July.
Indeed, since then, Egypt has been slipping into chaos, instabil-
ity and violence. Some pundits are warning against the prospects of
Egypt morphing slowly but definitely into a failed state, very much
like Somalia, Pakistan, Iraq or even Syria.
True, the Egyptian military establishment remains powerful and
could still influence things in the most populous Arab country. But
this alone wouldnt prevent the country from Sliding down the slip-
pery slope at the edge of precipice. After all, the generals lack the
political wisdom, the economic experience and intellectual and
moral rectitude to do what is right to make Egypt stand on its feet
anew.
In fact, the military dictatorship, which has ruled Egypt since
1952, is the mother of all problems facing the country. It created a
culture based on mendacity and hypocrisy. And those who dared
object to their fascist secularism were often hounded, imprisoned,
tortured and murdered. Do you remember Sayyid Qutb?
Predictably, the scandalously dishonest Egyptian media has
been making insinuations suggesting the now- banned Muslim
Brotherhood! May have carried out the cowardly attack on the
Warrak Church.
However, the Egyptian media, which is now at its moral lowest
point, cant be trusted to tell the truth about anything. This media is
at the criminal coup juntas beck and call and telling the truth is not
part of its function.
Besides, it is highly unlikely that the MB would embark on such
a folly. This is the last thing they would want to do. They are an
organized group, and attacking churches is alien to their way of
thinking. Moreover, such attacks would not benefit them in any way,
shape or form.
Having said that, one can not completely rule out the probabili-
ty that a pseudo-Islamist group, e. g. al- Qaeda-style network of ter-
rorists, may have been responsible for the criminal attack.
However, the al-Qaeda hypothesis is only a probability, even a
weak one.
The more plausible probability, in the view of this writer, is that
the Sisi regime is directly or indirectly responsible for the crime.
The Sisi junta stands to benefit from the crime as it is using it to
accuse the Ikhwan and further besmirch their public image. Besides,
those who have murdered and maimed thousands of innocent
Egyptians, and then claimed the victims committed collective sui-
cide, are bereft of any modicum of morality and even humanity and
could really do the unthinkable.
The criminal junta would also exploit the incident in order to
impose more draconian repressive measures against their political
opponents, principally the Islamists, under the rubric of fighting the
ghoul of terror.
The Sisi regime is a direct extension of the Mubarak regime and
the so called deep state. And for those who tend to forget, it has
been proven by and large that the secret security apparatus of the
Mubarak regime had been involved in attacks on Coptic churches
prior and after the downfall of ex-president Mubarak.
Some Coptic figures would entertain the idea that the military
establishment and the Copts are allies or stand on the same side
against the forces of extremism and terror, an allusion to the
Islamist forces. However, this mode of thinking seems to have more
to do with fantasy and wishful thinking than with hard reality.
The Egyptian military establishment is inured in the culture of
lying and its ability to sacrifice truth and morality for the sake of
securing their own interests is notorious.
They would commit the most despicable crime imaginable in
order to blame it on political opponents. This happened during
Nasser, Sadat and Mubarak. And it is happening now before our
eyes.
As to the Coptic Church, it is much closer to being guilty than
innocent. The dark embrace between the Church and the criminal
junta should be a clear indictment for the Coptic religious leadership
as well as the rector of the Azhar academy.
The military junta has the unjustly spilled blood of thousands of
innocent Egyptian squarely on its criminal hands. This alone is con-
sidered a stark contradiction to everything true Christians stand for.
More to the point, it is amply clear that the often conspicuous
religious and ideological hatred the Coptic religious leadership is har-
boring for the Islamists, especially the MB, is blinding its eyes and
prompting it to adopt extremist and fanatical attitudes toward the
Islamists. This fanaticism often manifests itself through Coptic insis-
tence on imposing fascist secularism on the vast majority of
Egyptians for whom secularism is not part of their religious tradi-
tions. Yes, secularism may be part of Christianity, but it is never part
of Islam. Needless to say, failing to come to terms with this most
axiomatic fact, is dangerous and can be catastrophic for all.
The writer is an American-educated journalist living in Occupied Palestine.
Copts are innocent, but not their Church
The Coptic Church is much closer to being guilty than innocent. The dark
embrace between the Church and the criminal junta should be a clear indictment
for the Coptic religious leadership as well as the rector of the Azhar academy.
EU Membership for Turkey:
Politics of Dual Morality
DR. ARSHI KHAN
The recent European Union Enlargement Commissioner report on
Turkey (October 16) has disappointed Ankara for the formers
remarks much to do to become its full member. The report has
shown serious concerns over tackling press freedom, democratic
rights and police brutality in crushing anti-government protests in
the summer. It wants Turkey to do more on the rule of law, tackling
corruption and on reform of the judiciary. In last June, the
Commissioner, Stefan Fuele had condemned the police crackdown
on protesters. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan immediately
referred to the similar type of protests in Britain, France, Germany
and bigger ones in Greece, all of them members of the EU. Last
month, Turkish Minister for EU Affairs, Egemen Bagis hinted at the
EUs prejudice against Turkey. Moreover, the New York police used
all available means against Occupy Wall Street.
The EU accepted the disputed island of Cyprus as a full mem-
ber against the spirit of the 1960 Constitution of Cyprus to which
Greek Cypriots have always referred as the Basic Law. Long before,
the former Turkish Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan had called the
EU as a Christian Club which seems to be a fact now. It will not
be unreasonable to confirm that the EU adopts an indifferent atti-
tude towards the subject-matter-EU membership of Turkey. This
fact is quite apparent in the accession of former communist coun-
tries whereas Turkey was always used as a buffer Western ally
against communism after 1945.
This has adversely affected Turks in general. Their support for
EU membership in 2004 was 78 percent which has sharply
reduced to 45 percent. The EU had declared the date for accession
in 2004 after 1963, the delay of 45 years when Turkey had applied
for membership. This does not mean closing of the doors as it has
become the regular feature of EUs policy approach towards Turkey.
The EU has always considered Turkey as strategic partner or the
associate member but not the full member.
The accession negotiations between Ankara and the EU have
covered all 35 Chapters (areas as qualifying criteria) but Turkeys
full membership is blocked due to the disputes over the divided
island of Cyprus. Last month was the 50th anniversary of the
Association Agreement (Ankara Agreement) signed by Turkey and
the European Economic Community on 12 September 1963. The
EU members have often raised the issue of the Armenian genocide,
Kurdish autonomy and recently questioned the state action against
the protesters in the Taksim square in Istanbul.
In case of Turkey, the European strategy is to split the hair while
in other case, they even split the onion. It has shown maximum
cooperation in several cases of accession excluding Turkey. This is
not hostility but the show of unfriendliness on the part of the EU.
Incredibly Turkey has not lost hope against the tide of delays and
negation. It has made the issue of EU accession as a part of its for-
eign policy in addition to take all measures at the domestic level to
strengthen this foreign policy decision.
For Turkey, Europe is a common home sharing norms, values
and principles. Family feeling of the country with the continent has
determined its foreign policies, in addition to adjusting domestic
laws with European Union norms. On the contrary, unlike other
states, Turkey has been waiting since 1963 to become the full
member of the EU. In 1963 the EEC consisted of only six members
but now it a 28 member bloc.
Being the only Muslim country as member of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organisation since 1952, it concerns over issues can hard-
ly be ignored by the Euro-Atlantic powers. Parliamentary contacts
between Turkey and European Parliament and Parliaments of EU
members have intensified. The Joint Parliamentary Committee
(Turkey and EU), established in 1965, has met 72 times for
exchanging views, relations and membership issues. The Turkey-
EU Association Council has met 51 times so far.
Turkey is the 6th largest European economy and the fastest
growing economy in Europe. Turkey was incorporated into the EUs
Customs Union in 1995 and has been the member of the Council
of Europe since 1949. The Council of Europe is the worlds most
comprehensive institution with its established traditions on human
rights and democratic values. The Turkish agenda is to make polit-
ical reforms conducive to the EU standard. Despite being excluded
from the EU full membership, the EU is the largest partner of Turkey
in trade and investment with currently 37 percent of total Turkish
foreign trade with the EU members and with 70 percent of the FDI
in Turkey from the EU.
Turkey is close to 70% of the worlds proven gas and oil
reserves and thus forms a natural bridge between the producers
and Europe. It is both a transit country for supplies from the Middle
East and Central Asia and also an alternative route for Russian oil
and gas. In order to create a fully integrated internal energy market
it is a key to connect gas pipelines and electricity grids within
Europe. Turkeys power grid is connected with EU Energy System
through Bulgarian and Greek grids. Turkey has emerged as one of
the largest sources of FDI in Central and Eastern Europe, and the
Commonwealth of Independent Countries. The AKP has moved the
direction of Turkish politics towards political and economic reforms
democratising the constitution and expanding the market. There
have been valuable considerations over the rights of Kurds. All such
efforts and packages seem to be aimed at procure evidences to
validate its claim for full membership. Delaying tactics of the EU
would only expose it in the annals of Turkey-EU relations.
The writer is Associate Prof, in the Department of Political Science,
Aligarh Muslim University.
PROF P KOYA
A recent Economist cover features a toothless lion wrapped in
bandages. Stationed helplessly on the Syrian border, the animal
symbolizes the fall of a supremacist US, which, after many mas-
sacres and interventions in the post-Soviet era, has forayed into a
wilderness of setbacks. None had thought of US re-emergence as
world hegemon post-Vietnam. But much to the surprise of the
pundits of international politics, the US came back to the scene,
which forced Francis Fukuyama to confidently declare the end of
history. In his The End of History and the Last Man - now just a
passing reference in academic papers - he said there was no
alternative to the neo-liberal democracy. Intellectual crusaders like
Samuel Huntington joined the bandwagon, silencing all those who
hoped for yet another world. That was how a unilateral world order
came to exist at least in the fag end of the previous century. This
return of exploitation with the support of all elites of the west was
a corollary to the Versailles Treaty that the winners of the World
War I formulated in 1919. That system is now falling apart.
The reluctance of Barack Obama for a military intervention in
Syria is related to the new real politic. Since it founding, the US
has been a spoilt spend-all, despite being stinking rich. The stand
of Obama that he needs the sanction of the Congress to send
army to another country as per the US Constitution is an indicator
for the US decline. Obama was looking for a fig leaf to cover his
failure.
A Treaty of Deception
The decision of Barack Obama, who appeared to be more belli-
cose than his predecessor George Bush, to accept the Russian
plan for peace is historic as it produced no foreseeable gains for
America. Obamas retraction does not only signify the end of a
unipolar world order. It also warranted a overhaul of the political
and economic world order controlled by the Washington
Consensus. One might remember that after the fall of the Soviet
Union those who were in power even in the third world were fond
of neo-liberal development models carried out ruthlessly with
scant regard for people or environment. It was re-branded as
modernity. Economic reform was a euphemism for unbridled
exploitation.
There are historians who think that the World War I was the
last phase of the western supremacy. But it was also the phase
when the Arab world was in the vortex of disintegration and was
being trampled under the colonial boot. A people who had been all
but united under the Ottomans began to fall apart. The West came
with vengeance to the Arab world and to control of the region.
Arabs backed the western powers in defeating the Ottoman Turks
who were fighting the British, the French and the Russians. They
were won over by the gift of gab of Lawrence of Arabia, who has
attained later larger-than-life image thanks to the Hollywood
movies. Supporting the British, Arab chieftains created troubles to
the Turks through guerrilla warfare. In the trade-off the western
powers gave assurance to the Arabs that they would support the
formation of an independent Arab nation in lieu of their aid to the
Allied Powers against the Axis Powers.
That assurance was writ on water. Arabs were too naive to
know that diplomacy was a synonym of deceit. Britain and France
had surreptitiously signed an agreement as regards how to share
the Arab lands controlled by the Turks if they won the War. Russia
was a junior partner to the agreement. It was signed by the British
and French diplomats, Sir Mark Sykes and Georges Picot, after
whom the secret agreement was named (though it was officially
called Asia Minor Agreement). They planned in such a way that,
the Arab region sandwiched between the Mediterranean Sea and
the Jordan River with the exception of the Arabian Peninsula
(where oil had not yet been discovered) and the southern Iraq
would fall under Britain and the Northern Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon
would be controlled by France. Russia will gain control over
Istanbul city, Bosporus strait and Armenia. The secret agreement
also aimed to fulfill the British colonial project for a Jewish home-
land in Palestine. Zionists were of hope that with France gaining
control over Syria, it would support the Jewish homeland.
The agreement was signed when the discussion was going on
between Sharif of Makkah, Hussein bin Ali, the chieftain who con-
trolled the holy cities and some parts of Arabian Peninsula, and Sir
Henry McMahon, the British diplomat as regards the formation of
the Great Arab Nation. (The exchange of letters between them was
later known as the McMahon-Hussein Correspondence) When the
Communists took over the Tsarist Russia in 1917 the first thing
Vladimir Lenin did was to disclose the existence of a secret doc-
ument. Izvestia and Pravda, two prominent Russian newspapers,
published the details of the agreement to the great embarrassment
of the colonial powers. Outraged at the deception Sir Henry
McMahon resigned from his office. However in 1918, British
Prime Minister Lloyd George and his French counterpart Georges
Clemenceau met again and divided the Arab region between them
in accordance as per the agreement. Infuriated, the Arab leaders
declared the Great Arab Nation on September 30 1918. But it was
nothing more than certain lines drawn on sand dunes. Notional
power was divided among the sons of the Sharif. But without
arms, can power and authority ever exist? The French forced
Faisal, son of the Sharif, to flee Syria. Britain took over Palestine,
later to become epicentre of endless strife and deprivation.
Colonial secretaries of France and Britain drew the borders of the
Arab nations. The boundaries between Jordan, Syria and Iraq
were drawn with scant regard for geopolitical realities. Stranger
boundaries came to exist in the African and Maghreb regions.
Meanwhile Europe witnessed the rise Hitler spurred by the
injustice in the Versailles Treaty and another war. After WW2 the
military and industrial might of the US spread its tentacles all
across the globe. Capitalism which thrived on the global capital
perfected the system of neo-liberal exploitation. Historians think
that the end of the war also marked the beginning of the American
century. That means that the Sykes-Picot agreement is to have a
longer shelf life than expected.
Pillars of Sand
When The Afro-Asian liberation struggles forced the colonial pow-
ers to leave they resorted to the tactic of installing proxies with
nominal authority in power. It was easy to keep in line those lead-
ers who have no support among people. An elaborate network of
informers and spies and specially trained para-militaries would
ensure the security of the new rulers.
Intelligence and security agencies have a lions share in the
public money in Gulf countries. Spies would frequent restaurants,
clubs and saloons. Saudi Arabia represents the post-colonial
autocracy now facing existential threat in the Middle East. The
Saudi dynasty came to power with the covert support of Britain
and called the Arabian Peninsula by the name of House of Saud.
It sought legitimacy by pretending that they would implement
Islamic Sharia in the land and by inscribing the kalima on its flag.
But Islam in Saudi Arabia has not gone beyond some harsh penal
laws. The role played by the dynasty as an exemplary police state
with its law and order being obscure and beyond the ken of the
public is significant in preserving the US supremacy in the region.
Without the aid of Sultan Bandar bin Sultan, the director general of
the Saudi Intelligence Agency, no divisive activities are possible in
the region. Bandar has earned the nickname the prince of terror
among Arabs for his alleged role in weakening Hamas in Palestine
and Hezbollah in Lebanon. King Abdullah, who backed the army
coup in Egypt, in his talk on August 16, expressed glee over the
massacre unleashed by General Sisi in Cairo. The Saudis have
come out from behind the curtain and declared that Egypt wit-
nessed a confrontation between democracy and terror and offered
financial compensation, if the US stopped financial aid to Egypt.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt have together offered $ 12 billion
to the Egyptian army. This amounts to 10 times as much as the
annual US aid to Hosni Mubarak. Saudis are also known to be in
hock with the Israelis.
Client states
All autocratic regimes in the Persian Gulf evolved out of the debris
of the British Colonialism. That is why Arab nations that are cul-
turally, linguistically and religiously united became putative vassal
states dependent on various colonial powers. The Arabian
Sheikdoms stand apart as independent entities not because of
cultural, religious or linguistic division. It is part of the colonial
strategy because it helps the West to steal the oil wealth with the
connivance of Sheikhs whom these powers have once installed.
These rulers, who are no better than feudal chieftains of yore, are
subservient to the dictates of the US, scared as they are of the
shifting political sands. They often don the robe of the guardians
of religion. If they think it fit, they fan the fire of Sunni-Shia strife.
Another reason for these Sheikhdoms support of the coup in
Egypt is that they found it hard to cerebrally encounter the ideolo-
gy of the Muslim Brotherhood. We have not yet seen any vibrant
socio-political ideas coming out of the Gulf countries.
The resilience of neo-liberal order is borne out by the political
and social servility in which the rulers of the Maghreb region,
especially those of Algeria and Morocco, indulged. Whereas
Sheikhs became proxies of the West in the Gulf region, the role
was more obsequiously played by secular, leftist generals in the
Maghreb region. In Morocco only the faade is different.
Imprisoned by ideology, the left could not resist the new ruling
class and more often than not they backed the new status-quo. As
the ruling parities take over the slogans of the traditional left, left-
ists are more than contented. The leaders of the National
Liberation Front in Algeria were all leftists with the secular preten-
sions. They were more interested in imitating the West in words
and deeds.
It is hardly surprising in this context that those who strove for
democratic reforms were Islamists. Those who have always striv-
en for an equitable redistribution of national resources and for the
safeguards of human rights in the Arab region are Islamists. They
protected and consoled people reeling under the oppressive
regimes. That was the reason why Islamists were tortured and
misrepresented. They tried their best to change the neo-liberal
order.
In the beginning of the 1990s, it was clear that the political
and economic order as shifting as sand dunes. The west has
always been under the misconception that democracy was its
prerogative and that others who question the post colonial status-
quo are not eligible for democracy or human rights. That is why it
has supported the monarchs and autocrats across the globe.
Democracy, womens liberation and human rights sometimes are
tools in the hands of the west to demonize the rebels.
Signs of salvation
Signs of change became visible in the beginning of the 1990s,
when Islamic Salvation Front, a democratic movement, won
majority in the municipal elections in Algeria. When it was clear
that ISF would win the general election, the regime originally
installed by the French came out with tanks and armored combat
vehicles. In the ensuing reign of terror about 200,000 people were
killed. The coup was supported by France, Britain and the US. The
guardians of the Sykes-Picot agreement could only become more
vigilant. Intelligence agencies such as the CIA, MI 6, DGSE and the
Egyptian Al Mukhabarat Al Aammah joined hands for secret oper-
ations. The rulers tried to pamper the citizens by unsustainable
subsidies but tortured, jailed or killed the forces of democracy to
remain in power. Many years later, the baton of democratic revo-
lution was transferred from Algeria to Tunisia. Many people heard
the death knell of post colonial Arab system in unceremonious
departure of Zainul Abideen bin Ali on January 14, 2011. The fall
of Husni Mubarak on February 2011 marked another landmark in
the popular struggle for democracy and justice.
These events show the gradual unravelling of the Sykes-Picot
pact. Arab world has been under an autocratic and opaque sys-
tem designed for western hegemony partially beneficial only to the
monarchs, the generals and the intelligence agencies. A section of
people have benefited from the system. Muslim Brotherhood
activists were beaten and attacked in the Egyptian streets by peo-
ple on the payroll of the system. In the Gulf region, people get pay-
offs from the government to spend their apolitical time in clubs
and playgrounds. Many a spring has yet to come to dismantle the
autocratic edifices erected for at least a century. The Yankees have
not finished their packing yet.
Are the Yankees in the Middle East going home?
18 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 INTERNATIONAL www.milligazette.com
...those who strove for democratic reforms were Islamists. Those who have always striven for
an equitable redistribution of national resources and for the safeguards of human rights in the
Arab region are Islamists. They protected and consoled people reeling under the oppressive
regimes. That was the reason why Islamists were tortured and misrepresented. They tried their
best to change the neo-liberal order.
Gaza and the blockade
Since 2007 the 1.7 million residents of Gaza,
more than half of whom are children, have lived
under a tight blockade that places a near com-
plete ban on the movement of people and
goods
(including medical supplies, construction
materials, mechanical parts, fuel, chemicals,
raw materials for industrial production, elec-
tronic equipment, etc.). According to UN
OCHA, as a result of the blockade:
* Fewer than 200 people per day were
allowed out of Gaza via Israel in the first half of
2013
* 57 percent of Gaza households are food
insecure and approximately 80 percent receive
some form of food assistance
* 35.5 percent of those able and willing to
work are unemployed - one of the highest
unemployment rates in the world.
* Due to fuel shortages there are power
outages for up to 12 hours per day in most
areas of Gaza
* Only 25 percent of households in Gaza
receive running water every day, and then only
for a few hours.
* Over 90 percent of the water extracted
from the Gaza aquifer is unsafe for human con-
sumption, while needed filtration equipment
cannot be imported to Gaza.
* Less than one truckload of goods per day
were allowed out of Gaza during the first half of
2013. The blockade was implemented by
Israel, with U. S. support, in order to weaken
Hamas. However, after more than six years, it
is clear that the blockade is a complete failure.
It has not weakened Hamas. It has not
increased security for Israel. And it has not
increased the prospect of peace between
Israelis and Palestinians. What it has done is
increase poverty and suffering among the civil-
ian population of Gaza.
Read the report from the American Friends
service Committee on "Gaza and the blockade"
on: http://afsc.org/resource/gaza-under-siege
Israel Demolishes
Palestinian Homes
Put yourself in the place of a Palestinian family.
Imagine that authorities will not give you a build-
ing permit under any circumstances to expand
your house to accommodate your growing fami-
ly. You build it anyway, because you have no alter-
native, and spend large sums on lawyers to pro-
tect it in court. One day, when your children are in
school and you have no clue that today will be the
day, police and soldiers come with a giant bull-
dozer and demolish your house. We witnessed
the demolition of the Kastero familys large home
in Beit Hanina, north of Jerusalem, that left 45
people instantly homeless. The children came
home from school screaming and crying, trauma-
tized to see the destruction in progress. The fam-
ily had invested its life savings in the home, so
had no resources to relocate. A month later, we
visited the extended family living in tents and a
container next to the rubble of their home. This is
not an isolated case. The United Nations esti-
mates that one of three houses in East Jerusalem
lacks Israeli-issued building permits, meaning
that at least 93,000 people could potentially be
displaced. Next scenario. Imagine that your hus-
band is a taxi driver with heart problems. One day
he is returning from a fare when he comes upon
a clash between stone- throwing youth and
Israeli soldiers. The soldiers shoot tear gas into
his cab. He passes out, and his heart stops for
several minutes. He is taken to a hospital, but
never comes out of his coma and dies three
weeks later. This was the story of Moyad
Ghazawneh, in Ar-Ram. He had two daughters,
one of whom he never saw: she was born 10
days after his death, in the same hospital. The
family is going to try to file a claim against the
Israeli government for wrongful death, but human
rights groups told us there is little likelihood it will
be successful. BTselem reports that between
January 2009 and October 2012 Israeli security
forces killed 326 Palestinians. During the same
period Palestinians killed 5 Israeli security force
personnel and 15 Israeli civilians.
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20 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES www.milligazette.com
1. Do not mix the truth with falsehood (2:42)
2. Enjoin righteousness to people only after practicing it yourself
(2:44)
3. Do not commit abuse on the earth (2:60)
4. Do not prevent people from attending mosques (2:114)
5. Do not follow anyone blindly (2:170)
6. Do not break a promise (2:177)
7. Do not engage in bribery (2:188)
8. Fight only with those who fight you (2:190)
9. Observe the etiquettes of war (2:191)
10. Protect orphans (2:220)
11. Do not have sexual intercourse during menstrual period
(2:222)
12. Breast feed your children for two complete years (2:233)
13. Choose rulers by their merit (2:247)
14. There is no compulsion in religion (2:256)
15. Do not invalidate charity with reminders (2:264)
16. Help those in need by finding them (2:273)
17. Do not indulge in usury (2:275)
18. Grant more time to repay if the debtor is in hard time (2:280)
19. Write down loans and agreements (2:282)
20. Keep trust (2:283)
21. Do not spy and backbite (2:283)
22. Believe in all prophets (2:285)
23. Do not burden a person beyond his capacity(2:286)
24. Do not get divided (3:103)
25. Restrain anger (3:134)
26. Do not be rude in speech (3:159)
27. Think deeply about the wonders and the creation of this uni-
verse (3:191)
28. Men and women have equal rewards for their deeds (3:195)
29. Wealth of the dead should be distributed among his/her fami-
ly members (4:7)
30. Women too have the right to inheritance (4:7)
31. Do not devour the property of orphans (4:10)
32. Do not marry those in your blood relation (4:23)
33. Do not consume one anothers wealth unjustly (4:29)
34. Family should be led by men (4:34)
35. Be good to others (4:36)
36. Do not be miserly (4:37)
37. Do not envy (4:54)
38. Judge with justice between people (4:58)
39. Do not kill each other (4:92)
40. Do not be an advocate for deceitful (4:105)
41. Stand out firmly for justice (4:135)
42. Cooperate in righteousness (5:2)
43. Do not cooperate in sin and aggression (5:2)
44. Dead animals, blood, flesh of swine are prohibited (5:3)
45. Be just (5:8)
46. Punish for crimes in an exemplary way (5:38)
47. Strive against sinful and unlawful (5:63)
48. Avoid intoxicants and alcohol (5:90)
49. Do not gamble (5:90)
50. Do not insult others deities (6:108)
51. Enjoying majority is not a criterion of truth (6:116)
52. Dont reduce weight or measure to cheat people (6:152)
53. Do not be arrogant (7:13)
54. Eat and drink, but be not excessive (7:31)
55. Wear good clothes during prayer times (7:31)
56. Forgive others for their mistakes (7:199)
57. Do not turn your back in battle (8:15)
58. Protect and help those who seek protection (9:6)
59. Keep purity (9:108)
60. Never give up hope of Allahs mercy (12:87)
61. Allah will forgive those who have done wrong out of ignorance
(16:119)
62. Invitation to God should be with wisdom and good instruction
(16:125)
63. No one will bear others sins (17:15)
64. Be dutiful to parents (17:23)
65. Do not say a word of disrespect to parents (17:23)
66. Do not spend money extravagantly (17:29)
67. Do not kill your children for fear of poverty (17:31)
68. Do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse (17:32)
69. Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge (17:36)
70. Speak to people mildly (20:44)
71. Keep aloof from what is vain (23:3)
72. Do not enter others houses without seeking permission
(24:27)
73. Allah will provide security for those who believe in Him
(24:55)
74. Do not enter parents private room without asking permission
(24:58)
75. Walk on earth in humility (25:63)
76. Do not neglect your portion of this world (28:77)
77. Invoke no god along with Allah (28:88)
78. Do not commit homosexuality (29:29)
79. Enjoin right, forbid wrong (31:17)
80. Do not walk in insolence through the earth (31:18)
81. Lower your voice (31:19)
82. Women should not display their finery (33:33)
83. Allah forgives all sins (39:53)
84. Do not be despair of the mercy of Allah (39:53)
85. Repel evil by good (41:34)
86. Decide your affairs by consultation (42:38)
87. Try for settlement between people (49:9)
88. Do not ridicule others (49:11)
89. Avoid suspicion (49:12)
90. Do not spy or backbite (49:12)
91. Most noble of you is the most righteous (49:13)
92. Honour your guests (51:26)
93. Spend wealth in charity (57:7)
94. There is no monasticism in religion (57:27)
95. Those who have knowledge will be given a higher status by
Allah (58:11)
96. Treat non-Muslims in a kind and fair manner (60:8)
97. Save yourself from covetousness (64:16)
98. Seek forgiveness of Allah. He is Forgiving and Merciful
(73:20)
99. Do not repel one who asks (93:10)
100. Encourage feeding poor (107:3)
(Received from Mohammad C Jamali)
100 Advices from The Quran
BOOKS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 21 www.milligazette.com
Book: Dr Muhammad Qasim: Victim of Political Vendetta
Publisher: Organizer Release Muhammad Qasim Campaign
Year of Publication: 2013
Pages: 173
Price: Rs 100
MUSHTAQ UL HAQ AHMAD SIKANDER
In every conflict innocents become cannon fodder in the tussle
between contending parties. The cannon fodder is necessary to
keep the pot of the conflict boiling. In most cases these innocents
who get consumed in the raging fire of the conflict are themselves
unaware of the politics, intricacies and different dimensions of the
conflict. To prove that those consumed as cannon fodder in the
conflict are innocents is too difficult, as the lines between truth
and lies become blurred in any conflict situation. But to prove the
innocence of those who were associated in any manner actively
with the conflict becomes not only difficult but impossible.
The present book under review details the case of one such
victim who was involved in Kashmir conflict and is now paying a
horrible price by being incarcerated for life by the Indian state.
This book is a compilation of various judgments regarding his
case and press statements. Some chapters about his thoughts too
are included in the book.
Dr Muhammad Qasim was a militant commander. He is an
ideologue, author, Islamic scholar and spiritualist. In his Foreword
to the compilation, eminent Kashmiri lawyer, Syed Tassaduqe
Hussain writes, Dr Muhammad Qasim, an outstanding political
ideologue and writer of contemporary Kashmir, is suffering incar-
ceration for holding political beliefs that are unacceptable to the
ruling establishment and he has been convicted under an infa-
mous Indian anti-terrorist legislation, in a trial that manifestly was
wanting in judicial fairness as overzealous prosecutors employed
dubious investigatory methods for collecting materials of eviden-
tial value on the basis of which Dr Qasim was ultimately tried and
convicted for life.
He further states, I still hold the view that the trial of
Dr Muhammad Qasim was not fair, that is why I consider it my
ethical obligation to lobby for his freedom. His trial was not fair
from Indian judicial standards, as first he was placed under deten-
tion under infamous Public Safety Law and while under detention,
he was subjected to intense interrogation coupled with severe tor-
ture. Hussain aptly adds, The trial of Dr Qasim should serve as
a wakeup call for those international organisations who are striv-
ing for Human Rights and Rule of Law so that we are able to
establish a world order that is just, equitable and rational.
Dr Qasim was tortured and imprisoned on the charges of
being involved in the killing of noted human rights activist and
trade union leader HN Wanchoo in 1992. Later, he was tried under
the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA), but the flaws in
the case that included flouting rules while obtaining the confes-
sional statements, as pointed out by Sain Dass, Presiding Officer
of the designated court under TADA, Jammu that led to his acquit-
tal. But later, Supreme Court reversed the judgment of TADA court
and sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2003 and also stated
that his confessional statement would be held against him.
In a chapter titled, Truth About My Confession, Dr Qasim
says, From February 5 to April 5, I was subjected to shameless
torture which no words can express in the notorious Papa Two
interrogation centre, Srinagar. Even after more than twenty years
my body stands witness to the torture I received there (pp.41-
42).
Dr Qasim rightly observes about the hostility of the judiciary
when he writes, It may not be rule but mostly we have seen that,
if a lower court of the judiciary pronounces sentence to the
accused, the higher, especially the apex court, condones or at
least lessens and reduces it. But in our case everything is topsy
turvy. The Jammu TADA court acquits us but the apex court dif-
fers to an extent that not only an ordinary punishment but life
imprisonment was pronounced. Our simple question to all justice-
loving people is: How can we get Justice now? (p. 45).
Then the review board recommended on 3 June, 2008 to the
J&K state government to release Dr Qasim prematurely, but the
government rejected the recommendation. Whereas Rule 54.1 of
the J&K Manual unambiguously lays down that a prisoner convict-
ed of a terrorism-related crime is not eligible for premature
release (p. 51).
Then came Justice Mansoor Mirs decision about consid-
ering the case of Dr Qasim in terms of jail manual after he
completed four teen years in jail but this decision was set aside
by the government and then by the double bench of high cour t.
In view of the review board recommendation, a life sentence
means 20 years in jail, but in the case of Dr Qasim, life sen-
tence has been translated to mean whole life despite the fact
that Delhi government released two life convicts booked under
TADA.
The book also contains a list of life convicts who were
released between 1975-2006 by the J&K government, but since
2006 none has been released except one non- Muslim and his
crime for which he was booked isnt disclosed too.
The second part of the book deals with the public reaction to
the High Court decision of describing life imprisonment as one
where the convict will not be released till death overtakes him.
Besides containing press coverage and statements regarding
Dr Qasims case, this part contains a chapter on Dr Qasims
Mission and Vision penned down by Advocate Abdul Mateen. It
sums up his views about various issues ranging from Resistance
in Kashmir, religion, Kashmir economy, social reformation and his
views about women.
Syed Tassaduque Hussain also has contributed a chapter
about Indian democracy.
Overall the book is a wake up call for all who are concerned
about the democratic and individual values and dont want the
Indian state to veer down to fascism, where even judiciary is used
to muzzle the voices of dissent instead of protecting them.
Dr Qasims case is a testimony and manifestation of the fact
that judiciary is now being used as a tool to suppress the voices
of dissent against the State.
The book is a chilling read depicting the struggle of a per-
son who refuses to compromise on his ideals and is paying its
price. But at the same time it is a reminder to those who still
believe in lofty idealism of judiciary being independent from the
executive.
If Kashmiris become hopeless and pessimistic with the judi-
ciary too, whose manifestation Dr Qasims case brings vividly,
then the alienation, resentment and resistance against the Indian
state is bound to increase rather than narrow down.
The reviewer is a writer-activist based in Srinagar
Dr Muhammad Qasim: Victim of Political Vendetta
Dalits in the
Indian economy
Book: Dalits and adivasis in
Indias business economy
- three essays and an atlas
Authors: Barbara Harriss-
White with others
Pages: vi+190 pages, 105
colour plates (maps)
ISBN 978-81-88789-86-3
Price: Rs 2000
Publishers: Three Essays
(www.threeessays.com)
Indias founding fathers
and neo-liberalisers alike
expected economic devel-
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the modern Indian econo-
my remains embedded in
caste relations. At the base
of the caste hierarchy are
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my not as workers but as
owners of firms.
The Atlas shows the
striking and consistent
regional and sectoral differ-
ences in the way dalits and
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of resolution over the period 1990 - 2005. Explaining these differ-
ences and some adverse trends during the era of globalisation is
a task that the three essays accompanying the Atlas attempt to
begin.
Using contemporary field research, dalit narratives and statis-
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adivasi businesses suffer.
This unusual book is a must-read for everyone concerned
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agenda for a new wave of activist- researchers.
Contents:
Essays:
Dalit Capital In The New
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and Barbara Harriss-
White
Scheduled and backward
castes in the social
structure of accumula-
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town economy in south
India by Barbara Harriss-
White and Elisabetta
Basile
Regions Of Dalit And
Adivasi Discrimination In
Indias Business
Economy by Barbara
Harriss-White, Kaushal
Vidyar thee and Anita
Dixit
Atlas: An Atlas Of Dalit
And Adivasi Participation
In The Indian Business
Economy, 1990-2005 by
Barbara Harriss-White,
Kaushal Vidyarthee and
Pinaki Joddar
Barbara Harriss-White is
Emeritus Professor of
Development Studies at
Oxford University; Aseem
Prakash is Associate Professor of Public Policy at Jindal Global
University; Elisabetta Basile is Professor of Public Economics,
Rome University; Kaushal Vidyarthee is a doctoral student in
social policy, Oxford University; Anita Dixit is with the Knowledge
Resource Centre, Azim Premji Foundation and Pinaki Joddar is
with IPE Global (Pvt Ltd).
Coming Soon
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Bar-e-Shanasaee
Kuch log, kuch yaaden, kuch
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jinhon nay Pakistan kee taarikh
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By Karamatullah Ghori
Pages: 200 / Rs 200
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Using contemporary field research, dalit narratives
and statistical data they explore the dalit experience of
disadvantageous entry into markets, the state and civil
society; their adverse experience of business
associations regulating markets; and the surprisingly
distinctive patterns of regional disadvantage that dalit
and adivasi businesses suffer.
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I found Milli Gazette of 1 October exceptionally interesting. First article that
caught my attention was about 'first cousins' marriage by Tazeen Ahmad.
Muslims of Pakistani origin (or from the sub-continent) are victims of this
custom. You may remember that Brother KS's youngest son suffered a ter-
rible disease from which he died when he was 10 years old. Both Brother
KS and his wife were first cousins. I remember when young... was grow-
ing up his parents were naturally getting old, they were unable to handle
him. One of the contributing factors in Brother KSs untimely death was
stress from his son's illness. Same happens with other parents. Since
many parents feel that some how this is an 'Islamic' practise they don't
critically revisit it and continue to suffer from it. I was delighted that you
gave this article a space in your magazine .Your inclusion of review of Prof.
Karima Bennoune's book Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here was timely and
welcome. She is coming to London at the invitation of LSE (London
School of Economic) where she is expected to get a large audience. Your
inclusion of an article by Stella White over 'wearing the veil' was unfortu-
nate. People don't seems to realise that non-Muslims can get away with
such behaviour but Muslim women become marginalised from the socie-
ty and suffer for rest of their lives .Of course they make a powerful point
but no more. Even sensible European converts realise it and avoid it
because they have to come to Islam seeking ' inner values, not for outward
restrictions', 'not wearing make faith invisible and strengths their personal
relationship with God'. GUS, London (via email)
II
MG has taken very positive step by publishing and accommodating arti-
cles on page 20 of M. G. 16-30, Sept, 2013 script by Shahnaz Bemtham
and Nazneen O. Sherawal. Both the articles are thought provoking, knowl-
edgeable and worth reading. My suggestion is that now M. G. should
reserved page 20 specifically and permanently for women writers which
is the long felt desire of Muslim Khwateen. It is also submitted that the pro-
forma of M. G. subscription be shifted on another page so that sufficient
space be provided to more and more khwateen writers.
Faheemuddin, Nagur - 13
Difference required
Despite utmost sympathy for sexually assaulted ladies and maximum
anger towards oppressor male rogues, one thinks that differentiation
should be made between the cases of those ladies who do not exhibit their
charm in public during day and at night, who walk on busy roads and
those who roam in dark and lonely lanes and those who take extra caution
about male Satans and those who accept any 'helping' lift unhesitatingly.
S. Akhtar, Khanpur Deh - 392 15
Shah Bano case
I have seen the letter of Dr. M. Hashim Kidwai, ex-MP on Shah Bano Case.
His letter does not clarify fully why Muslim leadership was unhappy with
the Supreme Court Judgement on the maintenance for Muslim divorcees.
Justice Chandrachud's derogatory remarks about the Shariat had enraged
the Muslim community. Also the judgement was legally defective because
it ignored the Shariat Application Act of 1937 not to speak of the commit-
ment to respect for Muslim Personal Law made repeatedly by the leaders
of the Freedom Movement. It also ignored the exceptions made in the
Criminal Procedure Code, in Section 127 in 1971 which exempted the
Muslims from the application of Section 125, in case a former husband
fulfills all his obligations under the Muslim personal law to the divorcee.
The Hindu families were unhappy that While Hindu Personal Law had been
reformed, the Government was not prepared to touch the Shariat. Prof.
Kidwai completely ignores the fact that most writers attribute Rajiv Gandhi
Government's action on the Babari Masjid case e. g., opening the doors
for worship, giving freedom to the VHP to make full preparations for build-
ing the Ram Janambhoomi Temple on the site of Babari Masjid, allowing
VHP to begin construction of the Mandir illegally on the land close to the
Masjid which was under court embargo. Most writers think that Rajiv
Gandhi found that his enactment of Muslim Divorcees Bill had angered the
Hindu community, and he picked up the Ram Janambhoomi issue to
approve them. Historically this is not correct. The Ram Janambhoomi
question had been raised even by some Congress leaders in the last days
of 1949 in order to defeat the socialist leader Acharya Narender Deo. Since
then it had been smouldering. Later it was taken up by the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad and subsequently by the BJP. What is needed is to correct this
impression about what came first - the Muslim Divorcees Act or the
unlocking of the Babari Masjid to turn it into a place of public worship. The
truth is that Babari Masjid was unlocked in February, 1986 while the Bill
was discussed in Parliament and passed in May, 1986. Also Rajiv Gandhi
launched his election campaign from Ayodhya in the name of Ram Rajya!
This impression needs to be corrected. Syed Shahabuddin
syedshahabuddinexmp@gmail.com
Criminal should not be rulers
Gopal Menon and Pankaj Shankar had made documentary films of Gujarat
carnage and genocide namely "Hey Ram-Carnage in Gandhi's Gujarat",
and "In the name of faith" which bear testimony to the Post-Godhra state
sponsored dance of death and destruction in Gujarat. The Prime Ministerial
candidate of sangh parivar Narendra Modi is personally responsible for
mass murders, burning alive of Mulsim houses, mosques, dargahs etc.
The then Dy. Prime Minister and Home Minister L. K. Advani had praised
his disciple Modi. National Humans Rights Commission, National
Minorities Commission, Amnesty International, Tribunal of retired Supreme
Court and High Court Judgesetc had condemned Modi etc and had
demanded Modi and Co.'s Prosecution. In fact Modi had indulged in poli-
tics of hate, violence and blood shed. Modi had violated the Indian consti-
tution, shown disrespect to judiciary and ridiculed the rule of law. Since
Modi had committed heinous crimes, he should be dismissed, prosecut-
ed and punished. Justice demands that criminals and law breakers should
not be allowed to become rulers. G. Hasnain Kaif, Nagpur - 440013
The Media must go after police
The news that 600 kids go missing annually in Navi Mumbai is shocking
in itself. More shocking is the fact that only few are ever found and
restored to the parents. Most of them are lost forever. And the worst thing
about it is that the Navi Mumbai police department never takes the issue
seriously. As most parents of the missing children are poor and uneducat-
ed the police tend to ignore the cases and at times don't even file an FIR.
The active begging racket engulfs these kids. The media should not con-
sider their job done by merely reporting this issues. The media may not be
able to run after the abductors of these children. The media can certainly
hound the seniors in the police department under whose watch this dere-
liction of duty takes place.
Dr Mookhi Amir Ali, Mumbai 400054 231013
drmookhi@hotmail.com
Fading manners
Press reports say people were awed when American president went upto
the gate of his house to say good bye to the Indian president. Islamic
manners require Muslim hosts to accompany their departing guests upto
some distance on the latter's path. S. Akhtar, Khanpur Deh - 392 150
US mediation in Kashmir?
Even after annexation of Kashmir to India the people of Kashmir have not
accepted the rule of India on Kashmir .The militancy and insurgency is
increasing day by day .We have placed some 7 lakh army in Kashmir and
ruling the state by force .The Pakistan government have deployed only 50
thousands of its army .The people of Kashmir want Kashmir want
plebiscite according to the UN resolution .But the government of India
declines .Pakistan sends its intruders in Jammu and Kashmir lot of blood-
shed takes place so far approximately one lakh Kashmir's have sacrificed
their precious lives for freedom of their state .Pakistan gives them moral
and political support to the people of Kashmir .On the other hand approx-
imately 50 thousand of our army Jawans and army officers have lost their
lives on the altar of Kashmir .Our army is not serving the purpose of deter-
rent .The militants of Kashmir intruders and infiltrators of Pakistan contin-
uously making their mischief .No other country like America, Russia or
China cannot do mediation between India and Pakistan and solve the prob-
lem once for all. The main reason for insurgency is the history and geog-
raphy of Kashmir. The people of Kashmir is Muslims .They do not want
religiously that non Muslims called Mushriks should rule on them .The
Muslims have their Quranic system of governance .The government of
India should not have intervened in the religious matters of Kashmir.
Dr AH Maqdoomi Hyderabad
Discrimination in Games
While in no way underestimating the importance of cricket and denying
that it has millions of its fans among our countrymen one wished that
other games especially hockey in which India has much better record of
achievement and performance in international tournaments than the crick-
et should be ignored and step-motherly treatment should not be meted out
to it and other games. One most glaring example of worst kind of discrim-
ination is that a paltry amount of Rs. 2.5 lakhs has been given as a reward
to the entire Indian hockey team which had won Asia Cup while every
member of the Indian cricket team has been given Rs. 80 lakh from BCCI,
23.66 lakhs for 20-twenty prizes, a flat from Sahara parivar and free air
travel from Air India and a largesse from State government and regional
cricket associations. It is hoped that Mr. Mani Shanker Aiyar the dynamic
Minister of Sports will do justice and will not allow any discrimination and
see to it that no step-motherly treatment is meted out to hockey and other
games and that the generosity in the form of handsome amounts should
not exclusively reserved for cricketers.
Dr. M. Hashim Kidwai, ex-member of parliament, New Delhi-110091
Marriage age
As one of the ways to restrict society's moral downfall regarding sexual
misbehaviour, allow boys to marry when they have a nocturnal discharge
and girls, mensus. As disallowing this amounts to a fight against nature,
such over wisdom will bring more disgrace.
Sultan A. Patel
Khanpur Deh - 392 150
Posters in Trains Leaving for Gujarat
Posters with Hindu saints, who have faced and are facing action for differ-
ent crimes, appeared in different compartments of trains leaving for
Gujarat. The saints shown in the poster are Shankaracharya (Shankar
Raman murder case), Swami Nityanand (Sex scandals) Baba Ramdev
(mixing bone powder in medicines), Asaram Bapu (rape molestation),
Kripaluji Maharaj (Molestation). The text says that Hindu society is under
siege and the guides of Hindu society are being harassed. In the posters
Subramaniam Swami of BJP is quoted as saying that as per the verdict of
his legal team Asaram Bapu is innocent. The poster says that there is a
conspiracy against Hindu society; its saints are being hounded. This is an
attack on Hindu culture. This poster is very inflammatory and divisive. All
the citizens of the country have to follow the laws of the land. Asaram's
son Narayan Sai is absconding from last several days. Nobody can be
above law. The police authorities must get the posters removed and take
immediate action against those who have put up these posters.
Ram Puniyani, All India Secular Form
ram.puniyani@gmail.com
Moily's outburst against Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb
The worst part in Moily's effort to come to the aid of Birla in the coal-scam
investigation by CBI, is that Moily trying to be original or scholar has
brought in Russia and Aurangzeb. He projected India on a pedestal by
comparing with models that are highly controversial. Putin faced a palace
coup by new billionaires that made their money through Putin's economic
liberalization. Putin had to act tough. Mercifully, that role is not yet visible
in the footprints of our robber-barons, who are too busy milking the
Congress system of crony capitalism. Though some may suspect, the
support to Modi by the Corporates, can be seen as first steps towards a
decisive regime change agenda. So how come Moily is helping them? On
the matter of Aurangzeb, Moily might have other political goals, trying to
snatch some Hardline Hindu voters from Modi's onslaught. Nobody can
now say that Congress is not stirring the communal pot to polarize the
nation. Moily seems to have fired the first salvo bringing in Aurangzeb. His
mention of Aurangzeb to defend a corrupt Congress by comparison with
Aurangzeb, who used to be widely known for not touching anything from
the national treasury and survived on meager income that he earned
through stitching of skull-caps and writing of Quran. Can Moily put any
Congress leader to match Aurangzeb in being above corruption? By bring-
ing in Aurangzeb, Moily has deliberately turned the spotlight on Congress
corruption.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com
Narendra Modi
Narendra Modi's dream of becoming the Prime Minister of India will not
come true. He is a tyrant man. Thousands of the Muslims were killed dur-
ing his reign as the chief minister of Gujarat. Thousands of the Muslims
have been rendered homeless. How shameful it is! History will never for-
give Modi, for he is a tyrant man, and he is an enemy of the Muslims. It
was his moral duty to protect the Muslims of Gujarat by all means. If
Narendra Modi becomes the prime minister of India, I will leave India for-
ever.
Shakeel Ahmad Frank, Gorakhpur (U. P.)
Creating fear or realizing the threat?
Mahmood Madani's statement (16th Oct 2013) that fear is being created
by Congress against Modi for winning Muslim votes seems to be part of
Madani's own political ambitions rather than a reality. What Modi has done
during his tenure as the Gujarat Chief Minister speaks for what he stands
for? The massacre of thousands of Muslims in Gujarat, aided and sup-
ported by the state led by Modi, carried out by organizations which are
associates of Modi is just one part of the story. This carnage was followed
by the lack of rehabilitation efforts and then denial of justice to riot victims.
Matters did not stop hear, a series of fake encounter were carried out on
the pretext that some terrorists are coming to kill Modi, this was the stan-
dard line. Vanzara's letter, though a bit vague, is forthright about these fake
encounters. Modi's refusal to distribute the central government scholar-
ships to Muslim students is an act, which speaks of his mindset. Modi
lately, has been trying to woo Muslims by distributing Burqas and caps to
those being made to attend his rallies. The news is that the person who
refused to wear the cap from Muslim cleric is planning to wear Pathani suit
to change his image. Hope Madani is not the one, who has fallen to the
electoral antics of Modi!
Ram Puniyani, All India Secular Forum Mumbai
jhang45@yahoo.com
Helpless Syrians may see more bloodshed and sufferings
In September end only naiveties were saying that Putin (portrayed as man
of peace) has carried out a diplomatic coup on USA by getting UN
Resolution (of September, 27 regarding chemical weapons) adopted,
which averted imminent limited military strike on Syria by USA & Allies in
the wake of August, 21 chemical attack on Syrians in which ~ 1450 civil-
ians were killed. But perspicacious observers at that time also said and
knew better. USA deferred military strike for the simple reason that USA did
not want Russia to gain diplomatic advantage through chemical weapons
surrender offer of Syria to UN regime (which was hailed by entire gullible
world as desirable peaceful solution). Moreover USA saw great strategic
advantage (through this September, 27 UN resolution) that now USA &
Allies have already entered Syria physically and with all chemical weapons
of Syria practically in the knowledge and some control of UN. Now prover-
bial US camel has entered the tent of Syria through this UN resolution and
will come out only when Assad is removed and transition government is
installed for ensuring elections in Syria. Russia committed this mistake
due to simple fact that Putin and his team first failed to give any solution
to humanitarian catastrophic situation in Syria and then failed to under-
stand the implication of Obama's claim of 'US-Exceptionalism'.
Hem Raj Jain, Bengaluru - 560078.
jainhemraj59@gmail.com
Unless Modi apologizes For Gujarat Riots
With the parliamentary elections nearing all political parties are trying to
attract more and more voters in their favour. In the race are also the M. P.
s who warmed their pockets with the money meant for public welfare!
Though, in the process common people were left gasping with troubles.
These politicians in the guise of MPs are in fact a gang of looters, there are
certainly some exceptions, who need to be treated as criminals. Lalu
Prasad Yadav has to face the consequence of his complicity in the fodder
scam. In the same way we hope that soon these looters, too, will meet
their end. Anyway, amidst the election buzz there are also the voices
favouring a certain person for the post of Prime Minister. It is strange that
a section of the media and also public has gone so mad as to become
ready to accept the 'Nero' Modi as the next PM! The question arises
whether they have forgotten Gujarat's genocide of Muslims! A man who is
allegedly behind murder of around 2,000 people should never be accept-
able to us. Before pressing the button which may be helpful in brining Modi
in the center stage we should think thousand times. Otherwise, there is no
guaranty that he will not polarize and ruin the whole country as he did in
Gujarat. Don't we recall that a cat cannot be a friend of mouse? We will be
gullible enough if we favourably hand over the rein of the country who is
not trustworthy, against the cosmopolitan nature of the country and before
anything else is a hardcore Hindutvadi.
Abdul Ahad, Siddharth Nagar, UP
ahameed12@gmail.com
Congrats - Maulana Wastanwi
Former Head of Darul Uloom Deoband and great thinker and real torch
bearer of Ummah Maulana Ghulam Muhammad Wastanvi who is heading
many educational institution established by his endeavour in Akal Kua
(Maharashtra) including Engineering MBA, B. Ed, Colleges etc along with
Madrasa. Now this year under his guidance Modi Col College has got
recognition and started session Maulana WAstanvi must be congratulate
because Maulana Wastanvi must be congratulate because he is following
the basic tenets of Islam i. e. Ta'leem as Allah descended The Holy Qur'an
with first word "IQRA" means Read but Ummah has forgot this that is why
Muslims are being kicked up in every parts of world.
S. Haque, Patna
Overwhelming majority of terrorists is non-Muslim
The minister of state for home, R. P. N. Singh in a written statement
informed Lok Sabha on August27, that 65 terror groups are active in India.
Manipur 34, Assam 11, Nagaland 4, Meghalaya 4, J&K 5, Punjab 3,
Mizoram 2, and Tripura 2. He further said government has banned 36 out
fits and 9 organizations in the country. He said 5 Muslim terrorist groups
are active in India. According to this written statement in Lok Sabha over-
whelming majority of terrorists and terrorist outfits comprise of Non-
Mulsim i. e. Hindus, Christians and Sikhs. Almost all the Naxalites are
Hindus who have been waging war against govt in 85 districts of 8 states.
L. T. T. E., Tamil Naidu Liberation Army, Sanatan Sanstha, Abhinao Bharat,
Kamatapur Liberations Organization, Ranvir Sena are all Hindu. In North
East, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram all terrorist
are Christian. In Punjab all terrorists are Sikh. But the electronic and print
media try to give impression that there are only Muslim terrorists in India.
G. Hasnain Kaif
Nagpur - 440013
When Hashimpura martyrs will get justice
CBI court ordered 10 yrs imprisonment to SSP Preet Pal Singh and pun-
ished 2 police inspectors and 3 policemen in kidnapping of Tejandra Singh
of Amritsar in 1993. The CBI court gave a landmark decision on 11 March
2013. But what about the 42 innocent Muslims who were killed on 22 May
1987 in Hashimpura. Twenty six years have passed in search of justice
and the killer policemen are still roaming free though many investigation
commissions and committees were set up but no justice. SC called the
beating of lady by police in Taran Taran and lathi-charge on contract teach-
ers in Patna as Jalianwala Bagh. If lathi charge is Jalianwala Bagh, then
killing of innocents then what was jumping on the chest of the dying per-
son at Forbesganj? S. Haque, Patna
A party with a difference
The BJP boasts of being a political party quite different from al other Indian
political parties and this is quite correct. The glaring example of this is the
way and the manner in which the party has been trying to enlist the sup-
port of Muslims by fabricating the real face and image of Narinder Modi
and projecting him as a secular leader and resorting to token secularism
by trying that Muslim men wearing skull caps and Muslim women in
burqas should attend his rallies and these caps and burqas are distributed
among Muslim men and women free of cost by the BJP workers. Is there
any difference between the policy of BJP and minority vote bank policies
of Indian Political Parties and is not this a clear negation of BJP's non plu-
ralistic Hindu nationalism. What else than worst kind of political oppor-
tunism and clear deviation from ideology.
Dr. M. Hashim Kidwai, ex-MP
Delhi - 110091
REJOINDERS/OPINION/LETTERS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 November 2013 23 www.milligazette.com
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24 The Milli Gazette,1-15 November 2013
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Areas of Cooperation between Muslims & Believers in
Eastern Religions
Relationship between Muslims and others
Similarities between Islam and Sikhism
Buddhism and Islam
Jainism & Islam: A Comparative Study
Scope of Cooperation Between Islam and Other
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Areas Of Cooperation Between Muslims & Believers of
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Mutual Respect Among Religions Not Mere Tolerance
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Countering Negative Impact of Globalisation, Need of
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Religion, Terrorism, Tolerance And World Peace
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Islam & Oriental religions
Towards Peaceful Co-Existence
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