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Indian Muslims Leading English Newspaper, published since January 2000
www.milligazette.com
THE MILLI GAZETTE
www.milligazette.com
ISSN 0972-3366
Fort ni ght l y
Rs 10 Vol. 13 No. 9 Issue Serial # 295 1-15 May 2012 24 pages
Inside MG
BY OUR CORRESPONDENT
Guwahati: In a possible replay of the 1985
Assam accord, the Centre is again actively con-
sidering denial of voting rights to migrants of
East Bengal origin who settled in Assam
between January 1966 and March 1971 for at
least ten years.
The tripartite accord of 1985 was signed
between the Union government, state govern-
ment of Assam and the leadership of the All
Assam Students Union (AASU) to mark an end
to the bloody chapter of the states history known
variously as Assam movement or Bengal
Kheda [Bengali expulsion] movement which
claimed thousands of lives including the Nellie
Massacre of 1983. The ethno-nationalist ideolo-
gy of the movement ultimately gave birth to the
Assamese militant outfit United Liberation Front
of Assam (ULFA) along with a regional political
party Asom Gono Parishad (AGP).
Highly placed sources in the Union Home
Ministry said that this option is being considered
following ULFAs insistence on working out a
safeguard formula for the indigenous
Assamese population who fear marginalization
and loss of identity that could slowly turn them
into a minority in their own homeland.
The people who will thus be disenfranchised
would get back citizenship and enjoy govern-
ment development benefits but will be debarred
from voting for a period of ten years at the end of
which their voting rights will be restored.
This arrangement would not only discour-
age illegal foreign migrants from entering Assam
but would also push out many illegal migrants
from the state, said a Home Ministry official.
He said the ULFA leadership led by its
chairman Aurobindo Rajkhowa has discussed
this matter with the Centres representatives
including the Union Home Secretary R K Singh,
Assam Interlocutor P C Haldar and other officials
during their last round of talks at the North Block
on 9 April.
Home Ministry officials said that the ULFA,
during their 9 April talks in Delhi, had expressed
serious concern over the largescale infiltration
of Bangladeshi citizens into Assam even today
and wanted a dependable safeguard formula
alongwith proactive measures to detect and
deport illegal migrants from Assam.
It is reliably learnt that the confidential report
available with the government also indicates
continuation of illegal infiltration into Assam
although on a much smaller scale despite sever-
al measures introduced by both the state and the
Central governments. The report said that ille-
gal migrants from Bangladesh continue to enter
Assam in some numbers, mainly by using the
riverine routes.
Assam Governor Janaki Ballabh Patanaik
has already sent a detailed report on illegal
migration from the neighbouring Bangladesh
and explained how this has impacted the states
socio-economic and cultural identity. Patnaiks
report, in its tenor and detail, is not much differ-
ent from the controversial one sent to the Centre
by his predecessor, retired general S K Sinha.
General Sinhas report to the Centre on
8 November 1998 had expressed serious con-
cerns, highlighting dangerous dimensions of the
unprecedented migration of Bangladeshis to
Assam and the security threats and the strategic
and economic consequences thereof. The
report observed that the unabated influx of ille-
gal migrants from Bangladesh into Assam and
the consequent change of demographic pattern
in the state has been a matter of grave concern.
It threatens to reduce indigenous Assamese
people to a minority in their own state, like it hap-
pens in Tripura and Sikkim.
During their April 9 discussion with Central
officials, ULFAleadership is said to have referred
to the rise of Assam United Democratic Front
(AUDF) led by Badruddin Ajmal which had won
18 assembly seats in the last assembly elec-
tions. ULFA urged the Centre to take note of the
growing influence of this political group and the
unnatural growth of Bengali-speaking Muslims
and also Hindus in different districts, particularly
in border districts including Karimganj, Silchar,
Hailakandi and Dhubri and said that the indige-
nous Assamese locals today feel insecure in
their own traditional homeland and have been
left far behind.
Interestingly enough, identification of these
four districts by ULFAleaders is a travesty of his-
tory of partition and reorganization of the
province of Assam. It is also a fact that demo-
graphically these four areas have been dominat-
ed by Bengali-speaking people for centuries.
The traditional homeland of the Assamese
never expanded beyond Nogaon district since
their forefathers came here in the 13th century.
More interestingly, ULFA leadership is silent
about Bodo demand for a separate home state.
The ULFA leadership is believed to have
also pointed out that the National Register of
Citizens Act 1951 was not updated till date. Its
leaders observed that some sporadic attempts
in this regard did not yield much result and that
a coordinated exercise is a must to get effective
results on this sensitive issue.
Besides debarring the 1966-1971 migrants
from voting rights, ULFA also wanted a massive
exercise to update the NRC and to continue this
exercise at regular intervals to monitor illegal
migration.
Even other militant outfits belonging to differ-
ent minority tribes of Assam, including the
National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB),
have also demanded debarring of the voting
rights of those who entered Assam in 1951. The
Centre is not averse to the proposal of disenfran-
chisement of those who entered after January
1966 as the Citizenship Act 1955 was amended
and Section 6A was introduced covering all the
issues after the Assam Accord was signed in
1985.
As such, this formula is not new or unique.
The 1985 Assam accord, clause 5.3 to 5.6 reads
as follows,
5.3 Foreigners who came to Assam after
1.1.1966 (inclusive) and upto 24th March, 1971
shall be detected in accordance with the provi-
sions of the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the
Foreigners (Tribunals) Order 1964.
5.4 Names of foreigners so detected will be delet-
ed from the electoral rolls in force. Such persons
will be required to register themselves before the
Registration Officers of the respective districts in
accordance with the provisions of the Registration
of Foreigners Act, 1939 and the Registration of
Foreigners Rules, 1939.
5.5 For this purpose, Government of India will
undertake suitable strengthening of the govern-
ment machinery.
5.6 On the expiry of a period of ten years follow-
ing the date of detection, the names of all such
persons which have been deleted from the elec-
toral rolls shall be restored.
The progress of the talks is more or less a rehash
of the Assam Accord. On other substantive issues
such as rights of people over natural resources,
the talk has not yielded much as yet.
Secret Centre-ULFA parleys
may lead to a fresh Nellie
M
G
/
Y
u
s
u
f
ULFA leadership led by its chairman Aurobindo Rajkhowa is discussing
Assam with the Centres representatives including the Union Home
Secretary R K Singh, Assam Interlocutor P C Haldar. The latest round of
talks was held at the North Block on 9 April. ULFAis a child of the movement
which led to independent Indias worst genocide when 3,300 Muslims were
butchered within a single night at Nellie in Feb. 1983.
Why will you
do my job?
Mr Chidambram
is angry...
Speaking to the chief ministers on 16 April dur-
ing the conference on NCTC, Home Minister P
Chidambram saw it fit to lambast the Muslim
community without naming it. He raised the
issue of protests lodged by some people in
the name of religion and sect after someone is
arrested or detained for questioning and
termed such developments as a cause of
worry and a dangerous trend. He added,
What is a cause of worry, however, is that, in
practically every case, a small section of the
people springs to the support of persons who
are detained for interrogation or arrested and
charged, he told the chief ministers.
Chidambaram added that there was no appar-
ent reason for such support other than the
affinity of religion or sect. This is a dangerous
trend and makes the task of the investigating
agencies more difficult. I would, therefore,
request you to join me in appealing to the peo-
ple, and to the media, to observe caution and
restraint and place faith in the integrity and
impartiality of the investigation, he said.
In normal times, we would be the first to
support the Home Minister. But we are not liv-
ing in normal times. During the last two
decades, especially since the NDA came to
power, Muslim community has been crimi-
nalised, our youth have been routinely picked
up without a shred of evidence and then
released by courts two, four, six, eight or even
14 years later. We have irrefutable evidence
that in almost every case the police and other
security agencies obtain confessions by tor-
ture and fake evidences.
This is the result of a deep-rooted conspir-
acy by the Hindutva elements who have
sneaked into the security forces since Janata
Party came to power and BJP leaders got min-
isterial berths. They work in tandem with the
umpteen RSS-allied extremist organisations
whose raison detre is to make life a hell for the
Muslim community. The state is so soft for
them that even persons named in Malegaon
and Ajmer chargesheets are roaming free and
even enjoying high level security provided by
Mr Chidambrams own department. Proven saf-
fron terror outfits like Abhinav Bharat, Sanatan
Sanstha, Sri Ram Sene and Bajrang Dal, to
name a few, are free under your nose, Mr
Chidambram. Terror hatcheries of Bhonsla
Military School and Aakanksha Resort are still
functioning. Arms training camps are still
being organised, at times just kilometers away
from your seat in the North Block. That is why
Muslims have learnt to raise their voice today.
And no amount of your protestations will stop
us from using our democratic rights. Because
we now know for sure that your security and
intelligence machinery is biased.
ZAFARUL-ISLAM KHAN
IRFANUL HUSAINI...12 ENGINEER SALEEM...12
ISSUES / OPINION
2 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012
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P.A.MOHAMED AMEEN
There is a long history of messiahs like Rushdie who preach
gospels of free speech and utopian harmony but who succeed in
producing disharmony in search of material greed, name and
fame. Rushdie, the champion of free speech, prevented the pub-
lication of a book written by his bodyguard. Why? This is a differ-
ent story that vested mass media hardly talks about. Rushdie hur-
riedly took out parts of his "Midnight's Children" when Indira
Gandhi threatened to sue him.
Rushdie and similar mercenaries have absolute knowledge
that the tradition of free speech is an abstract principle, formulat-
ed principally for the benefit of a small elite of media market-influ-
enced and money-minded intellectuals and artists like our apos-
tate friend Rushdie.
As brother Shad Shahid convincingly argues (MG Feb 1-15),
can anyone deny the fact that there can never be absolute and
untrammelled freedom of speech without any restraints or restric-
tions whatsoever?
If there is such an absolute freedom of speech why do we
have laws against terrorism, on libel, race relations, obscenity,
paedophilia, and slander?
In Britain, a valuable organisation such as Rationalist Press
Association, discriminates between freedom to impart information
and freedom to insult, offend or abuse.
Peace between communities should take a precedent. In a
rational utopia where everybody would be free to abuse and
insult everybody else and nobody would take offence may lead to
disunity and disturbances and revenge killings as we painfully
experienced in Kashmir caused by the publication of "Satanic
Verses".
India banned the book in order to prevent more such human
tragedies. Should we sacrifice the lives of people and cause com-
munal disharmony in order to satisfy the lustful ideas of despica-
ble perverts like Rushdie who are more interested in satisfying
their paymasters and receiving fat cheques from their publishers.
In the real multi-cultural, multi-religious and pluralistic world
which we all perforce inhabit, words do wound, insults do hurt,
and extreme and obscene abuse does provoke anger and vio-
lence. Not to talk about India, even the European tradition recog-
nises this.
It is an unwritten constitution of freedom in the West that has
shied away from absolutist doctrines of liberty and assumed
instead that with freedom there comes responsibilities: moral,
prudential, conventional or simple matter of good taste covering
areas much wider than the law contains. This is because absolute
freedom is very dangerous.
Rushdie Affairs and the Demonization of Islam
DR. SUMIT S. PAUL
I
s Indian judiciary above reproach? Narendra Modi get-
ting clean chit in Gulbarg Society massacre, that wit-
nessed 63 Muslims getting burnt and butchered, is a
clear indication that the entire government machinery
is anti-Muslim. Though its a serious allegation, truth points
out that justice has always eluded Muslims in this country.
Just recapitulate the whole event in the light of a former
MP being burnt at the behest of a devilish CM, yet his wife
is being deprived of justice! If a former MP can be dismem-
bered and beheaded by a fanatic mob, who cares for ordi-
nary Muslims?
It was deaths dance macabre for three days and a
zealot Hindu CM not only turned Nelsons eye to the may-
hem, he openly instigated his cadres to go on a rampag-
ing spree looting, killing and burning. If emperor Nero
played flute when Rome was burning, Modi went even a
step further and exhorted his men to incinerate the
Muslims alive. This is not indifference. This is utter disdain
for human dignity. The late Marxist historian and scholar
Dibesh Banerjee opined that right from the riots in
Jabalpur (1961) and Gwalior (1965) to Godhra, Hindu mis-
creants always fomented troubles for the minority. A CM
who should have been tried in court for his flagrant mis-
deeds is smirking shamelessly and the people of Gujarat
are hailing his achievements. This is indeed pitiable, nay
shameful.
KALEEM KAWAJA
Rajoana is a Sikh terrorist in Punjab who has been convicted by sev-
eral high courts and Supreme Court for assassinating Beant Singh,
the then chief minister of Punjab in 1995. After his mercy petition was
rejected by the President his hanging was scheduled for March 31.
But in the last one week several major Sikh organizations including
SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee) have launched
a major public campaign against the orders of the Supreme Court and
government being carried out on the convicted terrorist Rajoana. The
result is that the UPA govt that talks so tough on terrorism has buck-
led and has suspended the execution of Rajoana and is proposing
that the death sentence confirmed by the Supreme Court be recon-
sidered.
In contrast when it comes to Muslims, whenever a terrorist action
occurs anywhere some innocent Muslims are arrested and the entire
Muslim community in the country is made to feel guilty. And they have
no recourse. From Batla House youth three years ago to the harass-
ment of Muslims in Azamgarh to journalist Kazmi who was recently
arrested in the Israeli diplomat attack conspiracy, there is a long string
of such unjust government targeting of vulnerable Muslims in the
name of fighting terrorism.
In the last three years many Muslim organizations have made
appeals to the UPA government at the center and Congress govern-
ment in Delhi state to conduct an enquiry into the Batla House inci-
dent and release the innocent Muslim youth who are languishing in
jails on false charges. But no one in the government cares a hoot for
that. In the last one month many Muslim groups have protested the
arrest of journalist Kazmi who has been falsely implicated and arrest-
ed in the case of the attack on an Israeli diplomats wife. The govern-
ment has arrested Kazmi just to please the Israeli government. Again
the government does not give a damn to the Muslims demands and
appeals.
At the same time the same secular UPA government and
Congress party are endlessly telling Muslims that they are the friends
of Muslims and will fulfill all of their genuine demands. Muslim leaders
need to think seriously why Muslims being 15% of the countrys pop-
ulation and voters for the UPA/Congress government over the years,
the government does not listen to even their most elementary and just
demands. But it very quickly reverses its most serious and top level
decisions when it comes to Sikhs who are less than 3% of the popu-
lation. And Sikhs do not even vote for UPA/Congress. What is the flaw
in the strategy of the Muslim leaders and organizations? Maybe the
government understands only a certain language and Muslim leaders
do not speak in that language. Why shouldnt Muslims learn from the
strategy of Sikhs - a much smaller but much more successful religious
minority?
Why are Muslims afraid of adopting strategies similar to those
adopted by Sikhs?
Similarly while the government implemented an amendment in
the Indian constitution to allow OBC Sikhs reservation under the
Mandal Commission, it refuses to listen to the vociferous demands of
a much larger OBC Muslim subcommunity to allow them the same
facility. Why is that so? For how long and how much inequality and
injustice Muslims can withstand in the country where they have lived
and for which they have died for a thousand years?
Why do the leaders of 150 million Muslims not assert their very
basic rights? Why are the lessons from the elections in the last
18 months in the states of Assam, Bengal, Bihar, UP that if Muslims
adopt smart strategy they can have a voice in decision making, not
trickle down into the strategies of Muslim leaders at least on life and
death issues of the Indian Muslim qaum?
How patriotic is IB?
False charges by the IB led to the removal of key scientists from the labs and con-
sequent slowdown of a critical programme. These charges were manufactured by the
CIA to sabotage the cryogenic engine programme, yet not a single IB officer respon-
sible for the damage has been held to account. Alluding to a more recent case, he
pointed out that none of the senior intelligence officials who supervised CIA agent
Robinder Singh (of RAW) have had their careers blighted by their negligence in
allowing him to operate for so long and finally escape in 2004. Instead, many of
those directly responsible for this fiasco have been rewarded with promotions...
A small group of European countries led by Italy and France operate a seamless
web of diplomat-agents, businessperson-agents, NGO-agents and scholar-agents
not just to collect information, but to ensure that a policy matrix gets chosen that
would ensure that India or its entities never pose a commercial challenge to them.
MADHAV NALAPAT, Sunday Guardian, 8 Apr, 2012
Is Indian Judiciary
above reproach?
Muslim leaders should learn from Sikh leaders
In the real multi-cultural, multi-religious and
pluralistic world which we all perforce inhabit,
words do wound, insults do hurt, and extreme
and obscene abuse does provoke anger and
violence. Not to talk about India, even the
European tradition recognises this.
Only 3% of India's 1 billion population, India's Brahmin,
who claim Aryan descent, have switched from their
Vedic culture to not only ban consumption of Beef for
their community, but through socio-religious propagan-
da has forced all other communities to follow their food
habits and shun beef. Only another minority Jain,
abstain from meat consumption and in furtherance of
their non-violent belief system, have been overtly and
covertly funding in a big way, to see that all kinds of
impediments, legal as well as illegal impediments are
placed in lifestyle of those whose food habits focus on
meat and beef products. Now rest of the people of
India are slowly reacting to this undemocratic and fas-
cist imposition on their food habits. In the first such
reaction that has hit the headlines, Dalits have taken
up cudgel against such arbitrary ban on their tradition-
al food habits. This is in essence a new manifestation
of class war. However, New India is poised to give
equal weightage to all in its pluralist milieu and as such
a process of readjustment of ground reality is clearly
emerging. The teething troubles are bound to attend all
such social changes, but justice in the longer term will
have to prevail.
GHULAM MUHAMMED, Mumbai
ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com
Beef fest at Osmania University
Indian society at crossroads
The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012 3
NATIONAL
Quote,
Unquote
I want to see Indians prosper, I want poverty
and unemployment abolished, I want the stan-
dard of living of the 80 per cent poor Indians to
rise so that they get decent lives. But this is pos-
sible when their mindset changes, when their
minds are rid of casteism, communalism and
superstition, and they become scientific and
modern.
Justice Markandey Katju
The arrests of Muslim youth being reported from
different parts of the country are, or at least
should be, a serious source of worry. Young
men are being picked up on false charges,
detained without trial, often tortured and threat-
ened with little to no legal help available to
them. Many remain in prison and only the fortu-
nate few are acquitted after years behind bars.
And as some recent incidents indicate, the inno-
cent men are acquitted after 10, 15 or more
years with their lives in ruin by then. There is no
compensation and no rehabilitation as the state
refuses to accept responsibility for the destruc-
tion of not just their past and present, but also
their future.
Seema Mustafa, The Statesman
ZAFAR MAHMOOD
The annual budget of a country reflects the govern-
ments priorities. It is, in fact, the preface of the
financial years book. However, there is no notice-
able mention of Muslims and other minorities in the
budget presented by the Finance Minister in
Parliament for 2012-13. It indicates that the Central
Government does not seem to be interested in the
welfare of Muslims and other minorities during
2012-13. Probably the reason could be that no major election is going to
be held in the near future. Otherwise, when we look back, we discover
that only recently - on the eve of state elections - the politicians were busy
swearing to strive for the betterment and welfare of the Muslims.
However, just within a few weeks, it seems, all the tall claims and prom-
ises came to a screeching halt and even began moving in the back gear.
In December 2011, central ministers had been calling meetings of
Muslim leaders and holding consultations as to what better could be done
for the minorities in the new financial year and the new five-year plan.
However, by the time the Budget began being firmed up, the elections
had already passed by. Suddenly, Muslims disappeared from sights and
minds. Acertain state leader did publically accept that her party had been
defeated because Muslims did not vote for it. But no similar realizations
were heard from any other party. Rather, the chintan baithaks inferred
that the organization is weak in the state and the number of leaders is
unwieldy, etc. A very high level of political sagacity and astuteness is
needed to publicly accept the defeat being caused by Muslim no vote.
There is a proposal in the Union budget to increase by 18% the sub-
plan funds allocated for the welfare of the scheduled castes. The alloca-
tion would now go up to Rs 37,113 crore. We are well aware that in 1950
Muslims and Christians had been, unconstitutionally and clandestinely,
excluded through executive fiat, from the definitive list of the Scheduled
Castes. Yet, there is complete silence in the budget in respect of Muslims
and Christians.
The civil society organization, Centre for Equity Studies, established
by the former IAS officer Harsh Mander provided extensive details in its
survey report of 2011 under the title Promises to Keep that the only way
to implement the Sachar Committee Report is a Budget Sub-Plan for
Muslims. The MoS, Minority Affairs, rejected this report in Parliament on
the ground of one or two minor statistical inaccuracies. What message
does this convey?
In order to promote the small-scale business, the Government pro-
posed in the budget that the ministries and public sector companies
should make one fifth of their purchase from these dealers. Also one
fourth thereof is to be purchased from persons belonging to the
Scheduled Castes. No similar plan has been proposed for Muslims and
Christians. Religious prejudice against them seems to have compound-
ed.
The Sachar Committee had recommended that the Government
should confer special privileges and rewards (incentives based on diver-
sity index) on those who proactively ensure religious diversification
among the beneficiaries of their works and profession, institutions and
housing complexes. The expert committee formed for this purpose by the
Ministry of Minority Affairs presented its report three years back.
However, the UPA Government made no mention of this scheme even in
its seventh budget nor any funds were allocated for this purpose. The
Sachar Committee had recommended that Waqf Development
Corporation should be established at the national level. The UPA
Government has presented its sixth budget after the Sachar Reports
acceptance. But the Waqf Development Corporation has not yet matched
up to the Governments priority. In the last years budget, funds had been
earmarked for the new campuses of Aligarh Muslim University, but that
work is yet to take off. Obviously, the last years allocation lapsed, but
there is no such mention in the current years budget.
The Rangnath Mishra Commission had recommended that 15 per-
cent of funds should be allocated for minorities in all Government
schemes that promote employment opportunities, out of which two-
thirds should be allocated only for Muslims. Since then the fifth budget
has been presented, but still this reasonable recommendation did not
crystallize. The Commission had also recommended that the PMs 15-
Point Programme for Minorities Welfare should be accorded a statutory
status and judicial protection. No initiative has been taken in this regard
so far. The Commission had recommended the establishment of a
Coordination Committee of Nationalized Banks for expediting disburse-
ment of loans to the minorities. This well considered proposal could not
find place in any of the five annual budgets. The Commission had rec-
ommended that Muslims and the members of other minorities should be
included in all the commissions, boards, committees and corporations at
central and state levels and the chairmanship should rotate among per-
sons professing different faiths. Several years have gone by without any
progress in this regard. The Government seems to be content that
Muslims occupy only those posts which have something to do with
minorities. Why cant they man positions like Union Finance Secretary,
Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Governor of Reserve Bank,
National Security Advisor, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, IB Chief,
Chairman of SCOPE (Standing Committee on Public Enterprises),
Chairman of Air India, Chairman of UPSC and Staff Selection
Commission, etc.? Why Muslims are permanently regarded as persona
non-grata for these posts?
Two days prior to the declaration of the state assembly elections
held in Feb-March 2012, the Central Government had issued orders -
implementing the Mishra Commission Report - that in Government
appointments, there will be a 4.5% per cent sub-quota for all the minori-
ties carved out of the 27% OBC reservation. But the Commission had
also recommended that, since among all the minorities Muslims consti-
tute 73%, therefore, two-thirds of such sub-quota should be allocated for
them. But this rider did not find place in the Government order. Here it
must be clarified that Sikhs too are included in minorities while they are
also listed in the scheduled castes for whom a separate huge reserva-
tion has been in place for more than half a century. Besides, Sikhs and
Jains have been occupying Government jobs for a long time in a propor-
tion much larger than their share in population. Still the Government did
not implement the Mishra Commission Report. A Muslim-specific impact
remains uncommitted and uncertain even in the petty sub-quota of
December 2011.
The Muslim community also needs to indulge in self-appraisal.
Whoever is able to grab some official, semi-official or any autonomous
position must go ahead and take it. But such aspiring individuals com-
prise less than one percent of the community. Why cant the remaining
99% be proactive for the communitys uplift. They need not be appre-
hensive of atleast plain speaking vis--vis the Government. In any case,
the community must not confine its role to casting the ballot at the time
of elections. Dr Iqbal, the composer of our national song Saarey jahaan
se achha Hindostaan hamaara, said: Jumbish se hai zindagi jahaan ki:
Dynamism enlivens the world. Elsewhere he says, a human being - con-
scious of his or her worth - need not be content with being a pearl inside
a shell lying in deep sea. One should rather pride oneself in being that
drop of rain water which stirs the ocean. Much larger number of individ-
uals will have to become vibrant. Particularly those who retire from jobs,
professions or businesses have manifold obligation. The Creator
bestowed upon them competence, experience, a dignified and peaceful
life, privileges, better opportunities for the education of their children
who too have since settled in life. Even after retirement, by the grace of
God, they continue to enjoy for long good health and sound physical fac-
ulties including an agile mind. If still they do not actively devote substan-
tial part of themselves for social uplift that would surely be counted as
crime.
Sachar, Misra, Mander, yet a silent budget
BJP MCD candidate does
not need Muslim votes,
will not serve them
New Delhi: According to a news item published
in the Delhi edition of Daily Inquilab of 15 April
2012, Bharitya Janta Party candidate Pinky Jain
of Municipal Corporation of Delhi Ward No. 76
(Deputy Ganj, Delhi) said in a road show during
the municipality poll campaign that I do not
need Muslim votes because Muslims had not
voted for the BJP even in the previous elections.
BJP won those elections on its own strength
and, therefore, the BJP does not need Muslim
votes. It also quoted local people as saying that
Pinky Jain abused Muslims and said that after
winning the elections we will not do anything for
Muslims and there will be no developmental
work in their areas. Pinky has now won thanks
to his polarisation tactics perfected by the BJP.
Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan, President of All India
Majlis-e Mushawarat, has written to the Election
Commission with a request to enquire into this
matter and take necessary action.
Delhi Police pays Rs.3 lakh
for killing youth in custody
New Delhi: In yet another case of custody
deaths, a young man in custody of the Delhi
Police died due to torture at the Dhaula Kuan
police post. Following intervention by the
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC),
Police paid Rs.3 lakh as interim relief to the vic-
tims mother. The youth, Vicky, was killed on
March 12, 2008. He was initially detained by
Dhaula Kuan Police and was being taken by
foot to Delhi Cantonment police station.
According to the police story, while walking he
fainted after complaining of stomach-ache. He
was taken to Safdarjung Hospital, where he
died.
The subsequent medical report did not rule
out the possibility of death due to acute pancre-
atitis. In the absence of any other disease, pan-
creatitis could be caused only by a blunt
abdominal injury, it said. The New Delhi
Metropolitan Magistrate in his opinion conclud-
ed that a commission of offence was made out
in the case and the Delhi Cantonment police
station House Officer was directed to register
an FIR.
The NHRC, which went through various
reports and material on record, found that Vicky
was ill-treated physically by the police resulting
in his death. A case was also registered by the
Delhi Police under Section 304 of the IPC (cul-
pable homicide not amounting to murder).
. MG NEWS DESK
N
ew Delhi: The central budget presented by finance minister
Pranab Mukherjee in Parliament on 16 March for the financial
year 2012-13 provides an amount of Rs. 3135 crore to the union
ministry for minorities affairs. This represents an increase of
Rs. 385 crore from the previous years budget to this ministry. However,
this slight increase on one side has been slightly offset because the
amount allocated for Maulana Azad Education Foundation has been
reduced from Rs. 200 crore last year to Rs. 100 crore this year. It may
be clarified that the amount of Rs. 3135 crore is for planned items only.
A separate meagre amount of Rs. 19.70 crores is provided for non-plan
items and by combining the two allocations together, the total budget for
this ministry is Rs. 3154.70 crores for the current financial year. It may
also be clarified that the word minority is confusing and illusory because
it does not mean Muslims only as it also includes other minorities like
Christians, Buddhists, Parsis, Jains and Sikhs. Governments and other
interested persons therefore conveniently use this word to befool
Muslims whenever it suits them.
Last year, the union ministry for minorities affairs had been working
on 12 projects in the name of minorities but for the current financial year,
nine new projects have been added for minorities in addition to the 12 old
ones. For these nine new schemes a total budget of Rs. 105 crore has
been set apart. These nine schemes are: 1. providing free bicycles to
Muslim girl students reading in 9th class. For this an amount of Rs. 4.5
crore has been provided, 2. to provide assistance to candidates who
want to appear for preliminary examinations of U.P.S.C. and other civil
service examinations, for which an amount of Rs. 3.5 crore has been
provided, 3. promotion of education in 100 cities/regions out of 250
cities/regions where Muslims are in fairly good numbers and which have
been identified as backward. The amount provided for this in the current
budget is Rs. 45 crores, 4. rural development programmes for areas
which are outside MCD/MCB (Rs. 2 crore), 5. providing financial assis-
tance to district-level institutions in MCD (Rs. 22 crore), 6. organising and
strengthening state Waqf Boards (Rs. 4.5 crore), 7. financial/economic
assistance regarding interest on loans to students acquiring education
abroad (Rs. 1.80 crore), 8. plan to develop the skills and expertise of
less- or semi-skilled persons (Rs. 18 crores), 9. to prevent further fall in
the number of persons who are in very small minority in a given
place/region (Rs. 2 crores).
For all these nine new schemes, a total amount of Rs. 105 crores
only is allotted which is meagre in the extreme. Moreover, some of these
schemes are rather vague and do not give a clear idea of what govern-
ment plans to do.
As stated above, for Maulana Azad Education Foundation last years
budget of Rs. 200 crores has been reduced to only Rs. 100 crores in the
2012-13 budget while no increase has been made in the scholarships
being given to students for higher education. As regards the scholarships
for pre-matric students belonging to minority communities, an allocation
of Rs. 279 crore has been added to last years amount of Rs. 540 crore.
Scholarships on merit basis have been increased from Rs. 126 crores
last year to Rs. 198 crores in this budget. For Maulana Azad Fellowship
for minority (Muslim) students, the budget amount has been increased
from Rs. 47 crores last year to Rs. 63 crores in this budget. (NAAnsari)
Minorities share in the central budget
NATIONAL
4 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012
Shining India?
Extra-judicial executions: pay
Rs 28 crore for killings, Punjab told
New Delhi: Almost 18 years after over 2,000 people were killed
and summarily cremated at the height of militancy in Punjab,
there is some relief for the families of the victims. The National
Human Rights Commission on Tuesday recommended nearly
Rs 28 crore to be paid to the families of 1,513 victims of what
came to be known as the Punjab mass cremations case.
The order followed a 16-year-long NHRC investigation into the
illegal killings and disappearances which culminated in the
cremation of 2,045 bodies in Amritsar, Majitha and Tarn Taran
districts between 1984 and 1994.
The order would be binding on the government as the
NHRC had been requested by the Supreme Court to investigate
the cases. Only 1,513 bodies could be identified. Of these, 195
cases are of those who were deemed to have died in police cus-
tody as their detention by the police had preceded their sudden
disappearance. Families of these victims have been awarded a
higher compensation.
The NHRC has recommended a total of Rs 27.94 crore as
monetary relief to the next of kin of 1,513 deceased whose bod-
ies could be identified out of cases of unidentified 2,045 bodies
which were remitted to the commission by the SC popularly
known as the Punjab mass cremations case, an NHRC release
said. A total of 532 bodies remained unidentified despite efforts
by the commission from the date of remittance in December
1996, the release said. The Supreme Court had referred the
matter to the NHRC on December 12, 1996 saying any compen-
sation awarded by the commission shall be binding and
payable. Since then, the release said, the commission heard the
matter from time to time.
The commission held that for the violation of human rights
of a total of 194 deceased admittedly in police custody immedi-
ately prior to their death and their cremation, their kin were enti-
tled to monetary compensation of Rs 2.50 lakh each.
Regarding 1,051 other identified deceased persons whose
bodies were not in police custody but cremated by the state
without following Punjab Police Rules, the commission awarded
monetary relief of Rs 1.75 lakh to each of the affected families.
The commission appointed Justice KS Bhalla, a retired
judge of Punjab and Haryana high court, to receive evidence
and conduct an inquiry to fix the identity of the remaining
814 deceased persons. Justice Bhalla submitted a report in
June 2007 mentioning that the committee had been able to
identify 143 deceased persons. For facilitating the identification
of the remaining bodies, the commission constituted another
committee comprising DS Bains, IAS, Virender Singh, district
and sessions judge (retired) and DIG, border range, Amritsar, as
members. The Bains committee on March 22 submitted its final
report which mentions that the panel had been able to identify
125 bodies during the sittings. An NHRC spokesperson said the
commission on March 27 considered the report and recom-
mended monetary relief of Rs 1.75 lakh each to the next of kin
of the deceased identified by the committee. (http://articles.time-
sofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-04/india/31287327_1_nhrc-
national-human-rights-commission-police-custody)
1800 kids missing from shelters in 4 years
Child shelter homes, where a child is taken after being rescued
from exposure to a spectrum of abuse, provide no guarantee
that the kid has been saved from exploitation for good, it has
emerged. A response to an RTI plea has revealed that as many
as 1800 children went missing from various child shelter homes,
run by both the government and private players, in a span of
four years. The data concerns 26 such homes.
The statistics for the period between 2006-2010 for 26
such shelters shows that total average children residing per
year in these homes was 2650. The total number of children
who lived there between the same period was 10,600. A total of
1807 children went missing, which is about one-fifth of the total
number of children residing in these children homes, said
Sengar, whose organisation had filed the RTI.
70% of infant deaths within 30 days of birth
New Delhi: Nearly 70% of infant deaths (within the first year of
birth) in the country in 2010 took place during the first 29 days
of life (neonatal). While Jammu & Kashmir has the dubious dis-
tiction of leading the list with 82.1% infant deaths being neona-
tal, it is followed by Maharashtra (78%), Himachal Pradesh
(77.5%), Punjab (74.2%), West Bengal (74%), Rajasthan
(73.4%) and Madhya Pradesh (70.8%). The Registrar Generals
latest data Sample Registration System 2010 says India saw
nearly 32,000 fewer children dying in 2010 before reaching one
month of life, compared to the previous year. This also means
88 fewer deaths per day. But even then, 8.62 lakh children died
in 2010 within 29 days of life. This however is just a 3.6% dip
from 2009. At the national level, the neonatal mortality rate
dipped by just one point to 33 but ranges from 19 in urban areas
to 36 in rural areas. Among the bigger states, neonatal mortali-
ty ranges from as high as 44 in Madhya Pradesh to 7 in Kerala.
Neonatal mortality rate in UP and Odisha was 42, Rajasthan 40,
Chhattisgarh 37, Assam and Haryana 33. In comparison, states
with lower neonatal mortality included Tamil Nadu 16, Delhi 19,
Maharashtra 22, West Bengal 23, Karnataka and Punjab 25. In
absolute numbers, UP recorded the highest number of neonatal
deaths (2.3 lakhs) followed by Madhya Pradesh (85,000), Bihar
(84,000), Andhra Pradesh (45,000) and Maharashtra (42,000).
New Delhi: As a prelude to legal proceedings, K.M. Shareef, the
General Secretary of Popular Front of India, issued legal notices
to Dainik Jagran Hindi Daily, Hindustan Times English Daily, The
Asian Age English Daily, IBN-7 Hindi News Channel, Deccan
Chronicle English Daily, Times Now English TV Channel, Nav
Bharat Times Hindi Daily, The Inquilab Urdu Daily, The New
Indian Express English Daily, The Sunday Guardian English
Weekly and CNN-IBN English TV Channel. These newspapers
and news channels published news that were baseless and
defamatory to Popular Front of India, Sharif said adding that the
legal notices were sent by advocates Bahar U Barqi and Maroof
Ahmad.
Another complaint was sent by Mr. M.K. Sharafudheen,
Public Relations Officer of the PFI, to the Press Council of India
to take action against the Sunday Pioneer for repeatedly pub-
lishing false news against the organization.
A statement issued by PFI that said the organization has
become the favourite target of a section of the media even in
places where the organization has minimal or no presence at all.
The statement said though the whole media cannot be blamed
for this bias, there are indeed few sections in the media which
are inclined towards the Sangh Parivar ideology of hate. This
media had brought the whole Muslim community to trial on var-
ious issues related to terrorism. The statement quoted the
example of the arrest of Dr. Haneef of Bangalore in Australia,
when the Australian media played a crucial role in proving him
innocent while the Indian media left no stones unturned in
accusing him of being a terrorist. The statement quoted a few
examples of the defamatory news items published against PFI:
Atanki Sangatan PFI par pratibandh: Terrorist Organisation
PFI banned - Dainik Jagran
UP cops yet to solve Varanasi case: PC - Hindistan Times
PFI national HQ shifted to Delhi - The Asian Age
Khufia report ka khulasa, PFI ke SIMI se rishte: Intelligence
report reveals PFI has SIMI connection - IBN 7
PFI meet: Intel gropes in dark - Deccan Chronicle
PFI training cadre for questioning - Times Now
Blast, 3 Sankadanom par Khufia Nazar: Blast: Three organ-
izations under agencies observation - Nav Bharat Times
Sandheh ke gere mein PFI - Attack on a diplomat PFI under
suspicion - Dainik Jagran
Delhi Car Blast: Clues Point to PFI - The New Indian
Express & CNN - IBN
PFI under scanner of investigating agencies - The Inquilab
IB report says extremist PFI has shifted base to Delhi - The
Sunday Guardian
SIMI body wakes Muslims up to woes of vote politics &
SIMI- backed party alarms NIA- Sunday Pioneer
The PFI statement mentioned in particular the media allega-
tions that it is connected to the banned organization SIMI. Some
of the cited reports mentioned that this information is provided
by a secret security agency unknown to the people. There
were imaginary stories linking Popular Front to SIMI and also to
Indian Mujahideen, which according to the statement are all fig-
ments of fertile imagination with no relation to the reality. The
statement added that PFI is not connected with any other organ-
ization legal or illegal.
The PFI statement added that the hypocrisy of these news-
papers was proved as most of them never published the rejoin-
ders sent by the PFI. Moreover, these newspapers and chan-
nels never tried to contact PFI leaders to know their points of
view.
Popular Front to sue media houses
MOHAMMAD SHAHID
Lucknow: With the Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav
accepting almost all the demands of Shahi Imam Maulana
Ahmad Bukhari, the spat between the Imam of Delhi Jama
Masjid and the U.P. Urban Development Minister Azam Khan
has ended at least for the time being. Mulayams shrewd move
giving pre-eminence to the Imam over his old-time comrade and
senior party leader shows that the party chief has not forgiven
Azam Khan for creating trouble for the party leadership by his
regular tantrums, and wants to cut him to size. By propping up
the Imam as the new Muslim leader, the Samajwadi Party chief
has given the message to Azam to stick to his limits.
But whatever the political compulsions of the Samajwadi
Party leaders, the episode has done no good to either the Muslim
community or the Samajwadi party. People watched with amuse-
ment the two Muslim leaders indulging in mudslinging at each
other and both claiming to be the real representative of the com-
munity fighting for its causes. The matter was made worse when
groups of ulama took sides, one supporting Bukhari and the other
issuing fatwa against the Imam. Azam, who is opposed to reli-
gious persons indulging in politics, has never been on good terms
with Bukhari and had initially opposed an Assembly ticket to the
Imams son in-law Umar Ali and later his nomination to the UP
Legislative Council after Alis defeat in the assembly polls. But the
real trouble began when Bukhari rejected the offer allegedly
demanding a Council seat and ministerial berth for Umar and a
Rajya Sabha seat for his brother Yahya Bukhari in the name of
proportional representation to Muslims. This irked Azam who
accused the Imam of serving his vested interest in the grab of
Muslim representation. Allegations and counter-allegations fol-
lowed tarnishing the image of the community.
It is worth mentioning here that Samajwadi Party befriended
Bukhari to garner Muslim votes after Azam left the party in the
wake of Kalyan episode. But when he returned to the party after
the exit of Amar Singh, Azam, who never allowed a Muslim rival
to emerge within the party, saw a threat to his monopoly and
opposed Mulayams hobnobbing with the Imam. But the Rampur
MLA was stunned to see the party chief maintaining a studied
silence throughout his wordy duel with the Imam and was forced
to call truce. Expressing surprise and unhappiness over the atti-
tude of the party leadership, a mellowed Azam said: I expected
the SP government and senior party leaders to stand by me.
There may be other reasons for Azam to oppose the rise of
Bukhari in the party but there is no denying the fact that the way the
latter has bargained with Mulayam a council seat for his son-in-law
in the name of the community is unbecoming of a religious leader
like him. How the entry of Umar, who has been rejected by the elec-
torate in a Muslim-dominated constituency, into the Council or UP
ministry serve the community? What is Umars experience in poli-
tics or contribution to the betterment of the Muslim community that
he deserves what Bukhari has bargained for him? Did not the Imam
find a more deserving person from among Muslims in U.P. than his
son-in-law to serve the community?
The Samajwadi Party leadership and the government, no
doubt, are striving to fulfill the promises made in the manifesto
but it should know that promoting a family or clan, however so
high in status, in a hope to expand its base will not endear it to
Muslims. Elevating a defeated candidate having no political
standing to Council or cabinet may be correct constitutionally but
it is wrong ethically and amounts to injustice.
It is wrong to say that ulama and imams should not venture
into politics and remain confined to their madarsas and masjids.
On the other hand, it is imperative that our religious leaders join
public life and set example of probity in public life, justice and
peace to promote not only the interests of Muslims but the entire
country and humanity. For this, however, they will have to prac-
tice what they preach -- the true spirit of Islam. However, if they
fear that they would not be able to resist the temptation of power
and wealth and end up promoting the interests of their kith and
kin at the cost of the Ummah, seclusion would be the better
course of action for them.
The current episode is a sad commentary on the state of
the Muslim leadership not only in UP but at the national and
international levels also. It is an irony that all Muslim leaders
swear to work with the single aim - progress and prosperity of
the community - but are not ready to see eye to eye with each
other. Muslim leaders should realize that the habit of infighting
and mudslinging at each other for their vested interests and
inflated egos only make them and their community a laughing
stock for others who often take advantage of their differences.
These leaders should know that one does not become leader
of a community only by claiming so unless the community on
its own accepts him or her as its leader. Leaders are made by
virtue of deeds not rhetoric.
Azam-Bukhari row
Vested interests overshadow community
The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012 5
NATIONAL
New Delhi: Jamat-e Islami Hind (JIH) while
describing the action of U.P. police and ATS in
arresting Azamgarhs Tariq Qasimi and
Jaunpurs Khalid Mujahid in false and fake case
and making them undergo the cruelties and
pains in jails for years as condemnable and
punishable and the performance of Namesh
Commission which was set up by U.P. govern-
ment in 2008 to provide justice to both innocent
and oppressed persons as extremely unfortu-
nate and a murder of justice. Jamats secretary
Muhammad Ahmad demanded the U.P. govern-
ment to punish the police for its cruel and bar-
barous attitude and call to account the perform-
ance of the Commission. He expressed his sat-
isfaction over the fact that UPs chief minister
Akhilesh Yadav, realising his moral responsibili-
ty, has taken personal interest in the problems
of both arrested persons and hoped that he will
take steps for their and the states other arrest-
ed persons immediate release, and will also
take necessary legal action against guilty police
officers and will also pay Rs. 50 lakh each to all
victims of police barbarities on the pretext of
stopping terrorism so that at least some com-
pensation could be made for the atrocities and
injustice meted out to the victims of police and
ATS brutalities and terrorism.
It may be stated that after strong public
protest against the arrest of both these Muslim
youth, U.P. government had appointed Namesh
Commission in 2008 and it was hoped that
keeping in mind the blatant atrocities of ATS on
Muslim youth the Commission will submit its
report to the government in a short period and
that the oppressed persons would get justice
but in actual practice just the opposite hap-
pened. After this, Assistant secretary of the
Jamat, Intezar Naeem invited the attention of
UPs chief secretary on 3 September 2011
through RTI to this (commissions report) which
he passed on to the Commission. In this RTI the
Commission was asked: for what was this
Commission appointed by the government?,
how many staff members have been provided to
the Commission?, after the appointment of the
Commission, how much fund has been provid-
ed to it year after year?, how many sittings of
the Commission have taken place for fulfilling its
responsibility and how many witnesses have
deposed?, has the Commission submitted any
interim report to the government?, and how
much more time it needs for completing its job?
Instead of giving any reply to the RTI,
Commissions secretary Syed Muhamad
Haseeb held a long conversation with Jamats
Assistant Secretary Intezar Naeem on phone
and ignoring all rules of RTI he started asking
irrelevant questions. Subsequently, same type
of irrelevant and vague replies were sent in a
letter. In reply, Jamat told the Commission that
this practice and attitude is against the spirit of
RTI, unnecessary and against the rules. (Dawat
Sahroza, 13 April 2012 - translated from Urdu)
Namesh Commissions attitude vis--vis Tariq Qasmi
and Khalid Mujahid unfortunate
RAJIV YADAV, PUCL
Lucknow: Social activists organised a meet
here on 11 April at the U.P. Press Club to press
for the demand for the release of innocent
Muslims held on terror charges in the state.
Social activist and former vice chancellor of
Lucknow University Prof. Roop Rekha Verma,
Magsaysay award winner Sandeep Pandey,
Arundhati Dhuru and lawyers of some of the
detainees, Randhir Singh Suman and
Mohammad Shoeb, raised their voice demand-
ing the release of innocent Muslims held on ter-
ror charges.
Samajwadi Party in its manifesto had prom-
ised to release innocent Muslims held in various
jails on terror charges. Recently the party decid-
ed to release some of them which can be
believed to be a step forward towards fulfilling
its election promise. From the year 2000
onwards, Muslims and their institutions have
been targeted on the pretext of the fight against
terror in one way or the other. Of those arrested
since that period some have been released
because of lack of evidence but many are still
languishing in jails not only in Uttar Pradesh but
across India. The decision of Samajwadi Party
to release some Muslim youths exposed the
fact that terrorism has become a political issue
rather than a law and order matter and therefore
it can be solved politically. There is evidence
that UP ATS kidnapped Tariq Qasmi from
Azamgarh on 12 December and Khalid Mujahid
on 16 December, 2007, for their alleged role in
a series of bomb blasts in Lucknow, Varanasi
and Faizabad courts on 23 November 2007.
Missing report of Tariq was filed by his grandfa-
ther Azhar Ali in Raniki Sarai thana on
14 December 2007. As per RTI reply, Police in
Madiyahu revealed that UP ATS had arrested
Khalid Mujahid on 16 December from Madiyahu
(Jaunpur) district which can be said to be a
criminal act. On the contrary, UP STF claimed to
have arrested both of them in the morning of 22
December from Barabanki with some explo-
sives and arms.
After having seen its political implications,
the then government ordered an inquiry which
was to submit its report within six months but till
date it has not done so. Aftab Alam Ansari of
Kolkata who was incarcerated for the court blast
was found innocent and released while Sajjadur
Rahman of Kashmir has also been exonerated
of any role in the Lucknow blast case.
After the blast in the court in various cities in
Uttar Pradesh, Hindutva forces had issued a
whip to all advocates not to take up the cases of
those accused in terror charges. The reason for
this as cited by them was that the court blast
was planned to take revenge for Waliullah, an
accused in the Sankatmochan blast.
Former ADG of Uttar Pradesh Brij Lal had
said on 25 December 2007 that explosives and
methods used in the court blasts were similar to
that of Makka Masjid blast. Now, as we all know,
the truth is that Hindutva terrorists were
involved in the Makka Masjid blast, we demand
a high level inquiry into these cases. Human
rights and political organisations took a decision
to fight it out legally. Lawyers of these Muslims
youths were attacked and forced to shout slo-
gans like Hindustan Zindabad and Pakistan
Murdabad.
Two youths from Azamgarh were accused
of belonging to Indian Mujahideen and killed in
the Batla House encounter but till date
the Central Government has not shown
the guts for any kind of judicial inquiry.
On 14 August 2008, Abul Bashar, anoth-
er youth from Azamgarh, was arrested
for being an Indian Mujahideen mem-
ber from Beenapara in Azamgarh. In
totality, so far 16 youths from Azamgarh
have been arrested, while seven are still
missing and two were killed in the Batla
House encounter. Today, youths from
Azamgarh are in jails in Ahmedabad,
Jaipur, Maharashtra, Delhi and some
other places.
Human rights organisations also
demanded inquiry into the attack on a
CRPF camp at Rampur which was
claimed to be a terror attack just to con-
ceal a fight among CRPF personnel
themselves. For this incident, youths
named as Kausar Farooqui, Jang
Bahadur, Sharif, Gulab Khan of Uttar
Pradesh and Sabauddin from Bihar,
Faheem Ansari from Mumbai, are lan-
guishing in jails in UP. Social activists
have demanded a CBI inquiry into the
incident of the shootout in the CRPF
camp at Rampur.
On 19 June 2007, Nasir Hussain
from Munniki Reti of Tehri Garhwal and
on 21 June 2007 Mohammad Yakub
from Nagina were shown to have been
arrested from Lucknow. Likewise, On 19
June Naushad from Nirvana, Alwar
(Rajasthan) and Jalaluddin from West
Bengal were lifted from Charbagh and
their arrests shown in Residency area in
Lucknow. On interrogation of Jalaluddin,
Ali Akbar Hussain and Sheikh Mukhtar
of Bengal were shown to have been
arrested from Bengal on 24 June, 2007.
Many youths of the state and from
Kashmir have been arrested, claiming
they were ISI agents in the state. People
of Kashmir are afraid of visiting these
places. On 23 December 2007, two
Kashmiri youths who were selling
woollen clothes, were killed allegedly in
a fake encounter in the name of protecting the
then chief minister. All these incidents compel
us to believe that UP STF and UP police arrest
innocent Muslim youths, torture them and col-
lect false evidence which is a crime.
During the political noise over terror,
Bajrang Dal workers lost their lives while fabri-
cating a bomb in Kanpurs Rajiv Nagar area in
2008. At the time, Sri Prakash Jaiswal, MOS
Home, had said the a CBI enquiry should be
ordered into this incident. The then chief minis-
ter Mayawati commented on this that the blasts
in UP courts and the CRPF camp too should be
probed by CBI. This shows clearly that no
probes were ordered for all these blasts due to
political complications.
Members of civil society and social activists
demanded of the new Samjwadi party govern-
ment to reciprocate the gesture of the Muslims
support to the party by fulfilling the promise
made to them in the party manifesto before the
elections. They also demanded the immediate
release of innocent Muslims and thereafter pro-
vide them with opportunities that can ensure
them a dignified life after their release. Social
activists also demanded proper investigation
and action against all those policemen involved
in the illegal arrests of innocent Muslims.
(Translated from Hindi)
Open letter to the U.P. CM
Suggestions for the proposed
law aimed at facilitating
release of innocent Muslims
held on terror charges
Respected Akhileshji,
The initiatives from your side to have a law that
can expedite release of innocent Muslims lan-
guishing on terror charges are no doubt a
praiseworthy effort. Your firm stand on this sen-
sitive issue will not only build confidence among
people regarding internal security but also boost
the morale of the Muslim community and at the
same time help them to believe that they are not
second class citizens but are very much part of
the system.
We on behalf of human rights organisa-
tions, found in our investigation that Sahbaz
Ahmed of Lucknow who is accused of Jaipur
bomb blast and Abu Bashar of Azamgarh
accused of Ahmedabad blast are innocent.
Similarly there may be many more youths from
Uttar Pradesh arrested in terror attacks else-
where and then taken to other states for further
investigation.
Therefore, we request you expand the hori-
zon of the proposed law so that innocent youth
of Uttar Pradesh held in different states can also
be released. Any effort from your side to stream-
line the law as suggested will certainly help to
get them released which would be no less than
a new life for them.
Thanking you,
Sincerely yours,
Sandeep Pandey, Social activist 0522 2347365
SR Darapuri, Retd (IPS) 9415164845SM
Nasim, Retd (IPS) 9839123786
Prof Roop Rekha Verma, Former Vice
Chancellor Lucknow University 9335905337
Mohammad Shoeb, Advocate 9415012666
Social activists demand release of innocent Muslims in UP
Lucknow: Noted senior
social worker and for-
mer Vice Chancellor of
Lucknow University,
Prof. Roop Rekha
Verma while welcom-
ing UPs new chief
minister Akhilesh
Yadavs statement that
cases of some innocent persons who were
accused of being terrorists and arrested will be
transferred to a legal cell for a review and if con-
sidered innocent, steps will be taken for their
release at the earliest, she said that Samajwadi
Party in its election manifesto had stated that all
innocent persons who have been falsely arrested
on charges of terrorism will be released and hence
her demand is that the S.P. government should ful-
fill its promise. She demanded that all such cases
should be reviewed and finalised within a pre-
scribed period of say, at least one month or at the
most two months because in most cases, after
being chargesheeted all proofs and depositions
etc. have been recorded and should not take
much time to arrive at a final disposing of such
cases. Even a single day of innocent persons who
are in jails is very precious and no one can return
or compensate their precious time. This is a great
injustice to these people, to which government
must give priority.
She said that the name of one Guddoo Pandit
is being considered in government circles, that
various cases filed against him will be withdrawn
because he is a Samajwadi Party leader and the
government is expeditiously disposing of the
cases of its own people but poor students and oth-
ers whose valuable days are spent in jails cannot
be compensated. She said that in similar incidents
cases are going on in Lucknow, Barabanki and
Faizabad courts in which even the statements of
polices own witnesses are in contradiction with
what police has written in its report. Hence, she
said, government should consider the fallacies
and solve them at the earliest. She said that it is
the job of courts to give their verdicts but one per-
son is acquitted by one court and another person
who is chargesheeted in the same case is pro-
nounced guilty by another court. A bomb blast
case in which police claims to have arrested per-
sons in Faizabad, Barabanki and Lucknow, in the
same case separate statements have been
recorded in these three cities which make the
whole case doubtful. These are the points on the
basis of which, after careful study, government can
issue release order.
She said that every body knows what hap-
pened in Hyderabad and Malegaon. Ninety-nine
percent cases are those in which innocent persons
were kept in jails for years, tortured and subjected
to other inhuman treatments but later courts acquit-
ted them after finding them innocent. In jails
because of untold brutalities many of them became
sick or crippled. She said that in Malegaon many
Muslims were arrested and when it was proved that
others were complicit in that case and they were
arrested and presented in courts also but inspite of
that those innocent Muslims have still not been
released, which is a great danger for democracy.
She said that if such treatment was meted out to
me, after release I would certainly have become a
terrorist, but I salute those young and innocent citi-
zens who after their honourable acquittal did not
indulge in any revengeful act and giving priority to
the integrity and unity of the country acted with a
spirit of patience. She said that she suspects that
the arrest of innocent persons is a deep conspiracy
to further promote terrorism and they (police and
other interested persons) appear to be working on
the principle of first accuse innocent persons false-
ly, arrest and put them in jails, torture them physical-
ly and mentally, harass, frighten and mentally afflict
their family members so that when released after
long years of incarceration, they may be compelled
to take extreme steps (indulge in terrorism). (As
spoken to GHUFRAN NASEEM translated from
Urdu)
Arrest of innocent persons a conspiracy to
promote terrorism: Prof. Verma
NATIONAL
6 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012
New Delhi: A press conference was held in the Press Club of India, Delhi
on 11 April in support of senior journalist Muhammad Ahmad Kazmi, who
was arrested after a bomb blast in the car of an Israeli diplomat in
February, when it was stated that he was arrested under pressure from
Israels secret agency Mossad. A committee in support of his release,
named Kazmi Solidarity Committee to serve
as a pressure group was also constituted on
this occasion which included about 20
important persons of different departments
including among others Ajit Sahi, Ali Javed,
Anuradha Chinoy, Collin Gonsalvis, Iftekhar
Gilani, Kuldip Nayyar, Mahesh Bhat, John
Cherian, Javed Naqvi, Praful Bidwai,
Shabnam Hashmi, Sayeed Naqvi, Seema
Mustafa, Zafar Agha and so on. Members of
this Committee demanded in the press con-
ference release of Kazmi and said that his
arrest and period of remand is illegal.
Seema Mustafa in her speech asked when
he was arrested on 6 March at 11 a.m., why
his arrest was shown at 12 midnight?, why
did police take such a long remand of 20
days?, why and how he was presented in
court before the completion of remand peri-
od?, why inspite of one months arrest,
chargesheet was not filed against him?, who
gave the right to the police to act illegally against him? These and other
similar questions were raised by journalists and other speakers and said
that these things put a question mark on the polices working methodolo-
gy. She said that Kazmis faults are that he is a Muslim, secondly he is an
Urdu journalist and thirdly he writes in support of Iran which is being tar-
getted by U.S.A. and Israel. She said that Delhi Police tried to implicate
Kazmis wife Jahan Ara also, saying that amounts from foreign countries
including Iran are deposited in her bank account. In the same meeting
Jahan Ara gave complete details of the Rs. 18 lakh in her account, with
documentary proofs which her sons had sent from Dubai through bank
transfers.
Committee members said that Kazmi has been arrested under pres-
sure of USA and Israel and that he has been made a scapegoat because
as a journalist he has been writing in favour of Iran and pointing out the
conspiracies, high handedness and arm-twisting by USA and Israel
against Iran and their conspiracies to destroy Irans nuclear facilities
which Iran claims to be for peaceful purposes though these very countries
are notorious for stock piling and proliferating nuclear arms.
Mrs. Shabnam Hashmi and other members said that similar was the case
of Iftekhar Gilani whom the police had tried its best to implicate in fake
cases but he had to be acquitted in the absence and lack of proofs and
witnesses. Shabnam Hashmi also asked why Special Cell targets only
Muslims. The Committee members resolved to continue their struggle in
support of Kazmi till he is finally released. Committee members also said
that this Committee will work for the release not only of Kazmi but of all
those whom the police has falsely implicated and jailed.
In this meeting Shabnam Hashmi revealed that Special Cell person-
nel compelled her to sign on a blank paper but did not tell her why and
what will be written in that paper and said that this is how police collects
proofs to implicate innocent people in false cases. She said that she has
written a letter to Chief Metropolitan Magistrate pointing out all these
things. Another speaker Manisha Sethi, a human rights activist while
describing Kazmi innocent, demanded that the chargesheet against him
must be filed at the earliest so that people also should know what fabri-
cated charges against him have been levelled by police.
Next day i.e. on 12 April night a candle light march was also held at
India Gate in support of the release of Kazmi. In another meeting in his
support at Lucknow a rail roko campaign was arranged by Maulana Kalbe
Jawad at Char Bagh railway station on 15 April if by that time Kazmi was
not released. However, on chief minister Akhilesh Yadavs appeal,
Maulana Jawad agreed to suspend the rail roko agitation on the CMs
assurance that he will take him (Maulana Jawad) to National Ganga River
Basin Authoritys meeting where he can meet Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh and take up the issue of Kazmis release with him (P.M.). On the
sideline of this meeting to consider the steps for cleaning of river Ganga,
Maulana Jawad met the prime minister and while describing Kazmis
arrest under a conspiracy, invited his attention to the series of arrests,
oppressions against Muslims on false and fictitious grounds. In a memo-
randum submitted to the prime minister he also complained and strongly
criticised the home minister Chidambarams and Congress governments
anti Muslim policy. NA ANSARI
RAM PUNIYANI
ram.puniyani@gmail.com
In Saidabad and
Madannapeth areas of
Hyderabad (1st week of
April, 2012) violence was
unleashed against the local
Muslims. In this violence
several houses were dam-
aged, many were injured
and women were raped. Just before the inci-
dent, Praveen Togadia had given an inflamma-
tory speech in the area. There was news that
fundamentalists (read Muslims) have thrown
beef and green colour into the Hanuman tem-
ple. This news was enough to instigate violence.
Police succeeded in arresting the culprits, who
turned out to belong to the Hindutva communal
outfits.
On the New Year eve (1st January, 2012),
in Sindagi town of Bijapur, Pakistani flag was
seen on government buildings. The news
spread like wildfire and violence which followed
led to the burning of six state transport buses
and many other vehicles. As it turned out, it was
the activists of Sri Ram Sene of Pramod
Muthalik, a former RSS pracharak (propagator),
who first hoisted the Pakistani flag and then
went about telling people about the same. There
are many more dimensions of both these acts of
violence, brought in by using religious identity,
symbols and emotive appeals.
Communal violence is a cancer which has
spread into the body politic of our society. The
very foundation of communal violence is based
on social common sense the hate the other
ideology built around myths and biases preva-
lent against the others. As such, communal
violence is the superficially visible part of deep
communal politics deriving its legitimacy from
the identity of religion.
To begin with, the hatred for the other
community started getting consolidated around
the communal projection of history, supplement-
ed by aspects from the present social life of a
community, exaggerated and put forward in a
derogatory way. In the pre-Partition period, the
violence emerged from both communal streams
and the British played as neutral umpires.
With Partition, Muslim communalism got
deflated, violence changed its form and started
assuming different trends leading to rise of con-
servatism and orthodoxy amongst Muslims. The
minority communalism promoted more conser-
vative values amongst minorities and also
offered provocations to the majority communal-
ism. After the quiet period after the ghastly post-
Partition riots, violence started surfacing after
1961 with Jabalpur violence in the wake of
which Pundit Nehru, the then Prime minister,
constituted National Integration Council which
has been playing some insignificant role in pro-
moting national integration. It is more of a debat-
ing club, meeting once a while, forgetting about
the issue in the intervening period.
The communal violence, where two com-
munities are made to pit against each other, has
been changing its character and now communal
groups which are on the provoking and attack-
ing spree, have a clear goal of intimidating and
subjugating the religious minorities. At the same
time the pretext is manufactured that Muslims
are violent or Christians have attacked, that
they begin the violence and then get the
deserved punishment. This again is a totally
make-believe false construct.
The two recent incidents mentioned above
amply show the anatomy of manufacturing a
riot. The majoritarian communal streams have
built up their strength by polarizing the commu-
nities along religious lines. Founded on the
deeper biases against minorities, the rumours
played the role of triggering the violence, or
rumours play as the precipitating factor in the
hate-the-other game. Many ready-made
rumours have been used, like killing of the cow,
abduction/rape of Hindu women, cutting of the
breast of women, desecration of the holy
place/book etc. The recent addition to the list is
the Pakistani flag, which is quite an innovation.
The violence by and large is a planned one
and is made to look as spontaneous, that too
sparked by the minorities. The Hyderabad and
Sindagi incidents are new pointers to this.
Earlier in Kandhamal, violence was triggered on
the pretext of the death of Swami Laxmananand
who, it was claimed to have been killed by
Maoists. Swami Laxmananands dead body was
taken in a procession through Christian minority
areas, and rivers of blood followed. The Gujarat
violence was undertaken in a pre-planned man-
ner on the pretext of the burning of train in
Godhra and the merchants of death followed
with their guns and daggers. In Mumbai after the
demolition of the Babri Mosque, some Muslim
youth allegedly threw stones on a police station,
Shiv Sena activists threw gulal (orange colour of
celebration used by Hindus) on a mosque and
Bal Thackeray gave the call for teaching them
a lesson. So far many inquiry commissions and
citizens tribunals have pointed out the role of
the majoritarian communal organizations.
Starting from the report of Bhiwandi riots
(Madon Commission) to Mumbai violence (Sri
Krishna Commission), their conclusions are
similar to a large extent: the riot instigation is
done in a way as if Muslims threw the first stone
or Christians precipitated the violence.
Dr. V.N. Rai, a senior police officer, did his
doctoral work on the theme of riots between
1968-1980 (Combating Communal Conflicts),
and a longish quote from this book will enlighten
us on the issue:
Very often the way in which the first stone
is thrown or the first hand is raised in aggres-
sion, suggests an outside agency at work, an
agency that wants to create a situation in which
members of the minority community commit an
act which ignites severe retribution for them-
selves. In order to guard them against external
criticism and to preserve their self-righteous-
ness, violence is projected to be started by
Muslims. It is as if a weaker person is pushed
into the corner by a stronger, forcing him to raise
his hand so that he may be suitably punished for
his attack. Before the punishment is meted out,
a suitable hue and cry can be made about the
fact that because the person cornered is natu-
rally wicked and violent, he is bound to attack
first. (pp. 56-57).
Now there is some change in the trajectory
of the riot instigation. There is a continuity and
change in the issues used to manufacture the
riots. Now the communal elements are becom-
ing bolder to hoist the Pakistani flag or to throw
a piece of beef and green colour more boldly.
The other change is the relative increase in the
percentage of victims belonging to the minority
community. By 1980s, 65% of victims were
Muslims (V.N.Rai), in 1991 it was 80% (Union
Home ministry data) and by 2001 this percent-
age has further gone up. These data tell their
own tale. The communal violence has polarized
the communities along religious lines, and has
given flesh and blood to the communal politics.
It has laid the foundation for identity-related
issues coming to the fore and marginalizing the
core issues of society.
While large number of measures are need-
ed to curb the communal violence and to snub
the organizations deliberately playing mischief,
it is imperative that multi-layered approach is
taken up to bring peace and harmony in the
society.
We need to battle against the stereotypes
and biases at all levels amongst the people and
amongst the administration. At the same time a
major step of setting up inter-religious commit-
tees in all the areas can combat the rumours or
find the truth as to who had hoisted the flag or
thrown beef, and this may prevent the violence
in many a situation. (Issues in Secular Politics)
Manufacturing a Riot
Committee formed to demand Ahmad Kazmis release
Bengal govt to pay
honorarium to
imams
In order to implement a scheme to pay a monthly
allowance of Rs 2500 to 30,000 imams in the
state, the West Bengal government has started to
distribute forms so that imams could start drawing
their monthly allowance as soon as possible.
According to the Ministry of Minority Affairs in the
state, the distribution of forms is to be carried out
from the offices of the district magistrate and block
development officers.
Chief Minister Mamata Benerjee recently
announced before a huge gathering of state
imams in Kolkata a scheme to pay a monthly
allowance of Rs 2500 to 30000 imams, along with
some additional benefits so that they can build
their houses and educate their children. The
scheme would be further extended to another
10,000 imams in the state. There are about 70,000
imams in the state. Under the scheme, those
imams who are not enrolled on the Waqf list can
also receive the monthly allowance provided the
mosque where they lead the prayer was built
before first January 2012.
In her reaction to the criticism by the BJP that
it is an effort by her party to communalise the state
before next years panchayat elections, Chief
Minister Bannerjee said that imams pray for us
and therefore it becomes our moral and social
responsibility to do something for them so that
they can live happily with their families. BJP is
opposed to any benefit for Muslims by any govern-
ment anywhere in India and Bengal is not an
exception. Rahul Sinha, state BJP president, has
strongly opposed the move to provide a monthly
allowance to imams including free education for
their children by saying that the step undertaken
by the chief minister is only to buy Muslim votes
ahead of the panchayat election. The BJP chief
has threatened to launch a state-wide protest
against the move which will cost the state excheq-
uer Rs 90 crore monthly.
The proposal of the allowance to imams is
being looked into by a task force of leaders from
the Muslim community and would get the govern-
ments nod only if it is approved by the task force
constituted to study the pros and cons of this pro-
posal. MOHAMMAD NAUSHAD KHAN
The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012 7
NATIONAL
NA ANSARI
C
ommunal riots erupted in Hyderabad on Sunday 8 April
morning when some devotees found some parts of a
dead animal wrapped in a green cloth outside a place of
worship (temple) near the sensitive Saidabad locality.
This obviously infuriated the people who took out a rally and pro-
cession shouting slogans. When the news of this incident spread,
people of the other community came out in strength and there
was heavy stone pelting and brickbatting at each other. Some
cases of stabbing also were reported at some places. At first at
least five persons were reportedly injured in stabbing, brickbatting
in addition to damages to vehicles. In one locality some private
vehicles were damaged. About a dozen buses of A.P. State Road
Transport Corporation were damaged. Police resorted to lathi
charge and firing of tear gas shells. About 15 persons were
injured in stone pelting including three in stabbing incidents and
about 70 persons were arrested at different places in two days.
According to Hyderabads Police Commissioner A.K. Khan about
50 persons involved in rioting and violence were identified on the
first day, against whom strict action will be taken. In order to con-
trol the situation further, indefinite curfew was clamped in
Saidabad and Madannapet, two sensitive localities and prohibito-
ry order i.e. Section 144 was promulgated in most parts of the
city.
Curfew in the above localities continued for about three days
and when the people were put to great difficulties they threatened
to come out. For the first time curfew was relaxed for four hours
on 11 April so that people could purchase essential items of daily
use. It was however reimposed after four hours at around 3 p.m.
When it was relaxed next day i.e. on 12th some unsocial ele-
ments of both communities misused it and both temple and a
mosque were desecrated in Kishan Bagh and Bahadurpura
areas. While pieces of animal flesh were thrown into a temple, a
butchered dog was thrown into mosque. Two motorcycles were
set on fire in one locality and in another locality five bikes were
burnt. An autorickshaw also was set afire in yet another locality.
Inspite of police claims of having brought the situation under
control with firm action against rioters, human rights organisation,
Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee has strongly criticised
polices criminal silence and inaction in dealing with the situation
firmly and impartially. After touring and reviewing the situation in
riot-hit areas of Saidabad and Madannapet its members present-
ed a memorandum to Police Commissioner A.K. Khan saying that
police failed to rein in Hindu communalists and RSS-led outfits
and gave members of V.H.P., BJP, B.D. etc. free hand in attack-
ing members and properties of the minority community. Convener
of this Committee Latif Muhammad Khan said that members of
RSS-led gangs are given a free hand to spoil the peaceful atmos-
phere of the city. He said that communal poison has penetrated
deep in the states police force with the result that these mischie-
vous and communal forces have no fear of law and were
indulging in provocative slogans. He said that violence erupted
when VHPs Praveen Togadia, against whom many cases are
registered in Hyderabad for breach of peace, delivered provoca-
tive and hate mongering speech against Muslims and Christians
on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti under police protection.
Instead of arresting him for preaching communal hatred, police
gave him full protection. Immediately after his speech supporters
of VHP and BJP under the leadership of BJP councillor Sahdev
Yadav started attacking Muslims and misbehaved with their
women folk but the police remained a silent spectator. Only then
Muslims came out to defend themselves. He said that the police,
instead of protecting Muslims gave a free hand to the rioters. He
also blamed the Police Commissioner A.K. Khan and said that as
Police Commissioner, instead of pleasing his Congress masters
he should have performed his duties professionally, honestly and
strictly and dealt with the rioters and Hindutva forces with a firm
hand or resign because he has become a burden on Muslims.
It may also be stated in this connection that these communal
riots had their origin in the earlier riot at Sangareddy which had
broken out on 29 March in which T. Jayprakash Reddy, a con-
gress MLA from Sangareddy, had a lead role. He in fact has a
VHP background but had defected to the congress a few years
ago but in the Sangareddy riot he openly sided with the rioters
who had attacked Muslims. According to police officials in
Communal Violence Cell of Special Branch of Hyderabad police
he enjoys proximity to A.P. chief minister Kiran Reddy. Police
have enough material against him in Sangaredy communal riot
but have not touched him because of him being close to the C.M.
Sangareddy town is in Telangana region where the BJP and RSS
outfits are in a stronger position and where the Congress is rela-
tively weak. When riots broke out in Sangareddy, Special Branch
of Hyderabad Police was anticipating a bigger riot in Hyderabad
on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti Day on 6 April. And thats
what actually happened. Though Sangareddy riots were brought
under control, its embers had not completely died down and
flared up only a week later in Hyderabad through the machina-
tions of Jayprakash Reddy, Togadia (whose entry in Hyderabad
was not considered desirable but he reached there by force and
made, as usual, a provocative speech) and others of their ilk.
After about a week, day curfew was completely withdrawn as the
situation became normal, as it had to be in any case.
Communal riots in Hyderabad
Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Home Affairs in his reply to a
question by GN Ratanpuri, MP Rajya Sabha said that key recom-
mendations aimed at creating an impact on the well being of var-
ious segments in the state have been implemented. In May 2006,
five groups were constituted by the Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh as PMs Working Groups on Kashmir.
On the question by Ratnapuri about the five working groups
formed to look into political, social and economic issues of
Jammu and Kashmir he claimed that the groups have submitted
their recommendations and when the ministers response was
that the groups have submitted their recommendations on all
issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir in January 2007, like
Work Groups 1 and 11 in March 2007 and Work groups III and IV
and Work Group V in December 2009. But, Ali Mohammad Sagar,
minister for law and parliamentary affairs Jammu and Kashmir
while reacting to the claim made by the Centre said that present-
ly the Justice Saghir-led working group on Centre-state relation is
still looking into the matter and the cabinet and sub committee on
this group have not yet finalised its recommendations. He further
said that he is also not aware of the fate of the recommendations
of the other four Working groups constituted by the prime minis-
ter.
Opposition leader, Mehbooba Mufti in her reply to the claim
made by the Centre on the working groups recommendations
said that nothing has been done on various recommendations
like repeal of AFSPA, return of power project to the state, rehabil-
itation of kith and kin of the militants, trade and on the Centre and
state relations. CPI-M state secretary, M Y Tarigami holds that so
far the state govt has not presented the action taken report on the
recommendations in the assembly. No doubt the working groups
were constituted by the prime minister but the onus to organise
these groups was solely on the state government.
Of these five groups one was headed by the Vice President
Hamid Ansari on confidence building measures. Ansari had earli-
er opined that stringent laws operational during the height of mil-
itancy like the AFSPA and the Disturbed Areas Act should be
reviewed and revoked. He had also asked for a review of the
cases of all persons in jail and general amnesty to be granted to
those with minor offences.
SC for probe into all fake encounters
The Supreme Court has now decided to investigate all fake
encounters across India and in this regard has issued notices on
13 April to the Centre, and all states government, Union territories
and the National Human Rights Commission. The apex court has
issued notices on Gujarat governments petitions seeking an
independent probe into all cases of alleged encounters by the
police in the past 10 years in the country.
The PIL by the Gujarat government was moved following crit-
icism of the state government by the Supreme Court for its han-
dling of the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case. The Gujarat gov-
ernment in order to present its case before the Supreme Court
asked the court to look into the Mumbai encounters, where dur-
ing 1998-2000 at least 300 encounters were conducted by the
special police squad. A bench of Justices Aftab Alam and
Ranjana P Desai issued notice to the Centre, state governments,
NHRC on Gujarats petition after arguments from the states addi-
tional advocate General Tushar Mehta. In order to press its case
further the Gujarat government argued that for the 300 odd
encounters in Mumbai the Mumbai police followed the Israeli
strategy of an eye for an eye as, this was official claim at that
point of time. Most of these encounter specialists or officers who
were part and parcel of these operations were lauded as super
heroes and at times also glorified in films. The Gujarat govern-
ment also argued that social and human rights activists have
turned a blind eye to human rights violations outside Gujarat. In
this regard the Gujarat government has demanded probe into all
encounters across India on the lines of Gujarat.
The Modi government also gave the example of the fake
encounter killing of Harshad Rane by the Thane police on 26
October 2005 where the state government had refused to follow
NHRCs directive to pay Rs 5 lakh compensation to the victims
family on the ground that it would demoralise the state police
force because the person killed was a hardcore criminal. The
Gujarat government in its arguments also wanted to make a point
with this example, that while ensuring that human rights are pro-
tected it should also be taken into account that the police force is
not left demoralised.
In January 2012 the Supreme Court had ordered the
Monitoring Authority headed by MB Shah, retired judge of the
Supreme Court, to investigate all encounters in Gujarat that took
place between 2002 to 2006. The order was passed by a Bench of
Justices Aftab Alam and CK Prasad on two petitions filed by Jawed
Akhter and BG Varghese in which they had sought a CBI probe into
the 22 fake encounters during the period of 2002 to 2006. In March
2012 the Supreme Court appointed Justice H S Bedi as the chair-
man of the monitoring authority looking into the cases of 22 alleged
fake encounters in Gujarat between 2002 and 2006. HS Bedi was
appointed for the task because the Supreme Court wanted the
monitoring of the cases to be done by some one whose integrity is
beyond any question
MOHAMMAD NAUSHAD KHAN
Centre claims key recommendations implemented but J&K govt not aware
Zionist lobby and Sangh
Parivar are one and same
Every one knows that Narendra Modi had tried twice to go to
America but was unsuccessful. America refused him visa
because the American administration also considered him guilty
of the massacre of Muslims and hence he could not be allowed
into America. Subsequently, however, the American embassy in
India sent a secret report to the American administration about
Modi in which the embassy reportedly said that the American
administration should now change its stand on Modi. It is worth
consideration what factors could have influenced the American
embassy in India, though belatedly, to realise the importance and
value of Modi. Was it only because of the efforts of the Gujarati
lobby in America? Even if so, we will have to admit that like the
Zionist lobby, there is a Gujarati lobby also in America which too
has become capable of influencing the American administration.
It is also true that people in the Zionist lobby itself have a soft cor-
ner for Modi. In addition to this, the relationship between the
Zionist lobby and Sangh parivar is no secret now and the com-
mon interest binding both of them is the anti-Muslim feeling.
Israels attitude and behaviour towards Palestinians in the past,
and even now, is more or less the same which was adopted by
Modi towards Muslims in Gujarat misusing his official powers. If
the above mentioned report of the American embassy in India is
seen in this background, it will be clear that this report was the
result of the common lobbying and efforts of Zionists and Sangh
Parivar which made the American embassy officials realise the
importance of Modi. The way Modi is now being projected in
some American magazines and journals shows that a section of
the American press now acknowledges the importance of Indias
official machinery which misleads the political leadership in
power. Indias defence deals with Israel are living examples of
this. People like Modi and elements associated with the Sangh
family are laying great emphasis on cooperation with Israel in
tackling the problem of terrorism in India so that with the help of
Israel the biggest minority in India could be crushed in the same
way as Israel has been crushing the Palestinians. The hostility of
people like Modi and the Sangh towards Muslims is neither sur-
prising nor unexpected but what if within the Congress itself there
are elements who have a soft corner for Israel. Chief minister of
Rajstahans Congress government Ashok Gehlot had recently
advised the farmers to learn lessons from Israels progress!
(Editorial of Sahafat Urdu daily, 23 March 2012 -- translated from
Urdu)
Vibrant Gujarat brings tear to
the eyes of U.S. diplomats
Ahmedabad: Ignoring the protocol of prior intimation to govern-
ment officers who finalise the visit arrangements of a foreign dig-
nitary, the US Consul General Peter Hasse and M. Robert decid-
ed to have a first-hand experience of peoples woes and what
they saw in vibrant Gujarat was enough to move them - tears
welling up in their eyes.
The two officers reached Citizen Nagar locality alongwith rep-
resentatives of Jan Vikas Sanstha. The visit was kept a highly
guarded secret. Neither the media nor the local police had any
inkling of it. They wanted to make it a surprise visit so as to
come face to face with reality unadulterated by the propaganda of
development.
When they asked the people, with the help of interpreters,
whether they would prefer to return to their former homes to their
forced stay at Citizen Nagar, the respondents replied that the
shrieks and sighs of their familys women, who were raped and
torched during the massacre and flying bullets continue to haunt
their ears and eyes. Even if offered palatial mansions, they would
not return to the sites of the ghastly crimes. They apprised that
inspite of the generous support of NGOs who provided them with
residential quarters, neither government agencies nor the munic-
ipal corporation did provide them any kind of basic amenities like
sanitation, sewers, tap water or any other facility.
The group wanted to ensure the facts vis--vis the tall, claims
of a vibrant Gujarat that post-2002, the state made significant
progress. Reality brought tears into their eyes.
The delegation comprised two US officers flanked by local
councillor Shahzad Pathan, Munnabhai Sumra of Dani LImda
ward, social worker Ismail Bhai, Mohiyuddin Bhai of Citizen
Nagar, lady social workers Khatun Bibi and Reshma Banu and
members of Jan Vikas Samiti Aruna Gati, Vijay Parmar, Anurag,
Gitaben, Rashida Ben etc. (Translated from Gujarat Today: 28
March 2012)
NATIONAL
8 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012
HAIDER ABBAS
Lucknow: The first month of Samajwadi Partys
new government in UP, under Akhilesh Yadav,
has seen an unprecedented attention to
Muslims in politics. SP supremo Mulayam Singh
Yadav has claimed that cent per cent Muslims
have voted for his party, but the party could not
move forward due to its inherent contradictions
inherited from the body-politic of the country
from pre-Independence times.
Before focussing on the new political dis-
pensation of UP, it would be worthwhile to look
back in history. Back in 1946, when after the
provincial elections in India, Syed Mehmood,
the general-secretary of Congress party and the
tallest leader in Bihar was made to step down,
after Congress had attained a majority, and Shri
Krishna Sinha, a Bhumihar was appointed as
the CM instead. Congress failed in its secular-
ism test. The second failure came too soon in
the shape of the humiliation meted to Nariman.
He was a Parsi who enjoyed an exalted position
in Bombay State (incorporating the current
Maharashtra and Gujarat) and when Congress
had to form its government there, he was
elbowed out in favour of BG Kher, a
Maharashtrian Brahmin. The message was loud
and clear: minorities had only to vote for the
majority and only Hindus would rule the roost.
The inherent lines were clear but some aberra-
tions like Abdul Ghafoor and AR Antulay etc.
The final stamp of approval to this policy was
affixed when Congress president Maulana Abul
Kalam Azad (1939-46) was forced to stand
down in favour of a Brahmin, Jawahralal Nehru,
an act desired by no less than MK Gandhi.
Perhaps, the past seems to be all the more
close. The inherent principle has worked well,
without exception, for any political party. The
post-March 6 developments have aptly reaf-
firmed this. The party won an unprecedented
majority, and very next day the parliamentary-
board meeting was called despite it being a fes-
tival day. Why was the desperate hurry? Media
started crying aloud: let Akhilesh be the CM, and
anyone on the street was picked up by eager TV
crews to pump the air for Akhilesh. SPs found-
ing member Muhammed Azam Khan, who had
played an instrumental role in SP victory, was
still in his home-town of Rampur.
Tipu, as Akhilesh is called by his family
members, thus became the Sultan of UP. Azam
proposed his name which was unanimously
approved. But anyone who has slightest inkling
of UP politics had an understanding that SP chief
Mulayam Singh Yadav was in favour of his son
to wear the crown. Much before the UP polls
were announced Azam had convened a meet-
ing, of Mulayams family members at Etawa,
which included Ram Gopal Yadav (Mulayams
cousin) , Shivpal Yadav (Mulayams younger
brother) and Akhilesh to make a consensual
announcement that only Mulayam would be the
CM. All the Yadavs were until then busy pushing
their own CM dream. All such speculations were
put to rest as Azam never wanted any conflicting
signal to go out before the polls. An apparent
blanket was thus maintained, but slowly the
ground was prepared for Akhilesh.
Mulayam maintained a straight demeanor
but the party was agog with Akhilesh as the next
CM. Contrast this with Ram Manohar Lohia, the
inspiration of Mulayam and the one who had
once scathingly attacked Nehru during the
debate of the first no-confidence-motion brought
against Congress government in 1962. Lohia
had accused Nehru of nepotism over the pres-
ence of BK Nehru, RK Nehru and General BM
Kaul-all Kashmiri Brahmins, in the higher eche-
lons of the government at the time. Lohia was
hardest when he accused Nehru for plotting for
his daughter to succeed him. Today, this
Congress legacy is hailed practically by every
Indian party.
The chances for a Muslim CM were the
brightest as when Mulayam was to step down,
Azam would automatically succeed him. Politics
could have gone well with the approaching gen-
eral elections in 2014, and thereafter Mulayam
and Azam shifting to Delhi, leaving Akhilesh in
the saddle. No one can deny that throughout
electioneering there was a dominant view that
Azam would be the next CM.
The voices for a Muslim CM had been gain-
ing momentum particularly since the day when
Congress party general secretary Rahul Gandhi
had said that a Muslim too can become the PM.
Peace Party, which finished with a tally of four
(three Muslims), had openly campaigned with
the slogan of a Muslim CM in UP. This line
became all the more resounding, owing to the
massive Muslim turnout in favour of SP, which
gave a genuine reason for installing Azam as
the next CM. But, then remember 1946.
A
fter the formal announcement of Akhilesh as
CM, proposed by Azam, all decks were
cleared. There was a euphoria in whole of UP.
Azam himself was quite ecstatic, as after all, he
also has nurtured Akhilesh all these years.
Reflections come thick and high. In 2000. As
Yadav contested his first parliamentary election
on Kannauj seat vacated by his father. He had
to face an uphill task against Akbar Ahmed
Dumpy who had made the young Yadav look
like a playball by his vocal jibes, until Azam
arrived in Kannauj and this notched the first vic-
tory for young Yadav. Kannauj has a consider-
able Muslim presence ever since the days of the
Sultanate.
Twelve years later Akhilesh takes up the
reins. His Kranti Rath was flagged off by Azam
and very soon there were nine pearls (on the lines
of Akbar) around Yadav, who were ready with
advice. One such pearl was Rajiv Rai who had
aired that every senior party leader would have to
comply with Akhilesh or else he would meet the
fate of DPYadav, the known criminal who was dis-
allowed by the SP high command after he had
attended a function addressed by Azam.
Azam went to party office and offered not to
take any portfolio in the government. He said
that DP Yadavs supposed induction had taken
place only at the behest of Mulayam Singh. At
this stage Azam had to face the most severe
criticism of his life. Mohan Singh, a party stal-
wart who had supported DP Yadavs inclusion,
was scaled down from his spokesperson posi-
tion. Thus Mulayam brought two senior party
leaders to their knees with one stroke.
After the administration of the oath on
15 March, murmurs started immediately.
Akhilesh had inducted in his cabinet Raghuraj
Pratap Singh, popularly known as Raja
Bhaiyya and known for his criminal record. The
first impression was that SP still remains a party
of goondas. New comers like Abhishek Misra
and party hoppers like Raja Anand Singh, were
given high profile portfolios at the expense of
long-time faithful cadres.
The cabinet had six Yadavs, five Thakurs,
three Muslims, three Brahmins and two Dalits.
Out of 28 ministers of state seven were
Muslims, two Yadavs and five Dalits - in sharp
contrast with the SP tally in the elections: 21
Brahmins, 30 Thakurs, 43 Muslims, 56 Dalits,
65 OBCs and nine others.
Akhilesh Yadav had announced that people
from across the board, irrespective of caste,
region or religious lines had voted for SP. The
statement was simplistic. It was punctured by
the statement of the outgoing CM Mayawati that
70% of Muslims had voted for SP. This despite
the fact that BSP had got 14 Muslims out of the
tally of 80.
T
he stage, even if inadvertently, was all in
favour of Muslims, particularly after
Mayawatis statement. It was construed, per-
haps rightly so, that Muslims have finally won
such importance in UP, the most dominant part
of northern India, for the first time after
Independence. Muslims officially make 19.8 %
of the UP population, and this translates into
around 40 million UP voters, which represents
the largest numeric strength of a group in the
country. Muslims no doubt are a deciding factor
is as many of around 140 out of the 403 con-
stituencies in UP. The last two decades of
Muslim voting pattern has amply suggested that
the strategy to vote en bloc for any party, has in
a way catapulted Muslims into a major political
power.
I
mmediately after the installation of the UP gov-
ernment came the Rajya Sabha elections.
Mayawati won alongwith Munqad Ali. Congress
too followed suit as it nominated Rasheed
Masood for the same. He was previously in the
house on account of SP from which he had
resigned. All eyes were then turned on SP. But
the party chose only a single Muslim out of six
for the upper house. Mayawati was 50%,
Congress 100% and SP 16.6% in its priority to
Muslims. BSP and Congress gave clear signals
for the 2014 that Muslims will now be all the
more placated while SP gave a negative signal.
T
he Shahi Imam of Delhi Jama Masjid, Syed
Ahmed Bukhari and Azam are btes noires.
On Jan 28, Mulayam brought Bukhari to cam-
paign for SP ignoring Azams protests. Bukhari
is not a party worker while Azam is one of the
founders of SP and yet he was not heeded.
Bukhari was supposed to campaign with
Mulayam whose game was simple: he wanted
to get photographed with Bukhari in contrast to
his earlier frame with Kalyan Singh. It is known
that Bukhari is always in for a hard bargain. His
earlier flirtations with Congress, BSP and even
with NDA are well known. His son-in-law Umar
Ali Khan had lost miserably in the elections. Any
Muslim losing as an SP candidate in its high tide
wave speaks volumes for his despicable posi-
tion in his constituency. But Bukhari would not
relent. He insisted that his younger brother be
sent to Rajya Sabha, which did not materialise
and this forced him to raise his Muslim-under-
representation cry, ultimately settling for Umar
to be sent to UP legislative council. A duel fol-
lowed between Bukhari and Azam who was
snubbed by his party. Mulayam remained mute
during this fight of words. SP gave a signal that
Azam, howsoever indispensable he might be,
can also be cut short.
T
he expulsion of Azam before the 2009 gen-
eral elections on the issue of Babri Masjid
demolition-accused Kalyan Singhs induction
into SP had led to the worst misfortune for
Mulayam. None of his Muslim candidates won in
2009 and the party came down tumbling to half
of its 2004 tally. But no Muslim MLA from SP
resigned from the party over Azams expulsion.
There were 13 Muslim MLAs from SP in 2007.
The second factor is a pent-up anti-Ashraf sen-
timent. The anti-Muslim lobby of SP is over-
whelmingly from Muslim OBCs. This lobby
never wanted Azam to be re-inducted in the
party but he was finally re-inducted as a result of
the Sept 30, 2010 Lucknow High Court order
which went into the favour of the Hindu side in
the Ramjanambhumi/Babri Masjid case.
Muslims felt cheated and humiliated. Mulayam
sensed it and called it a betrayal to Muslims.
This stand made Muslims vote for SP.
But, why so immediately did Mulayam press
the panic button over Bukhari? Why did he yield
to Bukhari at the expense of Azam? Azam did
ridicule Bukhari who had called for a cannon ball
and settled for a knife, and that too in the garb
of his son-in-law getting a seat and in its wake
claiming to have cleared all outstanding Muslim
issues.
The answer perhaps lies in Mulayams fixa-
tion on 2014. He does not want to make any
trouble to lose Muslim votes. His own failing
health might be another reason for his Bukhari
romance.
The Muslim
syndrome in UP politics
Bukhari was supposed to campaign with Mulayam whose game was
simple: he wanted to get photographed with Bukhari in contrast to his
earlier frame with Kalyan Singh. It is known that Bukhari is always in
for a hard bargain. His earlier flirtations with Congress, BSP and even
with NDA are well known.
The Archaeological
Survey of India has
failed to make its
detailed report on the
Babri Masjid-Ram
Janmabhoomi site in
Ayodhya public even
after it was asked to
do so by the Chief
i n f o r m a t i o n
C o m m i s s i o n e r
Satyananda Mishra
on 29 February. The
CIC had asked the ASI to make the report pub-
lic within 10 days but more than one month has
passed by, but the Archaeological Survey of
India has not done what it was asked to do by
the CIC. Chief Information Commissioner
Satyananda Mishra had directed the ASI to
either disclose its
report on the disputed
site, or in case the dis-
closure has been pro-
hibited by the
Allahabad High Court
through its order, the
copy of that directive
must be provided to
activist Subhash
Agrawal. The ASI car-
ried out the survey of
the disputed site on
the directions of the Allahabad High Court.
Subhash Agrawal in his RTI application had
sought the copy of the report submitted by the
ASI. The ASI had earlier refused the document
by saying the report was meant only for the high
court. MG NEWS DESK
ASI fails to make Babri
survey report public
The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012 9
NATIONAL
New Delhi: The Central Advisory Council (CAC - Markazi Shura)
of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) in its recent session here demand-
ed the Government of India to stop forthwith chain-arresting of
innocent Muslim youths in the name of counter-terrorism. It also
stated that setting up of the proposed National Counter Terrorism
Centre (NCTC) will violate peoples human rights. The CAC laud-
ed the Muslims of Uttar Pradesh for acting wisely during the
recent assembly elections. Following is the text of the resolu-
tions:
Arrest of innocent Muslims in the name of fighting terrorism
CAC of JIH expresses its grave concern on the chain of illegal
detentions, kidnappings and fake encounters of Muslim youths,
raids on Muslim localities and houses, arrests, torture during
detention, registering umpteen cases with serious sections
against the arrested, arranging hundreds of false witnesses in
each case, and filing of chargesheets consisting of thousands of
pages - a chain that started during the NDA government after
9/11. Though, in the meantime, many Muslim youths have been
honourably acquitted by courts for want of evidence, many pre-
cious years of their lives have been ruined behind bars and they
with members of their families had to face public hate, social boy-
cott and financial difficulties as a result of the dirty tint of terror-
ism and character assassination by the media.
The CAC expected that after the exposure of Hindutva ter-
rorism, uncalled for arrests of Muslims and levelling false
charges against them would come to an end. However, following
a brief pause, the excesses of police and secret agencies have
started anew. On the other hand, cases of Hindutva terrorism are
being ignored so much so that the RSS men named in the
chargesheets have not yet been arrested.
The CAC feels that continuous baseless banning of the
Muslim students and youth organization, SIMI, implementation of
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and reference to the
fake organisation called Indian Mujahideen are in fact excuses
to provide a basis for this state terrorism.
The CAC also voices its deep concern and sorrow over the
disquieting fact that our national media is committing a heinous
crime of putting a large section of the country in the rank of crim-
inals by publishing concocted stories fed by police and secret
agencies without any investigation and often with added sensa-
tionalism and spice. But when these same youths come out of
the prison after having been declared innocent, the same media
does not feel ashamed of its previous attitude. This session of
CAC of JIH demands from the Governments at the Centre and in
states that they:
(1) Stop forthwith chain-arresting of innocent Muslims in the
name of counter terrorism; (2) Get the cases of Muslims, who
have been detained and implicated in various false cases, tried
by fast track courts; meanwhile release them on bail; (3) Pay
damages alongwith full compensation and take concrete meas-
ures to rehabilitate the persons who have been honourably
released by courts of law, and take legal action against the police
officials who had caused them irreparable loss by implicating
them in false cases; (4) Set up a judicial commission to initiate a
high-level probe into all major cases of terrorism. And
Governments at the Centre and in states should publish white
papers on all cases of terrorism; (5) Declare null and void the
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act which has been violating
human rights and acting as a refuge for oppressive and unjust
actions of the government and police, particularly since it has
been transformed into a black law by including all serious sec-
tions of POTA therein; and (6) Close forthwith the offices of for-
eign secret agencies on the Indian soil, and stop providing an
opportunity for any foreign agency to intervene in the internal
affairs of the country. With this unwise course of action, our gov-
ernment is endangering the national sovereignty.
National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC): The CAC sees
with concern the setting up of the National Counter Terrorism
Centre (NCTC) under the Union Home Ministry. The proposed
centre on the one hand equips the Intelligence Bureau (IB) with
extraordinary powers and on the other hand does not fix its
accountability. The issue is not only of intervention in the rights of
states but of equipping the Centre with extraordinary powers
which it will exploit through the IB. It is feared that it would affect
citizenship and human rights on a large scale. Therefore, various
justice-loving citizens and human rights activists have opposed
this centre.
With the proposed centre, IB will gain unusual powers such
as to gather secret information, and conduct search on citizens,
seize properties, get information from other secret agencies, and
to get its orders implemented through special forces. It has come
out now that the establishment of the IB and the powers given to
it are not under any Constitutional provision, nor is IB account-
able to any Constitutional institution. Therefore, giving such an
agency the rights of police will make it a demon. The CAC wants
to make it clear that it was IB whose baseless information led to
the arrest of innocent Muslim youths in the name of countering
terrorism in various states of the country, out of whom many have
been released by courts of law for want of evidence.
The CAC feels that as in the past, black laws (TADA, POTA,
MCOCA, and UAPA) formulated in the name of countering terror-
ism were used against weaker sections, especially Muslims, this
centre too will target Muslims. The CAC feels that the rights
police already have under CrPC are enough to face any kind of
law and order situation. Hence there is no need of any other law
or any other centre to counter terrorism. Therefore, the CAC
demands from the Government of India to remove the concerns
of Muslims and justice-loving citizens by withdrawing its propos-
al to set up this centre.
Political Change in Uttar Pradesh: This session of CAC deems
it necessary to express its feeling that the Muslim voters in Uttar
Pradesh, one of the five states which went to polls recently,
exhibited extraordinary prudence that made it possible to cause
political change in the state. Though different and contradictory
statements made by certain leaders of other parties on reserva-
tion and other issues had made the situation complicated,
Muslim voters let farsightedness prevail
and in most of the constituencies did
not allow their power to get divided. The
CAC also feels that due to lack of mutu-
al understanding between Muslim par-
ties, their performance could not prove
effective. Had there been some under-
standing, not only Muslim representa-
tion in the state assembly would have
further increased but also the way for
value-based politics would have been
paved. The CAC believes that the
defeat in Uttar Pradesh of both the big
national parties has proved that these
parties cannot hoodwink people by rais-
ing sensational and fraudulent slogans.
People had given a chance to BSP in
2007, but they lost the confidence of
people by squandering the resources of
the state on unnecessary and useless projects which resulted in
its defeat. Grave cases of corruption also played their role in this
fate of BSP. The result of elections in U.P. also proved that
Muslims in this state are a political power and they played a spe-
cial role in causing the worst defeat of the Congress. Muslim vot-
ers punished this party for its uncertain attitude towards the seri-
ous issue of terrorism. The CAC expects from Samajwadi Party
that it would keep the promises it made to the people, especially
to Muslims, and that it would keep in mind the warning the peo-
ple have given in the form of exemplary defeat of Mayawati.
Akhilesh Yadav must implement the measures he announced in
this regard soon after taking the oath of Chief Minister. The
Muslim youths who have been falsely implicated in cases of ter-
ror must be immediately released and due compensation be
given to them for their rehabilitation.
The scenario in Syria: The CAC of JIH sees with grave concern
the civil war in Syria and its governments use of power against
its own people. An analysis of the news coming out from Syria
reveals that western countries are playing a dual game there. On
the one hand, they are issuing statements against president
Bashar al-Assad and making announcements in support of the
people, and on the other hand they are helping the civil war linger
on in Syria. They are creating such a situation there that the gov-
ernment and the people fight against each other and become so
weak that the western powers may get an excuse to intervene
and act upon their agenda easily. The United Nations, in cooper-
ation with Arab League, had sent former UN Secretary General
Kofi Annan on a peace mission to Syria and Bashar al-Assad
agreed to the peace plan of Kofi Annan, according to which with-
drawal of troops from civilian areas, release of arrested protes-
tors, free movement of all journalists and freedom of protest were
to be ensured. But the latest information reveals that the Syrian
government did not act upon any one of these promises. The
army is continuously targeting civilians there The process of
public awareness against the oppressive government of Syria
started with the unrest in other Arab countries. The attitude of the
Syrian government towards protestors has been oppressive
since the very beginning. Over 10,000 persons have died during
this period of 13 months. The Syrian government is trying to pro-
vide excuse for its oppressive measures against the protestors
by declaring them as terrorists and looters. The CAC appeals to
Muslim countries, including Iran, to exert pressure on the rulers
of Syria to quit so that the western powers may not get a chance
to make armed intervention in Syria.
Resolutions of Jamaat-e-Islami Shura
SALMAN SULTAN
By summoning the files of incarcerated Tariq
Qasmi and Khalid Mujahid, UP chief minister
Akhilesh Yadav has shown his intention of dis-
pensing justice to all. Everyone, barring The
Hindu newspaper, knows that Tariq was
picked/kidnapped from near Raniki Sarai check-
post in Azamgarh district, but was shown arrested
much later from Barabanki. In case of Muslim
youth, this is the usual happening: their arrest is
pronounced through banner headlines attaching
them to some fictitious or foreign organization
which bears Arabic-sounding name. What hap-
pens afterwards is nobodys concern as the same
newspaper which created a phobia highlighting
such arrests keeps mum when honourable courts
pronounce them innocent and acquit them.
Mainstream media and such once revered news-
papers as The Hindu never bother to have first-
hand information through their own correspon-
dents in the area and thus truth becomes a casu-
alty. Is this sane attitude for the so-called Fourth
Pillar of democracy? May be compulsions of mar-
ket had prompted this sacred institution to throw
to winds principles so dear to the father of nation.
It is really inexplicable as to why reputation built
up over decades in case of highly respected
newspapers is being sacrificed so cheaply, just for
the sake of advertisements and higher sales. If
the media so readily agrees to supposedly dance
at the tune of its masters who probably have eco-
nomic control, how the common man will be truth-
fully informed? In case of continued picking up of
educated Muslim youth, media organisations with
meagre resources like The Milli Gazette or twocir-
cles.net, bothered to send their correspondents
on the spot and get the real picture. In the begin-
ning, efforts of these few sources were ignored in
the hope that slowly they will fade away and as
usual mainstream medias proclamation I am the
monarch of all I survey will prevail. However,
slowly but steadily MG and TCN have pricked the
conscience not only of a nation but have worked
their way to influence the international community
as far as getting the real picture is concerned. The
sad story of 18-year-old Amir, who has recently
been released, was first broken on TCN by
Mohammad Ali
(http://twocircles.net/node/215468). It was much
later that Vidya Subramaniam wrote a piece in
The Hindu (February 7, 2012) on downright
unjustified and inhuman incarceration of
Mohammad Amir whose father expired while he
was in jail and mother became dumb due to paral-
ysis attack. Vidya was gracious enough to give
the reference to TCN.
MG and TCN were able to force the way in
which mainstream media carried terror-related
news, though most of the time due recognition
was not given to these sources in follow-up sto-
ries by mainstream media. The sustained cam-
paign of building up a hostile environment against
a particular community was exposed only when
an upright officer like Mr. Hemant Karkare started
proceeding in the right direction to expose the real
culprits. It is really sad that such a valiant effort
cost the life of Mr. Karkare and two other brave
officers who all died in mysterious circumstances.
When RTI activist Afroz Sahil got hold of
autopsy reports of Batla House encounter victims
Atif and Sajid and an injured Police inspector who,
after climbing down four staircases, mysteriously
succumbed to his injuries in a nearby hospital,
TCN broke the news but for almost two days
mainstream media ignored it. Such an important
piece of evidence as post-mortem report was sur-
prisingly not pursued by investigative journalists.
Yellow journalism is evident as far as Muslim
youth involvements in terror-related incidents are
concerned. Even now when common man has
perceived vested interests and well-thought of
plans behind sensational headlines vis--vis nam-
ing terror masterminds, which surprisingly keep
on changing even for the same incident, our news
sources are not changing their attitude. It is
pitiable to see respectable newspapers and mag-
azines forgetting the ethics of investigative jour-
nalism. They are still not adopting the basic prin-
ciples of corroborative evidence and cross-check-
ing news sources.
It is sincerely hoped that young Akhilesh will
pursue the course of justice and will not only work
towards the release of wrongly incarcerated per-
sons but will also try to compensate the victims
and stop this insane dance of the absurd at least
in Uttar Pradesh. It is, however, impossible to
return even one day of wasted life but modalities
have to be worked out in order to compensate for
mental agony, torture, time and economic loss of
victims and their families. Tariq and Khalid are just
the tip of the iceberg as there are many in either
wrongful confinement without trial or whose
whereabouts are not known. The news of review-
ing these two cases by the new chief minister has
kindled a hope among many families and they
have started visualizing the day when their
beloved kith and kin will return and they will be
able to hug them. They have started planning
ways to erase the haunting memories with com-
passion and abounding filial love.
The terror-accused: media attitude and Akhilesh initiative
NATIONAL
10 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012
AFSANA RASHID, SRINAGAR
T
he two-member team of human rights watchdog, Amnesty
International met human rights activists, victims, sepa-
ratists, advocates, police, State Human Rights
Commission (SHRC), civil society and non-government
organization during their 12-day visit to the valley. The team com-
prising of Saptarshi Mandal and Sahana Basavapatna,
researchers of Amnesty International, who arrived here on April
11 is expected to study the latest developments vis--vis Armed
Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and Public Safety Act (PSA).
The team called up on SHRC members including Javaid
Kawoos, Rafiq Fida and Secretary Tariq Banday on April 16 and
discussed its functioning and the human rights scenario in the
valley. The team also discussed status of various cases including
mass-graves and Kunan Poshpora rape case.
Syed Ali Shah Geelani, chairman Hurriyat (G), while interact-
ing with a visiting delegation on April 16, said that international
human rights group shouldnt confine their role to expressing
concern over human rights violations in Kashmir but help its peo-
ple achieve their right to self-determination.
Expressing hope that Amnesty would continue to play its role
in ensuring human rights are upheld here, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq,
chairman Hurriyat (M) on April 17 said unbridled powers enjoyed
by security forces were a constant source of uncertainty and fear
among the local populace. He added The Army is in no mood
for revocation of AFSPA.
Javaid Ahmad Mir, chairman JKLF (H) apprised the team
about human rights violations and the plight of detainees lodged
in various jails within and outside the valley. In a statement issued
here, Mir said a large number of detainees are languishing in
jails without trial. Security forces in Kashmir are enjoying immuni-
ty under AFSPA and Disturbed Area Act.
The team also called on IGP Kashmir, S M Sahai on April 18
and discussed PSA cases and the role of the police in the human
rights violation scenario.
The team also visited some families in Sopore town in north
Kashmir. Mandal told the media here that they had visited fami-
lies of youth detained under PSA. He said that the team was com-
piling a report that would be released at the end of their visit.
SHRC notice to police officers over
foreigners abduction in 1995
State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has issued notices to
four police officers in response to an application by two human
rights groups seeking re-investigation into the 1995 abduction of
six foreigners by Al-Faran militants. Division bench of the
Commission comprising Javaid Kawoos and Rafiq Fida on April
17 issued notices to Director General of Police, IGP Crime,
Deputy Commissioner Anantnag, former SSP Anantnag Ashkoor
Wani and former IGP Kashmir P S Gill. The next date of hearing
has been fixed for May 28.
Two human rights groups, International Peoples Tribunal on
Human Rights and Justice and Association of Parents of
Disappeared Persons filed a joint petition in the Commission on
April 6 seeking fresh probe into the case.
The petition reads as part of ongoing work on issue of name-
less and unmarked graves in Jammu and Kashmir, we request
that the case of four kidnapped foreigners be considered by the
Commission. The groups have called for an inquiry into why no
action has been taken on various points despite authorities hav-
ing knowledge of the location of hostages and then subsequent-
ly their burial site.
A group of foreign tourists in Kashmir had been abducted by
Al Faran militant group - believed to be a shadow outfit of Harkat-
ul-Ansar - from the woods of Pahalgam in July 1995. These
include Americans John Childs and Donald Hutching, Norwegian
Hans Christian Ostro, German Dirk Hassert and Britains Paul
Wells and Keith Mangan. While Childs managed to escape under
cover of darkness, six days after his abduction, Ostro was killed
and his body located on August 13, 1995. The four other foreign-
ers remain untraced.
Recently published book The Meadow: Kashmir 1995 -
Where the Terror Began alleges that the foreigners were mur-
dered by a group of Kashmiri militants, who worked for the Army.
Its authors, Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clarke, claim
that foreigners had been abducted by Al Faran to force India to
free 21 prisoners, including Masood Azhar and Omar Sheikh,
who had already been freed by the Indian government after hijack
of Indian Airlines plane from Kathmandu in 1999.
They further claim that India deliberately undermined
hostage negotiations and prolonged the crisis to damage
Pakistans reputation and then used its own militants to take cus-
tody of hostages before they were killed.
Sarpanchs threaten strike
Sarpanchs have threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike
from May 1 if the government fails to implement the Jammu
Kashmir Panchayat Raj Act. We are serving a 15-day ultimatum
to the government to implement the Panchayat Raj Act 1989 in
letter and spirit. In case it fails, well go for a hunger strike from
May 1, said Shahnawaz Sultan, coordinator Jammu and
Kashmir Panchayati Raj Movement, while addressing media here
on April 16.
He was joined by Shafiq Mir, a sarpanch from Rajouri and
convener Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference. A year
has passed since panchayat elections have been conducted in
the state, but the government has failed to complete the election
process, said Mir, while claiming that Panchayat Raj Act clearly
states that elections at the block level are to be conducted within
45 days after halqa panchayat elections.
No such thing has happened, so far. Government keeps giv-
ing lame excuses and buying time. All political parties are respon-
sible. To implement AFSPA and other controversial acts, they
dont provide any excuse, he said.
Accusing both ruling and opposition parties of dividing
sarpanchs along party lines for their interests, Mir said, They are
our common enemies and they stand united on the issue of not
giving powers to panchayats.
He added, that the government has been assuring people
that it would empower Panchayati Raj Institutions. Till date the
government hasnt taken any step to make necessary amend-
ments in the state Panchayati Raj Act of 1989. Elections were
conducted just to hoodwink the international community.
Mir further said no powers have been transferred to
sarpanchs. Our role is no more than mere informers. We organ-
ize meetings but cant take decision. He quoted section 10 of
Panchayat Act which deals with honorarium of sarpanchs and
panchs but so far we havent been provided even a single
penny. He alleged funds for construction of panchayat ghars
havent been released. 70 percent of panchayat ghars arent
completed whereas 30 percent are in a dilapidated condition.
Sarpanchs stressed that huge voter turn-out during panchay-
at elections last year shouldnt be misread as a vote for India. We
arent against Azadi and people havent voted for India. There is
no connection between the two, said Ashiq Hussain, a sarpanch
from Kupwara.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Rural Development
Department (RDD) here has submitted a proposal to the Finance
department which awaits approval. According to it, an honorarium
of 6000, 5000 and 3000 rupees has been proposed to be paid for
block chairmen, sarpanchs and panchs, respectively. It added
that they would also be entitled to 500 rupees for every panchay-
at meeting.
Moreover, state Pradesh Congress Committee president Prof
Saif-ud-Din Soz, while addressing a gathering organized by
sarpanchs and panchs at Rajouri in Jammu, April 22 said,
Process for empowerment of people through panchayati raj sys-
tem has been left midway. We want sarpanchs and panchs to be
empowered but the National Conference isnt ready to implement
the 73rd constitutional amendment.
Minister for Finance, Abdul Rahim Rather on the same day
stated that it is a strong belief that empowerment of sarpanchs
and panchs would help the government and its functionaries in
providing services to people in an efficient manner.
7 out of 10 subscriptions are through WORD OF MOUTH
You know we dont have the resources to advertise & promote ourselves, so
please ask your friends to get their copy now
THE MILLI GAZETTE
First English Newspaper of Indian Muslims. Telling the Muslim side of the story fortnight after fortnight since January 2000
Amnesty team visits Valley, meets stakeholders
Simple return to pre-
1953 situation to create
constitutional vacuum
Interlocutors appointed by the Union government to find a last-
ing solution to the age-old Kashmir problem presented their
report to the home ministry last year after talking to various
stakeholders in the state. This report is yet to be made public.
According to the findings of the report which have been leaked
in the media, a simple return to the pre-1953 situation may cre-
ate a dangerous constitutional vacuum in the relationship
between the Centre and the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
The report says that instead of returning to the pre-1953 sit-
uation, what is required is a case by case review of all Central
laws and Articles of the Constitution of India extended to the
state since 1952. The Interlocutors report has suggested that a
Constitutional Committee should be set up to review the applica-
bility of Central statutes extended to the state as per the 1952
Delhi Agreement. The review process once ratified by
Parliament and the state legislature would eventually end the
extension by Presidential Order of the Central laws to the state.
One important aspect of the Kashmir report is that Parliament
will not make any new laws that would be mandatory for the state
unless and until the law is made for the countrys internal and
external security and its vital economic interests. Another key
point of the report is that the Constitutional Committee will also
determine as to, what extent the Central Acts and Articles have
abridged the state governments powers to cater to the welfare
of its people.
The suggested committee will also reflect on the quantum of
legislative, financial and administrative powers that the state
government should delegate to the three regions at all levels of
governance, regional, district and panchayat.
Other important features of the report are:
1. The CCs recommendations must be reached through
consensus so that they are acceptable to all stakeholders repre-
sented in the state assembly and Parliament. The next step
would be for the President, in exercise of the powers conferred
by Clauses (1) and (3) of Article 370, to issue an order incorpo-
rating the recommendations. This will have to be ratified by a Bill
in both Houses of Parliament and by each House in the state leg-
islature by a margin of not less than two-thirds majority.
2. Once this process is over, Clauses (1) and (3) of Article
370 shall cease to be operative and no orders shall be made by
the President hereafter under the said clauses as from the date
of the final order.
3. Many of the Central laws made applicable to the state
over the past six decades should not give rise to any strong
objections as these were fairly innocuous laws that have been
beneficial to the state and its people.
4. Search for a solution in J&K should not be made contin-
gent on India-Pakistan talks. If the stakeholders in Jammu &
Kashmir are willing to enter into a settlement, the door can
always be kept open for Pakistan to join. The key objective was
to make the Line of Control irrelevant: it should become a sym-
bol of Concord and Cooperation.
5. A hassle-free movement of people, goods and services
across the LoC and the International Border must be swiftly
ensured leading to institutionalized cooperation between the two
parts of the former princely state. Another recommendation was
to take all appropriate measures to regard J&K as a bridge
between South and Central Asia.
J&K to ask for compensation for
losses due to IWT
The Jammu & Kashmir government has initiated a process to
assess the damage done to the state due to the Indus Water
Treaty (IWT) after Union Minister of Water Resources, Pawan
Bansal in reply to a question by G N Ratanpuri in Rajya Sabha
on 19 March said that despite all the hue and cry over the Indus
Water Treaty in the state, no state government in the past
50 years has ever requested the Central government to either
renegotiate or assess the losses and compensate the state
accordingly.
A Commission appointed by the government on the issue
has asked the state government to seek compensation for the
losses incurred due to the Indus Water Treaty not only from the
Central government but also from Pakistan. The water-sharing
agreement restricts J&K from fully exploiting its hydro-resources
for irrigation and power generation. A report presented by the
International Water Management of Colombo in association with
Sir Ratan Tata Trust of Mumbai in 2005 says, The treaty which
was signed in the best interests of the nation has, however,
deprived J&K of using its own water resources and thereby
severely affected development in the state. The treaty made
Punjab prosperous by using the water of the eastern rivers for
agriculture and power generation. This, however, put J&K behind
by an estimated Rs 6,500 crore. Not only has the agriculture sec-
tor suffered losses but on a much higher scale are losses in the
generation of hydropower which has an otherwise estimated
potential of 20,000 MW.
The treaty was signed by Mohammad Ayub Khan, the then
president of Pakistan and Jawahar Lal Nehru, the then prime
minister of India under the patronage of World Bank on
19 September 1960 in Karachi.
MOHAMMAD NAUSHAD KHAN
The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012 11
ANALYSIS
I
t may take some time before the ongoing debate set-
tles down over the governments move to make regis-
tration of marriages compulsory for Muslims. Those
opposing the move have raised a valid point as to why
doesnt the government recognize nikahnama as an offi-
cial document at par with other registration documents.
Interestingly, this is one of the few issues over which a
section of Muslim women have strongly asserted their
stand demanding registration of Muslim marriages. In
this context, if nikahnama is accorded the status as a reg-
istration document, the debate may settle down a little
but not entirely. It may be noted that nikahnama is still
recognized as a valid legal document in India but it does
not have the same validity in other countries.
Let us also accept it that in this age, even in India
documents are required at practically each and every
level, from birth till after death. Birth certificates are
needed for admission to schools and practically every-
where, where verification of age is required. The birth
certificates, stating the place of birth in India, are also
regarded as valid documents for establishing the nation-
al identity of Indian citizens. Considering that practically
no hue and cry has been raised over the legal status of
the birth certificate, it is surprising that the proposed
marriage certificate for Muslims has provoked a debate.
From one angle, a marriage certificate does not
reduce the religious or legal validity of a nikahnama. It
adds to the legal validity of marriages recognized by the
nikahnama for institutions and countries which do not
view a nikahnama as a legal document. Against this back-
drop, it is in the interest of Muslims to ensure that in addi-
tion to a nikahnama, they procure a marriage certificate
also.
There is a view that the proposed marriage certificate
must not be made binding for all Muslims. It should be
left to Muslims to decide on whether they should apply
for a marriage certificate or not. Perhaps, in this context,
marriage certificate as well as nikahnama must be delib-
erated upon keeping in mind different conditions that
they are needed for. Socially and as per practice of Islam
in India, there is no denying that a nikahnama has been
viewed as a sufficient legal proof of marriage among
Muslims. But if a section of women insis to that marriage
certificate must be made compulsory for Muslims, their
viewpoint should be considered. There is the prevalent
fear that nikahnama may not help women who have been
deserted by their husbands for a second marriage and/or
to move out of the country. In cases such as these, the
concerned authorities opposing the registration of mar-
riages among Muslims must present an effective stand on
how can they help such ladies on the basis of a nikahna-
ma which does not have a legal status outside India. It
has been stated that applying for a marriage certificate to
ensure registration of marriages is a very tedious and
cumbersome procedure, which may be extremely difficult
or not possible for poor and illiterate Muslims to go
through. In view of these authorities, would fighting for
the rights of deserted Muslim women in foreign countries
be a much easier and cheaper process for them without a
marriage certificate considered legally valid outside
India? Or would they prefer remaining non-committal on
problems that these ladies may face in these circum-
stances?
In this context, greater importance should be given to
enhancing the legal validity of a nikahnama so that its
importance is not sidelined or ignored by either/both par-
ties. In addition, if a party remains insistent on securing
a marriage certificate also, this request/demand must be
met. Statistically, it is relevant to give importance to the
number of Muslims securing marriage certificates. Even
if a minimal percentage is taking this step, the impor-
tance this holds for them must be given a greater consid-
eration by people debating against registration of mar-
riages for Muslims.
T
here is yet another aspect that cannot be ignored. This
refers to a trend among non-Muslims opting for sec-
ond marriages by converting to Islam. They remain satis-
fied with a nikahnama as a proof of their marriage. What
is disturbing here is that their so-called conversion and
nikahnamas importance is limited to securing a social
and to a degree legal recognition of their second mar-
riage in India. In these cases, where people convert only
for the sake of a second marriage, registration of their
marriages as Muslims must be made compulsory. It must
be taken note of that in these cases, conversion to Islam
and adoption of Muslim names remains confined to nikah
and nikahnama. Once this stage is passed, they proceed
with life, raising even children as non-Muslims. Yes, they
have the right to lead their lives as they wish to but they
certainly should not have the liberty to use conversion to
Islam and subsequently securing a nikahnama as they
consider appropriate for their interests. Securing a mar-
riage certificate must be made legally compulsory (not
voluntary) in these cases!
ABDUL KHALIQ
T
he most sacred of our laws - the
Constitution- contains a number of articles
that guarantee the rights of minorities to
lead a life of dignity and equality. However,
to enable us to assess the actual impact of the
comprehensive legislation for an egalitarian socie-
ty conceived by our founding fathers, I wish to flag
certain news items that have appeared in the
national press in the last two months - cases and
incidents that we have read without even raising an
eyebrow because they are so commonplace.
The first news item I allude to appeared in a
national daily in early March. Mohammed Amir
Khan, aged 32, walked out of Rohtak jail after
14 years in custody. He was accused in 20 terror
cases. Courts pronounced him not guilty in one
case after another. But before he was released,
he had lost everything. His father died, his moth-
er got paralyzed, acquaintances deserted them
and the family was stigmatized forever. In this
so-called great democracy of ours, there are hun-
dreds of innocents like him who have been sub-
jected to such colossal and unacceptable injus-
tices only because of the religion they profess. Is
it any surprise then that when a bomb explodes,
cold fear grips the entire Muslim community? In
this climate of injustice and oppression, is there
any hope that the law-abiding Muslim will be treat-
ed fairly and decently which is all that he
demands?
Another significant happening last month was
covered by only one or two English national
dailies, perhaps because it was such a routine
affair. I refer to two separate incidents involving
plain clothes policemen, who barged into a build-
ing in Jamia Nagar in the dead of night and
attempted to whisk away innocent citizens for
questioning without any authorization. These inci-
dents brought to the fore the terrible discrimina-
tion the Muslim has to contend with even in the
nations capital. The most frightening aspect was
that the perpetrators of the terrible injustice are
supposed to be guardians of the law. It would
appear that the Delhi Police have evolved a new
concept of jurisprudence in which in normal cases
a person is innocent unless there is some evi-
dence of wrong doing, whereas for the Muslim,
the principle is that he is guilty until he proves his
innocence beyond doubt. Ironically in both cases,
it was the vigilance of the neighbours that helped
rescue these innocents from the police predators.
Next, I came across a news item that
appeared about a month ago that in Bhavnagar, a
doctor belonging to the majority community final-
ized a proposal to sell his house to a Muslim.
However, the sale was not permitted by the neigh-
bours who sat on dharna outside the doctors
home until he jettisoned his plan to sell. In anoth-
er recent case in Ahmedabad, the appointment of
a Muslim professor to an institution had to be can-
celled because the institute was unable to per-
suade anybody in the vicinity to rent out a flat to
him. In point of fact, the Gujarat state government
has enacted a law preventing distress sale in
areas dominated by another community, clearly
with the intention of isolating and segregating
Muslims in ghettos. We should not be surprised
at what is happening in Gujarat, because right
under our nose in the national capital, Muslims of
all classes are essentially corralled in ghettos in
areas like Jama Masjid, Jamia Nagar, Hauz Khas,
Seelampur and a few other areas with dismal civic
amenities, due to the fact that they are refused
rented accommodation elsewhere. The social
exclusion of Muslims in many areas makes a
mockery of article 38 which enjoins upon the
State to secure a social order in which justice,
social, economic and political, shall move all the
institutions of the national life.
As the home to the worlds great religions, we
in this country have always prided ourselves on
our tolerance and respect for every religion. Yet
we have all read the recent media reports that 10
years after the horrible Gujarat massacre when
more than 400 masjids and dargahs were
destroyed, most of the structures remain broken,
vandalized and defiled to this day. It is reported
that one of the pre-conditions set by the villagers
in many rural areas for the safe return of the vic-
tims from the relief camps was that their places of
worship would not be repaired or reconstructed.
Despite the strong recommendation of the NHRC,
the state has flatly refused to rebuild the dargahs
and mosques destroyed in 2002. This has further
heightened the feelings of social deprivation
among the Muslims.
Even children have not been spared from this
all-encompassing trap of marginalization and
exclusion. I would like to draw your attention to
the news report in The Hindu about two weeks
ago about the discrimination against Muslim chil-
dren in nursery admissions in private schools of
Delhi. The educational backwardness of Muslims
is seen by social scientists as one of the prime
reasons for their alienation and poverty, for which
the panacea is inclusive education. But, paradox-
ically, because of communalization of the public
space, Muslims are unable to access the opportu-
nities available, leading to their continuing isola-
tion and ghettoisation. The issue came up in
Parliament, and the discussions there touched a
raw nerve. The MPs of the BJP responded to this
expos by stating that Muslims should first close
down their madrasas if they wished to get into the
educational mainstream. Little do these insensi-
tive and hard-hearted men realize that Muslim
parents desperately seek an inclusive and secu-
lar education for their children and the madrasas
are actually the last resort. The tragedy for the
Muslim today is that the public discourse, even in
Parliament, is imbued with distrust and hate.
I can go on and on about basic human rights,
forget minority rights, being flouted in almost
every sphere - be it employment opportunities or
neglect of Urdu although it represents the very
best of our composite culture. However, I wish to
mention only one more issue where the high prin-
ciple enunciated in Article 15 of the Constitution
prohibiting any discrimination on grounds of reli-
gion has been blatantly abused by the lawmakers
themselves. For decades now, there has been a
demand for granting SC status to SC Muslims
and Christians on par with the Buddhists and
Sikhs of SC origin but this issue remains unre-
solved. This denial constitutes the worst form of
State-sponsored discrimination against Muslims
and Christians. The Constitutional provisions and
amendments, as interpreted by our lawmakers,
seem to bear an uncanny resemblance to the phi-
losophy of our home-grown right-wing fundamen-
talists. The key concept propagated by the lead-
ing ideologue of the fundamentalists explicitly dis-
tinguishes between followers of indigenous reli-
gions from those that originated elsewhere. Just a
month ago, that inveterate hate-monger, Pravin
Togadia, made an impassioned plea for a new
Indian Constitution that allows for anyone who
converts Hindus to be beheaded. He went on to
assert that we Hindus should include Budhists,
Sikhs and Jains because their line of thinking is
no different from Hindus. According to the funda-
mentalist ideology, Muslims and Christians are
foreigners in India which rightly belongs to the reli-
gions born here. Tragically, a similar mindset is
evident in the denial of SC status to Muslims and
Christians while granting this concession to
Budhists and Sikhs. The main argument against
giving SC status to Muslims and Christians is that
SCs who convert to these religions no longer face
any social stigma. Nothing can be more untrue.
The great Mahatma, who knew this country and
its people better than anyone else, had this to say
on the subject and I quote: whether the harijan is
nominally a Christian, Muslim, Hindu or Sikh, he is
still a harijan. He cant change his spots from
Hinduism so-called. He may change his garb and
call himself a Catholic-harijan or a Muslim-harijan
or a neo-Sikh, his untouchability will haunt him
during his life-time. Can the Constitution of this
great land be tainted by endorsing this totally
unacceptable discrimination against these minor-
ity groups? Let me remind you that Articles 14
and 15 of the Constitution sanctify equality on
grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of
birth. Despite the noble intentions of our founding
fathers, the lawmakers continue to endorse RSS
thesis of distinguishing between religions born in
India from those that originated elsewhere.
The future is frightening, to say the least. The
most deviant, anti-minority, right-wing ideas
designed to promote bigotry and religious fanati-
cism are being freely aired in the public space.
However, the scariest of all is the indoctrination of
the young in the gospel of hate. Apart from the
scores of shishu mandirs, we have nearly 30,000
Vidya Bharati schools whose declared objective
is, and I quote, to develop a national system of
education which would help to build a generation
of young men and women that is committed to
Hindutva and infused with patriotic fervour. It is
well known that votaries of Hindutva have infil-
trated the different institutions of governance,
even the army. It may be recalled that the key
conspirator in the Malegaon blasts was a serving
army man, Lt. Col. Purohit. The Bhonsla Military
School in Nasik which was used as a training
ground by the Malegaon conspirators continues
to flourish, and there are plans to open similar
schools in all BJP-ruled states. There are more
than 40,000 RSS shakhas across the length and
breadth of the country. When one considers that
one of the primary missions of all these institu-
tions is to create and breed distrust and hatred of
particular minority groups, it is clear that our
founding fathers cherished dream of universal
brotherhood and a secular and egalitarian polity is
under grave threat. In fact, a few days ago, at his
book launch, Harsh Mander, the well-known
social activist and intellectual, lamented the fact
that hatred and distrust of Muslims are freely aired
in drawing-rooms and offices, so effective and
toxic has been the anti-minority propaganda.
In conclusion, I wish to state that this country,
by and large, has enacted laws that guarantee the
rights of minorities. But as Clarence Darrow, the
humanist who fought relentlessly for the rights of
blacks in America, famously observed, no matter
what laws we pass, unless people are kind and
decent and humane to one another, there can be
no justice or peaceful existence, for in the ultimate
analysis, peace and freedom come from human
beings rather than laws and institutions. Sadly
today, the country has little of brotherhood or the
Indian spirit.
Only a strong political will can counter the
insidious, toxic fumes of discrimination, hatred
and unequal treatment faced by Muslims in
almost every walk of life. Unfortunately, the so-
called secular formation in power seems to think
that by granting reservation quotas which will pro-
vide jobs for a handful of Muslims, they will have
rendered justice to the community. What this
country badly needs are political leaders like
Jawaharlal Nehru who famously said, If any man
raises his hand against another in the name of
religion, I shall fight him till the last breath of my
life, whether I am in government or outside. Till
we get such enlightened leaders, the victims will
have to depend on intrepid, well-meaning people
like you to carry on the fight for a truly egalitarian
society.
The author, a former civil servant, is Secretary General of
Lok Janshakti Party and can be contacted at
akhaliq2007@gmail.com
Speaki ng Out
Nikahnama vs.
Marriage Certificate
NI LOFAR SUHRAWARDY
Minority Rights in theory and practice
MUHAMMAD SALIM alias Saleem Engineer,
Associate Professor and Head of Department of
Electronics & Communication at Malviya
National Institute of Technology (MNIT), Jaipur
has been awarded PhD degree for suggesting
improved codes for 4G (Fourth Generation)
mobile communication system. He has devised
several improvements in turbocodes which will
be used in 4G mobile communication system.
His research works have been evaluated and
appreciated by renowned scientists of Florida
State University, Florida (U.S.A.) and IIT Delhi.
He also promotes the cause of human rights
and communal harmony. He is a member of
Jamat-e Islami Hind. Presently he is working to set up an ultra modern and state-
of-the-art research laboratory RF Design & Research lab as a centre of excel-
lence which he hopes to set up by the end of this year. Union HRD ministry also
sanctioned financial assistance of Rs. 8.5 lakh for his R&D project.
RAFAQAT KHAN, a student of AMUs Residential Coaching Academy has been
selected for the post of Assistant Commandant. After passing UPSCs Central
Police Forces Examination in 2010 he has been appointed Assistant
Commandant in Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
Ms. QAMAR RAHMAN of Lucknow has been appointed a member of AMUs
Court by UP Governor B.L. Joshi in place of Vivek Bansal whose membership of
the Court had expired on 11 February. Ms. Rahmans Membership is for three
years.
PROFESSOR HUZOOR H. KHAN of
AMUs Department of Mathematics is the
new President of Indian Mathematical
Society (IMS). According to Professor V.
M. Shah, General Secretary of the Indian
Mathematical Society, Prof. Khan was
elected President of IMS during the gener-
al body meeting of the society held at
SRTM University, Nanded, Maharashtra
recently.
Mufti YAHYA, religious scholar of
Bihar died in his home town
Ratanpura on 13 April at the age of
85 years. He taught in different
madrasas like Hyderabads Darul
Uloom as Shaikhul Hadees,
Amarat-e Sharia Bihar & Orissa as
teacher of fiqh (jurisprudence) and
again as Shaikhul Hadees in Darul
Uloom Akwada
Prof. QAMAR AZAM HASHMI,
noted Urdu critic and author died in
Muzaffarpur (Bihar) on 6 April at the
age of 70 years. An author of many
books like Naya Nasaab, Urdu
Drama, Sharja ka Safarnama, Asri
Adab ka Shaoor (Understanding of
modern literature) etc. He had
played an important role in Urdu
being granted the status of second
official language of Bihar. He
leaves behind his wife, two sons,
two daughters and many grand
children.
Maulana MUHAMMAD IRFANUL
HASAINI, noted religious scholar
and Unani physician of Kolkata
died in Kolkata on 16 April at the
age of 76 years after a prolonged
illness. He was a famous hakeem
of his time and a great exegesist.
He was a regular columnist in
Kolkata Urdu daily Azad Hind. He
was also closely associated with All
India Muslim Personal Law Board,
Darul Uloom Deoband and All India
Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat. He is
survived by five sons. Rich tributes
were paid to him by Maulana Qari
Muhammad Usman Masoorpuri of
Jamiat Ulama-e Hind, Maulana
Jalaluddin Umri of Jamaat-e Islami,
Dr. Manzoor Alam of Milli Council,
Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan of Muslim
Majlis-e Mushawarat and many
others (see below).
MUHAMMAD RAFIQ Dilkash
Afridi, prominent poet of humour
and satire of Muradabad died of
heart attack on 14 April at the age
of 82 years. In addition to humour
and satire he composed serious
poetry also. He is survived by his
wife (who also is a poetess), two
sons and two daughters.
Maulana MUHAMMAD MUSTAFA
of Bhaisani village, a great orator
and religious scholar suddenly died
in a road accident on 20 April.
According to available reports as
he was coming back after solem-
nising a marriage, the brake of his
car failed in the way because of
which the driver lost control and
resulted in a serious accident lead-
ing to his death. He was around 50.
He was also patronising many
madrasas.
FATHIMA BEEVI is not a well-
known and famous name but her
death on 31 March attracted the
attention of some dailies because
of a different reason. At the age of
93 years her lifes ambition was to
pass class X examination. She had
been burning midnight oil to appear
for class VII examination in coming
May. Hailing from Alappuzha town
of Kerala and strong and energetic
enough, she had been regularly
attending the classes held by State
Literary Mission for elderly people.
After passing class IV examination
last year and securing 53% marks
as per rules she was allowed to
directly appear for 7th class exami-
nation for which she was preparing.
Her teacher Sheebha Thajudheen
and others were surprised at her
diligence. She (her teacher) said
that of all her students she was the
only one who was able to under-
stand all subjects. Financial prob-
lems did not permit her to pursue
education in her childhood. Her
husband died a few years after their
marriage. Hence she had to eke out
a living by running a sweetmeet
shop to support herself and her
three small children who are now
well-settled and would have
become grandfathers and grand
mothers. With her death because of
old age problems, her ambition also
came to a sudden end.
NEWSMAKERS
12 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012
MEN & WOMEN IN NEWS OBITUARIES
With the death of MAULANA HAKEEM
MUHAMMAD IRFANUL HUSAINI on
16th April at Kolkata, at the age of 76,
after prolonged illness, the millat has
lost a sincere and fearless leader who
called a spade a spade and served the
millat and the country in various capaci-
ties for many decades. He was an
important member of the All India
Muslim Personal Law Board and organ-
ised its Kolkata conference in February
2008. He was the current vice president
of the All India Muslim Majlis-e
Mushawarat (AIMMM) and the
President of its West Bengal unit. After
the split in AIMMM in 2000, he preferred
to remain with the larger group headed
by Syed Shahabuddin although his
teachers at Darul Uloom were with the
splinter group.
Son of the famous scholar and
Unani physician Maulana Hakeem
Muhmamad Zamanul Husaini, he partic-
ipated whole-heartedly in milli activities
in Kolkata and across the country while
earning his livelihood as a Unani physi-
cian manning the Qasmi Dawakhana
founded by his father.
He was a graduate of Darul Uloom
Deoband and a scholar of Islam, espe-
cially Hadith and Tafsir in his own right.
Faithfully following in the footsteps of
his illustrious father, he continued the
column started by his father on Tafsir al-Quran
in a Kolkata newspaper. He also used to teach
the Quran in mosques.
Maulana Irfanul Husaini had a balanced
personality. He was frank and friendly with his
juniors and youngsters. Instead of senior ulama,
he wanted to keep himself in the company of
young ulama and hence his circle of friends was
very large. (NAAnsari)
SYED EJAZ HUSSAIN SHAH
Broadcaster and former head of Deutsche
Welle (Voice of Germany) Urdu Service SYED
EJAZ HUSSAIN SHAH, 70, passed away in
Cologne (Germany) on 13 April after prolonged
illness. He is survived by his wife Shehnaz
Husain. Known to listeners of Voice of
Germanys Urdu Service as Ejaz Hussain, he
retired in December, 2006 after serving the
Urdu Department for over 40 years. He was
buried in Cologne and a number of friends and
admirers attended the funeral prayers.
Originally from Rawalpindi, Shah had
migrated to Germany soon after graduation. He
was amongst the first staffers of German Radio,
when it started broadcasting in Urdu language
more than 50 years ago.
For over two decades till his retirement, he
headed the Urdu Service. During his steward-
ship, German Radios Urdu service attained
fame and name for its objective and fearless
analysis independent of Western influence. On
Bosnia, Iraq wars, Voice of Germanys toed an
independent line and criticised American
actions. Under his leadership, VOG covered the
Kashmir conflict in a fair and balanced manner
and was considered to be an authentic source
of information and analysis on Kashmir for long
time. Shah introduced the service to internet
and other modern communication systems,
when Radio started losing relevance. During his
tenure, Urdu Service of Voice of Germany later
rechristened as DW was close to BBCs Urdu
service in terms of access and popularity. He
was also an artist, calligrapher and had a keen
interest in literature.
Shahs wife Shahnaz Shah, originally from
Kolkatta, was also a staffer at the Voice of
Germany. She took voluntary retirement in
2006.
Awards to Kashmiri innovators
New Delhi: President Partibha Patil honoured about 50 young
Kashmiri innovators with National Awards at 6th Grassroot
Innovation Award function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New
Delhi on 12 March. The function was organised by National
Innovation Foundation (NIF), an autonomous body of the union
ministry of science and technology. Jehangir Ahmad Dar of
Anantag was honoured with National Third Award of Rs. one
lakh, a Memento and a Certificate; Abdul Rahman Sheikh of
Shahabad Doru with an award of Rs. 50,000 and G.H.
Muhammad Sheikh of Anantnag was honoured with an award of
Rs. 10,000. Other innovators were also honoured with smaller
awards. The innovations included electrical painting brush, mod-
ified iron cutter, modified kerosene stove with additional features
etc. The awards were presented in the presence of a large num-
ber of dignitaries like chief ministers of many states, central cab-
inet ministers, secretaries and others.
Shaheed BARKAT ALI of Indian army was posthumously hon-
oured with Shaurya Chakra for bravery by President of India,
Mrs. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil at a special function held by min-
istry of defence. The Award was accepted by Barkat Alis widow.
Prof. (Dr.) MUHAMMAD SHAMIM, Assistant Professor in the
Department of Respiratory disease and T.B. of AMUs J.N.
Medical College has been honoured with the most important
award, Indira Gandhi Gold Medal in recognition of his valuable
services in the field of medicine by All India Awards Council, New
Delhi. Before this, Prof. Shamim was honoured by Asia Pacific
Society of Respiratory. Diseases, Japan, American College of
Chest Physicians, Chicago and U.P. governments Young
Scientist Award.
Syed MUSTAFAHASHMI, an alumnus of AMU who is now work-
ing as a respiratory therapist in University of Maryland Medical
Centre for the past 20 years has been honoured with Service
Award by the University of Maryland, Baltimore (U.S.A.) in
recognition of his 20 years of distinguished service.
Jamiatul Ulama-e Hind held Achievement of Justice Conference
on 8 April under educational awareness campaign at Mumbara
(Mumbai)s Darul Falah when the following persons were hon-
oured with Awards: Maulana MAHMOOD Madni, general secre-
tary of Jamiatul Ulama-e Hind was honoured with Anti-Terrorism
Peace Award, Maulana MUHAMMAD TALHA QASIM was hon-
oured with Maulana Qasim Nanotvi Award, Maulana Mufti
MUHAMMAD HAZIFA QASMI was honoured with Imam Abu
Hanifa Award, HAJI ABDUL LATEEF (age 105 years) was hon-
oured with Hazrat Makhdoom Shah Award for social services,
senior Police Inspector BAJI RAO Ghoghe of Thane and
Mumbara police was honoured with Peace Award for excellent
performance in police service, Dr. SALAHUDDIN HAKEEM was
honoured with Hakeem Luqman Award, AMEEN ANSARI, jour-
nalist and correspondent of Urdu daily Urdu Times was honoured
with Mirza Ghalib Award for excellent service in journalism.
School No. 70 of Bhiwandi Corporation was honoured with the
title of Ideal School by Corporations Education Department in
Recognition of this Schools all round performance, credit for
which goes to the Schools Head Master KALEEM SHEIKH and
teachers CRC ABDUR RAUF SHEIKH, ZAKI AHMAD SHEIKH,
ATAUR RAHMAN SHIEKH, ZUBAIR BAIG, WASIM AHMAD
etc. The Award, a shield, was presented by Education Boards
Chairman Sanwar Naik.
BALEEGHUR RAHMAN, noted poet of Hapur was honoured by
Aazar Academy, Aligarh with Ameen-e Sukhan Award at a func-
tion held by the Academy at AMUs Kennedy Hall in recognition
of his services to Urdu literature.
AWARDS
HAKEEM MUHAMMAD IRFANUL HUSAINI
SPECIAL REPORTS
The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012 13
Mumbai: The 22nd convention of the All India
Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which
began here in Mumbai during 20-22 April,
ended with a mammoth gathering at Azad
Maidan pledging to offer any sacrifice in order to
save the constitutional rights of Muslims.
Speakers, first for two days in different ses-
sions at Haj House and later at the public meet-
ing at Azad Maidan, asserted that the board will
force the government to amend the Right to
Education Act (RTE), scrap the direct taxes
code bill and bring changes in the Waqf amend-
ment bill 2010. Speakers urged the government
to allow prayers at hundreds of mosques which
are under the custody of the ASI.
"Fresh dangers are looming large as the
government of the day seems to usurp the
Sharia laws. But the government should note
that we will sacrifice our lives but will not toler-
ate any interference in the Sharia", All India
Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) presi-
dent Mohammad Rabey Hasani Nadwi said
adding, "India is a democratic country where
people from all religions are given constitutional
rights to practice as per their faith and belief.
But attempts are on to deny Muslims their con-
stitutional rights. It will not be tolerated".
The underlying fear, feels the board, is that
the bill passed in its present form will result in
Muslims losing control over Wakf properties.
The AIMPLB made specific recommendations
to amend the bill, specifically clause 87, which
makes registration of land mandatory, and in
case of dispute, the unregistered lands would
not have any legal standing. Clerics feel that the
bill does not say anything about the thousands
of acres of lands across the country that are not
registered, but which the AIMPLB claims are the
property of the Wakf.
Recalling the rights given by the Muslim
rulers to everyone in India, Prof Shakil
Samdani, Professor of Law at AMU said, "You
are reciprocating with what the Muslims had
given to this country hundreds of years back.
This is not a favour to the community."
Raising the issue of the mosques under the
ASI custody, Syed Salman Husaini Nadwi said,
"Drinking wine is permitted here but the faithful
cannot offer their prayers in some mosques.
What can be more shameful than this?"
Other AIMPLB recommendations include
the removal of conditions on the lands donated
by non-Muslim rulers, and upgrading entries in
the revenue records so that Waqf lands that are
reportedly encroached by the governments in
various states for road-widening and other such
tasks are stopped.
Demanding amendments in the RTE Act,
Abdur Rahim Qureishi, assistant general secre-
tary of AIMPLB, said, "There are provisions in
the RTE Act that deny our right to establish and
run religious and educational institutions. We
will make it a mass movement unless this Act is
amended." Attacking the tax bill, Qureishi said
that taxing places of worship was tantamount to
interference in the religious affairs of all commu-
nities. "The Bill will affect not only the mosques,
but places of worship of all religions," he added.
The AIMPLB rubbished reports that one of
the organizers of the board's meeting, Khair-e-
Ummat Trust, was a front for the banned
Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
Denying that the Khair-e-Ummat Trust, a
Dongri-based registered NGO, had any links
with SIMI, the trust's secretary, Ibrahim Khalil
Abedi, said that the news was "baseless and
defamatory."
Stating that AIMPLB's office in Mumbai is
located at the Khair-e-Ummat Trust building,
Qureishi alleged, "This is part of the conspiracy
to defame and denigrate a Muslim organization
which provides scholarships and medical help
to the poor."
UP CM Akhilesh Yadav won praise from the
board members as he has assured the AIMPLB
president Mulana Rabe Hasan Nadwi that the
proposed law in his state which deprives mar-
ried women of their rights in fathers' agricultural
property will exclude Muslims. Copies of
Akhilesh's letter to Maulana Nadwi were distrib-
uted among the 400-odd members from across
the country.
People from various parts of Maharashtra
and the
nei gh-
bor i ng
st at es
converged at Mumbai to attend the
AIMPLBs historic convention.
The AIMPLB, by its own admission, was
set up in 1973 "at a time when the then gov-
ernment of India was trying to subvert
Sharia law applicable to Indian Muslims
through parallel legislation." The board has
been vocal about protecting and continuing
Sharia laws in India, by striving to remove
Muslims from the ambit of direct, indirect or
parallel legislation.
Speakers included Maulana Kalbe
Sadiq, Vice president of AIMPLB, who said,
"We can die but can't tolerate interference in
Shraiat. We will exploit all the democratic
and legal means to oppose any move that
deprived Muslims of their Personal laws."
He criticized the arrests and detention of
Muslim Youths. He said, "Muslims got the
reservations for going in Jail, for terror tags."
Maulana Jalaluddin Umri, Vice President
of AIMPLB and head of Jamaat-e Islami
Hind, demanded the amendments in all these
laws or face agitation. Answering a typical ques-
tion why 1400 years old Islamic principles can't
be changed, Maulana Jalaluddin Umri said,
"Islamic laws are made by Allah who knows
everything and who is just for everyone. He said
these laws are according to human nature
through which he gets peace and solace."
Adv. Abdul Rahim Qureishi, Spokesperson
of AIMPLB, said, "Our governments in center
and states are blindly following laws of America
and Europe. These kinds of laws will destroy
family life in India. Because of these laws, cou-
ples in America and Europe are not marrying
and the term like live-in relationship has devel-
oped." He quoted a report which says that "53%
of kids in USA don't know who their father is?
India is a value-based society where family
plays an important role in the life of India. In the
west modernity means immorality." (ummid.com
and other sources)
Muslim Personal Law Board's Mumbai convention
MG/Yusuf
Yatra from Batla House to Makka Masjid
A yatra called Safar-e Insaf-o Bhaichara started from Batla House in New Delhi to Makka
Masjid in Hyderabad via Malegown against bomb blasts and illegal arrests of Muslims in
India. The yatra was led by the well-known social and human rights activist Faisal Khan,
leader of Khudai Khidmatgar, along with Balwant Singh Yadav of NAPM (Himachal
Pradesh), Inamul Hasan of Mission Bhartiyam (Pondcherry), Bilal Kaazgi Adv. of NCHRO
(Gujarat), Mohammad Faizan of Sadhva Mission (Uttar Pradesh), Shabbir Hussain of
ANHAD (Kashmir) and Rahil Iqbal (Delhi). It reached the historical Makka Masjid in
Hyderabad on 21 April and was received by Amjed Ullah Khan, Corporator (MBT) and
other Muslims. Together, they went to the spot where the bomb was planted on 18 May
2007 and prayed for the 15 persons who lost their lives due to the bomb blast and the
subsequent police firing.
The yatra started from Masjid Khalilullah near Batla House on 12 April 2012 and after
covering seven states (4000 kms) it reached Hyderabad. The protest rally visited Agra-
Jhansi on 13 April, Bhopal-Khandwa on 14 April, Burhanpur-Jalgoan on 15 April,
Malegown-Pune on 16 April, Belgaum-Hubli on 17 April, Chennai on 18-19th April,
Nellore-Vijayawada on 20.
The yatris went to the house of Shaik Abdul Kaleem who was picked up first and tor-
tured by Hyderabad Police after the Makka Masjid blast. He was instrumental in the con-
fessional statement of Swami Aseemanand before the CBI Court accepting the respon-
sibility for the bomb blasts of Makka Masjid, Malegaon and Ajmer dargah for which hun-
dreds of Muslim youths were arrested and tortured. Mr Kaleem told the yatris that in spite
of being in jail for three years and being exonerated in all cases, he has not received the
promised amount of two lakh from the Andhra Pradesh Govt. and still his brother is in
Cherlapally jail and his parents and relatives are still being harassed.
The yatris also visited Maulana Abdul Aleem Islahi at Saidabad and met him and his
son Motasim Billah and paid tributes to his son Mujahid Saleem who was shot dead on
31 Oct 2004 by Gujarat Police officer Narender Ameen. The yatris also visited Maulana
Naseeruddin of Wahadat-e Islami at Saidabad who was implicated in a false case and
imprisoned in Sabarmati Jail from 31st October 2004 to 4th September 2009.
Anti-dowry campaign
Youth Against Dowry Campaign was launched on 13
April at Eidgah Masjid, Light House Hill Road,
Mangalore. A signature campaign was organized by
an energetic organization of youngsters from the
coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi,
Karnataka called 'Youth Against Dowry'.
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Farhan
Mohammed, President of YAD, said
that many Muslims are not able to per-
form the mandatory Hajj owing to the
need to accumulate wealth for dowry.
He urged the youth to say no to the evil
practice and help many a poor family in
the society. He added that an appeal to
make the society dowry-free will be
made through the Qazis in all mosques.
Gen Secreatary of YAD Sayed
Hassan said many Muslim youngsters
of the district are in Gulf countries only
to save money for their sisters/daugh-
ters marriage and are forced to stay
there for 6-7 years undergoing a mental trauma. Saif
Sultan, another member of the organization, said that
dowry has played a major role in increasing poverty in
the society. He urged members hailing from various
jamaats to cooperate and fight against this evil. (For
more information and for the public screening of anti-
dowry documentary Urulu, contact +919844462168 or
youthagainstdowry@gmail.com).
Gujarat genocide
RSS
If you want prime
ministership outdo
them!
YAD Gen Secretary Sayed Hassan addressing media persons at the Press
Club in Mangalore on 11 April
Babri demolition
Maulana Umri speaking during the AIMPLB conference
Amjed Ullah Khan (centre)
with Faisal Kahn to his right
COMMUNITY NEWS
14 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012
AIUTC demands Unani advisor at Ayush
New Delhi: Alleging discrimination and apathy on the part of
Government, the All India Unani Tibbi Congress (AIUTC) has
demanded that a Unani adviser to the Department of Ayurveda,
Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH),
post lying vacant since 2006, should be filled up immediately.
In a recent national executive committee of AIUTC, members
lambasted the Health and Family Welfare Ministry which controls
Department of AUSH for neglecting such an important appoint-
ment. AYUSH was set up 17 years ago but it failed to discharge
its duties to promote Unani, said Dr. Syed Ahmed Khan, general
secretary AIUTC. He alleged that AYUSH has incorporated a
booklet by a private Unani manufacturing company in the volume
V of National Formulary of Unani Medicine (NFUM) which has no
authenticity, author or publishing date. Who will be responsible
for including the booklet named Karabadeen Majidi in the
NFUM, Khan questioned. The Council also demanded separa-
tion of Unani from Central Council of Indian Medicines. The
AIUTC demanded that on the pattern of Homeopathy Council, the
Government should set up a separate Central Council of Unani
Medicine and Centre for Research in Unani Medicine. The
Council sought setting up CGHS Unani dispensaries at every
state capital.
Mujaddidi Institute students successful in IAS exam
Bhopal: Twenty-six students of Jaipurs Crescent Academy, which
works under Maulana Muhammad Fazlur Raheem Mujdaddidi
Trust, were successful in IASs main examination held in 2011.
The result was declared on 1 March 2012. But this is not the end
of their long and hard work. They will now have to appear for the
final examination i.e. interview, after passing which they will
become part of the Indian bureaucracy which, to all intents and
purpose, rules the country. The Crescent Academy, inspite of its
limited resources and infrastructure, has so far given 62 I.A.S.,
IFS, IRS (Indian Revenue / Railway Service) and judges to the
country. It may be stated that this Academy which, as stated
above, works under Maulana Muhammad Fazlur Raheem
Mujaddidi Trust, trains officers in different parts of the country for
union and state public services and has so far turned out (from
the years 2005 to 2010) 41 IAS officers for union services and 21
officers for provincial or state services. In its first year, i.e., 2005
only three candidates of this Academy were selected for IAS, two
of whom were Muslims after which their number went on increas-
ing gradually. In 2006, 07, 08, 09 and 2010 the number of candi-
dates selected in IAS was 3 (two of whom were Muslims), six
(four Muslims), 10 (nine Muslims), nine (three Muslims) and 10
(one Muslim) respectively. For states civil services 21 candidates
of this Academy were selected of whom 15 were Muslims.
According to 2 circle dot net, Crescent Academy was regis-
tered under Societies Registration Act 1860 as an Educational
Welfare Trust which is a branch of MAR Education Trust the
objective of which is to guide and train promising and aspiring boy
and girl candidates / students for higher posts in the bureaucracy
of the country. This Trust was founded by Maulana Muhammad
Fazlur Raheem Mujaddid, a religious scholar, educationist, social
worker of northern India who subsequently was a member of
Planning Commission of India and also of Advisory Group for the
Empowerment of Minorities. He had declared that candidates
aspiring for higher posts in Indian bureaucracy can avail of the
services of Crescent Society and Academy and for this they
should browse the Societys website www.cacademy.org.
The first Haj House inaugurated in Rajasthan
Jodhpur: Rajasthans Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot inaugurated
the states first Haj House here on 1 April which was built at a cost
of approximately Rs. 1.18 crore. Speaking on this occasion he
said that effort will also be made to build a reporting centre here
and that direct flight service should also be started from this place
i.e. Jodhpur for prospective Hajis. He said an amount of Rs. 2
crores has also been allocated in the budget for building another
Haj House in Jaipur. He further said that results of efforts made in
the past by state and central governments for providing facilities
for the Hajis have proved successful and contacts with Saudi gov-
ernment are also being maintained for providing facilities to them
in that country.
Riot in Una leaves one dead and several wounded
Ahmedabad: The riots between two communities claimed one life
and several persons were seriously injured - one of them critical
in the Nava Bander area of Una district. The two communities
were undergoing communal tension for the last few months which
ultimately erupted on 19th March. A pre-planned attack by rioters
armed with weapons first destroyed huts, auto rickshaws, moter
bikes and set those ablaze. This scared the local Muslims very
much. One seriously injured person Harun Haji Musa (age 49)
was shifted from one hospital to another. He was brought from
Rajkot to Ahmedabad. Inspite of valiant and sincere efforts of doc-
tors his wound ridden body succumbed to the fatal wounds.
Another seriously injured person Qasim Ibrahim is also critical in
a hospital at Rajkot. The deceased left four children behind They
are extremely poor unable to make the two ends meet.
When people reached the police station to lodge a complaint
against Rama Samat, Mawji Veera, Naresh Patel, Hari babu their
complaint was not registered. The incident has made local
Muslims extremely worried about their security. They approached
the local police for protection and immediate arrest of Haruns
killers who are roaming scot-free in the locality and threatening
Muslims of dire consequences.
CPI (M) demands 10 percent quota for Muslims
Communist Party of India (Marxist) in a resolution adopted in
Kozhikode on 7 April has demanded 10 percent reservation for
Muslims. The party wants Dalit, Christians and Muslims to be
included in the Scheduled Caste list. The party also expressed
concern over poor implementation of Ranganath Mishra report
and held the government responsible for it because of their
approach to it. CPI-M in order to retain its pro-minority image
after its debacle in the Bengal assembly polls has demanded 10
percent reservation for Muslims in central government jobs and
educational institutions. On Congress promise of quota during
assembly elections the CPI-M said that it was more or less a polit-
ical stunt and only created confusion among people of all sections
and became a tool for communal forces. CPI-M in its resolution
also condemned both RSS and the BJP for their anti Muslims
campaign even for their legitimate right for reservation in jobs and
education and against genuine claims of Dalit Muslims and
Christians.
Ode decision makes both parties unhappy
Anand: SIT judge Poonam Singhs decision made both parties
unhappy. Both parties are contemplating appealing against the
decision. Delivering her verdict the judge awarded life term to 18
persons accused of murder alongwith a fine of Rs. 58000 each
while the remaining five have been sentenced to seven years of
rigorous imprisonment. Defence lawyer Ashwin Dhagad and C.K.
Patel are content that the prosecution demand for capital punish-
ment was rejected. Yet they intend to challenge the verdict. The
prosecution, however, seeks to challenge the verdict on the
ground that the court upheld the conspiracy charge. No death
sentence for killing helpless women and children with a pre-
planned conspiracy is surprising, said Irsh and Mansuri, the wit-
nesses lawyer
Making Montek blush: a cripple with Himalayan will-power
Ahmedabad: Muhammad Nadeem, dwarfed by crippled legs, is
just 38 inches in height. One of his legs is only 18 inches as it is
without a knee. Inspite of such physical disability he attends
schools like any normal student. He has immense faith in his
potentialities and assures his rickshaw driver father that he will
take care of not only his aged parents but also ensure a bright
future for his four sisters. He alongwith his sister appeared for
class tenth examination this year.
His fathers valiant fight against poverty is quite inspiring.
Muhammad Siraj ekes out a meager income by distributing milk
packets in the morning. In the noon he drives autorickshaw to
return only by midnight. This has been his destiny since early
childhood when he lost his father Sheikh Ali Muhammad and his
mother brought him up by washing dishes in hotels. Since he him-
self could not study he is determined to ensure good education for
his handicapped son and daughters. A grateful Nadeem assures
his parents that he will toil hard to provide them the much need-
ed rest in their old age.
Youth who threw meat in Hyderabad temple arrested
Hyderabad: The person who had thrown a piece of beef in the
temple in Hyderabad which had caused large scale communal
riots was arrested by police on 10 April. During questioning police
came to know that he was 18-year-old G. Shiva Kumar alias
Rakesh resident of Bahadurpura. He had purchased the meat
from a local shop and after throwing it in the temple had fled and
spread the rumour that some one had thrown the meat in the tem-
ple, thus instigating communal riots. During questioning he told
the police that he was feeling unsafe in his locality and wanted a
police picket posted in his locality. A 7th class dropout, police filed
cases against him under sections 135 A and 295 of IPC. He was
sent to judicial custody.
Exam supdt. replaced for his communal comments
Godhra: B.C. Mehta, examination superintendent at the New Era
School, alongwith R.K. Joshi made insulting communal com-
ments about Muslim students appearing for board examination.
Mehta is reported to have said that all caps would undergo oper-
ation on that day when the students were attempting physics
paper. Even during examination Muslim students were subjected
to frequent body search. Such remarks and constant harassment
made the examinees not only uneasy but also caused them a lot
of mental agony.
After returning to their homes, they narrated their woes to
their guardians who lodged a petition with the district collector and
also brought the fact to the notice of the National Commission for
Minorities (NCM). Following the complaint, government observer
Mukund Parmar made entries in Mehtas diary and replaced him
with another officer.
Free travel to holy places for M.P. senior citizens
The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has announced free pil-
grimage to at least one lakh senior citizens every year. On 19 April
cabinet cleared the pilgrimage scheme under the name
Mukhyamantri Teertha Darshan Yojana which will also allow the
senior citizens in addition to schemes to take their attendants with
them during travel and their expenses will also be covered by the
government. Madhya Pradesh happens to be the only state
where travel to holy places in Pakistan, China, Cambodia and Sri
Lanka has been subsidised. The subsidy under the Mukhyamantri
Teertha Darshan schemes for elderly people will cover only
places within the country. Under the schemes, senior citizen
would be entitled to visit one place each associated with Islam,
Jainism, Sikhism Christianity and Buddhism. Notably the
announcement of the Madhya Pradesh government has come at
a time when the Supreme Court has asked the central govern-
ment to curtail subsidy for Haj.
CBI of shielding criminals: Zaheda
Indore: Spilling the beans about the masterminds behind Shehla
Masood murder, Zaheda Parvez accused the CBI of shielding not
only Dhruv Narayan Singh, the state MLA but also Tarun Vijay,
R.S. member of Parliament. Having already made her statement
under section 164 of Cr. Pc. she had kept mum about the master-
minds so far. However, when asked by media whether the two
high profile persons were involved in the conspiracy she replied,
they are deeply involved. The court extended the judicial cus-
tody of all the five persons till April 24. Meanwhile Saba Farooqui
and her friend, have agreed to get their statements recorded
under section 164 Cr. Pc. before a magistrate. Saqib Danger is
yet to take a final decision. Opposition Congress demanded the
arrest of both the persons and sought their resignations as they
have no moral rights to hold any post. Manak Agrawal party
spokesperson claimed that Shehla was also known to L.K.
Advani. He urged the CBI to investigate the motive behind the fre-
quent foreign visits of Tarun Vijay with Shehla. Tarun dismisses
her charge as a defence tactic.
A Division Bench of Andhra Pradesh High Court consisting of
Justice V.V.S. Rao and Justice Kanta Rao in its important verdict
of 3 April on Dargah Hazrat Husain Shah Walis 1654 acres land
(a Waqf property) described it as completely Waqf property and
dismissed the appeal of opposing party consisting of Andhra
Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (an A.P. govern-
ment undertaking) and 16 other applicants consisting of many
MNCs and Indian companies. The High Court had in fact com-
pleted the hearing of this case about three months ago but had
reserved its verdict on it. Pronouncing it on 3 April the Division
Bench while rejecting the appeal of the opposing party, directed
it to pay all expenses of the case to the Waqf Board. The Bench
also maintained the rectified or amended gazette (errata) of the
A.P. Waqf Board in respect of Dargahs 1654 acres land. Justice
VVS Rao in his judgement said that Waqfs views are the views
of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad that if and when a property is ded-
icated as waqf, it becomes the property of God and no body can
make any change in it or sell it. The Division Bench also direct-
ed that the ownership of the above-mentioned land / property be
settled in Waqf Tribunal. The High Court Bench also maintained
Waqf Tribunals earlier temporary stay order and during this tem-
porary stay order the Tribunal had directed all the contending
parties, particularly the opposing parties to maintain status quo
and not to make any changes like construction, sale, purchase
or any change in the nature of the property. It had also stated that
the Trustee of Waqf property will only be the caretaker of these
properties, and he too cannot make any changes, sale, purchase
etc. of these Waqf properties. Against this stay order by the Waqf
Tribunal the opposing party i.e. APIIC, multinationals etc. had
approached A.P. High Court.
It may be stated here that APIIC, on behalf of A.P. govern-
ment had claimed that Dargah Sharifs Waqf property is govern-
ment land, and not Waqf land, and accordingly had allotted this
Waqf or Dargah Shah Walis land to MNCs like Lanco Hills,
Microsoft, I.S.B., Wipro, Emmar Properties, Urdu University etc.
It may also be stated here that first of all Majlis Ittehadul
Muslimeen leader Akbaruddin Owaisi had raised this problem of
Dargahs / Waqf land in the state assembly and had demanded
of the government to return this land to the Waqf. After raising
this demand in the assembly he had become a party alongwith
some other parties to the case filed in A.P. High Court for the
security and recovery of this land by the Waqf. This was because
inspite of the Courts order to maintain status quo and not to
make any changes or sale etc. of these properties, Lanco Hills
had been constructing high rise buildings, commercial flats etc.
on this land. State Waqf Board, which was a party to this dispute
alongwith other parties had hired the services of famous lawyer
Shafiqur Rahman Mohajir and Waqf Boards standing consul
Masood Khan. On the other hand APIIC and its partner compa-
nies had hired the services of Advocate General of A.P. and for-
mer Attorney General of India Soli Sorabji but even then the
opposing parties lost the case. (NAAnsari)
A.P. High Courts historic verdict
on Waqf property
Hakeem Syed Ahmad Khan receiving Shan-e Tib award
The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012 15
COMMUNITY NEWS
India blacklists Israeli arms firm
The Indian government has seized the bank guarantees of a
blacklisted Israeli arms firm following an Indian defence ministry
probe into the Israeli firms dubious deals. On 16 April India
cashed the Rs 224 crore bank guarantee given by Israeli Military
Industries (IMI). The Indian ministry has penalized the Israeli
Military Industries (IMI) for violating an integrity pact in a con-
tract to set up a plant to produce bi-modular charge systems, a
propellant for 155 mm guns, at Nalanda in Bihar. Indias decision
to penalise the Israeli firm is seen as a warning to Israel which is
considered to be the second biggest supplier of military hardware
and software to India after Russia. The IMI signed the contract
with the Indian OFB-Ordnance Factory Board to build ordnance
factories in Bihar for manufacturing bi-modular charges for the
Indian Armys 155mm howitzers. The $260 million contract con-
tained an integrity pact covering a commitment to abstain from
malpractice. According to Indian official the IMI forfeited its guar-
antee as it was involved in the offer of a bribe to the former direc-
tor general of OFB in 2010. Astatement issued by the Israeli min-
istry said, We are surprised by the Indian defence ministrys
decision against Israeli Military Industries because the process of
hearings over the intended sanctions against the company has
not been completed.
20 lakhs compensation for Khwaja Yunus custody death
The Bombay High Court has asked the Maharashtra government
to raise the compensation from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 20 lakh to Khwaja
Yunuss mother Aasia Begum for the death of her son in custody.
Khwaja Yunus was arrested in connection with the Ghatkopar
blast case on 23 December in 2002 and was booked under the
POTA. Yunus was brought to Mumbai on 23 Jan 2003 and then
went missing four days later. One of the accused, had claimed
that they were taking Yunus in a vehicle when they met with an
accident near Jategaon and Yunus fled. The High Court holds
that the concerned police officials were responsible for the sud-
den disappearance of Yunus while in police custody; and to
destroy the evidence of their acts of commission and omission,
filed a false complaint to spread a canard that Khwaja Yunus has
absconded after the accident of the police vehicle while travelling
to Aurangabad. That tall claims of the concerned police officials
have since been exposed. Khwajas mother is not totally con-
vinced because she feels that the culprits have not been pun-
ished despite eyewitness who saw her son being assaulted.
Aasia Begum had sought prosecution of 10 police officers,
including ACP Ambadas Pote and Inspector Arun Borude who
committed suicide in 2010. Khwaja Yunuss mother is not yet sat-
isfied and is thinking of pursuing the case in the Supreme Court.
Ban stereotyping of Muslims: Bihar Government report
Patna: Media has ignored an official press release issued by the
public relations department of Bihar government which says that
there should a ban on films and television serials on terrorism
whose actors are depicted in Muslim outfit or culture. Bihar State
Minorities Commissions chairman Naushad Ahmad, not known
for such bold suggestions, has voiced his concern while speak-
ing in the annual conference of state minorities commission in
New Delhi. There are films and teleserials in which symbols of
Muslim culture are used while depicting a terrorist which certain-
ly gives a wrong signal and the Muslim community gets annoyed
with such attitude. Mr. Naushad lamented that if any person of
minority community is held for any terrorist activity his or her reli-
gion is immediately dragged in. Truth is that whenever such situ-
ation arises religion is prefixed with the terrorist word only if the
accused is a Muslim. Naushad cited the case of LTTE in Sri
Lanka, ULFA of Assam and IRA of UK and said that all of them
are/were terrorist organizations, yet there was no mention of their
Hindu or Christan religion. Naushad added that during the past
few years minorities are being tortured by the police personnel of
Union and other governments. He mentioned the latest example
of Delhi Polices atrocities in Bihar as indicative of this. He said
that Delhi Polices activities in Bihar have not only defamed the
minority community but have also affected the image of Bihar.
Naushad mentioned the case of cycle mechanic Kafil Ahmad as
a glaring example of Delhi Polices high-handedness. He said
that Kafil was arrested on a baseless charge that he was a moti-
vator of Indian Mujahideen. What is shocking is that Delhi Police
executes such action without the consent of local police and does
not bother to inform the local police even after they finish their
mission. Naushad said that all action was taken without any
investigation and even without the permission of Bihar police. He
quoted Bihar Chief Ministers statement in Bihar legislative
assembly on 24 February this year which said that terrorist may
belong to any country, any state or any community and all con-
demn terrorism but it was not good sign to target any state or a
particular community.
Naushad said that the Unlawful Activity Prevention Act
(UAPA) clause 2 has clearly mentioned that arrested person and
seized goods must be handed over to the local police station in
charge. Article 22 clause 2 clearly states that the arrested people
must be presented before the nearest magistrate but the Delhi
Police dont care for this. This is not the first or last case, he said.
This has been a long story now. Victims family did not know
what, why and where is he being taken. Naushad gave the exam-
ple of Batla House encounter. He said that there were discrepan-
cies in what Police said and what the evidence suggested. He
said that investigation by the Human Rights Commission proved
that the encounter was fake. A number of organizations and polit-
ical parties demanded for an independent inquiry but the central
government and even Delhi government did not heed to that.
Naushad raised the issue of the number of minority commu-
nities representatives in police force and demanded that recruit-
ment should be free of discrimination and malpractice and should
be in proportion to the population of the community.
Kazmi says he was forced to sign blank papers by police
New Delhi: Journalist Syed Mohammed Ahmad Kazmi, arrested
for his alleged role in bombing of the Israeli diplomats car, told a
Delhi court on 16 April that while in police custody, he was forced
to sign some papers without reading them. In a handwritten appli-
cation, sent from Tihar Jail, Kazmi told Chief Metropolitan
Magistrate Vinod Yadav: I was forced to sign papers which were
not given (to me) for reading. I was also made to sign on blank
papers. Kazmi said when he refused to sign the papers, he was
told by Special Cell sleuths that his family will bear the conse-
quences if he does not obey. I would also like to state that the
applicant was never consulted before any statement. In some
instances, I was forced to speak as if I was comfortable and will-
ing to give a statement. I apprehend that a video might have been
made to mislead the proceedings in the court, he said.
Meanwhile, an application was moved in the court on same
day on behalf of Alon Yehoshua, the husband of Isreali diplomat
Tal Yehoshua, who was superficially injured in the attack.
Yehoshua sought the release of the damaged car and permission
for assessment of damage caused to it in order to claim insur-
ance amount. Kazmis lawyer objected to this application saying
that important clues could be tampered with if the car is handed
over to the Israeli diplomat. The court also asked the IO of the
case to submit to it a list containing the names of officials who
interrogated or visited Kazmi when he was in police custody. The
court order came after Kazmis counsel, Gajender Singh, submit-
ted that the police had not disclosed the composition of the
Special Cell team and the names of persons who visited Kazmi
who had claimed to have been questioned by officials other than
those of the Delhi Police including foreign agensts like Mossad
and FBI.
Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadeess executive meeting
New Delhi: An extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee
of Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees Hind was held on 22 April at Ahle
Hadees Complex at Okhla, New Delhi in which members and
invitees in large numbers from different states participated, in
which various national and international issues concerning the
community, country and humanity were considered and at the
end the following resolutions were passed: The executive com-
mittee members expressed their strong anger at the arrest of
innocent Muslims from different parts of the country on the
charges of terrorism and demanded of the government to release
them at the earliest. Also suitable compensations should be paid
to them. Members welcomed the Supreme Courts verdict
exempting minority educational institutions from the provisions of
RTE Act and also appealed to the learned court to exempt aided
minority educational institutions as including these institutions
within the purview of this Act is unconstitutional. Members
expressed deep concern over the increasing cost of living (dear-
ness) in the country and requested the government to take nec-
essary and suitable steps to control dearness because otherwise
poverty will increase, leading to various crimes. Members wel-
comed the holding of 31st All India Ahle Hadees conference in
Delhi recently on Adalatus Sahaba and considered it timely and
also necessary. Members also welcomed the participation of
Imam of Haram Shaikh Dr. Saud bin Ibrahim in the 31st All India
Ahle Hadees Conference and thanked the Khadim of the
Harmain Sharifain, Royal Family and ministry of Islamic Affairs of
Saudi Arabia.
Members were unanimous on the view that the reason of all
ills and worries of Muslims in the present world is their not follow-
ing the teachings of the Quran and Hadees and hence they
should make the Quran and Hadees their ideal for solving all
their problems, like the respectable Sahaba. Members felt that for
removal of ills and vices in society a pious and reformed society
needs to be created by milli and religious organisations based on
the teachings of Prophet (pbuh). Members made an appeal to
Muslims to reflect on the society and life style of Sahaba and fol-
low it as role models and they should keep their society free from
vices like drinking and using other intoxicants, sexual perversion,
black marketing, cheating, theft and also live-in relationship
between unmarried men and women. They also considered
homosexuality as dangerous for society and requested the gov-
ernment to stop this practice by amending the relevant laws
including Domestic Violence Act which contains elements of live-
in relationship.
In addition to the above resolutions, many other resolutions
were also passed in this conference which are: condemnation of
cases of terrorism and bomb blasts in Delhi and other parts of the
country and a request to government to conduct impartial inves-
tigations into such cases and mete out exemplary punishments
to the perpetrators of such crimes and not to harass anyone
merely on suspicion; review and removal of objectionable mat-
ters in Waqf amendment bill because otherwise thousands of
waqf lands and properties will be lost; strong condemnation of
Israels aggressiveness and conspiracies to destroy the holy
places of Islam and its genocide of Palestinians and also those
who support Israel and praise for those who sympathise with
Palestinian people and their cause; appeal to people of the sub-
continent to promote peace and cooperation between the two
countries and welcomed Pak presidents invitation to Indian
prime minister to visit Pakistan; concern over oppression of civil-
ian people and reign of terror in Syria and appeal to Syrian gov-
ernment to stop bloodshed and transfer power to people in accor-
dance with their wishes; satisfaction and happiness over the
results of recent elections for five states assemblies with the sup-
port of Muslims and hope that the new governments will recipro-
cate Muslims help in a positive way; condemnation of Meerut
Universitys permission to its students to conduct research on
satanic verses and appeal to the government to stop measures
which hurt the religious feelings of Muslims; expression of sorrow
over recent communal riots in the country and appeal to the gov-
ernment to stop all this and promote peace and brotherhood; full
support to the issues raised by All India Muslim Personal Laq
Board in its ongoing session in Mumbai but concern over contin-
uously ignoring Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadees by MPL Board;
expression of sorrow over the death of Jamats Majlise Shoora
member and famous author Muhammad Yunus Arshad
Balrampuri.
Jawahirullah in TN Assembly
Chennai: Dr. M.H. Jawahirullah, MLA of Manithaneya Makkal
Katchi, participating in the Tamilnadu Assembly debate on
demands for grants for Higher Education on 20 April welcomed
the gesture of the state government to issue 41 government
orders to implement the 42 announcements made regarding
Higher Education during last year, which the state government
said would be made available to the entire population. He said in
the Government-Aided Colleges, the teaching and non- teaching
vacancies due to retirements, voluntary retirements and death of
staff in service have not been filled up for a very long time. The
posts of Assistant Professors of Urdu have not been filled for a
very long time and hence I request the Government that posts of
Assistant Professors of Urdu should be filled. The Non Salary
Grant has not been sanctioned for Government Aided Colleges
for the Past 15 years...The minority educational institutions
established under Article 30 of the Constitution should be provid-
ed with Minority Character Certificate without any difficulty...I
request the Government to implement reservations in Deemed
Universities. At this juncture I should point out that when self-
financed colleges were introduced in Tamil Nadu the then chief
minister Dr. MGR insisted that there should be reservation in Self
Finance Colleges which will enable the downtrodden students to
get the benefit. Taking this as a role model the Government
should introduce reservation for Backward Classes and
Scheduled classes in Deemed Universities. Honble Chief
Minister in 1996 while attending a Iftar Function at SIET College,
Chennai, made an announcement that Urdu Academy would be
formed to promote Urdu language. As a result the Tamil Nadu
State Urdu academy was established. But during the previous
DMK regime not even a single meeting of Urdu academy was
held. I request the Government to sanction an office with a per-
manent Registrar or Secretary and I also request the
Government to sanction a one-time grant of Rs: 1 crore for Urdu
Academy.
New Delhi: Strange but true. At least Maharashtra police
believes so. In an affidavit filed by Maharashtra police in a
Mumbai court to justify the continuance of the ban on Students
Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) it has stated that members of
SIMI, which has already been banned since 2002, are seeking
inspiration and guidance from poet Ghalib and his couplets. Not
only one but many affidavits have been filed by Maharashtra
police in support of this claim. In one such affidavit, police
inspector Shivaji Rao Tambre of Sholapurs Vijaypur Naka, while
describing SIMI as dangerous has quoted as proof the couplet
of Ghalib Mauj-e khoon sar se guzar hi kyon na jaaye / Aastaan-
e yaar se uth jaayen kya (Even if a wave of blood passes by our
head, should we leave the abode of the beloved). He claimed
that this couplet preaches bloodshed and promotes hatred. Prof.
Khalid Mahmood, head of Jamia Millia Islamias Department of
Urdu says that this couplet means that we shall not leave or
desert our land, come what may, even if our heads are separat-
ed from our bodies.
The matter, however, does not end here. Different affidavits
one after the other have been filed in courts by Maharashtra
police, according to which SIMIs objective is to separate or dis-
member Maharashtra (of all places) from India and hence this
organisation is dangerous for the countrys independence, sov-
ereignty and integrity. Maharashtra police did not present any
solid proof in support of this claim but said that Ghalibs poetry
is responsible for SIMIs terrorism. It is also surprising what great
connoisseurs and scholars personnel of Maharashtra police
have become of Ghalibs poetry that out of hundreds of his cou-
plets they have dug out one to serve their purpose whose mean-
ing is not so easy to understand even for educated Urdu stu-
dents. It is also not known how other Urdu scholars have inter-
preted this couplet which is not very common and well-known.
The fact that many police officers, as per news, have quoted this
couplet in their different affidavits to justify the continuation of
the ban on SIMI also exposes that they all were cooked by a sin-
gle source and then sent to various police stations to quote this
couplet as an excuse for extending the ban on SIMI. So much
about Maharashtra police. Andhra Pradesh police has justified
continuation of ban on SIMI for a different reason. Inspector P.
Devinder of Hyderabads Saadabad Police Station has stated in
an affidavit that SIMIs activities are going on in the city and
other parts of the state because it is getting assistance and
cooperation from eight Pakistan organisations including ISI.
Ghalib and his poetry behind terrorism!
INTERNATIONAL
16 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012
Burmese Muslim Refugees on the
verge of starvation on Delhi streets
New Delhi: Over a thou-
sand Muslim asylum-
seekers from Arakan
province of Myanmar are
camping since mid-April
on footpaths near the
office of the United
Nations High
Commission for Refugees
(UNHCR) in New Delhi.
They are on the verge of
starvation due to the apa-
thy of UNHCR towards
their plight. They are liv-
ing on the food offered to
them by the local Muslims
from across the road and
are deprived of basic amenities and medical facilities.
Mamoon Rafeeq, 45, originally a resident of Mangdaw dis-
trict of Arakan region, said that the UNHCR officials are discrim-
inating against them because they are Muslims. Mamoon added
that Non-Muslim asylum-seekers from Myanmar get their
refugee status card within months or even days but we are being
kept waiting for years. Instead of proper refugee cards, we are
being issued cards which say that we are asylum seekers and
even this card is issued without our fathers name and address.
These issues have not been solved despite many meetings with
the UNHCR officials. He further said that the Arakan Muslims
are seeking refugee status since 1982 when they started migrat-
ing into India. Mamoon rued that the UNHCR cards which were
given to them were of no use as they could not seek admission
into any school for their children or get employment for them-
selves while in India. Mamoon told MG that at present around 10
to 15 thousand Arakani Muslims are living in different parts of
India. He said that some of our people are incarcerated in
Andaman jail also.
The Arakan refugees said that they were living a nomadic life
now and it was difficult for them to predict their childrens future.
They said that in the year 1982 their Burmese citizenship was
cancelled when a
new Constitution came into force in Myanmar. Through the pro-
visions of the new Constitution, the Arakan Muslims, known as
Rohigya, were declared as Bangladeshis who had been
brought into Burma (now called Myanmar) as slaves. Now
restrictions were imposed on Muslims of Arakan. They no longer
remained free to move around within their own province and dis-
tricts or even between their villages. They were asked to report
to the local police authorities before entertaining guests and/rel-
atives at their homes. Their land rights were confiscated. They
have to report to the police the number of living or dead animals
such as cows and goats in their possession. Arakan Muslim chil-
dren are not allowed to study beyond class XII. All these atroci-
ties are being meted out to Arakan Muslims by their own country-
men and government.
Mamoon expressed his gratefulness to the compassion of
Indian society and people and the support and acceptance
Indians have given to them. Despite such hardships faced by the
Arakan Muslims, Mamoon hoped for the good times to come
soon when they and their people would return to their homeland.
He again thanked the Indian people and disappeared among his
folks smiling at this reporter. NADIM AHMAD
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Israel's Ruthless Campaign
To Destroy Jerusalem's
Palestinian Identity
Israel is hard at work, closing organizations and destroying
dwellings in a campaign against Palestinian life in East
Jerusalem. In 2004, the Jerusalem municipality unveiled its plan
to build a new national park on land in the al-Bustan neighbour-
hood. This park would necessitate the eventual demolition of 88
Palestinian homes and the forced eviction of nearly 1,000 resi-
dents. Common decency demands that one ask: 'Who's more
important, the people or the gardens?'
According to the Civic Coalition for Defending Palestinians'
Rights in Jerusalem (CCDPRJ), since August 2001 the Israeli
authorities have closed approximately 28 organizations serving
the Palestinian community in Jerusalem. These include the
Jerusalem Chamber of Commerce, the Arab Studies Society,
and Orient House, the former headquarters in the city of the
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In 2009, the Israeli
authorities also banned numerous Palestinian cultural and edu-
cational events scheduled to celebrate the declaration of
Jerusalem as the "Capital of Arab Culture" for that year.
These closures relate to an overarching policy that includes
the violation of housing rights and the revocation of residency.
This policy ultimately results in the forced and completely illegal
displacement of Palestinians from Jerusalem.
A recent report by the United Nations condemned the Israeli
house demolition policy in Jerusalem and in the West Bank Area
C, which is under full Israeli military control. The report stated
that last year demolitions were the highest in recent times.
Adapted from "Israel closes organizations, destroys
dwellings in campaign against Palestinian life in East
Jerusalem", published on line by The Electronic Intifada on
January 31, 2012. Full text available at:
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/maureen/israel-closes-organi-
zations-destroys-dwellings-campaign-against-palestinian-life-
east. (PAJU)
US Emergency
Reserves in Israel
The US Congressional report, which IsraelDefense
has obtained, reveals that the US is holding mili-
tary equipment in Israel, which includes missiles,
armored vehicles, and artillery ammunition worth
hundreds of millions of US dollars.
The United States is holding emergency reserves of military
equipment in Israel at a total worth of $800 million, which is
expected to increase in scope in the near future and reach $1.2
billion.
These details are uncovered in the report of the US
Congressional Research Service. According to the report, Israeli
leaders have decided to increase "the strategic cooperation" with
the US since the 1980s, inviting the US to store military equip-
ment in Israel.
The report states that nearly a decade later, the US respond-
ed to the proposal, and transferred military equipment for storage
in Israel. The equipment is intended for US use during war, and
Israel may use the equipment in an emergency pending US
approval.
The US command in Europe, EUCOM, is responsible for the
military equipment stored in Israel. The report states that the US
has stored missiles, armored vehicles, and artillery ammunition.
The report quotes "an Israeli officer" who says that all the
equipment officially belongs to the US Army; however, in the
event of a military conflict, the IDF can ask for permission to use
some of the equipment. The report further reveals that the US
approved Israeli access to the US emergency depots during the
Second Lebanon War in 2006.
According to the report, the total worth of the US military
equipment stored in Israel was initially worth $100 million, but its
scope increased over time, reaching $800 million as of 2010. The
report also states that an amendment was made to US law in
2010, which allows for increasing the worth of military equipment
in Israeli emergency depots to as much as $1.2 billion.
In the year 1982 their Burmese citizenship was cancelled when a new Constitution came into force in
Myanmar. Through the provisions of the new Constitution, the Arakan Muslims, known as Rohigya, were
declared as Bangladeshis who had been brought into Burma (now called Myanmar) as slaves. Now
restrictions were imposed on Muslims of Arakan. They no longer remained free to move around within
their own province and districts or even between their villages.
R
u
s
s
ia
C
h
in
a
US
Eorope
MG/Yusuf
The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012 17
INTERNATIONAL
CHARITY ALLIANCE, with the active support of MG and like-minded people, is helping the victims of starvation in
Murshidabad since April 2005. More tasks are being undertaken in some of the most deserving areas and most backward
sections of our community. This charitable trust is channelising this long-felt effort. Almost every paisa is reaching the
deserving people as MG is providing office and administrative facilities free of cost as well as free advertising space, and
the trustees are barred by the trust deed from receiving any remuneration for their work and time.
Indian nationals anywhere in the world can contribute by cheque, draft, money order, postal order payable to
Charity Alliance and send it to:
CHARITY ALLIANCE
D-84 Abul Fazl Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110 025 India Tel.: (+91-11) 2694 7483, 2695 2825
We prefer cheques to bank drafts. Cheques/Drafts should be crossed / marked account payee.
Individuals are welcome to pay cash in our office or send M.O.
If you want to contribute through credit card or internet-banking visit www.charityalliance.in for secure online payment.
The full list of donors may be seen on Charilty Alliance website (www.charityalliance.in).
Zakat, Sadaqat and bank interest accepted
See MG, 16-31 August 2011, Page 7 for detailed report on our work.
CHARITY ALLIANCE
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Donations to Charity Alliance are eligible for tax liability deduction in India under Section 80G
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tax!
FIDEL CASTRO RUZ
PRESIDENT OF CUBA
I took a good look at Obama in the famous
"Summit Meeting". Sometimes he was
overcome by tiredness, he unwillingly shut
his eyes but, at times, he slept with open
eyes.
The Cartagena Summit was not a
meeting of a trade union of misinformed
presidents, but a meeting among official
representatives of 33 countries of this
hemisphere. The overwhelming majority of them are asking for
solutions to the most pressing economic and social problems that
affect the region with the most unequal distribution of wealth in
the world.
I do not wish to get ahead of the opinions of millions of per-
sons, capable of making and in-depth and objective analysis of
the problems affecting Latin America, the Caribbean and the rest
of a globalized world, where a few has it all and the rest has noth-
ing. The system imposed by imperialism in this hemisphere,
whatever its name, is worn out and unsustainable.
In the near future, humanity will have to cope, among others,
with the problems associated to climate change, security and the
production of food for the ever-growing world population.
Excessive rainfall is affecting both Colombia and Venezuela.
A recent analysis revealed that on March this year, high temper-
atures in the US were 4.8 Centigrade degrees hotter than the all-
time average. The consequences of those changes, which are
well known in the capitals of the main European countries, give
rise to catastrophic problems for humanity.
Peoples expect political leaders to provide clear answers to
these problems.
Colombians, whose country hosted the disreputable Summit,
are a hardworking and self-sacrificing people who need, as much
as all others, the cooperation of their Latin American brothers and
sisters who are, in this case, the Venezuelans, Brazilians,
Ecuadorians, Peruvians and others capable of doing what the
Yankees, with their sophisticated weapons, their expansionism
and their insatiable craving for material goods will never do. The
visionary formula stated by Jos Mart is now more necessary
than ever in history: "The trees must form ranks to keep the giant
with seven-league boots from passing! It is the time of mobiliza-
tion, of marching together, and we must go forward in close
ranks, like silver in the veins of the Andes."
Far off from the brilliant and lucid ideas of Bolivar and Marti
are the mulled over, sweetened and relentlessly reiterated words
of the illustrious Nobel laureate, expressed during a ridiculous
tour around the Colombian countryside, which I heard yesterday
in the afternoon. They only served to remind us of the Alliance for
Progress' speeches delivered 51 years ago, when the monstrous
crimes that lashed this hemisphere had not been committed as
yet, where our country struggled not only for its right to independ-
ence but also for its right to exist as a nation.
Obama spoke about the distribution of land. He did not spec-
ify how much land would be distributed, when and how.
The Yankee transnationals will never give up their control
over the land, the water, the mines and the natural resources of
our countries. Their soldiers should vacate the military bases;
their troops should be withdrawn from each and every one of our
territories. They should renounce to the unequal exchange and
plundering of our nations.
Perhaps the Community of Latin American and Caribbean
States turns into what should be and hemispheric political organ-
ization without the presence of the United States and Canada.
Their decadent and unsustainable empire has already earned the
right to rest in peace.
I think that the images about the Summit should be well pre-
served as an example of a disaster.
I leave aside the scandal caused by the misconduct attrib-
uted to the members of the Secret Service responsible for guar-
anteeing Obama's personal security. I am under the impression
that the staff entrusted with that task is characterized by its pro-
fessionalism. This is what I saw during my visit to the United
Nations, while they were protecting the Heads of States. They
have, no doubt, protected him from those who would not have
hesitated to perpetrate an action against him out of racial preju-
dice.
May Obama be able to sleep with eyes shut, if only for a few
hours, without having anyone saddling him with the job of deliv-
ering a speech about the immortality of the crab at an unreal
Summit.
The Cuban Five will return!
To Sleep With Open Eyes
Dear Gunter
Dear Gunter,
look what you have done now-
gone for the golden horns
of the holy cow.
Your this blasphemous tantrum
hollows out all that you gathered
in that soulful tin drum.
And why now at eighty four,
when , O Grass, only a wisp of
time's last hay lies before
you?
Is it that passion for the truth
or mere prejudice
that makes you say this?
And even if it be the first,
who will believe that it is not the last?
The Zionist church is aghast
that you may or may not remember
the sixty million who were lost
to slave trade (just read thou Zinn),
but that you should so underrate
the celebrated holocaust.
Or those others who were burnt
to cinders at Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
or in the orange killing fields of Vietnam,
or annihilated in Iraq or Afghanistan,
Gaza or Romolla,
or in the millions in Latin America
and dark Africa, and Indonesia,
do all those now qualify to the same
status as victim as Mordecai or Ephraigm?
Could your frame of historical reference
ever be more wonky, O foolhardy dunce?
All this goes to show how little noble
is the Nobel; and how the world's knowledge-
able
god's chosen children fail.
BADRI RAINA
badri.raina@gmail.com
Iran's Intelligence Ministry said it has busted a
major network of terrorism and sabotage with
links to Israel in what seems to be a sign of
escalation of Tel Aviv's covert intelligence war
against Tehran.
In a statement published on Tuesday, the
Iranian Intelligence Ministry noted that arrested
members of the Israeli terrorist network were
planning to launch attacks against the country.
The Ministry added that the Israeli-affiliated
terrorists were arrested after months of intelli-
gence operations in central and border
provinces.
Some of them, the statement noted, were
totally prepared to carry out their terrorist oper-
ations when Iran's intelligence agents swooped
down on them.
The Ministry further stated that large
amounts of explosives, weapons and military
equipment have also been seized.
"Further details will be released in the
future," the statement added.
This is not the first time Iran arrests CIA
and Israeli spies. On May 30, 2011, members
of a CIAespionage and sabotage network were
arrested by the Iranian Intelligence Ministry.
On November 24, 2011, Iran announced
the arrest of a dozen other CIAspies, who were
found to have been on a mission to sabotage
the country's nuclear facilities and other impor-
tant compounds.
Another CIA espionage network with 12
members was busted in Iran and Lebanon in
cooperation with the Lebanese resistance
movement of Hezbollah.
Also on December 17, 2011, Iran's
Intelligence Ministry announced the capture of
an American CIA agent of Iranian decent, foil-
ing an intricate US plot to carry out further espi-
onage activities in the Islamic Republic follow-
ing the capture of an American spy drone in
northeastern Iran.
The Yankee transnationals will never give up their control over the land, the water, the
mines and the natural resources of our countries. Their soldiers should vacate the mili-
tary bases; their troops should be withdrawn from each and every one of our territories.
They should renounce to the unequal exchange and plundering of our nations.
Iran busts Israeli terrorists in
central, border provinces
INTERNATIONAL
18 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012
YAMIN ZAKARIA
yamin@radicalviews.org
London: The recent case [1] of a battered
British woman made headlines; her lover
broke her jaw and nose, then her eyes were
gouged out - it sounds like a horror flick. Only
the bare facts got reported, as if it was just an
isolated incident; there was very little analysis
given in the media. There was hardly any
mention of the man's background, his ethnici-
ty or religion, and no mention if he had any
ideological affiliation, and nothing to indicate
how widespread domestic violence is in the
UK.
Media analysis is often tacit; by dropping
hints of religious or ethnic background of the
perpetrator, and selectively citing out other
similar cases it paints a general picture, indi-
cating the source of the problem. For sure,
that would have been the case, had the man
been of a foreign complexion with a name like
Ahmed, instead of Shane; the Islamophobes
and closet racists would have argued that this
wife-beating episode is another example prov-
ing that it is an Islamic phenomenon. Such
Melanie Phillips like analysis usually gets
endorsed by nasty comments found below it.
Domestic violence is almost universal; it is
just as prevalent, if not more, in countries that
claim to be spearheading women's rights. It is
amusing to see countries like the US raising
such issues, whilst it's blind to the rapists fill-
ing the ranks of its army [2] and homes. In a
survey [3], two-thirds of teenage men said
they would commit date-rape if they could get
away with it. Yet these types of men were sent
to Afghanistan and Iraq to liberate women!
Indeed, as numerous surveys confirm,
rape and domestic violence is widespread
inside the US, and other Western European
countries like France, the UK and Germany.
However, the point is, it gets reported as just
domestic violence, and rape; there is no con-
nection with liberalism, democracy, freedom,
secularism or Christianity. Why does this sort
of systematic violence occur in societies that
are supposed to be the bastion of women's
rights? In contrast, if there is a report of
Ahmed or Mohammed beating his wife, the
secular zealots argue it as a religious phe-
nomenon. Such hypocrisy is familiar, just like
the death penalty in the US is a civilised cap-
ital punishment, but in Saudi it's a medieval
barbaric religious practice!
The clear double standards in the
Western media are no excuse for the failure of
Muslims to tackle wife- beating and forced
'marriages'. The religious scholars and groups
are not eager to tackle such issues on a prac-
tical level. All you constantly hear from them is
how Islam gives women rights, which were
enshrined
1400 years ago, and this gets repeated on
and on. Agreed, but then why do we see a cul-
ture of wife-beating and forced marriages,
particularly amongst some Muslim communi-
ties? There is absolutely no example of the
Prophet (saw) and his companions inflicting a
light slap, let alone using the wife as a punch
bag. Likewise, there is no example of forcing
anyone to marry against their will. Note, I say
'force', meaning someone has objected to a
marriage and then being ordered to continue
with it.
All the textual evidences point to the duty
of being kind to your wife, and nurturing a lov-
ing relationship, this is definitely the default
position, and I suspect this is also the view in
most other religions. Those who refer to the
Quranic verse of "beating the wife lightly" for a
disobedient wife know that it is a metaphoric
statement, otherwise you would have seen
volumes of cases of wife beating from the
early period of Islamic history, and volumes of
legal documents depicting the rules to inflict
physical violence on the wife. I know there are
some 'enlightening' YouTube videos of some
Wahabi cleric demonstrating the rules of Wife
beating - but its bida (innovation)! It's time
they got their own medicine of bida. The
Prophet and his companions, and the early
generation (Salaf) never practised wife beat-
ing, so why introduce such innovation.
Over the years, in denial, some have dis-
missed wife-beating as a Hindu custom seep-
ing into the Muslim community, something for-
eign inherited, not our problem. This is hard to
reconcile living in a dominant Muslim commu-
nity, whose Hindu ancestors go back cen-
turies.
My perception of wife-beating is: it's a
specific problem largely confined to the
Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. I have not
see this in other communities (Arabs, Malays,
Iranians, and Turks etc.) except the odd cases
of 'honour' (shameful) killing. If I were to rank
the countries or communities, I would proba-
bly place Bangladesh at the top of the list.
Maybe the geeks can provide the stats and
correct me, but for sure wife-beating is preva-
lent in the Bengali community, and I say this
based on my personal experience.
Form my early childhood I have witnessed
acts of violence meted out against innocent
and vulnerable women. There were always
cases being discussed in the close-knit com-
munity. I still recall the morning in
Bangladesh, woken up by screaming kids and
women knocking on our door. They took me to
the house in the poorer parts, people gathered
there like if there was a public spectacle,
eventually I could see the police leaving the
house with the Rickshaw driver in handcuffs,
his 'crime' was that he spent the entire night
beating his wife, who remains unconscious on
the floor. She is someone's daughter and
someone's mother and someone's sisters.
Can you imagine the impact on the screaming
kids through the night? The kids having to
hear their mother screaming for cover, crying
in pain and agony all night, and the noise
emanating from the beatings, as well as the
growling of the father! Her screams will contin-
ue to haunt them for years to come.
Another incident that still haunts me is
that of a young girl brought from the village as
a poor servant, to work in a neighbour's
house. I was barely 7-years old. The girl cries
almost every afternoon and morning; naturally
she is missing her loved ones, and is all alone
in a big city. One of the older ladies starts to
scold her for being inefficient, spending time
on crying instead of working; and then eventu-
ally one of the older male members grabs her
by the hair and pulls her toward him, bends
her over and his fist lands on her back. She
starts to scream loudly crying for her mother,
and other members intervene to get her
released. I was dumbfounded at the needless
violence inflicted on a girl who was barely a
teenager. Did they not once reflect that she is
someone's daughter? I am not an advocate of
feminism or masculinism (if there is such a
thing), and would like to say this as an impar-
tial genderless judge: some men are not fully
evolved, just animals on two legs!
In later years, another trend started to
emerge in Bangladesh - throwing acid on the
girl's face by the jilted boyfriend. I guess the
crude 'logic' is: if I can't have her, then nobody
else can. I wonder if these beasts will ever
realise they have daughters and sisters too in
their own family, who could be subjected to
the same awful logic.
In the meantime, our scholars and groups
are busy talking and dreaming about the mer-
its of an ideal Islamic society or debating triv-
ial issues. In the absence of any real effort to
tackle real issues like wife- beating, forced
'marriages' (legalised rape), honour killings
and rape, the secular feminists are proposing
men-hating feminism as a solution, overlook-
ing what it has achieved in the West. Such
crude ideas, built on knee-jerk reaction, are
hardly an enlightening solution for social
progress.
Notes:
1) http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/arti-
cle/16207978
2) http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/
dec/09/rape-us-military
Wife Beating, Secular Feminism and Sharia
Israeli occupation forces demolished the Arab village of Al-
Araqeeb for the 37th time in the early hours of 23 April this year.
The village is located in the Naqab desert in south Palestine which
was occupied by the Jewish armed gangs in 1948. The occupa-
tion authorities refuse to accept that the village is legitimate.Local
sources in the Naqab (Hebrewised as "Nagev") said that large
numbers of police, army soldiers and Israeli Interior Ministry's
special units attacked the village in the early hours of that day with
bulldozers and heavy machines. A siege was laid before the dem-
olition. Villagers took shelter in the Islamic cemetery while the
brave Israelis demolished all houses made of tin and tents.
Shaikh of the village shaikh Sayyah Al-Touri said speaking to
Quds Press news agency that "the continuous demolition opera-
tions will not kill our will and our determination to stay in the land
of our ancestors.
He told Quds Press that the villagers have again started
rebuilding their homes. We shall be steadfast in our howsoever
they try to demolish our homes and expel us from our land. We
shall stay put on our land and in our village. We shall face the
criminal attempts to expel us as long as we are alive and we shall
inculcate this steadfastness in the hearts of our sons". He said
earlier the occupation authorities did not have pity on the villagers
and demolished their homes while it was raining or while they
were burying their dead. He mentioned that the Israeli army
uprooted their trees and demolished the landmarks of the village
in order to uproot the Arab existence in the area of Naqab which
they want to judaise completely. (Translated from Arabic)
Occupation demolishes Arab village for the 37th time
Algeria's first president
Ahmed Ben Bella no more
The first president of independent Algeria,
Ahmed Ben Bella, died on 11 April at his
home in Algiers following an illness. Mr Ben
Bella, who was 95, had recently been treated
in hospital for respiratory problems.
Mr Ben Bella led Algeria to independence
from France before becoming president in
1963. He ruled Algeria as head of a one-party
state but three years later was overthrown by
the head of the army. While Mr Ben Bella's
policies were controversial, he was widely
respected for his struggle against French rule.
In later years he became an advocate for
democracy, rejecting the growing Islamist ele-
ments in Algerian society amid the bloody
conflict between militants and security forces
in the 1990s. Revolutionary leader
Mr Ben Bella was born in a rural area
near the Moroccan border in 1916, and fought
with distinction with the Free French Forces in
Italy during World War II and won five gal-
lantry medals. But he became disillusioned
with French rule on his return to Algeria after
the war, and was elected municipal councillor
for the anti-colonialist "Movement for the
Triumph of Democratic Liberties." When the
movement was declared illegal, Mr Ben Bella
went underground. Arrested in May 1951, he
was interned but staged a dramatic escape
two years later. Ahmed Ben Bella Ahmed Ben
Bella in 2010: his death coincides with 50
years of Algerian independence
He fled to Cairo where he planned the
1954 uprising which began Algeria's war of
independence. He was imprisoned by the
French, but was the acknowledged head of
the independence movement throughout the
revolution. After he was deposed he spent
many years in prison, then under house
arrest, and went into exile in Switzerland in
1980. He was officially pardoned in 1990.
Al-Araqeeb after the 37th demolition
The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012 19
BOOKS
Book: Side by Side - Parallel Histories of Israel-Palestine.
Editors: Sami Adwan, Dan Bar-On, Eyal Naveh
Publishers: New Press, New York
Year: 2012
JIM MILES
This is an intriguing work of historical writing. For the parameters
that it has set itself it succeeds. It is written as would be expect-
ed with both sides choosing their words carefully as descriptive
words and active verbs can influence the perceptions of the
reader. It is a good primer text for the situation in Palestine/Israel,
but there is much more material that can extend both these nar-
ratives by providing much more detail and more importantly,
more context. Parallel lines never meet.
In an issue as critical as this, where the choice of words, per-
haps the choice of a definitive article (the) can shape the course
of events, the choice of title is perhaps equally important. Did the
editors purposely choose the title word parallel in order to indi-
cate that these two stories lie side by side but will never meet?
Or was it more a choice indicating that the stories have a long
storied past and will continue to have a long storied future? Or
both?
More correctly, having read many dozens of books on both
sides of the issue, the story lines presented here are not truly
parallel, never meeting, but could be much more accurately
described as tessellated, or more commonly presented as a jig-
saw puzzle. The information presented in both stories is not
aggressive, it is not challenging, there are no contradictions (per-
haps the colouring of perceptions as mentioned above as one
man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist), no antagonism,
no confrontation.
The two stories are highly complementary and could be
melded together, fitted together in a tessellation - shaped brick
work to make a single sidewalk - or more fittingly, the irregular
shapes of a jigsaw puzzle that when arranged correctly form a
single picture. It might be difficult for someone new to this infor-
mation to see how they can be fit into a whole, but the writing has
been carefully enough worded that each narrative can fit within -
can fulfill - the other.
Recruiting historical facts: In the introduction the editors say,
In intractable conflicts, each side creates a monolithic identity by
constructing it in opposition to the other. Historical facts are
recruited to support the narratives associated with these mono-
lithic constructions. This is true during conflict and after conflict,
as it is generally the most powerful, and ultimately the winners
who write the narrative. Winners of course do not have to worry
too much about facts and can colour their language as they
please, ensuring that future generations will read of the glory of
long ago battles fought for justice and freedom against "others."
Fortunately, these two narratives appear to be very cognizant of
this and have been much more circumspect with their choice of
language.
However, to concentrate on the phrase historical facts are
recruited creates a slightly different nuance to these complemen-
tary texts. As the reader goes from one story line to the other, it
is consistently the Palestinian line that has recruited more facts.
As indicated earlier, there is nothing antagonistic or contradicto-
ry between the two stories, but there are certainly more errors of
omission. I am left with the feeling that it is perhaps inconvenient
for the Israeli narrative to recruit certain facts. Thus the two sto-
ries become fully complementary as the missing facts are gener-
ally provided by the longer more detailed Palestinian narrative.
One big issue: Familiar to all who have read histories of Zionism
and Palestine/Israel one major common thread becomes the
demographic concerns of Israel as made practical by the settle-
ments. This is not a new phenomenon since the Six Day War, but
is the warp and woof within the overall Zionist-Palestinian histor-
ical tapestry.
Settlements are mentioned frequently in both narratives. The
Israel side indicates the need for settlements in order to gain ter-
ritory and to increase the Jewish population. The Palestinian side
indicates the same in terms of loss of territory, livelihood, water,
resources, and transportation.
The settlement issue started with Practical Zionism in the
1920s "focused onpurchasing land and settling Jews in the
Land of Israel." This focus is repeated, as "Settlements and
demographic expansionwere the most important practical
manifestations of the renascent Jewish nationalism."
Continuing, during the 1930s the main aim of the accelerated
settlement was to expand Jewish areas in preparation for future
partitionon the assumption that the location of settlements
would determine the new borders. The settlement model was
called "tower and stockade" because these settlements were
set up and populated overnight, with a wall around them and a
watchtower for defense. This is surprisingly reminiscent of the
U.S. settlement patterns as they ethnically cleansed the native
people from across the North American continent. Not all were
necessarily military, but the military role is obvious.
Later in the 1940s, "New settlement activity created territo-
rial continuity and enlarged the area of future Jewish state in the
event of partition." The comments continue similar to this,
always with the emphasis on colonizing the land, settling the
land, with territorial conti-
nuity and demographic
majority being the end
goal. All this was written
from the Israeli perspec-
tive, a significantly honest
approach to the history of
Palestine/Israel.
Errors of omission
There are three large
errors of omission within
the texts. The first is the
lack of any acknowledge-
ment of Israel's dominant
military strength back
stopped by its nuclear arsenal. The second is the broader con-
text of Palestine/Israel within the current imperial adventures in
the region. The third is that the narrative stops in 2001.
Israel has by all authoritative accounts a large nuclear arse-
nal and one of the most powerful military and security forces in
the world. That omission is one that distorts the balance of the
narratives, as there is no balance when one side has all the mil-
itary fire power, all the coercive power.
The broader context is somewhat recognized by the
Palestinian writers, as they recognize the supporting role that the
U.S. gives to Israel. But beyond that both sides leave out the
huge financial, military, and technological assistance provided by
the U.S. to Israel, and the overwhelming political support provid-
ed by the U.S. in foreign affairs in the latter's efforts to be the
controlling hegemon of the Middle East. Once again, historical
writing cannot be balanced when one side is overwhelmingly
dominant compared to the other.
When I came to the end of the stories I was surprised that
the end came in 2001. With a book published for 2012, there
have been major incidents after that date that are not addressed.
The thwarted democratic elections of 2006 in the occupied terri-
tories, the invasion of Lebanon in that same year, the Cast Lead
invasion of Gaza, the U.S. invasion of Iraq on the second stage
of its war on terror after the Twin Towers attack of 2001 that start-
ed the current U.S. military grab for world dominance are all sig-
nificant events that have been omitted. Associated with that of
course are the final dying phases of the peace talks, and the
ongoing settlement and wall building functions of practical
Zionism.
Perhaps the editors/authors recognized that this might be
territory where the non-antagonistic nature of the narratives
might be disrupted; or perhaps the last ten years do not count as
'historical' in spite of their huge significance.
Overall, the honesty and candour of the writing is refreshing
and holds up to its initial premise of being historically accurate
even if one-sided. From the Israeli side, while the holocaust is
mentioned as it necessarily needs to be, it does not become the
fall back position of a national mythology of the perpetual victim.
Certainly the Jewish people of all races have been persecuted,
but they are not unique in that, and progress will be made not by
being constantly the victim, but by learning from the holocaust
and ensuring that no other people will suffer a similar fate in the
future, but that justice and equality shall prevail for all. On a
smaller scale, the writers acknowledge the more significant
strength of the Israeli military during the war of independence.
How to read: Yes, you know how to read, but this text does pose
some problems. I found that trying to read the pages side by side
became confusing as well as disruptive to the individual story
lines. Conversely, I thought that by reading the whole text from
one perspective first would possibly make me forget some of the
comparisons that are apparent. I settled on reading the story line
one chapter at a time, one side at a time. This enabled the com-
parisons to be readily made without disrupting the storyline, and
without forgetting what the other side had said from their per-
spective about that particular period.
This book is well worth the read for its honesty and not so
parallel approach to the stories. The lives of the Israelis and
Palestinians are indeed intertwined, and while they may try to
carry two narratives, this honest examination of both demon-
strates that they are part of a whole, not equal, but all fitting into
one singular series of historical events.
Jim Miles is a Canadian educator
Aggressor and victims versions of Palestine
Sachar Committee Report
English Rs 1000
Hindi Rs 1000
Urdu Rs 1000
Ordering details on page 20
Protecting Plurality
Book: Teen Sau Ramayan (Hindi)
Author: A.K.Ramanujan
Translation by Dhaval Jaiswal
Publishers: Vani Prakahan, Delhi
Year: 2012. Pages 80. Price: Rs 125
How does one react to the omission of a
learned essay from the curriculum and its pub-
lication by the publisher feeling intimidated by
the protests of intolerant-fundamentalist ele-
ments? Here is one small answer. Put it on the website, translate it
in to other languages and quench the curiosity of concerned read-
ers. In case of celebrated essay Three Hundred Ramayans, this is
what has been attempted. While some put it on web, translating it
into Hindi has been done by Jaiswal and its publication by Vani
Prakashan. Both deserve appreciation in the light of the fact that
when Oxford University Press(OUP) decided to pull off this essay,
from future publications.
This essay was part of the syllabus of graduate course of
History Department of Delhi University. In 2008, the RSS affiliates,
Shiksha Bachao Andolan (Movement to Save Education) and the
student wing of RSS created ruckus against this essay by saying
that it hurts Hindu sentiments. The matter went to high Court, which
ruled that since the issue relates to Academia, Delhi University
(DU) should take the final call. DU decided to withdraw it from the
curriculum and OUP decided to stop publishing it.
This book, Tin Sau Ramayan, is by Ramanujan, a scholar-
translator of exceptional caliber, who has pieced together the con-
cept behind the prevalence of many Ram stories. Even before the
noted Valmiki Ramayan, there was a prevalence of many versions
of Jataka Ramayans. One such version of Jataka Ramayan had
come under attack earlier also when in one of the panels of exhibi-
tion by SAHMAT, it showed Ram and Sita to be siblings. The
diverse versions of Ramayan are also well revealed by one version
of Ramayan itself where at one point in one of the Ramayan tales,
Sita tells Ram, that she will also come with him to the forest. When
Ram opposes this she goes on to say that in most of the Ramayan
tales Sita has accompanied Ram, so why are you denying my com-
ing with you to forest!
The essay of Ramanujan begins with a beautiful narration
about different reincarnations of Ram, with each reincarnation Ram
drops a ring, which falls in to the Pata lok (below the Earth) . All
these rings are indistinguishable from each other. The way of look-
ing at Ram differs from each other as per the time and the values
of narrator. The birth of Sita, the death of Sita has so many gripping
interpretations and Ramanujan brings it out in a masterly fashion.
The local pattern also gets reflected in the particular tellings of
the Ram story. In Kamban Ramayan, Ram is a Tamil hero.
Kamban's narration formed the base of Thai version where the
names of different characters are not in Sanskrit but in Tamil. Thai
version, Ramkirti and Ramakiyen, is another major presentation.
This telling of Ram story has a deep impact on Thai society. Here
Ram is regarded as the reincarnation of Shiva and not Vishnu.
Their Buddha Viharas are painted with events from the Lords life
on their walls. Hanuman is very popular there. Unlike the celibate
person of Valmiki version here Hanuman is shown to be fond of the
company of women and does not mind peeping into the bedrooms
of others. Jain version shows Ravan in a very positive light of being
a great scholar, and follower of Jain Munis (sages). In this version
of Ram Story, even Ram is a great follower of Jain values and in
this reincarnation of his life he does not kill anybody. Ravan is
killed, in this telling, by Laxman, who has to go to hell for this.
After going through the essay, one can become clear as to why
the RSS affiliates do not want this masterpiece to be continued in
the curricula. RSS politics presents the past in a monolithic way so
as to promote a particular type of caste and gender relations.
These various tellings of Ram, presented from the folklore, transla-
tions and other impeccable sources point out a rich diversity of the
narrations, narrations as diverse as the society itself. At another
level whole of communal politics in India has been built around the
claim that Lord Ram was born precisely at the spot where Babri
Masjid stood. With such diverse narratives, how can such claim
that the 'Lord was born at a particular place only' of communalists
hold water?
In tune with the wont of fundamentalists, such works promoting
a genuine respect for popular versions and traditions are not
acceptable. They want to selectively cull out the version suitable for
their present politics and impose those constructed histories on the
present scene. This is where Ramanujan essay is a big obstacle to
the communal politics. RAM PUNIYANI
20 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012
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I
mam Ahmad ibn Hanbal used to mention the virtues of his
sheikh, Imam Ash-Shafi'ee to his wife. He would mention to
her the extensive and superb knowledge of Imam Ash-
Shafi'ee as well as his taqwa (piety).
Imam Ahmad invited Imam Ash-Shafi'ee to visit him at his
home. When the time for dinner arrived, Imam Ash-Shafi'ee ate
until he was full and went to the guest room for some sleep. The
wife of Imam Ahmad said to him: "O Ahmad! Is this the same
Shafi'ee that you used to tell me so much about?" Imam Ahmad
said: "Indeed he is!" She said: "I noticed three things about him
worthy of criticism! Firstly, when we served him the food, he ate
plenty of it! Secondly, when he went into the guest room, he went
to sleep without standing up to perform the night prayer
(Tahujjud). Lastly, when he prayed Salat ul Fajr with us, he did not
perform ablution (wudu).
S
o Imam Ahmad went to Imam Ash-Shafi'ee to ask him
about these three matters his wife noticed. Imam Ash-
Shafi'ee explained to him the way a father would explain to
his son:
"O Ahmad! I ate plenty because I know for certain that your
food is 'Halal' (permissible Islamically) and you are a generous
man! And the food that comes from a generous man is a cure,
while the food that comes from a stingy man is a disease!
However, I didn't eat plenty of food in order to achieve my fill;
rather I ate plenty of your food in order to derive the cure from it!
As for the reason I didn't stand up at night to perform the
night prayer, when I laid my head down to get some sleep, I
looked and all I could see the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of
His Prophet (pbuh) right in front of my face! So I deducted 72
fiqh-related benefits from them for the Muslims to benefit from.
Thus there was no opportunity for me to stand and perform the
night prayer! As for the reason why I prayed Salat ul Fajr without
performing ablution. By Allah! My eyes never tasted the sweet-
ness of sleep in order for me to renew my wudhu. I was awake
the whole night, so I prayed Salat ul Fajr with the same wudu I
had for Salat ul Isha. (Source: Al Hafidh Ibn Hajr in Fath ul Bari
Abu Nu'aim in Hilyatul Awliyaa; translated by Abu Azzubayr
Shadeed Muhammad)
Things Are Not Always What They Seem
PROF. ZAFARUL ISLAM ISLAHI
Dept. of Islamic Studies, A.M.U.
E
mpowerment of the women is one of the much-debat-
ed issues in the present days. This is being discussed
frequently in seminars, conferences and symposia. It
is important to examine this issue particularly in the
economic context with reference to the Quran. There
is a general misconception that Islam gives no socio-economic
rights to the women and that their condition is more deplorable in
terms of economic life.
In view of the Quranic verses, the point is quite clear that like
men women too have their rights including economic ones, as it
was clearly stated in the verse 228 of Surah al Baqarah.
It is evident from the Holy Quran that women not only have
ownership rights but are also empowered to manage their prop-
erties and spend their income at their will under the Shariat's lim-
itations. It is also clarified in the Holy Quran that whatever is
earned by women, it becomes their sole property. None (even
husband) is authorized to take or use them without the owmers
permission.
It is stated in verse 32 of Surah al-Nisa that "for men is what
they have earned. Likewise, for women is that what they have
earned." With regard to the ownership rights of women, it may
also be pointed out that the Quran commands the believers to
pay Zakah and Sadqah without any discrimination between men
and women. The question arises that if women would not have
proprietary rights how would they be required to pay Zakah or
spend their money in the way of Allah (Infaq fi sabilillah). This is
further supported by the fact that in the days of the Prophet
(pbuh) several Sahabiyat (RA) used to adopt certain means of
livelihood and spend their earning for family needs as well as in
charity. In this connection the cases of Hazrat Umm Salamah
(RA) and that of Zainab bint Jahsh are narrated in the Traditions.
The Quranic verses also bring forth the point that the right of
a wife over her dower is fully established and that the husband
has no right to interfere with it. It was explained by jurisprudents
that if the dower was not paid at the time of marriage, the wife is
entitled to demand the same from the husband any time and in
case of delay or denial of the payment she is fully authorized to
appeal to the qazi or to a court.
Besides, the wife also has rights in the income of her hus-
band and she is even entitled to utilize it for her as well as for
their children. Significantly enough, if the husband does not take
care of their maintenance, the wife is entitled to use the income
of her husband even without his knowledge or permission. She is
also allowed to spend the wealth of her husband in charity or for
noble causes. In fact, fulfilling the daily requirements of wife and
children is obligatory on part of the husband. He cannot force his
wife to spend her own income for this purpose. The economic
empowerment of the women is further established by their rights
of inheritance in the property of their parents and close relatives.
It is proclaimed in the Holy Quran that for men is a share in the
property of (the deceased) parents and other relatives and (in the
same way) women have a share in the property of their parents
and relatives (7: Al-Nisa).
It is notable that the Quran has not only accorded share to
the women in the property of the deceased relatives, but also
fixed their share as given in detail in Surah Al-Nisa and other
Surahs. As a matter of fact, the inheritance right given by the
Quran to women has much importance in a society where the
women were themselves considered a part of inherited property.
Moreover, according to the Quran, a woman is not only entitled
to get her share in the property of her deceased relatives, but she
is also empowered to use and manage the same without any
interference from her husband or any other person.
It is also a debatable issue among Ulama and scholars if
women are allowed to take up jobs or join any profession for
earning money, or if they are entitled to utilize their faculties for
building up economic resources. With reference to the Quranic
verses and some traditions of the Prophet (pbuh) it may be
observed that woman is permitted for the same in case of neces-
sity under the Shariat's limitations. But some modern scholars
are of the opinion that there is no harm for the women (even in
normal conditions) to join any job or take up any profession to
develop their economic status. This means that women can take
part in economic activities like trade, agriculture. craft or any
other professional work. But this is a controversial issue rejected
by some ulama.
At the end, it may be stated that the Holy Quran ensures
many economic rights for the women. They have proprietary
rights over their valuables and belongings and are fully autho-
rised to use them following the Shariat's guidelines. Besides,
they have inheritance rights in different capacities. If the situation
demands, they can earn money to meet the requirements of the
family, provided no male member of the family is able to earn
money. It is also needed to be emphasized that whatever income
is earned by them, they are its sole owners. None is authorized
to use it without their permission.
There is no doubt that the main responsibilities of women are
to take care of the domestic work, to devote to the upbringing and
educational development of their children and to look after the
comfort of her husband and take care of his belongings. But her
economic rights are fully established and these rigths cannot be
denied in any condition. This is the spirit of the Quranic teach-
ings and Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
the Holy Quran ensures many economic rights for the women. They have proprietary
rights over their valuables and belongings and are fully authorised to use them following
the Shariat's guidelines. Besides, they have inheritance rights in different capacities. If
the situation demands, they can earn money to meet the requirements of the family, pro-
vided no male member of the family is able to earn money. It is also needed to be empha-
sized that whatever income is earned by them, they are its sole owners. None is author-
ized to use it without their permission.
Economic Empowerment of Women
in the light of the Holy Quran
MG CLASSIFIEDS
22 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012
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Essay Writing Competition 2012
Idarah Ulum Al-Quran invites students, intellectuals
and scholars to a National Level Essay Writing
Competition. Successful participants will be entitled
to cash awards and certificates.
Group A: Non-Muslim scholars and intellectuals.
Topic: Quran For All
Ist Prize: 20,000 II Prize: 15000
III Prize: 10,000
Group B: Students of Madaris, Colleges and
Universities.
Topic: Is it necessary to read Quran
100with understanding ?
Ist Prize: 10,000. II Prize: 8000. III Prize: 6000.
7 Consolation Prizes: 1000
Terms and Conditions:
Those interested must get themselves regis-
tered till April 30, 2012 by writing to the undersigned
through letter/email with full details including name, pro-
fession, address, e-mail ID and Phone Number.
Students need to mention their class and institution.
Last date for the submission of essays is
May 31, 2012
The essay may be written in Urdu, Arabic, English or
Hindi language.
The essay of Group A should be between 30 to 40
pages of A4 size and should not exceed 20000 words.
The essay of Group B should be between 20-30 pages
and should not contain more than 15000 words.
The name and address on the cover page should be
written in such a way that it could be easily detached.
No sign should not be left inside the essay which could
reveal the identity of the writer.
The essay should be supported with Quranic Verses
and necessary references from well researched books
and sources.
Ishtiyaq Ahmad Zilli Ashhad Jamal Nadwi
President Convener
IDARAH ULUM AL-QURAN
POST BOX NO 99, SHIBLI BAGH
ALIGARH, 202002
0571-2720311 alquran85@gmail.com /
ashhadjnadvi@rediffmail.com
MG
I used to read MG occasionally, but now I have started reading it
regularly. I appreciate your intrepid journalism and the way you
take up issues related to the Muslim community.
Dr Qizara Shams, Calcutta-42 (via email)
The brutal murder of Afreen
Recently, in the Bangalore city, a baby Afreen was brutally killed
by his father. That was undoubtedly a barbaric, irreligious and
inhuman act. For committing such a gruesome crime, he
deserves an exemplary punishment under the prevailing laws of
land. Moreover, it is also against Islam and the will of Almighty. A
girl or boy child is a gift of Allah and should be accepted whole-
heartedly. Its denial tantamounts to disbelief in Allah as the
Imaan (faith) in Allah is the basic tenet of Islam. A craving for
male child is, however, a sociological problem and not a religious
one. It is a social evil spread all over the country irrespective of
caste, creed or religion. Such tragic incidents are rampant in the
country due to traditional wrong notions of preference of sons
over daughters prevailing in the society from time immemorial.
But a craving for a male child is totally a false notion. Further, a
killing of female child including unborn one is heinous crime and
condemnable. This will create several social problems, widening
a gap of sociological imbalance in the gender ratio to a great
extent in the long run. It is a grave concern for a society as a
whole. U. F. Malek, Ahmedabad
ufmalek@yahoo.co.in
Give relief to masses
All the Union, State and local governments should unburden the
masses by imposing big increase in all entertainment taxes
including luxurious cinema theatre etc. charges and game tick-
ets. More care must be taken of the vast majority of the people
who cannot bear rise in the cost of basic necessities of life like
food, housing and essential travelling.
S. Akhtar Khanpur Deh - 392150
Azam-Bukhari impasse
All kudos to Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to defuse the impasse orchestrat-
ed by Mohammad Azam Khan indulging in an unnecessary and
uncalled for verbal dual with Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Delhi
over his genuine demand of fair and adequate representation of
Muslims in all public offices and institutions. Political exigency
demanded it and it was in the interests of Samajwadi Party vis-a-
vis Muslims. Azam Khan should not have started such a cam-
paign against Shahi Imam in the interest of his party, as the same
may prove detrimental to the prospects of Samajwadi Party at the
ensuing Lok Sabha election 2014. After all, Shahi Imam is not
only considered an important and influential Islamic personality in
India but is also known in the international Muslim polity. His con-
tinued support and co-operation with the Samajwadi Party may
pave the way for the formation of a third front before Lok Sabha
election 2014 and thus a chance of Mulayam Singh to become
Prime Minister of India, if his party continues to its winning spree.
Manzar-Ul-Islam Advocate, Muslim Majlis Uttar Pradesh
Sultan Manzil, Takia Pir Jalil, Lucknow
Congrats Justice Aftab Alam
Congress party in the name of goodwill delegation travelling to
Haj arranged for bureaucrats and politicians to enjoy Haj subsidy
in 1967. In the name of goodwill gesture, Congress tried to dent
the Islamic tenets, thus gave politics in a platter to saffron brigade
to create an environment against Muslims. RTE, Waqf amend-
ment bill 2011 etc. are the brain child of Congress like TADA;
UAPA draconian acts made police easy hand to target Muslims.
Islam clearly asks Muslims those who are capable must go for
Haj but Congress tried to pollute the Islamic tenets by giving sub-
sidy for Haj pilgrimage in the name of goodwill. Justice Aftab
Alam must be congratulated for scrapping this goodwill gesture
which dents Islamic tenets. Let the Haj be free from any subsidy.
S. Haque, Patna
Ranvir Sena murderers acquitted
In yet another case of denial of justice, the Bihar High Court has
acquitted 23 murderers of Ranvir Sena who lynched 21 people -
mostly Dalits who included women and infants in Bathani Tola vil-
lage. The fateful incident had happened on July 11, 1996 when
the killers went on the killing spree for about two hours as the for-
tunate survivors had to silently witness their kith and kin dying
before their own eyes. And after a prolonged trial for fourteen
years, the Sessions court sentenced 3 persons to death and
awarded life sentences to another 20. The acquittal of all the 23
accused by the Patna High court now, overturning the lower court
verdict, on the ground of "defective evidence" would explain, as
to why the defenseless people in the rural India are getting
attracted towards the extremist ideology called naxalism. Now
the pertinent question arises as to whether the prosecution wit-
nesses who must have withstood the bullying tactics of Ranvir
Sena all these years can now live peacefully in the same village
in the midst of the hawks? And most importantly, if any such hor-
rific carnage were to occur again in the vicinity, does any eyewit-
ness would like to testify before the courts of law? It is high time
the law enforcing mechanism works in tandem with the judicial
system to give hope to the Dalits, the tribal people and the minor-
ity communities that justice will not be denied to them though
there may be a delay in the process.
Syed Sultan Mohiddin, Kadapa (A. P)
sultan_awaz@yahoo.co.in
My son cannot be a terrorist
Special team of Delhi Police picked Assad ur Rahman from
Chandunagar (Delhi) with recovery of 1 kg. explosive and deto-
nator on 28 March claiming he belongs to IM. Police recovered
weapons from Ishrat Jahan when she was murdered in fake
encounter and police recovered arms from the two businessmen
when they were killed in fake encounter at Cannought place.
Assads parents live in Darbhanga so their ancestral house in
Naya gaon village at Rayyan thana of Darbhanga district. His
father said his son cannot be a terrorist. His son has a clean
character and not a single case was registered against him. But
national print media did not published the facts and printed
reports that Assad alias Dilkashs ancestral house was vacant
since long time as not residing in ancestral house proves he is
engaged in terrorism like former cabinet home secretary floated
a theory about Ishrat Jahan that she was seen with different men
at different time but inquiry proved Ishrat Jahan was innocent and
killed in fake encounter.
S. Haque, Patna
Have Congress mens hearts become clean?
Have they become human or are they still doing everything only
to get Muslim votes?! Anyone aspiring to wear the crown of the
party presidentship should make sure that the foul effects of the
anti-Muslim words spouted by an extremely ungrateful Narsimha
Rao at the time of the so-called police action in Hyderabad have
been washed out from the party mens minds and hearts!!
S. Aktar, Khanpur Deh 392150
Samajwadi success
Through a cloumn of your esteemed newspaper it will be worth to
mention to gala success of Samajwadi Party in UP elelction. The
Results has shown the unity of community once again. The
efforts of Muslims have gave them a majority and they deserve
their rights. The next 2 years would be keen to observe where
samajwadi will try to occupy more seats in Lok sabha elections
ousting trinamool congress from the centre and giving its share
of seats. The muslim in the meanwhile should extracts the most
of them by forcing them to establish minority educational institu-
tions , hospitals etc in the name of muslims. Reservation should
also be taken into consideration. The senior muslim leaders in
the party have been busy arguing within their religios clerics and
a sign of hope is enlighting somewhre near the znith. The unity
shown in voting is once again needed in buliding muslim commu-
nity..
Muhammad Ahmad, Deptt. of Physics, AMU
ahmad04041990@gmail.com
Salman Khurshid defends Abhishek Manu Singhvi
It would appear that Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid is a
Law unto himself. When he defends supposed immoral acts of a
Congress colleague, that has been witness by thousands on
Youtube, with the argument that Singhvis' private life should be
treated separately with his public life; he chooses to ignore the
fact that a politician's public life is as important to the public as
his private life. In a democracy, where people have to judge politi-
cians on their personna in toto, his private life itself becomes his
public life. After all a nobody cannot stand for election or public
life without people becoming fully aware of his past and present
in all sphere of his activities. It is a pity, that Congress led by peo-
ple who are wedded to Indian culture and ethos and value family
life should not only appear to be shielding an alleged sexual
predator who happens to be their spokesman, but allow another
Congressman, who should know better than his career as lawyer
has taught him, that our society is fortunately not so debased that
we can so easily stomach such abhorrent acts, which even a sup-
posedly more permissive country like USA, had its President
dragged through long and most humiliating and grueling process,
till he was finally exonerated. There are rumours that similar sex
CDs of other ministers, including our stone-face Home Minister,
too are lined up for public exposure. If the TIMES NOW's TV
mock saturation campaign about Congress's new Kamraj plan,
was not ordered to cover over the bad publicity that Singhvi's
scandalous exit would have attracted, Congress should move
fast and get all such dubious characters out of its fold, so that
people may not be forced to brand it as immoral and shameless,
after their estimation of Congress as communal and corrupt.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com
Haj subsidy
The decision by the union government to restrict air fare subsidy
to the pilgrims to Makkah only once in lifetime is laudable. Going
a step ahead the government should scrap the subsidy complete-
ly. The subsidy has been misused to bail out the ailing Indian
Airlines, and the fare the pilgrims have to pay is higher if com-
pared to the fares of other Airlines for the same distance and for
the same period of time. Muslims going for Haj do not need any
type of subsidy as they are asked to perform Haj only when they
are capable to do it financially.
A Hameed Yousuf, Bangalroe-08
ahameed12@gmail.com
Let us prefer radio
The satan captivates human hearts through eyes. Pandit Baal
Mukund ARSH Malsiyani says: Dil kaa naheen qusoor,
Mukund aankhen hain zaalim yeh do chaar na hoteen voh
giraftaar na hotaa. Moreover, earphones can prevent distur-
bance to others. Let us minimise T.V. use, and promote radio use.
S. Akhtar Khanpur Deh - 392150
The attack on Israeli diplmats car
This is clearly a false flag operation of which Israel are adept.
They did it with the Twin Towers on Sept 11 as it has been proved
by many investigating architects and engineers. Go to website
AE11.org for further information. The building was blown up from
inside and they quietly blamed it on some Arabs who flew the
planes into the building. Imagine. How can the radars of a coun-
try that spends 40 billion dollars a year for its internal security fail
to detect the presence of planes invading its airspace! Especially
the attack on the Pentagon itself! It this is not a false flag opera-
tion what on earth is it? This same tactic was used by the Hindu
Karsevaks with the Godhra express. They started the fire from
inside and blamed this on the Muslims that resulted in the most
horrific genocide of nearly 3000 hapless Muslims in Gujarat com-
pletely with the blessings of the 'great hero' Narendra Modi who
is being cleared by even the supreme court and encouraged to
be the next PM of India. By the way the liquid used to burn the
property of Muslims and the Muslim themselves alive was the
same liquid that was used in the Godhra express arson attack.
This was proved by investigators both foreign and local. But noth-
ing is taken seriously as this would prove Modi's complicity of
crime and damage the BJP's image forever. This false flag oper-
ation tactic they obviously learnt from their Israeli friends who are
their new masters and teachers. In fact this was proved that a few
weeks before the Gujarat massacres of Muslims the Israeli min-
ister of defence had visited India. India it must be remembered is
the largest buyer of Israeli arms and ais also a partner in trade
with Israel. In fact Israeli ministers frequently visit India including
Kashmir too. Probably to teach the good poor BJP HIndus how to
fight the 'Muslim menace' of India! The entire genocide was car-
ried out in a very different pattern. It was too well organised to be
just an orgy of violence and killing by unruly Indian Hindu thugs
So talking about this car bomb it is obvious that Israel has used
this same tactic again just to find some excuse to put the spot-
light on Iran and attack it. Well investigated Zafar saheb. Keep up
the good work. Inshallah the truth will triumph one day.
Rhazes Esref (to MG website)
II
At the first glance one may see Akhilesh Yadavs plea to the PM
for a judicial probe into the arrest of the journalist Syed
Mohammad Kazmi as interference with the police work. The
police insist that they have a water tight case against the Muslim
journalist. They always do. Far too many young mens lives and
careers have been ruined by their arbitrary arrest by various
agencies without any evidence against them. At the time of arrest
the case is always water tight and the suspect always a master
mind. If Akhilesh Yadav, in order to see that Syed Mohammad
Kazmi should not go down as yet another life and another career
fallen victim to hasty, inefficient, biased or motivated action of
security agencies, asks for a prompt judicial probe he may only
be preventing a miscarriage of justice.
Dr Mookhi Amir Ali, Mumbai-54
drmookhi@hotmail.com
Good Muslim journo are misguiding the Ummah over Syria
It is sad that Muslim journalists and analysts like Karamatullah
Ghori have been writing a lot supporting regime changes and
overthrow of leaders like Ghaddafi and Bashaar al-Assad. By
doing so such journalists have caused much more hostile divi-
sion, disunity, uncertainty and confusion. Now Ghaddafi is gone.
Are Muslim unity caring journalists like Brother Ghori happy
about the outcome and the expedient political manipulations by
foreign powers like the French? Eventually who benefited and
who lost? Ghori may analyze the events differently. Many Muslim
leaders ( Example a staunch pro-Muslim leader like former
Malaysian leader Dr Mahathir Muhammad) made exactly the
same mistake in the 90s by supporting Americans against Iraq.
Same Dr. Mahathir shed tears a decade later about his terribly
wrong misjudgment after seeing the devastation and loss of inno-
cent lives in Iraq caused by the most brutal American invasion.
Did the disappearance of Saddam Hussein bring greater devel-
opment, prosperity, peace happiness and real democracy to
Iraqis? Good Muslim journalists Muslim leaders and the Ummah
never seem to learn lessons from the pathetic history of allowing
foreign intervention in political changes in Muslim countries. The
Syrian regime is a criminal oligarchy and it has to be thrown over-
board is an entirely different issue. The crux of the matter is
whether Americans and NATO powers should decide which
regime should be overthrown and how they should be executed.
The United State and NATO, can usually achieve what they want.
They wanted Saddam Hussein out, and soon he was hanged
They wanted Moammar Gaddafi's rule to come to an end, and
before very long he suffered a horrible death. The US and her
allies believe, that they can do whatever they want in the world,
to whomever they want, for as long as they want, and call it what-
ever they want, like "humanitarian intervention". The 19th- and
20th- century colonialist-imperialist mentality is alive and well in
the West. Stratfor, (http://www.stratfor.com/) the private and con-
servative American intelligence firm with high- level connections,
reported that most of the Syrian opposition's more serious claims
have turned out to be grossly exaggerated or simply untrue.
Opposition groups including the Syrian National Council, the
Free Syrian Army and the London-based Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights began talking about massacre. Stratfor's investi-
gation, however, found no signs of a massacre, and declared that
opposition forces have an interest in portraying an impending
massacre, hoping to repeat the conditions that propelled a for-
eign military intervention in Libya. Stratfor added that any sug-
gestions of massacres are unlikely because the Syrian regime
has planned its crackdowns to avoid just such a scenario.
Regime forces have been careful to avoid the high casualty num-
bers that could lead to an intervention based on humanitarian
grounds. Human Rights Watch has reported that both Syrian gov-
ernment security forces and Syria's armed rebels have commit-
ted serious human rights abuses, including kidnappings, torture,
and executions. According to a US embassy cable, revealed by
Wikileaks, since at least 2006 the United States has been fund-
ing political opposition groups in Syria as well as the London-
based satellite TV channel, Barada TV, run by Syrian exiles, that
beams anti-government programming into the country. The cable
further stated that Syrian authorities would undoubtedly view any
U. S. funds going to illegal political groups as tantamount to sup-
porting regime change. Regime change in Syria has been on the
neo-conservative wish list since at least 2002 when John Bolton,
Undersecretary of State under George W. Bush, came up with a
project to simultaneously break up Libya and Syria. Amongst
Syria's crimes have been their close relations with Iran,
Hezbollah (in Lebanon), the Palestinian resistance, and Russia,
and their failure to conclude a peace treaty with Israel, unlike
Jordan and Egypt; all this constituting evidence of Syria's stub-
bornness to submit.. Kodimirpal (via email)
Muslim cause NHRC buckles down
Home minister of state Malla Pali Ramchandran submitted writ-
ten report about Batla House encounter that National Human
Right Commission investigated the Batla House encounter so
there was no need for further inquiry (UNN / 27 March 2012).
When each and every justice loving people wanted judicial
enquiry because the probe so far, conditions of the killing and cir-
cumstances confirm encounter was fake. But so-called secular
partys tendency to surrender at the propaganda of saffron group
worked. But NHRC ducked at Muslims cause. The NHRC has
responsibilities to fetch justice to oppress but track record of
NHRC reveals that when Muslim cause comes to NHRC, it ducks
and easily buckles down. NHRC had recommended CBI inquiry
into Godhra incidence and riot in Gujarat but Gujarat government
refused (Agency / 30 March). The Gujarat police closed more
than 2000 case of rioting, killings and raping etc. without any
enquiry. Judicial probe of Batla House fake encounter blocked by
NHRC and instead of standing firm for Gujarat riot victims, NHRC
easily buckles down.
S. Haque, Patna
The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012 23
REJOINDERS/OPINION/LETTERS P.O. Box 9701, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025 Email: letters@milligazette.com
Read more letters on MG website
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The Milli Gazette
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24 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 May 2012
DNA Replication within wombs revealed in Quran
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