BaKhabar, April 2014

Better light a candle than curse the darkness
Monthly e-Magazine ISSN 2319-4049

http://bakhabar.biharanjuman.org/ Volume 7, Issue 04, April 2014 BE AWARE, ALWAYS, EVERYWHERE
COVER STORY
Indian Muslims
& Election 2014
Editorial Board
Publisher: Bihar Anjuman BaKhabar
Editorial Board: Asrarul Haque, Seraj Akram,
Mohd. Allam, Ms Farhat Shakeel and Ja-
hanzeb Mashhadi
Chief Editor: Ms. Asma Anjum Khan
bakhabar@biharanjuman.org
The editors and publishers are not respon-
sible for the views of writers, and their views
do not reflect our policy or ideology in any
way. We however reserve the right to edit
any material submitted for publication, on
account of public policy, or for reasons of
clarity and space. From Publishers. Pic-
tures have been taken from available public
sources.
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Bakhabar : April 2014 2
INSIDE
Cover Story
-Indian Muslims and Election
2014 08
-loksabha election 10
International
-How Women Were Lured Out of
the Home in the USA-Part1 18
Gender
-Gender Segregation 16
-Awqaf Development in India 5
-Wearing dirty clothes is not
from humility 21
-Quirks of History 22
News
-6 km from Parliament, a colony
of 350 families living a
wretched life 29
-Only 4 Masjids for 2 Million
Muslims in Moscow 28
Book Review
-Dr Yelegaonkar-Beacons of S
lapur in Indian Freedom Stru
gle 11
Religion
-On Religious Tolerance 14
-Minority Essay 25
-Shariat 12
-Should Zakat Management be
Centralized in India? 20
Islam
Role of Zakat
A
question that is often asked in the context of the role of zakat
and indeed, of all forms of charity and philanthropy in
poverty alleviation is: Arent we making the poor dependent
on charity? Arent we discouraging the poor from doing hard work
and becoming economically active and productive if we continue to
dole out cash period after period? Some organizations seek to curb
dependence by maintaining a central database of the mustahiq or
zakat recipients and monitoring if they are repeatedly approached by
the same individuals and families for assistance year after year. For
example, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MajlisUgama
Islam Singapura) or MUIS which maintains a central baitulmal under
the law has opted for this mechanism to address the problem of con-
tinued dependence. Some organizations however, prefer to tackle the
problem through programs and projects that involve hand-holding
of the poor zakat beneficiary (mustahiq) and help transform his/her
life within a finite time period, to the extent that he/she turns into a zakat giver (muzakii). I hope to present
in a series of posts highlighting a few successful programs that aim at "M2M transformation with a clear
time frame".
KUM3 Program of BaitulmalMuamalat
In the first such story, let me share with you about the transformation program launched by an Indonesian or-
ganization BaitulmalMuamalat. A sister concern of a leading Islamic bank, the Bank Muamalat Indonesia
(BMI), the BaitulmalMuamalat has been seeking a transformation of the lives of the poor through zakat and
other charity funds. Called KUM3 program, it seeks to transform the mustahiq into muzakki in a span of
three years by turning him/her into a micro entrepreneur. The program has some interesting features.
While the KUM3 program seeks economic empowerment of the poor, it also stresses on activities to build
faith and piety among them. The local masjid and the imam play a major role in organizing spiritual treat-
ment sessions that inculcate in them a sense of self-respect and dignity underlining the need to come out of
poverty through halal livelihoods. The poor who are willing to participate in the program regularly meet at
the masjid after the daily prayers. Support for identifying and undertaking income-generating activities are
continuously provided by local volunteers who are often students or employees of BMI residing in the local-
ity. Tiny interest-free loans in the form of qardulhasan are provided to the these prospective micro-entrepre-
neurs. This constitutes Phase I of the program. In this phase, the objective is to transform the poorest of the
poor from potentially passive to potentially active entrepreneurs. Every effort is made at this stage to proac-
tively guide them on site.
As these entrepreneurs diligently repay their rolling qardal-hasan (the quantum is increased every time the
earlier loan is repaid and the process is repeated several times over a two-three year period) and their micro-
enterprises enter the feasibility domain, they are organized into Islamic financial cooperatives or Baitul
Mal watTamweels (BMTs). The BMTs are member-based cooperatives where each micro-entrepreneur is a
member. Often the student volunteer is given the opportunity to become a paid-manager of the BMT. Fi-
nancing is now provided for expansion of the micro-enterprises on the basis of murabaha and other for-profit
modes. The Islamic bank now moves in and places funds with the BMT under an agency (wakala) agree-
ment. Alternative mechanisms - partnership (musharaka) and execution are also used for the funds place-
ment. The BMT now finds additional capital to grow. All members naturally benefit when there are profits
made by the BMT.
Science
I Sameen Ahmed Khan I
H
uman fascination for crys-
tals dates to antiquity.
Crystallography is the
study of crystals such as gem-
stones or graphite (a form of car-
bon). Other examples of crystals
are the glittering snowflakes or
grains of salt. Crystallography
enables us to visualize the
arrangement of atoms in a solid.
The atoms are so small that they
can not be seen by an optical mi-
croscope. The X-Rays were dis-
covered in 1895 and are now a
household word as they are exten-
sively used in the hospitals to see
inside the human bodies. This has
been possible because, X-Rays
have the ability to pass through
substances and form images on
photographic
plates. In 1912,
it was realized
that X-Rays
could be made
to pass through
crystals and the
resulting im-
ages on photo-
graphic plates
could be used to
find the posi-
tions of atoms.
This finding
helped revolu-
tionize our abil-
ity to visualize
matter at the
atomic scale.
This was the
turning point in
the history of
crystallography.
It was found
that X-Rays can be used to deter-
mine accurately the positions of
atoms within a crystal and thus
unravel its three-dimensional
structure. The X-Ray diffraction
studies of crystals were immedi-
ately recognized by two Nobel
Prizes: Max von Laue (1914) and
the father and son duo of William
Henry Bragg and William
Lawrence Bragg (1915). X-Rays
are one of the most widely used
tools to understand the structure
of matter. Many path breaking
discoveries in physics, chemistry
and medicine have been made
using X-Rays. At least twenty-
three have been awarded with
Nobel Prizes with the distribution,
Physics: 8; Medicine: 5 and
Chemistry: 10. The count can be
up to twenty-nine depending upon
the algorithm used.
A century has passed since crys-
tals first yielded their secrets to X-
Rays. The insights gained from
the atomic structure of crystals
has influenced all sciences and en-
gineering since the crystal struc-
ture determines most of the
physical properties. Carbon ap-
pears in different forms such as
the graphite used in pencils (com-
monly known as lead!) to glitter-
ing diamonds depending how its
atoms are arranged differently to
form the crystals. The crystals of
graphite and diamonds owe their
different looks (and properties) to
their different crystalline struc-
ture. The crystallographic studies
have contributed hugely to the
modern development of all the
natural sciences,
because atomic
structure governs
chemical and bi-
ological proper-
ties of matter,
and the crystal
structure deter-
mines most of its
physical proper-
ties. Crystallog-
raphy has
contributed in
the synthesis of
novel materials,
new drugs and
our understand-
ing of the struc-
ture of proteins
and DNA. The
new materials
are being exten-
sively used in
everyday prod-
Visualising the Invisible through
Crystallography
Science
ucts like computer memory cards
to flat television screens, cars and
aeroplane components. Drug de-
sign requires knowledge of the de-
tailed structure of the proteins and
this structure is obtained using
crystallography.
At its Sixty-Sixth Assembly on
3rd July 2012, following a pro-
posal from Morocco, the General
Assembly of the United Nations
adopted the resolution that 2014
should be the International Year of
Crystallography (IYCr 2014).
This is to commemorate the cen-
tennial of X-Ray diffraction and
related discoveries. The Interna-
tional Year of Crystallography
(IYCr2014) was launched at the
United Nations Educational, Sci-
entific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) headquarters in Paris,
during a two day opening cere-
mony from 20-21 January 2014.
The year-long celebration aims to
strengthen international collabora-
tion and increase public aware-
ness of crystallography with a
series of conferences, exhibitions
and educational activities taking
place throughout 2014.
On 30th January 2014, the De-
partment of Posts India brought
out a commemorative stamp on
the International Year of Crystal-
lography (IYCr 2014). The com-
memorative stamp depicts a
diamond, which is known for
hardness and the structure of cur-
cumin, a constituent of turmeric
known for its medicinal value, as
determined by X-ray crystallogra-
phy.
The stamp was released by M. S.
Ramanujan, Chief Post Master
General, Karnataka, during a
function at the Indian Institute of
Science (IISc), Bangalore.
The world of science is passing
through an epoch marked with an-
niversaries and celebrations.
Crystallography is synonymous
structure of matter and X-Rays.
The year 2014 is being celebrated
as the International Year of Crys-
tallography. Light has been at the
helm of observational/experimen-
tal sciences. The year 2015 has
been declared as the International
Year of Light and Light-based
Technologies. Both the events are
a time to recognize the place of
crystallographic and photonic
techniques in our lives.
References
1. International Year of Crys-
tallography (IYCr 2014),
http://www.iycr2014.org/
2. Website of the Interna-
tional Union of Crystallography:
http://www.iucr.org/
3. Discoveries in the Field of
X-rays, Nobel Media (2014).
http://www.nobelprize.org/educa-
tional/physics/x-rays/discoveries-
1.html
4. Sameen Ahmed Khan,
2015 the International Year of
Light and Light-based Technolo-
gies (IYL), Ba Khabar, Vol 7,
Issue 01, pp 17-18 (January
2014). Published by Bihar Anju-
man, http://bakhabar.biharanju-
man.org/.
5. Sameen Ahmed Khan,
2015 declared the International
Year of Light and Light-based
Technologies, Current Science,
106 (4), 501 (25 February 2014).
(Fortnightly Publication of the In-
dian Academy of Sciences).
http://www.currentscience.ac.in/V
olumes/106/04/0501.pdf
rohelakhan@yahoo.com,
http://SameenAhmedKhan.webs.c
om/
Engineering Department,
Salalah College of Technology
(SCOT)
Salalah, Sultanate of Oman
Report
I By Dr Mohammed Obaidullah I
T
he 5th SC-OCIS Roundtable on Harnessing
Waqf into a Bankable Social Financing and
Investment Asset Class was jointly organ-
ized by the Securities Commission Malaysia and the
Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies at Hotel Le Meri-
dien, Kuala Lumpur during March 22-23, 2014.
The Roundtable commenced with welcome Remarks
by Datuk RanjitAjit Singh, Chairman, Securities
Commission Malaysia and Dr. FarhanNizami, Direc-
tor, OCIS. The key feature of the inaugural session
was a special address by HRH Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah,
Regent of Perak, Malaysia and Financial Ambassa-
dor to the Malaysia Islamic Financial Centre
(MIFC).
The opening session under the chairmanship of
Dato Dr. NikRamlah Mahmood, Deputy Chief Ex-
ecutive, SC Malaysia provided an update on issues
raised at past SC-OCIS Roundtables by Mr. ZainalI-
zlanZainalAbidin, Executive Director, SC Malaysia.
The first working session was devoted to the theme
Challenges of Developing an Infrastructure of Phi-
lanthropy and dealt with topics, such as, (i) Shariah
aspects of waqf; (ii) lessons from the past; (iii) waqf
as an influence in the development of English aca-
demic institutions; and (iv) concept of charity under
common law trust and Islamic law. The session was
chaired by Dato Dr. NikRamlah Mahmood, SC
Malaysia with presentations by Mr. Mushtak Parker,
Islamic Banker UK
and Professor Dr.
HashimKamali, In-
ternational Institute
of Advanced Is-
lamic Studies
(IAIS) Malaysia/
SC SAC Member.
The respondents for
these presentations
were Mr. DaudVi-
cary, International
Centre for Educa-
tion in Islamic Fi-
nance (INCEIF),
Malaysia and Mr.
Iqbal Asaria, Markfield Institute of Higher Educa-
tion, UK, respectively.
The second working session was devoted to the
theme Philanthropy & Society Unleashing the Po-
tential of Islamic Social Assets. It dealt with topics,
such as, (i) managing waqf using an asset manage-
ment model to mobilize returns and benefit to the
real economy; (ii) implementing target-based pro-
grammes to realise societal needs and goals; (iii) cre-
ating an impact organization through promoting
greater environmental, social and governance (ESG)
or corporate social responsibility (CSR); (iv) linking
waqf to the capital market through philanthropic in-
vestments such as Socially Responsible Investing
(SRI) sukuk and/or crowd-funding and (v) collabora-
tion of private financial investment to social pro-
grammes. The session was chaired by Dato
Muhammad Ibrahim, Bank Negara Malaysia with
presentations by Dato Mohammad FaizAzmi, Price-
waterhouseCoopers Malaysia and Mr. Aamir A
Rehman, Fajr Capital, Dubai. The respondents were
Datuk Dr. Mohamed GhazaliMd Noor, IDB Alumni
Chairman and Dr. Henri J Chaoul, Alkhabeer Capi-
tal, Saudi Arabia respectively.
Day One also witnessed a special presentation by
SC-OCIS Scholar in Residence (SIR), Dr. Amir Sha-
haruddin, Dean Faculty of Economics &Muamalat,
University Sains Islam Malaysia on the theme Har-
monizing Shariah Rul-
ings in Islamic
Finance: Issues, Ways
and Challenges. The
second scholar to
make a presentation
was Dr. Valentino Cat-
telan, Academic Coor-
dinator, University of
Rome on Performing
Gods Will in Market
Economy: Islamic
Contract Law, Fiqh
and the Law of Islamic
Finance. Dr Basil
Mustafa, OCIS, mod-
erated
Awqaf Development in India
[5th SC-OCIS Roundtable on Awqaf: A Report]
Report
Khabron ki Khabar
Seraj Akram
Election sar par he lekin aaj bhi aksar muslim neta apne
apne mufad aur siyasi partion se talluq ke madde nazar hi-
mayat kar rahe hain, aam muslim ke fayede ka koi dhyan
nahi.
Aakhir Muslim kya kare is intekhab me , kise vote deaam
muslimon ke sawal.Aaj aam muslimko sare ekhtalfat aur
dosti rishtedari ko nazar andaz karke kisi ko harane ke ba-
jaye firqa paraston ki har ko yaqini banaane ke liye ek jut
hokar sirf unhi ko vote diya jaye jo firqa paraston ko hara
sake. Apne talluqat, parti ki khubion aur aur local asrat se
bala hokar is bat ka khyal rakhna zaruri he ke unki chhoti
baton par dhyan dekar vote dene se firqa paraston ki jit me
madad na diya jaye.
IM ke kayi dahshat gard giraftaar
Umid he ke sirf dahshat gard giraftar hon na ki chunaw tak
iski hawa phailayi jaye chunawi fayed eke liye.
Modi ne Arwind Kejriwal ko Pakistan ka agent kaha
Kejriwal ke sawalon ke jawab dene ke bajaye un par ulte
sideh ilzam lagane se unki bechaini zahir hoti he.
M.J. Akbar BJP me shamil ho gaye
Zameer faroshon ke liye suhana mosam he apne zameer ko
bech kar kuch duniyawi fayeda hasil kar sake. Beghairaton
ko un mazlumon ke dard ka koi ahsas nahi. Kuch Muslim
bas qaleel fayeday ke liye BJP ko sirf siyasi party samajh
kar shamil ho rahe hain, lekin unko yah ahsas nahi ke wah
sirf siasi parti nahi tabdil kar rahe hain balke RSS ke volun-
teer ban rahe hain , mulk ko hindu rashtra banana aur dusri
aqliyation ko tahzeeb aur shinakht ko khatm karne ke liye.
Arvind Kejriwal Banaras se Modi ke khilaf chunaw larenge
Kejriwal ke himmat ka jawab nahi, jab sare neta mahfuz
seat dekh kar chunaw larte hain wahi desh ke sabse mazbut
neta ke khilaf chunaw larne ki thanna qabil tariff hai.
Ram Vilas Paswan NDA me shamil
In moqa parast netaon se aur kya umid kar sakte hain, inki
secular aur kisi bhi mudde par bat sirf khudgarzi se juri hoti
hain. Kisi ka koi asul nah aur yah log qabile- bharosa bilkul
nahi hain.
Sari partiaan apne apne hikmat amli me mashghul, lekin
musalmano ki hikmat amli ka koi pata nahi. Wahi haqiqat
se door josh me hosh khone jaise aasar, 30-40% muslim
aabadi wale elaqe me 3-4 muslim umidwar apne apne josh
ke muzahera me mashghul, haqiqat ka adrak chunaw ke bad
hoga ki bina hosh se josh me aane ka kya nuqsan hota he.
the discussions.
The Roundtable also witnessed the launching of two
useful publications (i) Islamic Social Finance Re-
port 2014 prepared by the Islamic Research and
Training Institute under a strategic partnership with
Thomson Reuters and (ii) Proceedings of the 4th
SC-OCIS Roundtable.
Session 3 on Day Two was devoted to the theme
Enabling Legislation to Promote Waqf Develop-
ment. It dealt with topics, such as, (i) fiduciary du-
ties of administrators for better management of waqf
assets; (ii) developing a conducive legal and regula-
tory framework for the establishment of waqf; (iii)
ensuring good governance and sound management
of waqf assets; (iv) advancing capacity building and
expertise in waqf management. The session was
chaired by AndriAidhamBadri, Partner, Kadir and
Andri with presentations by Dr. Mohammed
Obaidullah, IRTI, Islamic Development Bank, Saudi
Arabia and Mr. Andrew Chan, Allen & Gledhill Sin-
gapore. The respondents were Mr. PawancheekMar-
ican, Messrs Wan Marican, Hamzah&Shaik and Mr.
Rajasegaran Krishnan, Labuan Borneo Trustees
Limited and Universal Legal & Corporate Services
Inc. (Panama)
Session 4 was devoted to the theme A Demonstra-
tion Effect of Corporate Waqf and was chaired by
Tan Sri Zarinah Anwar, OCIS. The presenters were
Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hashim, Malaysian Islamic
Chamber of Commerce, Dato MohdRedza Shah,
CEO, Bank Muamalat Malaysia, Mohamed Hassen-
Guermazi, Islamic Development Bank, Saudi Arabia
and Dr. Shamsiah Abdul Karim, Islamic Religious
Council of Singapore.
The closing session was chaired by Mr. ZainalIzlan-
ZainalAbidin, SC Malaysia. The rapporteurs for the
sessions Ms. Firoz Abdul Hamid, Consultant, Mr.
AbdulKader Thomas, SHAPE Knowledge Serv-
ices, Kuwait and Mrs. Leila Badawi, Mushtak
Parker Associates UK shared their comments. The
roundtable came to an end with closing remarks by
Datuk RanjitAjit Singh, Chairman, SC Malaysia.
Source: http://sadaqa.in/2014/03/23/5th-sc-ocis-
roundtable-on-awqaf-a-report/
A Framework for Analysis of Awqaf Laws in India
[Paper presented by Dr Mohammed Obaidullah]
http://sadaqa.in/2014/03/23/a-framework-for-analy-
sis-of-awqaf-laws-in-india/
<m_obaidullah@yahoo.com>
In DEPTH
I By Mohammad Allam I
A
good leader is one in a million who chalks
out a path and walks on it to realize the goal
for common people. There are numerous ex-
amples from the world of history. In India there are
several living examples of community leadership
like Lalu prsad Yadav, Mualayam singh, Mayawati
etc but none from the community of Muslims. Why?
Highest example of true leadership are prophets, but,
let us keep those examples aside as they had Divine
guidance to lead the humanity to the ultimate truth.
Let us talk today about the modern secular leader-
ship, where the leadership qualities are judged not on
the basis of realization of aims and objectives of the
common people but by their strength in political
power house. And for being in political power there
is no difference whether to be a leader or broker.
The accumulation of wealth and power for personal
interest is the motto of the present leadership and for
this trend both the leader and the people are respon-
sible.
For Indian Muslim the leadership is meaningless as
they believe in the egoistic approach towards any
problem. There is no denying of facts that in hun-
dred years Indian Muslims have produced few lead-
ers and more brokers. These leaders were produced
mostly in the field of education as few educational
institutions are now running due to vision of those
educationists-cum- leaders.
But in the field of polities, majority of them are bro-
kers. They are brokers on the behalf of their political
master, parties and castes but not for the whole com-
munity. Their only purposes are to manage the votes
in the elections and to collect gathering for political
rallies and what they get in return cash, few licenses
and red light on their vehicles. These sort of brokers
have no mass base, vision or unity. In recent time
many Ulema groups emerged as political broker for
political parties. They know only one thing and that
is how to align with political masters to sell their
votes. Can Indian Muslims hope from these brokers
a better future in the country?
The leaders from major political parties who handle
the mainstream politics of the country follow the
policy of use and throw of so called Muslims leader-
ship. The position which starts with marginalization
remains marginalized. No changes occur due to this
policy of working as broker. And Democracy turns
into what Henry Louis Mencken (1880-1956) says a
religion where jackals is worshiped by jackasses
Election 2014 is in sight. Any moment the drum of
election would be beaten. In democracy the election
is main parameter to judge the performance of any
political party and Government. The community
uses to chalk out strategy for achieving future goals
on the performance of the government and strategy
for siding with any government. See, how on the eve
of budget, the business class interact with the gov-
ernment to get the benefits. But what is about the
leaders of Indian Muslims-a plan for personal bene-
fits through brokering the votes of the communities.
Indian Muslims
and Election 2014
In Depth
And in future the same leadership plays blame game
with the government on the question of share of
fruits of development. Many of Indian Muslim lead-
ers who are occupying the high posts in the govern-
ment are the fruit of brokering.
What should be done?
There is need of awareness among the community
about the political brokering. The community should
be encouraged to produce mass base political leader-
ship by discouraging the personal loyalty on the
basis of region, caste etc. At the time of election, the
interest of the nation should be given prefences.The
community should work on producing the leadership
of mainstream which with other communities work
for the share of development. The tendency of mar-
ginalized type of leadership should be eliminated as
in multi-cultural society; the value is of mainstream
leadership not the isolated and vested interest bro-
kers.
For the last many years, Muslims are adopting ex-
perimental politics. Some time with one party and
some time with another party while no interaction
with a particular party. In democracy it is power of
votes which count in the running of the government,
not the isolation. If Indian Muslims have not any sort
of contact with them, then they should not expect
positive response from them. What the Indian Mus-
lim are paying is the staunch loyalty towards a par-
ticular trend which is not favorable for them and
many times prove to be not a match of other at the
time of need of them. As a result they remain venera-
ble to the communal politics and feel insecure.
In Democracy, the vote is power. So, while exercis-
ing this power the Muslims should consider the real
politics of their respective states. While at centre
they should considered the interest of the nation and
community as a whole. The trends that have
emerged for the last few years are that putting any
political parties in absolute majority means jeopard-
izing the security of the community and the nation.
The numerous riots occurred in those states where
the governments were in majority. There were no
differences of whose government functioning. Take
the example of the government of Gujarat and U.P.
They were perceived by Muslims differently but re-
sults were somehow same. So, wisdom is to over-
look the ideological bases of the government and
unite for the cause irrespective of caste, creed, re-
gion etc.
For the betterment of the community and the coun-
try there is need to work on multi-dimensional ap-
proach of leadership which have better relation with
the players of main stream politics. Sitting on the
fringe of the politics of the nation in the name of
community leadership is not the solution of the prob-
lems but to jump and try to learn the art of politics
for betterment by saying good bye to brokers of the
community. Indian Muslims need leaders not brokers
in the future. The announcement of Election, 2014 is
due any time. The only need is to decide the fate of
the community wisely. Let us see what they do?
Mohammad Allam
Minto Circle
A.M.U.
mohammad_allam@rediffmail.com
Election 2014
Friends,
I wish to reach out to your hearts with respect to forthcoming Loksabha elections. I know many of
you have liking for Narendra Modi. I respect your feelings. Yet I believe you would do great service to your
beloved leader if you decouple your liking from your desire to putting him at the helm of political power.
I know political power is not supreme as it is grossly undermined by the authority of the market
forces. Yet it provides a channel of hope for the masses to out do the ill effects of market economy, e.g.,
widening economic inequality, misappropriation of resources, marginalization of farmers, skewed real es-
tate, worsening condition of education of the masses, pro-elite and sectarian bias of the media and so on. Re-
ligious prejudice is another alarming thing that is growing with widening middle class. Riots and genocides
are its occasional manifestations but it is a continuous poisoning of minds that shuts sensitivity and promotes
arrogance, humiliation, ghettoization and polarization and makes it a powerful political tool. The biggest
network in the country, the RSS, with a mighty cadre of a few million and strong support base among the
elite, is credited with building sectarian storms. It is imperative that the person, who drives his strength from
this organization and these classes and owns his popularity to media and internet, cant stand to these chal-
lenges. The danger is that in his garb, these classes and cadres will gain supremacy and assert their authority.
Gujarat governance hardly instills any confidence. Besides its failure in curbing the 2002 violence, Gujarat
Govt. failed to remove fears from the minds of the victims, who were forced to withdraw cases against the
rioters through out Gujarat, and to remove sense of lan from the minds of the perpetrators and their sup-
porters. The state did not allow the implementation of Centers Minority Pre-Matric Scholarship scheme in
the state for five years, depriving 89000 under privileged children of their basic rights. CAG tells that very
third child in Gujarat is underweight due to malnutrition and calorie intake below national average. The state
stands at 12th position in Composite Development Index in 28 states, 6th in unequal distribution of income
in rural areas and at highest rank in per capita debt. The way lands have been given to Tatas, Ambanis and
Adanis, the Becharjee SIR was imposed and prime accused of Muzaffarnagar riots were felicitated, add fur-
ther to worries.
There are political formations that have the remnants of the legacy of freedom movement, drive their
support from the masses and do not venture cultural chauvinism. They may have some bad elements but also
have people of integrity and ability. Let the latter be drawn to take up peoples agenda. Democracy and de-
velopment will not run through charming leaders but through strengthening democratic institutions and
through the assertiveness of the masses on basic issues. Some issues are:
1) Divestment of power of elected bodies, from Gram Panchayat to Parliament, among all their
members rather than the pradhans (chiefs).
2) Liberation of media, a prominent pillar of democracy, from corporate control.
3) Bringing masses into the mainstream of economy, by providing up-gradation of technical skills,
investment capital and avenues for marketing of products.
4) Creation of education commission that would assess and implement educational needs of the
masses, needs of the teachers, accessibility of higher/ technical education to the masses.
5) Upholding people-centric foreign policy that has evolved from the freedom movement and has
stood the test of time. The euphoria created over border skirmishes, to gain political mileage over domestic
rivals, must be countered.
6)Comprehensive Plan that treats corruption, hoarding, and unlimited profit as one and counters them.
May I urge teaching and student fraternity to reach out to localities in small groups, assess the school-
ing facilities, scope for improvement, accessibility of technical / college education and bring out a report. It
will help us make people beware of sectarian and exploitative elements and present to progressive parties a
charter of action on education.
V. K. Tripathi
Sadbhav Mission, tripathivipin@yahoo.co.in, Ph. 9717309263
An Appeal for Self Introspection in the context of
Lok Sabha Elections
Book Review
I Review by Dr Nabha Kakde I
T
he struggle for Indian independence has given
birth to so many towering and dedicated per-
sonalities. Prof DrShrikantYelegaonkars
book titled Beacons of Solapur in Indian Free-
dom Struggle is a commendable attempt at re-
minding the readers of the astounding work of the
devoted persons in the context of the national free-
dom struggle and the nation-building process in the
post-independent period.
There has been seen a marked tendency of negli-
gence towards the contribution of Solapur to the na-
tional freedom struggle among the historians,
thinkers and writers at the national level. Even Mar-
tial Law hasnt been much reckoned. Against this
background the memorable work rendered by the
freedom fighters of Solapur is put forward for the
first time by DrYelegaonkar. When the issues like
existence and national independence become intense
there are people who come forward to succor the so-
ciety and nation in distress and they rise to the height
of leaders. This is quite true of Solapur. And there is
a dictum that the national history is incomplete with-
out the local history. The present book strengthens
this belief.
This book not only contributes to the local history by
virtue of an introduction to the 66 personalities of
Solapur, but also relates the stories of their social
participation. The writer takes stock of political and
social history of Solapur. In other words, the writer
has dealt with various personalities involved in Sola-
purs political developments, its organizational so-
cial politics and cultural life. The Tilak era and the
Gandhian era gave rise to several glorious personali-
ties, since the entire nation was under their impact.
The book illuminates the fact that even Solapur was
a place fertile for the production of such splendid
personalities. The movement in Solapur reaches its
climax through the 1930 Martial Law period wit-
nessing non-violent programmes like: hartals,
demonstrations, public speeches, etc. The book thus
gives an understanding that the local movement in
Solapur was inseparably connected to the national
struggle for independence and the National Con-
gress.
The writer has, along with depicting the work and
ideals of these personalities, from time to time con-
veyed a message to the readers; that the ideal of
Kurban Hussein, if adopted by the youth, will cer-
tainly create a conducive atmosphere for national in-
tegrity; by declining the offer for the post of
Governor, DrAntrolikar exhibited his sense of dedi-
cation; after the arrest of Rajwade his house assumed
the air of a temple and it became an emblem of na-
tional service and sacrifice; if todays youngsters en-
deared the pledge I would dedicate my life to the
service of my motherland by Kunjavihari, it wont
take long to convert the self-governance into good
governance; Bhai Vibhute would be busy moulding
the mind-set and strength of the youth are quite
scintillating statements among others.
Each of the freedom fighters is depicted with an in-
dependent identity by virtue of elaborating their zeal
for independence, readiness to undergo hardships
and sacrifice and an unabated belief in the mission
undertaken. The book is originally written in
Marathi in a very simple, straight-forward and fluent
diction. The English translation done by Prof
Manohar P. Joshi is quite in keeping with the origi-
nal writing. The book which is made up of 214 pages
has a frontispiece which communicates the essence
and the contents therein. Aksharlena Publications has
undoubtedly brought out an admirable book for the
readers.
Title of the Book: Beacons of the Solapur in Indian
Freedom Struggle
Writer: Prof.DrShrikantYelegaonkar
Publisher: Infotech Publications Pvt Ltd, Latur -
413512
Pages: 214
Price: 400/=, Discounted price (through au-
thor): Rs. 300/=
Authors Contact - Prof Dr. ShrikantYelegaonkar,
Mobile No- 09420357270, 09923477386
Address- A4/4 Ranglaxmi Postal Colony, Hotagi
Road, Solapur Pin 413003, Maharashtra- India
DR YELEGAONKARS BEACONS OF SOLA-
PUR IN INDIAN FREEDOM STRUGGLE
Islam
I By Gheyas S Mahfoz Hashmi I
L
ast year I finished writing on Journey to the
Day of Resurrectionin parts (23 issues). I do
hope the Bakhaber readers could have found
it informative and useful. Now I am going to take a
new topic as above which will also be Insha Allah
completed in parts. It is very important topic and it
will give a new insight to our Bakhabar readers. I
will discusshere sources& means used to derive
Fatwa (legal opinion) and how it is discussed and de-
veloped based on evidences, in addition to Islamic
approaches to devising doctrinal issues. I did choose
this topic as I encountered many who start giving
legal opinion based on just single evidence, without
having proper knowledge of science of Quran, Ha-
dith and Jurisprudence.
We have three (3) sources that are used to discuss
within it any Islamic issues and they are Quran, Sun-
nah and IjmaSahaba (Companions Consensus). In
case no clear evidence is found in these three, Qiyas
(Analogy) Ijtihaad (Juristic reasoning) are used.
The Prophet (s) while sending Muadh bin Jabal as
governor to Yemen asked him, How will you give a
judgment or settle a dispute? Muadh answered; I
will refer to the Quran. The Prophet then asked,
What will you do if you do not find the decree you
are looking for in the Quran? Muadh answered, I
will refer to the Prophets Sunnah. The Prophet (S)
asked, But what will you do if you do not find a de-
cree even in the Sunnah? Muadh readily answered,
I will be judge between mankind by resorting to Ijti-
haad (juristic reasoning) to the best of my power.
So, the first source is Quran.
THE QURAN
First of all let us take the example of a manual
comes with every device. The manual is given by the
manufacturer to read, understand and then to operate
the device so that it could be well operated and
maintained. When such small thing manufactured by
a man requires a manual, does this man does not re-
quire a manual to operate his life in the Universe?
Certainly, it does. If a device gets broken or stops
working due to not following manuals instructions,
it can be repaired and trouble-shouted, but as for the
lives of man it cannot be once died. So, let not give a
chance to our lives to be spoiled, and if done, repair
it soonest possible as we are not aware of time of
death.
The Quran, the last revealed word of God, is the pri-
mary source of every Muslims faith and practice. It
deals with all the subjects concerning human beings:
wisdom, doctrine, worship, transactions, law, etc.,
but its basic theme is the relationship between God
and His creatures. At the same time, it provides
guidelines and detailed teachings for a just society,
proper human conduct, and an equitable economic
system.
The Lord of the Universe, its Creator, Master and
Sovereign (Allah Almighty) created man and con-
ferred on him the faculties of knowledge, speaking,
understanding and sense to differentiate between
good and evil. He bestowed upon him a kind of au-
tonomy and appointed him as His Khalifah
(Vicegerent/Deputy) on the Earth and advised him to
live according to His Guidance/Manual known as
The Quran. This Quran also confirms the previous
divine books which were ascended to the Earth for
their respective nations.
The Final Guidance came in the form of The Quran
UNDERSTANDING OF SHARIAT
(ISLAMIC LAWS) Part I
Islam
through our Prophet Mohammad (S) for Man and Jin
to follow.
Whole Quran has been sent down in the Night of
Power (LailatulQadar) from LohMahfooz (Protected
Tablet). It has been revealed in 23 years on our
Prophet (S) in portions. The Jibrael used to come to
the Prophet (S) to make him learnt verses of The
Quran by heart. The Prophet (S) used to revise it as
well with the Jibrael. Our Prophet used to make
some of his Sahaba memorize it. This way it has
been preserved word by word without any minor al-
teration. It was in addition to writing it down in
leaves of date-palm, bark of trees and bones, etc.
Some parts of it were revealed in Makkah and some
parts in Madina. The Makki parts (during 13 years)
mostly deal with Tauhid, Risalat, Akharat,
events/stories of previous nations, etc. The Madani
parts (during 10 years) mostly deal with Jihad, Eba-
dat (worship), human dealings and Ahkam (legal
consequences). Ahkam is the most difficult and intri-
cate matter. Allah Almighty names it in Chapter 3,
Verse 07 asUmmulKitab (substance of the
book).That is why many Muhaddithin (Hadith Col-
lectors) have not touched it and remained following
scholars legal opinion.
To be continue ..
(hgheyas@albatool.com.sa)
UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize
for Environmental Preservation
for 2013
I By Sameen Ahmed Khan I
T
he 2013 UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Award for
Environment Preservation for 2013 has been
jointly awarded to the National Forest Hold-
ing State Forests in Poland and the Wild Life at Risk
Protection Organisation in South Africa. The award-
ing ceremony took place on 26 November 2013, dur-
ing the World Science Forum in Rio de Janeiro
(Brazil), during 24-27 November 2013, under the
auspices of UNESCO. Awarded every two years, the
Prize consists of a certificate and $70,000. It is
funded by Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said of Oman.
The UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environment
Preservation recognizes outstanding contributions by
individuals, groups of individuals, institutes or or-
ganizations to the management or preservation of the
environment, consistent with the policies, aims and
objectives of UNESCO, and in relation to the Orga-
nizations programmes in this field, such as Bios-
phere Reserves and natural World Heritage sites.
The State Forests National Forest Holding of Poland
manages more than 75 per cent of the countrys
forests. The holding plays a major role in ensuring
the sustainable management of forests while raising
public awareness of environmental concerns and the
need for ecological conservation. Most of the forests
situated in Polands ten biosphere reserves are man-
aged by the holding. The Endangered Wildlife Trust
of South Africa develops and implements innovative
environmental protection projects. In close coopera-
tion with local communities, the trust works for the
preservation of ecosystems and endangered species
through research, environmental education, training
and awareness-raising.
The UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environment
Protection aims at finding scientific solutions to the
environmental problems being faced by planet Earth.
Since its launch in 1991, the prize honoured individ-
uals and institutions across the globe. The prize is a
noble message by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and is
meant to invite the whole world to put in effort to
achieve environmental safety for humanity. It is the
first Arab environmental protection prize to be
awarded at the international level. The other major
science prize instituted by the Arabs is the King
Faisal International Prize.
Further Reading
1.UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environmental
Preservation Website: http://www.un-qaboos-
prize.net/
2.King Faisal Foundation Website:
http://www.kff.com/
3.Sameen Ahmed Khan, The King Faisal Interna-
tional Prize for 2014, Ba Khabar, Vol 7, Issue 02, pp
21-22 (February 2014).
(rohelakhan@yahoo.com, http://SameenAhmed-
Khan.webs.com/)
Engineering Department,
Salalah College of Technology (SCOT)
Salalah, Sultanate of Oman
Religion
I By Khalid Baig I
W
hile on his deathbed, Sayyidna Umar ibn
al-Khattab, Radi-Allahuunhu, dictated a
long Will consisting of instructions for the
next Khalifah. Here is the last sentence of that his-
toric document: I instruct you on behalf of the peo-
ple who have been given protection in the name of
Allah and His Prophet . [That is the dhimmis or the
non-Muslim minorities within the Islamic state]. Our
covenant to them must be fulfilled, we must fight to
protect them, and they must not be burdened beyond
their capabilities.
At that time Sayyidna Umar was lying in pain be-
cause of the wounds inflicted on him by a non-Mus-
lim who had stabbed him with a dagger soaked in
poison while he was leading the fajr prayer. It should
also be remembered that he was the head of a vast
empire ranging from Egypt to Persia. From normal
rulers of his time or ours, we could have expected
vengeance and swift reaction. (The enlightened
rulers of today have sent bombers even on suspicion
of murder conspiracy). From a very forgiving head
of state we could have expected an attempt to forget
and forgive --- and that would be considered noble.
But a command to protect the minorities and take
care of them?
What is even more remarkable is that for Muslim
historians the entire affair was just natural. After all
it was the Khalifah himself who had established the
standards by writing the guar-
antees for the protection of
life, property and religion in
decree after decree as Muslims
opened land after land during
his rule. The pattern estab-
lished here was followed for
centuries throughout the Mus-
lim world.
Of course, Sayyidna Umar was
simply following what he
learnt from the Prophet
Muhammad himself. That the
protection of life, property and
religious freedom of minorities
is the religious duty of the Islamic state. That he per-
sonally would be demanding justice in the hereafter
on behalf of a dhimmi who had been wronged by a
Muslim. That there is no compulsion in religion and
that Muslims must be just to friends and foe alike.
The result of these teachings was a Muslim rule that
set the gold standard for religious tolerance in a
world that was not used to the idea. Not only that the
Muslim history is so remarkably free of the inquisi-
tions, persecutions, witch hunts, and holocausts that
tarnish history of other civilizations, it protected its
minorities from persecution by others as well. It pro-
tected Jews from Christians and Eastern Christians
from Roman Catholics. In Spain under the
Umayyads and in Baghdad under the Abbasid Khali-
fahs, Christians and Jews enjoyed a freedom of reli-
gion that they did not allow each other or anyone
else.
This exemplary tolerance is built into Islamic teach-
ings. The entire message of Islam is that this life is a
test and we have the option of choosing the path to
hell or to heaven. Messengers were sent to inform
about the choices and to warn about the conse-
quences. They were not sent to forcibly put the peo-
ple on the right path. The job of the Muslims is the
same. They must deliver the message of Islam to the
humanity as they have received it. They are neither
to change it to make it attractive, nor to coerce others
to accept it. In addition, the results in the hereafter
will depend upon faith. For all good acts are mean-
ingless in the absence of the
proper faith. And faith is an af-
fair of the heart. It simply can-
not be imposed.
It is not an idea that followers
of other religions have shared
with Islam. The result is, Mus-
lim experience in the area of
tolerance has been exactly op-
posite of the rest of the world.
As MarmadukePickthall noted:
It was not until the Western
nations broke away from their
religious law that they became
more tolerant, and it was only
when the Muslims fell away
On Religious Tolerance
Religion
from their religious law that they declined in toler-
ance.
The path that the Western world took to provide har-
mony in society was to banish religion from the
public square. For this achievement, it thinks that it
has earned lecturing rights over the issue. So it may
be good to remember that while it has indeed made
huge progress in the area of tolerance during the last
century (which should be appreciated), it has a long
way to go before it can reach the standards estab-
lished by Islam. First, while Muslim Personal Law is
not recognized in the West, the Personal Law of
non-Muslim minorities has always been recognized
in the Muslim world. Second, while throughout Eu-
rope and America, Muslims are not permitted to
make the call to prayer (Adhan) on loud speakers,
church bells ring freely in the Muslim world. Third,
the wide spread anti-Islamic prejudice in the West-
ern media is both a cause and a consequence of the
underlying intolerance. Fourth, hate crimes are a fact
of life in the West. As just one small indication,
nearly two-dozen incidents of vandalism have taken
place against Mosques in the peaceful USA during
the last seven years, not to mention hundreds of at-
tacks against individuals. Fifth, the will to admit this
state of affairs is also not sufficiently strong. Again
here is just one indication: In 1999 two resolutions
were floated in the US Senate and House, titled A
resolution supporting religious tolerance toward
Muslims. While the Senate resolution passed, the
House resolution was gutted under pressure from
several Jewish and Christian groups.
The situation of the rest of the international com-
munity is not much different. With this back-
ground, extortions to display tolerance become a
vehicle for imposing one's own intolerance.
Recently some people declared that the demolition
of Buddhist statues in a country with no Buddhist
minority violated Islam's teachings on religious tol-
erance. They forgot that religious tolerance means
accommodation to religious minorities; it does not
mean undermining the majority. Here the issue of re-
ligious freedom had been turned on its head. For the
real question to ask was, why the Muslims in
Afghanistan must endure the statues they abhor?
For Muslims religious tolerance is not about politi-
cal posturing. It is a serious religious obligation.
They must be a force against all intolerance, even
that which is promoted in the guise of tolerance.
Taken from http://www.albalagh.net
Har Mirch
Seraj Akram
-BJP ke jeet ke aasar dekh kar iman faroshon ki Qatar
lagne lagi is party me shamil hone ke liye. In logon
ko yah ahsas nahi ki wah sirf ek siyasi party me
shamil nahi ho rahe hain balke jane anjane me RSS
ke volunteer ban rahe hain unke maqsad ko pura karn
ke liye yani mulk ko hindu rashtra banaane ke liye.
-Is tarikhi intekhab ko bhi musalmanon ki acchi tadad
aam intekhab ki tarah halke me le rahi he, unhen
bilku is bat ka andaza nahi ki firqa parast taqaten kitni
hoshiyari is intekhab ko jit kar apne mansuba ko amli
jama pahnane ki koshis kar rahi hain.
-Aise log jinka dil BJP prem me bechain ho raha he
wah musalmano ko bahut hi ideal batayn batane me
mashgul hain, unka kahna he ke Modi se darne ki
zarurat nahi. Waise to in nadano ko yah pata nahi ke
modi ne gujrat ke muslim ka jina kitna dushwar kar
dia he, phir in nadano ko koi kya samjhaye ke bat kisi
ek fard modi ya advani ki nahi, yahan bat ek tanzim
ke khatarnak irade ki he, aur Modi usks sirf mohra he.
-Aaj har ghairat mand ko mazlum, bebas, lachar,
fasad zadah, aur jhute encounter me mare gaye ya sa-
taye gaye logo ka dard is bat ke liye awaz de raha he
ki koi bhi asi galti na ho jaye jinse in zalimon ko aur
taqwiyat mile. Aur agar andhi josh aur jazbe me aakar
vote ka batwara kar diya to phir tarikh kabhi nahi
moaf karegi. Lamhon ki galti kahin sadion ki ke
pachhtane ka sabab na ban jaye. Is liye is bar
musalmano ko kisi ke jeet ke liye nahi balki firqa
paraston ki haar ko yaqini banana ke liye sirf ek can-
didate jo zalimo ko hara sake yakusht vote dena
chahie. Umidwaron ke kaam, talluqat, rishtedarian
sab apni jagah lekin unko vote dekar agar firqa
paraston ke jitney ka imkan barhta he to phir aisi galti
bilkul nahi honi chahie.
-Muslims ke liye aaj waqt ka taqaza he ke sabhi log
milkar har elaqe me committee banakr sirf firqa
paraston ko harane ke liye qaum ko ekjut karke kisi
ek party ko jitaneme aham role ada Karen. Aaj ghar
se bahar aakar qaum ki khidmat ka waqt he, baton ka
nahi.
Gender
I By Amy Klooz I
I
t is in the case of educational settings when seg-
regation must be practiced carefully with special
attention towards equality.
I have heard many complaints from some new Mus-
lims, even from non-Muslims, about gender separa-
tion in Islamin fact, it was one of my biggest fears
after marriage. And the issue of segregation in Islam
and Muslim cultures relates to women's rights and
the concept of hijab.
But I have come to prefer gender segregation, usu-
ally, now that I have a better understanding about
what it means and how to apply it.
I find the practice of gender separation to fall into
three distinct categories which should be discussed
separately; the first is of worship, seeking education,
and lastly, social activities. And I view these three
categories differently because the interaction be-
tween men and women is different in all three cases.
When it comes to worship, separation between men
and women is clear and obvious, because it's based
on clear evidence from the Sunnah. Although the ev-
idence from the Sunnah is itself sufficient in proving
that men and women should be separated at worship,
the advice on the subject is also practical and easy to
understand.
Islam on Mixing with the Opposite Sex
- Mixing with the Opposite Sex
- Is Close Friendship Un-Islamic?
- What's the Problem with Mixing?
- Sisters! Interactions with Non Mahram
- Culture Shock: Reverts in Muslim Countries
For instance, a very common question when non-
Muslims visit a mosque is, "Where do the women
pray?"
Its common because in all likelihood, the guests
were allowed to observe men praying, but not
women. And they wondered where the women were,
since observing that separation in Western culture is
abnormal.
The answer to this question is as simple as the ques-
tion is common. Women are praying somewhere
else--for logical and easy-to-understand reasons.
Separation in Prayers
while that is reason enough, it also just makes sense.
Through the Sunnah (The example from the teach-
ings of Muhammad, peace be upon him)we learn
that women should pray behind men, with the men's
rows starting in the front, and the women's rows
starting in the back. And while that is reason enough,
it also just makes sense.
As for the separation -- can you imagine praying be-
side someone you're physically attracted to, with
your body in close proximity, probably in contact
with theirs? Some of us have trouble focusing even
when we're alone--imagine how much it would be
harder with the additional element of physical attrac-
tion (which, let's face it, is fairly normal).
When it comes to putting women in the back, I can
say I personally would feel uncomfortable praying in
front of a man, when he could easily watch my bot-
tom. And while the postures of prayer bring amazing
depth and realization to our lowliness before Allah,
they also make certain body parts more prominent --
especially when you're watching from behind. For
me, separation with ladies in the back seems an ob-
vious and easy solution, without causing any of-
fense.
When I understand this ideal (that women pray be-
hind men), but in the same room clearly, I don't have
any problem with the segregation, nor do I feel
slighted by it. But usually the complaint rears its
head not when women are praying behind men, but
when they are praying below them in a basement,
above them in an attic, have trouble hearing, seeing,
or even squeezing into a tiny cramped space which
has been afforded them.
Basically, its when the accommodations are clearly
unequal. The problem then is not with the segrega-
tion, but with the accommodation--and each mosque
facility has its own issues with accommodating
women, and unfortunately a shortage of money or
space often causes women to suffer. However, segre-
gation is not the cause, nor is eliminating it the solu-
tion to the problem of inadequate accommodations.
Separation in Educational Activities
special care should be taken to ensure that both men
and women have the same access
The second category of separation comes to educa-
tional activitiesand in this situation I have taken a
Gender Segregation:
What Does It Mean in Islam?
Views of an American New Muslim
Gender
rather strong view. It can be very difficult for Mus-
lims in non-Muslim countries to learn about Islam,
and segregation often compounds the problem, when
only the men (or the women) have access to the
teacher and the information.
So when providing education activities, special care
should be taken to ensure that both men and women
have the same access to the material and to the in-
structor. Otherwise, the one group (its usuallybut
not alwaysthe women who suffer) will be disad-
vantaged when it comes to learning Islam.
It is in the case of educational settings when segrega-
tion must be practiced carefully with special atten-
tion towards equality. Putting one group (i.e.,
women) in the back means they might not be able to
see or hear as well, and are less likely to ask ques-
tions. Putting women in a separate room with only
audio is worse than putting them in the back, and the
worst offense of all is not even allowing women to
attend.
When a community observes these offenses, women
need to rally themselves and with numbers (by atten-
dance) prove why the status quo is insufficient for
them, and provide a way to improve. Creating a
space for women, or installing audio and video feeds
can all gradually improve the situation without being
too radical and offending people in the process.
In Social Activities
The other times women might be segregated from
men are at social events. And actually, this kind of
segregation used to trouble me most because of my
cultural upbringing.
In American culture, it is generally polite for men
and women to interact equally at gatherings. And be-
fore I got married, I didn't see any problem with it.
But looking back on my single life, I realize just how
easy it is for a romantic attraction to spark between
two people. Polite conversation between like-minded
folks can easily lead beyond the bounds of friend-
ship. I'm not saying that it always does, or even usu-
ally does--just that it can.
A more important barrier is inward modesty on the
part of both parties
I also thought that hijab itself (women covering their
bodies except for the face and hands) would pre-
clude immodest activities and conversations. Wear-
ing hijab for a short while, and socializing with other
women who wear it, can easily clarify that miscon-
ception. Women who wear hijab are just as vulnera-
ble to emotional attachment as other women. The
hijab does act as one, but just one layer of protec-
tion, hopefully reminding the lady to be modest, as
well as reminding the gentleman that the woman is
not permissible to him outside of marriage.
A more important barrier is inward modesty on the
part of both parties, which would cause them to act
out of fear of Allah in their dealings with each other.
But inward modesty need not be relied upon if one
more barrier were in place to limit the risks of inter-
gender social interaction. That last barrier is segrega-
tion.
What I appreciate about Muslim gatherings now,
after being married, is that Im not placed in a situa-
tion where etiquette demands that I converse with
menmen with whom there is no other practical
reason to converse. And by avoiding that situation, I
can avoid any deliberate or accidental flirting which
might occur. The segregation actually protects both
the men and women from this potentially trouble-
some scenario.
Nobody presumes that two strangers, after short con-
versation at a dinner party, will immediately sense-
lessly involve themselves in an extramarital
relationship. The beauty of Islam is that men and
women who act according to Islam are protected
from even coming close to sinful behavior. So whats
the problem with just chatting? A chat can easily turn
to flirting, which can easily spark a romance. Segre-
gation says, "Just don't go there."
In countless other situations, men and women will
interact with each other--and they should do so with
utmost professionalism, and inward modesty.
Women should also take care to cover themselves
appropriately. There's no denying that the interaction
will take place, but all I am suggesting is that in a
purely social environment, there is no need for men
and women to socialize with each other.
While there is some initial culture shock for Ameri-
cans exposed to Islamic-style segregation, the bene-
fits clearly outweigh any perceived failings of the
behavior. After a few months of meeting only with
women, I don't feel like I have been deprived of so-
cial interaction, and the more I think about it, the
better I feel that I am not chatty with my husband's
friends, and especially that he is not chatty with their
wives.
So while the concept of segregation seems repugnant
to American culture, when it comes to gender segre-
gation in social settings (plus worship at mosques) I
think the teachings of Islam guide us to a better and
healthier path. Of course, the segregation should be
fair, with neither side enduring hardship (tiny space,
less food, etc.) while the other enjoys more hospital-
ity. But when arrangements can be made equally for
both parties, then segregation is the way to go.
http://www.onislam.net/
International
I By Areebabint Khalid I
From the 1800s to the present day, family life in the
West has remarkably changed. While the West calls
this change part of the women freedom movement, a
look at history may show otherwise.
America before the 1800s was a farming country and
ninety percent of the population lived and worked on
private farms. Households were mainly self-suffi-
cient--nearly everything needed was produced in the
house. The few things that could not be produced at
home were bought from local craftsmen. Some other
things, especially imports from Europe, were bought
from stores. Males would take care of the fields and
females would take care of the home. In addition,
they would engage in spinning, knitting, weaving,
and taking care of the farm animals.
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution, which began around the
early 1800s, brought a major change to this way of
life. In 1807, in the wake of the war between Great
Britain and France, President Jefferson signed the
Embargo Act, which stopped all trade between Eu-
rope and America. The Act meant that European
goods would no longer be available in the US and
Americans would have to produce them. One major
European import to America was cloth, and so mer-
chants used this opportunity to create a cloth indus-
try in America.
In 1814, Francis Cabot Lowell, a man from Boston
opened the first modern factory. Work here was to be
done way faster than before. Instead of manually
making things in houses, things were to be made at
higher speeds in a factory and all stages of the work
were to be completed under the same roof. Now
what Lowell needed were workers. He found out that
women, especially unmarried daughters of the farm-
ers, were more economical to use in labor than men.
They were also more willing to work as hired people
in factories.
But Lowell had to make the working outside of
home acceptable in a society which was not used to
it. He assured parents that their daughters would be
taken care of and kept under discipline. And he built
a boarding community where the women workers
lived and worked together.
Soon after, more and more factories emerged across
America. Factory owners followed Lowell's example
of hiring unmarried women. By 1850 most of the
country's goods were made in factories. As produc-
tion of goods moved from the country to the city,
people too moved from the country to the city.
For money to be earned, people had to leave their
homes. When women worked on the farm, it was al-
ways possible to combine work and family. When
work for women moved outside the home, however,
the only women who could follow it were those
without family responsibilities or those who had no
husband or no income. Likewise, the only women
who could take care of their families were the ones
that didn't have work.
This working out of home became a part of life for
unmarried women. They would work until their mar-
riage. But as time passed, women found family life
interfering with their work life and instead of view-
ing working out of home as optional, they viewed
family life as such. Many women started delaying
marriage even more and some decided to stay single.
Married women however stayed home and dedicated
their time to their children. Now that there wasn't
any farm work to do, women had even more time to
spend with the children. In 1900 less than about
5.6% of married women worked outside. If a mar-
ried woman were to work, it would be considered
that her husband was invalid or that she was poor.
World War I
The first major entry of married women to the work-
force came during World War I in 1914. Men went to
fight the war and the country needed workers to take
over the jobs they left behind. Unmarried women
were not sufficient for the labor needs, so employers
started to invite married women too, to work. By
1919, 25% of the women in the workforce were mar-
ried. But this was only the beginning.
Another change World War I brought was the entry
of women to the army. About 13,000 women enlisted
in the US Navy, mostly doing clerical work--the first
women in US history to be admitted to full military
How Women Were Lured Out of the
Home in the USA,
Part-1
International
rank.
Great Depression
The Great Depression came in the 1930s. The unem-
ployment rate climbed from 3.2% in 1929 to 23.6%
in 1932. Jobs became scarce for skilled people and
men. Fathers went to search for jobs. Some, under
despair, deserted their families. The responsibility of
earning fell on mothers in many families.
Most women and children, however, found jobs
more easily than men because of the segregation of
work categories for men and women. Although 80%
of men during the Great Depression opposed their
wives entering the workforce under any circum-
stances, economic factors made it necessary for the
women to work. Hours were long and pay was low.
Twenty percent of white women were in the work-
force.
World War II
World War II came in the early 1940s. Men were
drafted to fight, and America needed workers and
supplies. Again, the employers looked towards the
women for labor. Unmarried and married women
were invited to work, as had been done during World
War I.
But still, public opinion was generally against the
working of married women. The media and the gov-
ernment started a fierce propaganda campaign to
change this opinion. The federal government told the
women that victory could not be achieved without
their entry into the workforce. Working was consid-
ered part of being a good citizen, a working wife was
a patriotic person.
The government founded the Magazine Bureau in
1942. The Bureau published Magazine War Guide, a
guide which told magazines which themes stories
they should cover each month to aid war propa-
ganda. For September 1943, the theme was "Women
at Work". The slogan for this was "The More
Women at Work the Sooner We Win." Magazines de-
veloped stories that glorified and promoted the
placement of women into untraditional jobs where
workers were needed. The idea was that if smaller,
unexciting jobs were portrayed as attractive and
noble more women would join the work force.
The media created Rosie the Riveter, a mythical
character to encourage women into the workforce.
Rosie was portrayed as a patriotic woman, a hero for
all American women. "All the day long, Whether
rain or shine, She's a part of the assembly line. She's
making history, Working for victory, Rosie the Riv-
eter There's something true about, Red, white, and
blue about, Rosie the Riveter."
The propaganda efforts worked. More than six mil-
lion women joined the workforce during the war, the
majority of them married women. In 1940, before
the war, only 36% of women workers were married.
By 1945, after the war, 50% of women workers were
married. The middle class taboo against a working
wife had been repealed.
Part-2 of this article will appear in May 2014 Issue
of BaKahabar
Source: www.islaaminfo.co.za
Islam
I By Mohammed Obaidullah, Jeddah I
There are clear indications that zakat collections
have been growing in many parts of the globe. The
growth has been particularly spectacular in some
Muslim countries that have made the payment of
zakat mandatory, such as, Saudi Arabia and
Malaysia. Additionally, collection of zakat is entirely
in the hands of the state. For instance, Saudi Arabias
zakat revenues during 2014 is expected to be around
USD4 billion (they currently stand at about USD 3.7
billion). Zakat and tax revenues in the kingdom have
been increasing at a rate of 20 percent per year
through the last five years. Malaysia reported zakat
collections at about USD550 million in 2011 and
these have increased by 27 times over the previous
two decades. In contrast, Indonesia reported total
zakah collections at USD232 million in 2012 and
these have increased by
32 times over the previ-
ous decade. Indonesia,
of course, permits pri-
vate institutional collec-
tors under the overall
supervision of the state
agency BAZNAS. Pak-
istan offers another in-
teresting contrast by
making zakat collection
free-for-all (state, pri-
vate institutional as well
as individual collectors).
Even after making zakat
on financial assets
mandatory and to be de-
ducted at source, the
state collected merely
USD105 million in 2011
(increased by 40 per cent
over 3 years). At the
same time unofficial es-
timates put the total col-
lection at about USD 2
billion clearly indicating
either gross inefficiency
or trust-deficit with the
state collection agency.
Close observers and zakat officials attribute the
surge in collections to different factors. In Saudi
Arabia, it is the firm hand of the state that now re-
quires mandatory electronic filing for all zakat decla-
rations. In Malaysia, the state owned Islamic
religious councils have the sole authority for zakat
collections. However, officials admit that enforce-
ment is very weak. Major reasons for this are: ab-
sence of database of those liable to pay zakat,
unwillingness of zakat officer to list down those who
fail to pay zakat, shortage of staff and inadequate au-
thority to zakat officers to investigate any failure and
the like. The steep growth in zakat collections how-
ever, seems to have come about due to large-scale
corporatization with banks and FIs acting as agents
of the state religious council for zakat collection. On
the other hand, the high growth witnessed in Indone-
sia seems to have come
about because of a very
proactive and rational legal
and regulatory framework.
Are there any lessons here
to be learnt for the Muslims
of India? Unlike awqaf,
India does not see a role for
the state (e.g. Ministry of
Minorities Affairs) in man-
agement of zakat. Private
individuals and institutions
are free to collect and dis-
tribute zakat. Indeed it is
believed that a major part
of zakat is collected by
Madaris or Islamic reli-
gious schools. A sample-
based study undertaken in
2007 estimates total zakat
collected in India to be
USD1.5 billion. It is indeed
a sad realization for any ob-
server that the Indian Mus-
lim community - second
largest in the world has
no clue regarding the opera-
tionalization of zakat, the
Should Zakat Management be Centralized in
India?
Islam
single-most important economic institution. Anec-
dotal evidence suggests that the cost of collection of
zakat as a percentage of total zakat collection in
India (with a large private army of individual zakat
collectors) is perhaps among the largest in the world.
While any role for the state in the management of
zakat will perhaps be an unwelcome proposition for
the community leaders, one may realistically argue
in favour of creating a private national umbrella or-
ganization by the community to collect and disburse
zakat efficiently. It will undoubtedly be in a position
to employ modern tools and strategies for mobilizing
zakat (e.g. use of ICT, collection and payment plat-
forms, corporate agents, use of mass media for pub-
lic education and awareness regarding zakat
obligations, imparting skills to zakat collectors and
professionals and many other measures that have de-
livered good results elsewhere). The umbrella organ-
ization or network of organizations will enjoy far
greater credibility by adopting transparent methods
of collection and distribution (e.g. giving due respect
to the wishes of the muzakki or zakat payers). The
sooner the community decides to shun the status-quo
and give serious thought to improving its zakat man-
agement systems, the better it is for the well-being of
the community in-shaAllah.
http://sadaqa.in/2014/02/20/should-zakat-collec-
tions-be-centralized-in-india/
Wearing dirty clothes is not from
humility Explained by Shaykh
Fawzan
Questioner:
May Allah grant you good. The questioner says: An
Imaam of a masjid has a lot of money; but when he
comes to the prayer, he comes wearing a dirty Izar
and a dirty shirt. And when I say to him: Why dont
you buy some new clothes for the prayer? He says:
Whoever humbles himself for Allah, He will ele-
vate him. So what is the ruling for his prayer?
ShaykhFawzan: This is not humility. Allah the Ex-
alted says:
O children of Adam, take your adornment at every
masjid. (Soorah Al-'Araf 7:31)
This means for every prayer. Adornment is not only
covering the awrah, rather adornment includes
clothes, beautifying oneself for the prayer. You are
facing the Lord of all that exists; you are standing in
front of Him. Therefore beautify yourself with what
you are able to from adornment; in recognition of the
prayer, and exalting the standing before your Lord.
This is something desired, and favorable. And the
hadith says:
When Allah makes you wealthier then you should
clothe yourself properly.
And he says:
Verily Allah loves to see the effects of His favors
upon His slave.
O my brother this is not humility. Yes, do not wear
extravagant clothes. Do not wear extravagant clothes
such that it becomes an issue of fame or notoriety.
Wear moderate clothes which are clean and beauti-
ful.
Verily Allah is Jameel and He loves beauty.
Translated by Rasheed ibn Estes Barbee
http://mtws.posthaven.com
History
I By Prof. Refaqat Ali Khan I
W
rite Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh, an
NGO, invited me to attend the SAARC
Literary Festival in Dhaka on 27-28 Feb-
ruary, 2014. Delegates from Afghanistan, Pakistan,
India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and
Maldives were participants. The seminar / festival
proposed a discussion / review Beyond Borders,
Trust and Reconciliation.
I presented a paper Within Borders, Trust and Rec-
onciliationUrdu in the making of Bangladesh. Not
beyond, but within. Trust and reconciliation within
borders are as important as beyond borders, but un-
wise trust and reconciliation, beyond or within bor-
ders, could as well be harmful. The Bengali Muslims
suffered for this.
According to Pakistans census figures, 3 per cent
people in Pakistan had Urdu as their mother tongue,
but 97 per cent non-Urdu speaking people of East
and West Pakistan had to accept it as the national /
official language. In spite of stiff opposition from
East Pakistan, Urdu remained the national language.
This was the primary reason Bangladesh came into
being in 1971. Besides language, it was the insensi-
tivity of the Urdu-speaking Muslim leadership to
Bengali sentiment that was an additional factor.
The famous (or infamous) Lahore Muslim League
Resolution, 1940 is projected in this paper as
Bangladesh Resolution. This resolution was adopted
by the All India Muslim League under the presi-
dentship of M A Jinnah. The proposer was Sher-i-
Bengal, FazlulHaq. Bangladesh was on the mind of
FazlulHaq. He wanted more than one state with
Muslim majority areas which had geographical con-
tiguity to be constituted as states.
Eastern Bengal plus Assam were Muslim majority
areas and had geographical contiguity and thus could
be constituted as states. The state of Bengal could
never have a contiguity with Western Muslim major-
ity areas. Two states, therefore, were the natural out-
come of this resolution. M A Jinnah understood each
word of this resolution. FazlulHaq had deliberately
put states (in plural) with contiguous areas.
In 1940, Mr Jinnah was not the absolute master of
All India Muslim League. FazlulHaq rightly con-
fided to Shaikh Mujibur Rahman that he was respon-
sible for the Lahore Resolution. Nobody knew
Jinnah in 1940. But in 1946 Jinnah, no doubt, was
the greatest leader and absolute master of the
League. Disregarding Lahore Resolution he invited
the Muslim League legislators to Delhi in 1946 and
got a new resolution passed at its Convention, de-
manding a state (singular) of East and West Pakistan.
This resolution of the convention of Muslim League
legislators also provided a theoretical foundation for
the two-nation idea.
In 1946 there was a Qaid-e-Azam wave. Nobody
could oppose him. The two nation theory blinded
Bengali Muslims. Bangladesh was ideologically
conceived by the Tiger of Bengal in 1940 and killed
in 1946 by another Bengali Muslim, Shaheed
Suhrawardi, who proposed the Delhi Resolution.
In a question-answer session it was pointed out that
theoretical foundation of the two-nation theory could
be questioned but it had positive aspects, too. It
united the Muslims of British India so strongly that
they supported Pakistan, practically with one voice.
Partly agreeing, I said that no doubt there was unity
among Muslim rank and file, but this unity was
time-bound, without sustainable foundations. The
Partition divided Indian Muslims into two set of peo-
ple, Indian Muslims and Pakistani Muslims within
one year of Delhi Resolution and, 24 years later, an-
other set of Muslims, Bangladesh Muslims. It was
not unity, but false consciousness.
In history people are subjected to false conscious-
ness for a short or even a longer time. Keeping
Bangladesh in mind I told them that many Muslims,
including Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto considered that Mus-
lims were the rulers of India for a thousand years. I
reminded them that under the Mughals in todays
Bangladesh 90 per cent people were peasants,
largely Muslims. Some of them were zamindars, but
zamindars were largely Hindus. The Muslim peas-
ants of Bangladesh were subjected to as great ex-
ploitation in Mughal India as they were under the
British Raj, much like the peasants under the present
government of Bangladesh.
Quirks of History
How Mr. Jinnah forestalled FazlulHaqs gambit
From the Book
I By Shakeel Ashraf I
D
inar made of gold and Dirham made of sil-
ver, were the currencies at that time, with an
exchange rate of one to ten. Malik ibn Aus
(RA) wanted to exchange 100 Dinars and made mu-
tual agreement with Talha ibn Ubaidullah (RA), who
took the gold and turned it about in his hand and
then said, I cant do it until my treasurer brings the
money to me from Al-Ghaba. Umar Ibn Al Khattab
(RA) was listening and he said, By Allah! Do not
leave him until you have taken it from him. He fur-
ther said, If someone asks you to wait to be paid
until he has gone back to his house, do not leave
him. (Ref: Moutta, Imam Malik, Business Transac-
tion Hadith 31.17.38
http://elazhar.com/esonna_u/businesstrans/56.asp)
An author quotes in his booklet, From your hand to
his hand. If he asks you to wait behind the wall (of a
room) do not wait for him, and if he jumps from the
roof, then, jump with him.
Imagine, to narrate, the above tradition, to someone,
today, who does not know the caliber of Umar (RA)
and is not acquainted with hadith of six commodi-
ties; what will be his reaction? Will he not call Umar
(RA) a fanatic fellow running behind petty issues?
Nauzbillah! This is what we face, today, when we re-
mind someone about an injunction of Islam which he
is unaware of or doesnt know its due importance.
Today we are well aware of the dynamic behavior of
currency exchange. Exchange rate may change any
moment and so a forward trading of currencies is de-
clared unlawful in Islamic finance. Not only mutual
exchange rate of currency, but the purchasing power
of all currencies changes with time. According to fa-
mous hadith of six commodities, the exchange of
gold, silver, wheat, barley, dates and salt should al-
ways be hand to hand. (Ref. Sahih Muslim,
Book#10, Hadith#3853)
Sahih Bukhari, Hadith#3872: Abu Said (RA) re-
ported: Dates were brought to Allahs Messenger
(PBUH), and he said: These dates are not like our
dates, whereupon a man said: We sold two sas of
our dates (in order to get) one sa, of these (fine
dates), whereupon Allahs Messenger (PBUH) said:
That is riba (interest); so return (these dates of fine
quality), and get your (inferior dates); then sell our
dates (for money) and buy for us (with the help of
money) such (fine dates).
The above mentioned issues are related with riba.
Verse 279 of Sura Baqra declares war by Allah and
His messenger against riba takers. After revelation of
the verse money lending on riba became criminal of-
fence in an Islamic society.
(http://www.tafheem.net/tafheem.html). Today one
can argue that he is not living in a society where riba
can be a criminal offence. Well, there is a hadith to
warn him that the sin of riba is 70 times the sin of in-
cest with ones mother (Ibnmaja, Baiaqi,
http://tanzeem.org/books/books/BU_4_01_Islam_ka
_Maashi_Nizam.pdf, page#22). Anyone having
some moral sense can conclude, on the basis of this
prophetic saying, that there is nothing more immoral
than taking riba. Why such stern warnings against
riba? Because Allah, the All-Knower knows that
man has limitless lust to wealth. And you love the
wealth with all your hearts (al-Fajr 89:20). Money
is such a weak point for mankind that the general
tendency is, to take the Divine restrictions in a light
way?
I remember once a brother from Afghanistan, in his
email to Bihar Anjuman yahoo group enquired about
a food-stuff; whether it is halal or haram. An enthu-
siastic member jumped out of his closet staing that
what is the need of enquiring about small issues
while there are so many big issues in the community.
I believe, when an individual finds the urge to follow
instructions of his Creator, there is nothing small for
him.
Let us take another example at social level. Many of
us talk about the wrongdoing of others in their ab-
sence, taking it a lighter note. But Quran takes a very
strong note of it in the following verse.
(49:12) Believers, avoid being excessively suspi-
cious, for some suspicion is a sin. Do not spy, nor
backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat
the flesh of his dead brother? You would surely de-
test it. Have fear of Allah. Surely Allah is much
Petty Issues are not really petty
prone to accept repentance, is Most Compassionate.
Let us avail an opportunity to recite and ponder over
the following verses.
(59:18). Believers, fear Allah and let every person
look to what he sends forward for the morrow. Fear
Allah; Allah is well aware of all that you do. (59:19).
And be not like those who forgot Allah and so He
made them oblivious of themselves. They are the
wicked ones.
Shakeel Ashraf (shakeel.ashraf@yahoo.com)
(1) (2)
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Politics
I By Asma Khan I
[Hindus frequently ill treated in Pakistan sends a
chill down the spines of Muslims in India, the dirty
minority politics of both the countries is a matter of
big concern. Here is a brief review of the past and
present Minority Politics of these nations. ]
P
akistan has long ceased to shock me, its kind
of Lebanon; Lebanon of the 80s, when it was
difficult to discern who was killing and who
was making a killing of it? When senses get
numbed, the killings get anesthetized. Nevertheless
those 85 dead worshippers at the church on 22 Sep-
tember last year; and the recent cold blooded murder
of Hazara Shias on board a bus succeeded, in send-
ing a chill down my spine. The murders were also
said to be put under headlines like; Cleaners
cleansed! Since the creation of Pakistan such attacks
have continued in numerous forms. Furious attacks
on its minorities are also seen in Bangladesh. The
Sachar Committee report is a mirror to the plight of
the minorities in India. [Read more about it here ]
In the sub-continent, minorities face, serious threats
to life and property, riots and pogroms, forcible con-
versions, marriages and discrimination at the various
levels of the civil society, and misuse of the blas-
phemy law. This has not just kept the minorities,
Muslim and non-Muslim on their toes, but has also
compelled them to live their endangered lives, tip-
toeing to the vagaries of the bullish majority. Lets
have a look at different aspects of this issue.
A Brief Introduction to the Minorities of Pak-
istan:
In 1947, Pakistans independence led to c.14 million
people moving across the borders, with Pakistan re-
ceiving more than 8 million Muslims from all over
India. Most came to West Pakistan (present-day Pak-
istan) and l.2 million Muslims were received by East
Pakistan or present day Bangladesh.(1) The percent-
age of non-Muslim minorities was 23% of the total
population of Pakistan at the time of Partition.
Tellingly enough now it is reduced to only 3%. In-
creasingly the non-Muslim [Hindu] minority has
been seeking asylum in the parent country India,
finding the living in Pakistan getting harder and
harder by the day. In Pakistan there are a number of
minority groups, Muslim and non-Muslim. Shia is
the biggest, almost 20 to 25 % of Pakistan popula-
tion. Then there are ethnic Hazaras who also happen
to be Shias, hence face double-edged sword of dis-
crimination. They speak Persian, and are spread in
and around Quetta. The Kalash community, said to
be between 5000 to 6000 in number, lives around
Chitral district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and
follows an animist faith, labeled as a Pagan group.
Interestingly, the Kalash community as a tradition
celebrates death! After a demise, they engage in fes-
tivities, for three days at the very place where the
dead body has been placed. They have been com-
plaining of threats and forced conversions. Another
group that goes by the name Kihal is regarded dirty
for they relish crocodile meat. Due to their being a
nomadic tribe, they dont have a permanent address
and hence denied national ID cards, which translates
into meaning that they are unable to vote. The coun-
try they live in, does not consider them citizens.
They are denied even alms for the same reason. Ah-
madi or Qadiyanis are regarded as heretics, for not
believing in the essential concept of Prophet
Muhammad [p.b.u.h.] being the last prophet. Chris-
tians are even worse off as they (unlike Hindus) are
mostly in Punjab where there is more intolerance
than Sindh
According to a view, the Mohajirs [Muslim migrants
from India who settled mainly in Sindh province,
particularly in Karachi] too can be considered, a mi-
nority group. Elaborating further on this, a univer-
sity professor friend from Pakistan confesses that,
the Mohajirs today find themselves alienated. The
reason ,according to him , is that, those who settled
down in this sea side port had brought with them-
selves a distinct culture of their own and found as-
similating in the new Punjabi/Sindhi ethos of
Pakistan difficult. They were far more proud of their
Indian roots, heritage and Urdu culture, [belonging
mainly to Northern Indian state of UP] hence be-
came fiercely protective of it. This trend continues
even to this day.
Minority politics of India and Pakistan:
A Perspective
Politics
Giving the Minorities A Square Deal:
A study of what our leaders wanted for their respec-
tive minorities would be quite significant to discern.
In his famous speech at the Lahore session of Mus-
lim League in March 1940 Mr. Jinnah was not one
for the unity. He had said,
Islam and Hinduism are not religions in the strictest
sense of the word, but are, in fact, different and dis-
tinct social orders..The Hindus and Muslims be-
long to two different philosophies, social customs,
and literaturesTo yoke together two such nations
under a single State, one as a numerical minority
and the other as a majority, must lead to growing
discontent and the final destruction of any fabric
that may be so built up for the government of such a
State.
Despite this rhetoric Mr. Jinnah seemed genuine
when he promised the minorities that they would get
a Square Deal. His epoch speech on 11 August 1947
asserts that, religion would have no business to do in
the business of Pakistan! Going further he said
something which can be taken as blasphemous in
todays Pakistan, he had said.
in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus
and Muslims would cease to be Muslimsin the po-
litical sense as citizens of the state.
Our Mahatma being the all knowing didnt bite the
bait and insisted that Jinnahs promises needed to be
weighed with the, corresponding deeds of his fel-
low Musalmans. Their views about dealing with the
respective minorities are illuminating. Contrary to
the Mahatma, Mr. Jinnah took on Lord Mountbatten
when the latter alluded to Emperor Akbars justice
for the weaker sections of the society, circuitously
imploring him to treat the minorities in Pakistan rea-
sonably well. The formidable lawyer in return threw
at the last Viceroy the original allusion from Prophet
Mohammads times, saying:
tolerance and regard and respect for their [minori-
ties] faith was in Muslim blood. (2)
He was referring to the teachings of brotherhood in
Islam. Mr. Jinnah blamed the deeply complex social
structure of India as an impediment in the way of its
freedom. It would be a free country for sure, long
ago, if not for this, he had regretted. The issue of the
minorities must be important for him; he himself
was one, a Khoja Shia and had married Ratti Bai , a
Parsi , herself a minority on both sides of the border.
He adopted the Muslim League flag as the official
national flag of Pakistan, but with a change, a white
strip as a symbol of Peace and it was for Pakistan
minorities. Appointing Jogendarnath Mandal as
chairman of the Constituent Assembly of his new
born country was a special gesture, though viewed
with skepticism on the Indian side. Mr. Jinnah along
with Sister Fatima Jinnah had made it a point to at-
tend the Dominion Day service at Romanesque
Parish Church of Holy Trinity in Karachi on August
18th, 1947. Even if Jinnah had not passed away so
soon after establishing his dream state, he would
have found it increasingly difficult to arrest the tide
of hatred brewing since the Partition. Coming back
to the Great Soul, its a known fact that Mahatma
Gandhis proposals at the time, though well mean-
ing, were scorned upon as pure naivet by some
quarters. He had insisted that Hindus remain in Sind,
even at the height of riots. A leading publication of
those days, The Hindustan Times, was sarcastic to
one of his ideas. The Great Soul Mahatma Gandhi, it
said, after opposing the idea of Pakistan all his polit-
ical career, had decided to spend the rest of his life in
Pakistan to protect the interests of minorities namely
Hindus and Sikhs. Earlier Mahatma had refused a
plea, Punjab needed his healing presence , from his
favorite disciple Nehru. (3), to visit the burning Pun-
jab where a massacre was happening from Lahore to
Rawalpindi. The atmosphere was explosive. With
mass migrations, murderous mayhem with a rare
cruelty and rumor mongering at its lethal best, assur-
ances from the big leaders of the time had become
vacant sounds which had lost all their voice. Mr.Jin-
nah is known to have showed least concern for
the,left overMuslims , who didnt want to migrate.
He was indifferent to them. Nevertheless Mr. Jinnah
was conscientious enough to express his displeasure
with the way Hidayatullah ministry handled the non-
Muslim minority issue at the time. He was rightly
concerned about the possible fallout of such an irre-
sponsible act of negligence. He was said to have
feared a chain reaction, where provinces with Mus-
lims as minorities might face the consequences of
what their fellow religionists did elsewhere. This
was and is the crux of this complex issue, a tit for tat
politics, a tit for tat murder. You kill our man and we
kill yours. This smells bad; same as the famed rheto-
ric of 2002, Every action has an equal and opposite
reaction. Remember?
Now we also have him saying that Hindus from
Bangladesh should be allowed to settle in India. The
BJP Prime Minister designate is playing his favorite
game again that had begun in 2002, with the only
Politics
difference that now, after winning the state levels, he
is now trying for the national championships.
Part II
Minority Politics or Hostage Politics ?
The news of minorities ill treated in Pakistan sends a
very wrong message here. The most unfortunate re-
sult of this divisive communal politics discussed in
part 1 of this essay; was emergence of the Hostage
Politics. Roughly, what it means is that, if a Hindu
was/is harmed in the Land of the Pure, then a Mus-
lim had to pay its price, living in Hindostan. Politi-
cians of both the faiths had no qualm in asserting
this ugly truth. It was a hidden threat, the ugliest way
to tell them, that, we would be doing the same, if
you do it. It also had an inbuilt advantage of conve-
niently blaming the, other party for the mayhem
one caused. Leaders of the pre-Partition era though
were desperately trying to do something about this,
sensing a huge threat of violence to the minorities,
wherever people became one. J.B Kriplani, the so-
cialist Sindhi leader and president of Congress party
during the crucial period of the Partition, supported a
joint committee to protect the minority rights. He
urged the minorities in Pakistan to not lose hope and
believe in Muslim League promises of safeguarding
their interests. Being the politician that he was
Acharya Kriplani had proudly declared,
Pakistan cant afford to ill treat Hindus. If 20 million
of Hindus were included in Pakistan, 45 million of
Muslims came within Hindustan. (4)
Here you see resonant politics perhaps at its best (or
worst?). Moulana Azad, whom Jinnah used to
ridicule, as Show Boy of the Congress, for his pre-
sumed ineffectiveness, was worried too. On 29 June
1947, in a press statement, Moulana Azad astutely
suggested a joint meeting of the constituent assem-
blies of the soon to be neighboring countries India
and Pakistan, and making of a Common Charter of
Rights of Minorities in the two countries. But voices
like Kriplanis and Azads often remain lonely even
among their own. Considering the pitiable condition
and a most awful treatment of the minorities in Pak-
istan today, it is ironical to note that, under the
Nehru-Liaquat Agreement of 1950, for the purpose
of the protection of minorities; Pakistan had insisted
on the creation of a new Ministry of Minorities, set-
ting up of a minority commission, appointment of
minority representatives in the council of ministers
etc. in each state of free India! Home Minister of the
time, Sardar Patel opposed this proposal tooth and
nail, saying it was akin to putting poison in the In-
dian governmental machinery, and termed it,
submission to an external force called Pakistan who
had itself liquidated its own minorities on its terri-
tory.
He continued,
We have conceded one Pakistan; that is more than
enough. We cannot promote any further such mental-
ity, let alone do anything which will perpetuate it.(5)
Are Minorities Loyal to their Country?
The issue is also that of the integrity and loyalty of
the minorities being under the cloud of suspicion
perpetually. The Azeem Qaid of Pakistan too didnt
mince words when he spoke about the duties of a
nonMuslim Pakistani. In a press conference in
Delhi on July 13th, Mr. Jinnah emphasized the need
for the minorities , to be loyal to Pakistan.
They [minorities] will be in all respects the citizens
of Pakistan without any distinction of caste, colour,
religion, or creed. Along with it goes the obligation
of citizenshipAs long as the minorities are loyal to
the State and true allegiance, (and) as long as I have
any power they need have no apprehension.
Their condition as illustrated in the Sachar Commit-
tee report shows an ugly picture in the mirror of the
Indian democracy. Voicing this Majority-Minority
dilemma, at a conference in New Zealand, its human
rights commissioner Justice John Wallace spoke
thus:
The minority is generally right, provided the minor-
ity can carry the majority with it.
But this game of Majority-Minority politics, is too
precarious and too dangerous to speak about. The
problem of resonant minority politics became severe
with the partitioning of lands, rivers and populations
of the Sub-continent. Y. B. Chavan the Home Minis-
ter in 1969 had astutely pinned the problem of Mi-
nority vs Majority politics down this way while
replying to a debate on Ahmadabad riots.
There is the majority communitys communalism and
there is the minority communitys communalism
But I would like to repeat that in a country like ours,
the majority community has a special responsibility
to demonstrate that their activities are more secu-
lar.
(in the Indian Parliament in 1969).
Internationally respected legal luminary, Fali.
S.Nariman in his latest book, The State of the Na-
tion, is eloquent enough to state thus:
When we in India discuss the state of the nation,
we should never forget the historical context: Mi-
nority with a small m must be the watchword.
Minority with a small m helps to carry the ma-
jority with it. And I would respectfully suggest to
my Hindu brethren that majority with a small
m also helps to carry the minority along! The
possibility of conflict arises when one or other of
these groups stresses the big M factor. (9)
While the minorities of the subcontinent, Hindus,
Muslims and Christians are struggling and pining
for a peaceful, dignified and suitable survival in
their motherlands; lets hope that both the major-
ity and minority communities of India, Pakistan
and Bangladesh grow to be wiser and responsible,
and seek to be majority and minority , always
with the small, m.
References:
1] Report: Religious Minorities in Pakistan, by
Dr. Iftikhar H. Malik, Minority Rights Group In-
ternational, London, pg.4
2] Khairi Saad R, Jinnah Reinterpreted, 1995, pg,
465
3] 21, August, 1947, in a telegram to Mahatma
Gandhi.
4] AICC Papers: Nehru Memorial Museum and
Library.
5] In a letter dated 6 April 1950, addressed to N.
Gopalaswamy Ayyangar, who was a minister
without portfolio.
6] In a press conference in Delhi on 13 July, 1947.
7] M.N.Roy ,The Men I Met, 1968, an essay on
Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Independent India, Sep-
tember 19, 1948 , Janta Publications
8] in the Indian Parliament in 1969.
9] Fali S.Nariman, The State of the Nation, Hay
House India, 2013
Note: By big M, Fali S Nariman implies the ma-
joritys using their advantage of numbers as an in-
strument of power, hence leading to its possible
misuse and by small m a non violent, practical
community with the aim of eliminating the cause
of the suffering.
Only 4 Masjids for 2 Million Muslims
in Moscow
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin recently said he did not want
any more mosques being built in his city, claiming it would at-
tract more Muslims. Such open displays of Islamophobia have
been echoed elsewhere in Russia and show a deep rooted prob-
lem in the city of Moscow, which currently has a Muslim pop-
ulation of two million residents.
While there are two million Muslim residents living in
Moscow, there are up to two million more Muslim migrant
workers, most of who immigrated from Soviet Central Asia. As
of today, there are only four public mosques in Moscow. With
this shortage, Muslims have to wait hours to enter a mosque.
Currently, only one new mosque is under construction.
The mayor made his decision that he will not be issuing any
more permits to build further mosques. Sobyanin said that
these Muslims are from outside the city and dont have the
right to be catered to since they are not Russian citizens.
However, he admits that the citys economy would not be able
to manage without these Muslim workers.
With 2 million legal Muslim residents in Moscow the four
mosques cannot hold more than 10 thousand people, so new
mosques are needed. This is a case of basic civil rights because
it neglects these citizen religious needs. These Muslims need to
be given the ability to practice their religion.
The Olympic athletes for the Olympic 2014 winter games were
however, given a place a pray. The Sochi Olympics organizing
committee made sure that prayer rooms were available for ath-
letes. Not only for Muslims, but prayer rooms were available
for various religion followers such as Christianity, Hinduism,
and so on.
More than 10,000 Muslims pray outside the mosques on Mus-
lim holidays which shows that more mosques are needed. Lack
of room is problematic because Muslims need enough space to
properly pray. Blocking permits under the grounds that more
mosques will attract more Muslims into the country is an un-
just assumption, which only shows what little respect Sobyanin
has for Russian Muslims and their religious needs.
While Moscow has four mosques, Sochi does not have any.
Those 20,000 Muslims living in Sochi are living in a city
where there is no space to practice their religion. The nearest
mosque is more than a two hour drive from downtown Sochi.
A drive there and back would take approximately 5 hours.
The Muslims living in Sochi have been campaigning for a
mosque since 1996. In 2009, the Russian Muftis Council asked
the prime minister for support to build a mosque in Sochi. The
prime minister, Smitry Medvedev agreed to collaborate but the
project was never followed through. Talks are still ongoing to
finally build a mosque in Sochi, but it is highly doubtful that
any mosque projects will be approved given the current politi-
cal climate. Many other mosque building projects have been
approved but subsequently overturned due to protests.
Politics
I By Abu Zafar I
I
n an election season when media advertisements
show that India is shining, there live over 350
families in a cluster of plastic tents, just six kilo-
metres from the Parliament House in the national
capital, without a single government amenity no
drinking water, health and sanitation facility. Behold,
they are living in this condition for over three
decades.
In the PulMithai area in the Old Delhi, close to 1500
people live, but their whole world is their cluster of
filthy plastic camps beside the railway track.
Most of the residents are migrants from Bihars
Monger district who are living here for last 30 to 35
years. Several youngsters who never visited school
told India Tomorrow that they were born in the clus-
ter and have been living here since. Most of them
sell dry fruits at road side to earn their livelihood.
35-year-old Subodh Bind who hails from Monger
also says he was born in one of these tents and noth-
ing has changed since then.
We are facing lots of problems here. We dont have
clean drinking water, not toilet and not any health fa-
cility from the government, Bind told India Tomor-
row.
According to him about 380 families are living in the
locality which comes under the ChandniChowk as-
sembly constituency of Delhi. Since 2008, Parlad
Singh Sawhney of Congress represents Chandni-
Chowk.
Most of the kids in these slums dont have even pre-
liminary education. Students who joined classes run
by NGOs like Butter Fly usually drop midway for
economic restraints in the family.
PulMithai (Photo - India Tomorrow)
Bind says that for last couple of years, some NGOs
have been visiting the area to teach their children but
still lot of things have to be done.
There is no arrangement from the government to
teach our children. Thanks to some NGOs that our
children are getting some education otherwise they
would have remained illiterate, he added.
6 km from Parliament, a colony of 350 families liv-
ing a wretched life
S
The only toilet run by Sulabh is about 100 meters
from the cluster, and it works between 5 to 8 in the
morning and 6 to 8 in the evening and for rest of the
time, the residents including women are forced to sit
the railway track or other open space.
Rekha, mother of three kids, says she feels insecure
due to lack of toilet and bathroom.
There are lots of problems like toilets and bath-
rooms. We have to sit in open and we have no safe
place to bath, RekhatoldIndia Tomorrow.
Winter season is more problematic, she added.
According to Bind there is no mechanism to register
or monitor pregnancies.
Pregnant women face lots of problems because no
one visits here to counsel them. Three-four people
died here due to Tuberculosis (TB). If we go to the
government hospital for treatment, then they ask ID
card, he pointed out.
PulMithai cluster near railway track (Photo - India
Tomorrow)
Bind says that with support of some NGOs some
families have succeeded to have a voter card, but
most of them still dont carry any ID proof.
Their only source of water is a broken water pipe be-
side the railway track. They wash and bather there,
and even drink the same water.
Poonam Devi is one of few fortunate women among
them, who knows how to read and write.
I was born here and got education till
5th standard.
Devi, whose both children go to gov-
ernment school, is hopeful for a bright
future for them.
I have hope that good time will come,
but if it doesnt then also we have to
live our lives, she said.
Mohammad Saleem, education rights
worker associated with Butterfly NGO,
says he has been working to educate
children in the locality since last nine
months, but still there are a lot of things
to be done.
We have 91 children in our program, but dropout
rate is very high. We have to educate a number of
children here, Saleem told India Tomorrow.
Recently, civil rights activists PratibhaD'mello and
ShakeelBasha prepared a report on the PulMithai
cluster and also sent a letter to several concerned au-
thorities of the Delhi state and central government
demanding actions and relief for people of the clus-
ter.
They have requested the government to provide
them clean drinking water, old age and
divorced/widows pension, to appoint trained health
workers to register pregnancies and to counsel them
and to ensure all pregnant women have access to an-
tenatal care and institutional delivery.
A team of Health activists visited PulMithai cluster
camp near Old Delhi railway station and discoverd
deplorable conditions. Cluster residents, including
pregnant women, lactating women, and children do
not have access to maternal health care, medical
care, adequate nutrition and hygiene, the letter sent
to authorities reads.
The activists are considering to file a PIL in the high
court to draw the attention of the government to-
wards the grim situation in PulMithai area.
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/6-km-from-par-
liament-a-colony-of-over-350-families-living-a-
wretched-life

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Better light a candle than curse the darkness

Monthly e-Magazine ISSN 2319-4049

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