|
Home
Search
Subscribe Online
Archives
About
Us
Cartoons
Online
Book Store
E-Greetings
Jobs @ MG
Advertise
on MG
Our
Team
Contact Us
Muslim
Matrimonials
Our Advertisers
| |
COMMUNITY NEWS: 1-15 November
2001
 |
State-sponsored terrorism decried
Council for Democratic & Human Rights of Indian Muslims organized a seminar
on Terrorism and Religion at Indian Law Institute on 20 October (picture above).
inaugurating the seminar Muhammad Hasan Muzaffari of the Iranian Embassy said
that there is no scope of terrorism in Islam. Citing several verses from the
Holy Qur'an Muzaffari said that Jihad is only allowed in the way of Allah.
Palestinian Ambassador Dr Khalid Al Shaikh observed that the UN charter allows a
country to defend an aggression but all this is being flouted by none other than
the leading powers of the world. He said that Israel is occupying Palestinian
lands only with the assistance of leading powers of the world and perpetrating
worst sort of terrorism against its people. Communist leader AB Bardhan
highlighted US role in state sponsored terrorism in countries like Vietnam,
Chile, Cuba and several other nations around the globe. He added that attacks on
Iraq are still continuing and around three million people have perished in US
strikes. GM Banatwala, Muslim League leader and MP said that world powers who
interfere in different countries around the world cannot shrug off the
responsibility of abetting terrorism. He said the Israeli attacks on Palestinian
people are worst form of terrorism.
IFA to release Fiqh encyclopedia
New Delhi: In view of Urdu language being a treasure house of Islamic learning,
including fiqh (jurisprudence), Islamic Fiqh Academy (India) took the task of
translating the Encyclopedia of Fiqh (Al-Mausu’atul Fiqhiyah) originally
prepared in Arabic by the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, Kuwait. And now
it is ready to publish the voluminous work into 40 volumes. 35 of them have been
given final touches and are all set for print.
The translation is meant to facilitate Urdu readers to know the famous four
schools of thought i.e. Hanafi, Shafi'i, Hanbali and Maliki, for a comprehensive
understanding of various issues related to variance of thinking. The
encyclopedia successfully covers the premises, underlying logic and standpoints
of the four major schools of fiqh with no preference to any school of fiqh while
discussing issues, arguments, premises and logic. To make it more informative,
the references of arguments and sources of important hadith have been provided
in the same page.
The issues emerging out of the contemporary developments have also been
discussed but not included in the main part of the Encyclopedia. The issues
still not settled and being debated among scholars have been enlightened in the
appendixes.
Popular lecture series
New Delhi: Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine organized a popular
lecture series on 9 October at Constitution Club, New Delhi. Mrs Shila Chandra,
secretary of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that after establishment
of this faculty five years ago efforts have been made to introduce Unani and
Ayurvedic systems of medicine at international level. Mazhar Usmani while
suggesting that elderly people should not be given more of allopathic medicines
said that at that age there is a high risk of side effects. Siraj Husain, Vice
Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard said that Unani students were promising, talented
and efficient. Hakims, doctors and people associated with health protection
participated in the meeting.
Distortion worries historians
New Delhi: The BJP-led government’s censorship of secularism and plurality of
views in history books would result in the depiction of fairy tales passing off
as facts, renowned historian Irfan Habib said while referring to the move to
delete portions from NCERT textbooks. Habib and former NCERT professor Arjun Dev
quoted from the objectionable book to show that Satish Chandra’s high praise
for Guru Tegh Bahadur had, in fact, been misrepresented by quoting the passage
out of context.
While the government’s move drew criticism from historians, Delhi’s Lt
Governor Vijay Kapoor issued a statement asking the author, Satish Chandra, to
delete the objectionable portion with urgency. Irfan Habib said at a press
conference that the censorship of the history text books and the NCERT’s
decision to have them vetted by religious leaders before publication would
result in a narrow definition of history.
Urdu’s future bright in Europe
New Delhi: A function was held in honour of renowned Urdu litterateur Dr
Ziauddin Shakeb, who had come from London, on 14 October at Ghalib Academy, New
Delhi. Dr Ziauddin, while addressing the gathering said that there were bright
possibilities of development of Urdu in Britain and Europe, because Urdu like
English had been emerging there as the language of communication and the reports
of the council were being published in Urdu as well like other languages. He
said that in Britain and Europe Urdu was recognized as a language of
civilization, Urdu melas and mushairas were its clear evidence, he added. He
further said that while Urdu was included in the syllabus of various schools and
universities on one hand, it was spoken as a regional language in Urdu-knowing
areas on the other hand, although with variance of tone and accent. The doctor
also said that the population of Urdu-knowing people in Britain had crossed two
millions and that Urdu was given the status similar to that of other European
languages.
Urdu teachers under constraints
Deoband: Due to anti-Urdu policy of UP’s BJP government and lack of attention
of Jamia Urdu Aligarh, several primary Urdu teachers of UP are now under crucial
test. By the ordinance of Education Department of UP government, Mu'allim Urdu
certificate's parity with BTC has been discontinued. Urdu teachers are extremely
angry over this decision and they are willing to stage protest and
demonstrations and knock the door of court also.
It should be noted that the secretary of Basic Education Council UP, in the
ordinance 7834-992/2001-2000 released on 28 July 2000, had implemented the rule
that the teachers who had been given Mu'allim’s degree after 11 August 2000,
would not be considered for Trained Teacher’s Grade. Not only this, they have
also to return the allowances in installments which they have received so far.
In this way every teacher has to return about Rs 80,000.
Besides Urdu teachers, Urdu lovers are also angry over this decision. Most of
them hold authorities of Jamia Urdu Aligarh directly responsible for this,
because, as per the request of UP government, Jamia Urdu did not make Mu'allim’s
certificate a 2-year course, like the BTC course, instead of the existing
one-year course.
Sacred place desecrated
Jaipur: The shops remained closed even after the third day of the incident
following the sacrilege of a place of worship in Malarna Doonger town, district
Sawai Madhopur of Rajasthan, where on 14 October at night a place of worship was
desecrated. Eleven people staged a dharna in protest against the incident in
front of the tahsil office. Additional police force had been maintained in the
town and the matter was being investigated.
It should be noted that in the adjoining district of Bhilwara, a few religious
places were recently desecrated.
Law against sacrilege
Chandigarh: Punjab cabinet has urged the centre to review laws pertaining to
acts of sacrilege so as to ensure the most severe penalty to those indulging in
such acts. While expressing deep anguish over the alleged acts of sacrilege in
the state, the cabinet, in a resolution, has requested the centre to make
suitable amendments in the state.
Phulwarisharif tense
Danapur: The situation continued to be tense in Phulwarisharif following the
recovery of three bodies on 14 October. The body of Wakil Husain was recovered
from a pond behind the Phulwari block office while two bodies of unidentified
youths were found in another pond in Sabri Nagar. The Danapur police said that
all the three killings were linked to the 13 October incident in Phulwarisharif.
Peace restored in Saswad
Pune: Prohibitory orders have been clamped in Saswad town where a mob went on
rampage pelting stones and setting houses and shops on fire on 7 October. The
situation remained under control, the police said. Tight police arrangements had
been maintained in the town and prohibitory orders remained in force for a week,
sources said.
Panic among Christians
Gandhinagar: After nearly a year, a subtle campaign by the saffron brigade is
once again making Christian minorities in Gujarat feel insecure. The Sangh’s
campaign against Christians had dwindled after the ruling BJP’s defeat in
September 2000 panchayat and civic elections and had almost stopped since the
January 26 earthquake. The latest provocation that has made them uncomfortable
is distribution of leaflets by hitherto unknown organizations denigrating Christ
and Christianity. A recent booklet circulated by the Bharat Jagriti Morcha has
questioned whether the Bible is a religious book and also whether Jesus Christ
was a lovable person. The booklet, printed in Gujarati, throws an open challenge
to the Christian priests for a debate on scriptures. An accompanying leaflet
from one Sanskriti Raksha Samiti urges people to be alert against the
machinations of Christian missionaries. The booklet has been mailed by anonymous
senders to different Christian leaders and organizations in the state. Some
chapters of the booklet talks about conspiracy to make India a Christian state.
VHP can’t await judgement
Vijaywada: Vishwa Hindu Parishad will at any moment start temple construction
work at the disputed site in Ayodhya after 12 March and will not wait for an
indefinite period for court order. Sadanand Kakade, national joint secretary of
VHP said. He further said that even if the government failed to remove
difficulties, VHP will proceed with its decided programme. He said that he
strongly believed that the supreme court after examining the 13th century
epitaph would allow construction of Ram temple. Kakade expressed unhappiness
that the statements of only 10 people out of 126 had been recorded. He further
said, ‘We cannot wait for 100 years for the court to pronounce its judgement.’
VHP, Sena draw benefits
New Delhi: At a time when the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Delhi and the Shiv
Sainiks are strident over views of US-led attacks on Afghanistan, volunteers of
the Students Islamic Organization (SIO) at a symposium organized by SIO,
intervened denouncing the Imam’s fiery speeches against the US and Europe. In
an oblique reference to the controversial call by the Shahi Imam, SIO
office-bearers complained that the concept of jehad was being distorted. ‘It
actually means struggle for the cause of Allah. This struggle must primarily be
through democratic means. Killing the innocent is strictly banned even during a
legitimate war,’ they said, adding that organizations like the VHP and Shiv
Sena were using the occasion to promote their communal agenda. ‘We in SIO
condemn the 11 September attack in the strongest possible words. We also believe
that terrorism is among the greatest menaces of our time and it should be
effectively countered,’ SIO President SS Husaini said. ‘Nobody can agree
with the US argument that this action is in self-defence,’ he added.
Speakers criticized the Indian government for being in a hurry to align with the
US. Moosa Raza, former bureaucrat, said that social injustice and social
inequality turns terrorism into standing against the oppressor. What the
American coalition is doing is to destroy a country to nab one person, he said.
Justice cries
Ghulam Mahmood Banatwala, President of Indian Union Muslim League, said that the
United States’ order for retaliatory attack of Afghanistan was an unfortunate
and a gigantic set back to the rules of international law. Indeed, the terrorist
attacks on the United States were barbaric and cannot be condoned, but what was
the use of the rules of international law and systems of international justice
if they were meant to be thrown to wind, howsoever grave may be the provations,
he questioned, adding that such cannot be the response of a civilized nation. He
further said that for the present and looking at the totality of the situation
marked also by the release of evidence to only the selected few, United States
failure to ratify the United Nations Conventions on Terrorism, readiness of
Taliban for negotiations including the trial of Osama bin Laden, lack of
attention to political questions regarding terrorism, and others, the campaign
against terrorism deserved a non-combat support and that civilized nations
needed to persuade America to comprehensive global efforts based on consensus
and the rules of international law.
Natural death or murder?
Flight dispatcher Shahnawaz died on 9 October in Vasant Kunj, Delhi under
mysterious circumstances. Shahnawaz was a flight dispatcher with Alliance
Airlines who received the ‘hijack’ call on 3 October. According to
information, Shahnawaz was called by CBI for inquiry. Due to vigorous inquiry
Shahnawaz was badly disturbed and died of a massive heart attack at a very young
age of 24. Though it is said that he died a natural death by heart attack, but
suspicion is being raised as to how a young pilot who underwent regular medical
check ups can so suddenly suffer a heart attack.
q
Subscribe
Now: MG
needs your support
|
