Contents
of the
1-15 March 2001 issue |

|
Nigar Cinema
accused go scot free Click
to Read |
Indian
pilgrim makes it on foot to Makkah! Click
to Read |
Editorial:
Ceasefire not an end in itself Click
to Read |
Bhagalpur
culprits sentenced Click
to Read |
Rich
tributes paid to Shaikh Zayed Click
to Read |
Taking
Stock: First and the Final charter Click
to Read |
|
Special
Report: |
Valley tense after Army
kills protesters Click
to Read |
Case against the Babri trio
to continue Click
to Read |
'Muslim edge' crucial in
Kerala Click
to Read |
|
Media: |
Signpost: The Unity of
Religions Click
to Read |
Mainstream media sustain
partners in crime Click
to Read |
|
Comment: |
Speak up before it's too
late! Click
to Read |
|
National
News: |
Muslims rush relief for
quake victims Click
to Read |
Nayanar's Assurance to
Muslim Women Delegation Click
to Read |
TMMK stir for CD-CID probe Click
to Read |
They fell dead
celebrating... Click
to Read |
Babri trio not abosolved Click
to Read |
Rao takes a U turn, denies
babri rebuilding promise Click
to Read |
Dateline: Srinagar Click
to Read |
The Great identity robbery Click
to Read |
Collective efforts needed
to uplift AMU Click
to Read |
Centre for Women's Study at
AMU Click
to Read |
AMU NEWS Click
to Read |
|
Interview:
'I want to make a
difference, get women more involved'... Click
to Read |
|
Newsmakers |
|
Awards |
|
Obituaries |
|
Community
News Click
to Read |
|
International
News: |
Afghanistan on the edge of
catastrophe |
Extra-judicial execution
confirms Israel's criminal nature |
Hilmi's killer is a free
man |
A Palestinian strategy to
counter Sharon's Apartheid |
Germany submitting to
blackmail: Jewish scholar |
The pan am 103 verdict |
The myth of Israeli
restraint, unraveled by state soldiers |
Algerian whistle-blower
accuses US, France of ignoring massacres |
The Right to Return, a
basic right still denied |
The next generation of Arab
leaders |
US-Britain isolated on Iraq |
|
Issues:
|
Numerous Mosques Desecrated
Click
to Read |
Loopholes in census
exercise infuriate minorities Click
to Read |
|
Books:
|
Islamic economics a
distinct discipline |
Directory of Fiqh Terms |
|
Islamic
Perspectives: |
Did you perform your Hajj? |
Savings for Hajj given to
Relief Fund |
Q&A: Spending money on
Hajj or on people dying from starvation? |
The Spirit of Hajj |
|
Letters |
|
Heritage |
Firoz bakht Amed: The man
who gave Ghalib his haveli and Zauq the mazar |
Al-Azhar strives to retain
past glory |
|
Next Issue:
Taliban defy world outcry...
Afghanistan
seems to have unlimited capacity to surprise the world. First they, with
the help of many, including the CIA, defeated one of the superpowers
leading to its disintegration and emergence of the other superpower as the
sole master of the world. As soon as they made it to Kabul they started
fighting each other to the point of bombarding their own capital.
Outsiders thought that once the Taliban emerged as victors the internecine
tribal and clan-based war will end, but no, that war continues and the new
regime refuses any compromise with other powers on the Afghani soil. As a
result of the on-going war and turmoil millions of Afghanis are still
living as refugees in neighbouring Pakistan and Iran while another one
million are facing slow death due to starvation inside their own country
according to UN estimates. The Taliban regime could end the country’s
misery quickly by coming to terms with its adversaries but several
meetings in Pakistan and elsewhere have proved futile due to Taliban’s
refusal to compromise and share power.
Drug cultivation and trafficking is another problem area which blemishes
the Taliban record as poppy farming is said to be regarded as permissible
under Islam! Another problem area is Taliban’s support of terrorism in
neighbouring countries under a misguided notion of ‘Jihad.’ This is
further complicated by giving shelter to Usama Ben Laden and his men who
are wanted by many for their acts of terrorism including his own country
Saudi Arabia which was one of only three countries in the world which
recognized the Taliban regime. Their refusal to hand him over for trial
has led Riyadh to derecongnize the Kabul regime.
Now, as if all this misery was not enough for Afghanistan whose majority
has not seen anything in their lives save war and destruction, came the
edict to destroy ‘idols’ in order to purify the country of all
manifestations of shirk! The act is justified by Prophet Abraham’s
destruction of idols and the Prophet’s destruction of the idols in the
House of Allah in Makkah after its conquest in 8H (629 CE) This
justification is utterly misplaced for many reasons including the fact
that Muslims in Afghanistan were not worshipping these idols and there was
no fear that this could happen ever and that the Prophet destroyed the
idols that were later placed in the mosque Abraham built and there was no
question to retain them once all Makkans embraced Islam. Islam gives
iron-clad guarantees to the Ahl al-dhimmah, non-Muslims in a Muslim state,
to worship their gods and to retain their places of worship. This right is
enshrined in the Shari’ah and was actively practiced all these
centuries. The temples, synagogues and churches found in the world of
Islam, stretching from Morocco to Indonesia are living testimony to this
fact. Many of these lands were conquered during the time of the Rightly
Guided caliphs who allowed the conquered people to retain their places of
worship and idols. There are religious minorities in Afghanistan which
respect the ‘idols’ Taliban are destroying utterly violating their
religious rights. Moreover, there are millions of people around the world
who hold those statues in respect; others consider them part of the common
world heritage. This act is wrong both in the light of the teachings of
Islam and goes against the world brotherhood and harmony which we must
seek with other countries, peoples and nations. It destroys the goodwill
which each country has to enjoy and afford others in a world which is a
large village today.
It was due to this sense of alarm and outrage that the MG took the
initiative to issue a statement by leading Muslim intellectuals from all
over the world (p. 3). The text was prepared and consent obtained via
telephone and email within 24 hours before its release late on 3 March. -
Zafarul-Islam Khan
...Their Indian counterparts cross all limits

Hindutvaites,
who perpetrated greater crimes by demolishing the Babri Masjid which led
to the demolition of hundreds of mosques, dargahs, imambaras and the
murder of thousands of innocent Muslims in the riots that erupted all over
the country as a result, took the Taleban demolitions to indulge in their
favourite game of hate-mongering. The climax was the burning of the Holy
Qur’an in Delhi by the World Hindu Council (VHP) activists in Delhi on 5
March. The above picture, taken by Kamal Kishore and distributed by
Reuters news agency may be seen on the following internet site: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/p/nm/20010305/ts/mdf21501.html
. Since the so-called national press chose to ignore this picture as
usual when it concerns a ‘particular community’, we are printing it so
that the Supreme Court, the high court, National Minorities Commission,
CBI and police authorities may take congnizance of this flagrant attempt
to damage communal harmony and insult the feelings of over 150 million
citizens of this country. As we go to press, no government action has yet
been reported against the criminals who burnt the Qur’an held sacred by
over a billion people in the world. |