Muzaffarnagars vice president of Jamiat

Ulama-e Hind Haji Azizur Rahman said while

talking to mediapersons that Akhilesh Singh
government has announced to give a financial
assistance of Rs 5 lakh to 1800 riot-hit families
of Muzaffarnagar and Shamli who under no cir-
cumstances are willing to return to their homes
in their villages where they lived before the riots
because they fear for their safety. District
administration officials tried many times to
impress upon these people the need to go back
and live where they used to live before the riots
erupted in September, but because of the hos-
tile attitude of the villagers, they are not willing
to return and settle down elsewhere.
In a state government statement of 27
October, an official said that Rs 5 lakh financial
assistance is being given to enable these people to settle down any-
where they want. This decision has been taken on the basis of the
report submitted by the 10-member committee headed by Shiv Pal
Yadav, minister for public works, which included some ministers.
This compensation package will cost the government Rs 90 crores.
This committee was constituted on Mulayam Singh Yadavs
instructions to visit the riot-hit areas and to inspect relief and reha-
bilitation work for people rendered homeless and forced to live in
refugee camps, and who do not want to return to their homes and
villages because of the hostile attitude of the village people there.
Haji Azizur Rahman demanded that the government make sin-
cere efforts to trace persons who are still missing for about two
months or declare them dead and give compensation to their fami-
lies. He also demanded that those responsible for instigating the
riots must be subjected to legal process and jailed. Police officers
who shirked their responsibility and in any way encour-
aged the rioters or helped them in any way must also be strongly
dealt with, he demanded.
Government officials clarified that the amount of Rs 5 lakh will
be given to those whose houses were burnt or those whose near
and dear ones were killed. They further said that people in villages
where no riots had taken place but who had shifted to other places
because of fear will not be considered deserving of this financial
assistance. They also said that for other financial losses in addi-
tion to burnt houses, further financial assistance besides Rs 5
lakh will be given and with this help, 965 families of
Muzaffarnagar will benefit.
The Mushawarat delegation visiting Muzaffarnagar and Shamli
camps for the third time on 5 November came to know that the said
grant of five lakh rupees is only for refugees from 12 villages where
murder and arson took place on a large scale while refugees from
dozens of other villages who fled out of fear and many of them
refuse to return will not get any such help. Moreover, any family
accepting this help of five lakh rupees has to sign an affidavit which
says that it will not return to the village it came from and will not
claim movable and immovable properties in the villages (see copy
of the affidavit above). A majority of the affected families have
refused to sign this affidavit which is clearly illegal and unconstitu-
tional as it deprives people of their properties whose value at times
is much more than the compensation offered.
The affidavit shows that the Samajwadi Party government is
hand-in-glove with the grand conspiracy to deprive Muslims of their
properties and lands. This proves what Times of India reported on 1
Nov., that land grab is the motive behind the fresh violence.
ZAFARUL-ISLAM KHAN
24 pages ` 15 ISSN 0972-3366 FORTNIGHTLY Vol. 14 No. 22 Issue Serial # 332 facebook.com/milligazette www.milligazette.com 16-30 November 2013
Muzaffarnagar 5,13
Media/IB games 7
Modi 5,13
J&K 10 Analysis 11 Special Reports 3,13
Issues 2,11,13 Speaking Out 11 Books 21
Newsmakers 12 International 16-20
Community News 14-15 Islamic Perspectives 20
Our Publications 19 Classifieds 22 Letters 23
Inside
MG
UP govts conspiracy to deprive
riot victims of their properties
THE
MILLI
GAZETTE
INDIAN MUSLIMS LEADING ENGLISH NEWSPAPER SINCE 2000
PROF NOORUL ISLAM...12 REPORT ON UAPA CASES IN MP...9
M
G
/
Y
u
s
u
f
When you are so fearful
yourself, how will you
protect the nation?
Any uprooted family accepting
the aid of five lakh rupees has to
sign an affidavit which says that it
will not return to the village it
came from and will not claim
movable and immovable
properties in its village (see copy
of the affidavit on the left).
A majority of the affected families
have refused to sign this dubious
affidavit which is clarly illegal and
unconstitutional as it deprives
people of their properties which
are at times much more than the
compensation offered.
The illegal affidavit refugees are forced to sign to lose their movable and immovable properties in their villages
2 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 ISSUES / OPINION
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DR JAVED JAMIL
In my ar ticle on the Patna blasts, written
in the night of the disaster, I had written
the following:
The Patna blasts raise several
questions. Why did these low-intensity
blasts coincide with the timing of Modi
rally? Why even the news of the series
of blasts did not make the organisers of
the rally think of urgently calling off the
rally? Did they not fear that if a cer tain bomb exploded in the
crowd, it could cost huge loss of life, not only by the impact
of the blast itself but by the stampede that would follow?
Why did the BJP not fear that a big spectrum of their nation-
al leaders could be killed in the blasts? Why did the organ-
isers of the rally not try to shor ten the whole affair? Why
speaker after speaker continued to speak without any sign
of tension? Why Modi gave an unusually long speech
though the circumstances demanded a brief speech? Why
Modi chose to play down the communal card, and instead
spoke about the progress of Muslims in his state? Why
throughout the whole series of blasts that lasted several
hours, did the BJP leadership not panic at all? Did they not
care about the lives of the people? Did they not realise that
if the casualties become big, that would swallow the whole
country in communal violence? Why did the bombs planted
right in the Maidan did not explode when the rally was on,
despite the fact that the rally lasted for several hours? If the
timers were involved, why were they not used to cause the
greatest damage, which was remarkably easy? And finally,
who would benefit from such low-intensity blasts?
Will Muslims, who have not yet recovered from
Muzaffarnagar riots, benefit? Would Nitish Kumars govern-
ment or par ty take mileage out of it? Would it benefit
Congress which very well knows that such blasts could
unite the majority community behind BJP?
While each of the above questions needs to be
answered, the motive factor is the biggest question that can-
not and must not be ignored.
The next day I posted additional comments:
BJP leader Mr Arun Jaitley addressed the press in the
evening trying to clarify why they did not suspend the rally.
True that the Administration will be held responsible
because ultimately it was their failure, whoever the culprit.
But BJP leaders need to be asked why they took such a big
risk even when the life of their Prime Ministerial hopeful and
President were at stake. The argument that they did not
postpone to avoid stampede does not carry any weight. If
any bomb had blasted in the middle of the audience at the
time of the speeches, the stampede that would have fol-
lowed would surely have caused much bigger casualties
than if they would have been evacuated with a plan. And, as
I have already asked, if at all their intention was to avoid
stampede, they would have at least shor tened the whole
affair. But instead of a 10-15 minute speech, Modi continued
for well over an hour. What kind of wisdom was this that
risked the lives of the people in such big numbers?
Now even Mr Salman Khurshid has asked why on one
hand they are blaming Shinde for attending a music pro-
gramme in the evening and on the other hand BJP did not
suspend the rally despite a looming terror threat. The BJP
leaders neither reacted the way normal people would do nor
the way the wise would. Did they allow it to continue to
prove Rahul Gandhis point that anger breeds terror?
In the meantime, there have been repor ts confirming
that the blasts were carried out by Indian Mujahideen and
that Muslims were involved.
There is nothing extraordinary about these claims as this
has been the usual practice in almost all such attacks in the
past. Many of these repor ts were subsequently proved
wrong. There is always a possibility that some Muslims
might indulge in terror attacks. But one possibility that has
never been discussed is that even these Muslims could have
been hired by the organisations that want the blame to go to
Muslims. Use of Muslims for this purpose makes the plan
much easier to succeed.
The question about blasts in Patna still remains relevant.
Why despite an imminent terror attack on the rally and the
leaders, the organisers continued to hold the rally and
instead of shor tening it, actually prolonged it. And if the pur-
pose of the masterminds of the blasts, as repor ted, was to
cause stampede, why did it not occur to BJP leaders that the
stampede following a blast in the ground would cause a
stampede much bigger than the one that could have
occurred if the rally was called off in a planned way.
There are Muslims who have been working for many
anti-Muslim organisations in the past. The possibility of
using Muslims for the wrong ends cannot be denied. This
angle needs extensive exploration.
The writer is Delhi-based thinker and writer with over a dozen
books including his latest, Muslims Most Civilised, Yet Not
Enough and Muslim Vision of Secular India: Destination &
Road-map. He may be contacted at
doctorforu123@yahoo.com
While browsing through several news portals on the Internet, I
stopped at Rediffs portal and chanced upon the sight of an old
Muslim man with a caption 2014-This guy may hold the key to
power (November 2).
This had me thinking whether the (Indian) Muslims are just
meant for deciding the countrys political future? Are they mere
pawns on the chessboard of political play? Dont they have any
other role to play? When elections approach, all parties start ser-
enading Muslims and try to lead them up the garden path. The
moment elections are over, its back to square one (Dhaak ke teen
paat) for this perpetually marginalised and beleaguered communi-
ty.
The extremely cunning and over-ambitious Narendra Modi
can be seen hugging Muslims (mainly Bohra Muslims) and
Bohras of Gujarat are also singing hymns to Modis farsighted
vision and his exemplary administration just because they
(Bohras) are wealthy people and are mainly traders, who keep
themselves somewhat aloof from other Muslims. So they need
administrations protection to run their business uninterruptedly!
By the way, Dawoodi Bohra community is a Shia sub-sect with its
own peculiar practices, whichre seen by many as un-Quraanic
(to borrow Sir Hamilton Gibbs phrase) to pristine Islam, pro-
pounded by Prophet Muhammad.
Right from Independence, all parties, especially Congress,
used Muslims as a vote bank. Its engrained in the psyche of
Indian politicians that if one Muslim can be manipulated, others of
his/her ilk can also be easily won over because Muslims act in
unison. Its a kind of bhed-chaal (Sheep-Syndrome) among the
Muslims.
Indian politicians think, and often justifiably, that Muslims are
a gullible lot. They can be tossed around at will because of their
credulity.
Here in this mordant dissection of mine, Im not focussing on
Narendra Modi or Sonia Gandhi for their hollow siyasi vaaday
(political promises) to lure Muslim voters. My point is: Who or
which party has done anything remarkable for the Muslims? Read
Rajendra Sacchar Committees candid report and the reality will
embarrass you. Why even after 66 years of independence,
Muslims are where they were decades ago? The erroneous belief
among the majority (to use a euphemism) that Muslims have
many children is misleading. Muslims indulge in all sorts of shady
activities is also fallacious. Weve created and concocted many
such myths and canards to beat them (Muslims) with. The truths
far from these hackneyed stereotypes. Muslims have been delib-
erately cornered by the politicians in India.
The great Edward W Said coined a very apposite phrase false
metaphors to describe the plight of Muslims in India. These false
metaphors are being used to pigeonhole an entire community,
whichs really very sad. Thats the reason, a bigger chunk of
Muslims has become insouciant to all political moves, measures
and movements and they give a damn to whats going on, vindi-
cating Goswami Tulsidas adage in Ramcharitmanas: Kou Nrip
Hou Humein Ka Haani (Let anyone become the King, what differ-
ence does it make to us?).
In a nutshell, Indias a sharply community-demarcated coun-
try where Muslims are just prophylactics to be used and thrown
unceremoniously. Isnt it an opportune time for all of us to do
some serious soul-searching and own up to having blundered in
our socio-political policy towards the Muslim community of
India? Are we honest enough? This is indeed a million dollar
question.
The Aesthetics Of
Feminine Beauty In Hijab
Ive always been an admirer of beauty and if it happens to be a
womans beauty, it appeals to me all the more and warms the
cockles of my ever-pulsating heart. Theres nothing pervert if a
womans beauty is adored and admired so long as the intentions
arent mala-fide! A few days ago, I got to see a woman whose
face was delectably covered and only her beautiful eyes were vis-
ible. She wasnt a Muslim woman. Her lovely almond-eyes trans-
ported me to a different realm and I imagined how lovely her face
could be. Then suddenly the deeper significance of a veiled face
or hijab struck me. Mind you, Im not at all advocating or promot-
ing burqa/hijab. Im just stating a hidden (pun intended) aspect of
aesthetics of feminine beauty. Beautys admired the most when
its slightly concealed. Concealment of beauty engenders a host
of possibilities and imaginations (whichre not always indecent).
A beautiful covered face, with just eyes uncovered, can lend a
mystique to a womans beauty. It provides endless possibilities
and whats beauty but a bundle of yet-to-be-known mysteries?
An uncovered face, however beautiful it may be, puts an end
to all speculations. Its devoid of the power of tantalisation. Beauty
needs to be chased. It must prod the beholders to know further,
yet not letting them be audacious. Philosophically speaking, we
live life and find it to be somewhat desirable because were all
ignorant of our future. This suspense, this desirable uncertainty is
the key to living and loving life. Using that analogy here, a covered
face not only maintains its (feminine) modesty, it also creates an
enigma. Raghupati Sahay Firaq Gorakhpuri says in one of his
most sublime couplets in Urdu, Husn muamma hai/ Jo badhta hai
poshidgi mein (Beautys an enigma that gets enhanced when its
hidden). The Lebanese-American humanist Khalil Gibran put it so
succinctly, Whats behind or beyond it, is the real purpose of
beauty.
We may condemn hijab because of the religious stereotyping
of a specific community and its women, but its something that
needs profound understanding to delving into the mechanics of
feminine beauty and appreciating it sans any prejudice. Always
remember, theres a subtle difference between a visual and
voyeuristic delight.
SUMIT PAUL
sumitmaclean@hotmail.com
Are Muslims mere pawns on political chessboard?
The possibility of using Muslims for the wrong ends cannot be denied
Patna Blasts: Can IM be an ally of anti-Muslim forces?
There is always a possibility that some Muslims might indulge in terror attacks. But one possibility that has never been discussed is
that even these Muslims could have been hired by the organisations that want the blame to go to Muslims. Use of Muslims for this
purpose makes the plan much easier to succeed.
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 3
Respond now if you care about your
community
White Paper on Terrorism
The issue of fake terrorism charges and the unjust arrests and defamation of our community,
especially since 2001, is the biggest challenge facing the community ever since. A grand con-
spiracy hatched by the powers that be, IB, Police and media, has sullied and defamed our com-
munity. This campaign has affected our lives, peace of mind and has thwarted our efforts to
progress and educate our children to join the national mainstream.
Our efforts so far to present our case, to bring out our innocence and force the national and
state governments to listen to our grievances have mostly failed. All we have received are a few
words of solace which have no real meaning and have not changed the situation on the ground.
Our children by their thousands are still languishing in jails on the basis of fake confessions
obtained through torture and blackmail.
As a long-term solution and a serious response to this problem thrust upon us, AIMMM
decided last year to bring out a white paper on the Muslim-related terrorism in the country.
The work is going on with all seriousness and many researchers, scholars and journalists are
busy preparing writeups on various aspects of this issue, covering the history, genesis, com-
munalism, vested interests in various related fields, analysis of various laws like TADA, POTA
and UAPA, fake encounters, narco tests, torture, acquittals, IB & Police role, media attitude,
case studies, statewise surveys, SIMI, Indian Mujahidin, Hindutva terror, individual tragedies
of victims, Azamgarh, Bhatkal, Malegaon, Darbhanga modules, some basic documents, etc.,
etc.
The target is to bring out this white paper during the next seven months and to release it in
a big convention at Delhi as a combined effort of major Muslim and civil rights organisations,
and thereafter present this huge document of over 600 large format pages to politicians, media,
human rights organisations, especially outside the country, in order to enlighten public opinion
at home and abroad as well as to build pressure on our blind and deaf government.
The estimated cost of this white paper is Rs 35 lakh divided as follows: Rs 15 lakh cost of
preparation and payments to contributors plus six months salaries to researchers and experts;
Rs 15 lakh for designing and printing the document in a world-class format; while the grand con-
vention at Delhi will cost at least 5 lakh. Effort will be made to release the White Paper in some
state and world capitals also.
You can help this effort in four ways,
1. To buy copies of the White Paper on Terrorism in advance to help defray part of the huge
cost of research, printing, publication and distribution of at least one thousand complimentary
copies. The estimated price of the white paper is Rs 2000 per copy in India. You may place an
advance order by paying Rs 1000 only per copy in India including postal charges). Payments
for the copies may be made to The Milli Gazette, D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I, Jamia Nagar, New
Delhi 110025. Email: edit@milligazette.com. Individuals and organisations ordering a minimum
of 100 copies in advance will be included as Sponsors of the White Paper.
2. Contribute to the cost of the grand convention to be held at Delhi towards the end of 2013.
This should be payable to the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, D-250, Abul Fazal Enclave,
Jamia Nagar, New Delhi-110025. Tel.: 011-26946780 Fax: 011-26947346. Email:
mushawarat@mushawarat.com.
3. Donate your time: If you are a scholar, researcher, journalist: join our team for a few
months working in our Delhi office or from your own home to complete this project - write
to the Editor, MG now at edit@milligazette.com.
4. Contact us if you have vital information/documents about this issue.
www.milligazette.com
THE MILLI GAZETTE
requires
JUNIOR JOURNALISTS
write with details in the first instance to the Editor at edit@milligazette.com
Basic requirements: good command over English, interest in and knowledge
of Muslim community issues, knowledge of Urdu
Madurai: There had been 29 deaths in police
custody since the assumption of office by
AIADMK in May 2011, according to a fact-find-
ing team of the Peoples Watch, an NGO, here.
The latest one being in Madurai City Police,
where a suspect in a robbery case had alleged-
ly hanged himself to death in the bathroom of
the Vilakuthoon police station. The 45-year-old
man was detained by the police in connection
with a robbery of Rs. 15 lakh from a business
man here.
On Saturday, the family members demand-
ed stern action against police officers and
refused to take the body from the Government
Rajaji Hospital. After persuasion by senior offi-
cers, they dispersed.
Though human rights organisations and
social activists had been demanding the police
to strictly follow the Supreme Courts guide-
lines while conducting investigation of sus-
pects, the lackadaisical attitude of the officers
reflected in the deaths, the Peoples Watch
Director M. J. Prabakar said.
The State government should not remain
passive and take action against erring offi-
cials, he observed.
Among the 29 deaths, Madurai topped
with five deaths, followed by Chennai,
Coimbatore and Tirupur three each, Tuticorin,
Ariyalur and Erode two each and Sivaganga,
Pudukottai, Kancheepuram, Thanjavur,
Virudhunagar, Villupuram, Dindigul,
Kanyakumari and Ramanathapuram one each,
the figures indicated. The team said that two
women were among the dead.
According to Ramesh, an advocate prac-
tising in Madurai High Court Bench, under the
guise of investigation, police tortured and
humiliated, which resulted in the victims end-
ing their lives.
Such deaths should be treated as murder
and the government should not withdraw the
suspension, until the disposal of the case.
NGO Peoples Watch said the officers
lackadaisical attitude was reflected in the
deaths (The Hindu, 28 Oct. 2013)
29 custodial deaths
since May 2011 in T.N.
In an unprecedented move,
Mushawarat groups merged
New Delhi: In an unprecedented development in
the 180 million-strong Indian Muslim communi-
ty, the two factions of the apex body of Indian
Muslims, the All India Muslim Majlis-e
Mushawarat, merged together on 27 October and
the decision was announced in a joint press con-
ference here at the Mushawarat central office.
The organisation had split in 2000 with a fac-
tion headed by Syed Shahabuddin and the other
headed by Maulana Muhammad Salim Qasimi.
Efforts were made over the years to unite the two
factions of the most important Indian Muslim
organisation. These efforts succeeded only dur-
ing the last few days. Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, the current President of the organisation, announced that
from today Maulana Salim Qasmi will be the chairman of the Supreme Guidance Council of the
Mushawarat, which is the highest post in the organisation and was kept vacant for the Maulana when
and if his faction merges with the other faction.
In an earlier meeting early in the day of the faction headed by Maulana Salim Qasimi, that faction
was dissolved and a unanimous decision was taken to merge into the larger group. Later leaders of the
two factions held a joint press conference to declare the merger. The press conference was attended by
Maulana Muhammad Salim Qasmi, Syed Shahabuddin, Maulana Ahmad Ali Qasmi, Mufti Ataur Rahman
Qasmi, Maulana Junaid Ahmad Banarsi, Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan and Ejaz Ahmad Aslam.
President of Musahwarat Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan hailed the merger as a great event in the life of the
Muslim community since Independence. He said Mushawarat was established fifty years ago while the
community faced a grim situation and umpteen challenges and the community is facing similar chal-
lenges today. Hence, this unity and merger of the two factions of the largest organisation is a gift of Allah
and it provides us with an opportunity to fight for our rights and face the challenges in a more concert-
ed way.
Maulana Muahmmad Salim Qasmi, one of the most respected Muslim clerics in India, said that this
is an extraordinary day in our lives. We yearned for unity for years and we knew that both sides felt its
need. He said we hope this organisation, established by our fathers, will now be able to function the way
they planned it. It is now for the new generation to carry forward the burden. He said the real unity is
that of action and sentiments. Now you should lay down a programme and work for its implementation
and you will see the divine help for your efforts. Moreover, you will enjoy the support of the whole com-
munity and the country. He said we lack material power today but we can still achieve a lot through unity.
He hoped that this unity will be beneficial for the whole community.
Maulana Junaid Ahmad Banarsi said that today is a day which will go down into history. There is
disunity in every household but wise people overcome it. He said people used to ask us why you dont
get united and today we have defeated the Satan who separated us.
Maulana Ataur Rahman Qasmi said this step is a great leap for the community. He said I have seen
tears in the eyes of Syed Shahabuddin and Maulana Muhammad Ali Qasmi as both yearned for unity
which has today taken place.
Syed Shahabuddin said a great achievement has been made today. He gave the credit for this his-
toric step to Maulana Muhammad Salim Qasmi, Maulana Ahmad Ali Qasmi and Maulana Ataur Rahman
Qasmi. He also said that Mushawarat has decided to hold the golden jubilee of the organisation next year
and he invited all who had ever been associated with Mushawarat to take part in it.
Declaration of merger of
Mushawarat groups
The All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat has
been known over its fifty-years of existence for its
outstanding character and services to the Muslim
community. Unfortunately, this organisation had
split into two groups 13 years ago. This split was
a cause of pain and anxiety for both groups of
Mushawat because it had affected its mission and
efficacy. After a lot of deliberations, leaders of
both the Mushawarats decided to merge the two
groups into one because unity and agreement are
the sources of power and divine blessing and
because through unity alone Muashawarat can
regain its past glory. Therefore, the two groups of
Mushawarat have decided to unite and they pray
to Allah the Almighty to safeguard this platform of
the Millat so that it may selflessly serve the Millat
and the nation, and succeed in its original aim and
mission.
Today, on 27 October 2013, the blessed day
and fortunate time has arrived when the leaders of
the two groups of Mushawarat declare unity and
pledge to work side by side for the cause of the
Millat. We pray to Allah taala to make this effort a
success and bless it.
Maulana Muhammad Salim Qasmi
Syed Shahabuddin
Maulana Ahmad Ali Qasmi
Maulana Junaid Ahmad Banarsi
Kamal Faruqi
Dr Anwarul Islam
Hafiz Muhammad Asim Qasmi
Mufti Ataur Rahman Qasmi
Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan
Muhammad Jaafar
Maulana Aqeelul Gharavi
Hafiz Rashid Chowdhary
Ahmad Rasheed Shervani
Ejaz Ahmad Aslam
Muhammad Sulaiman
Dr Arshi Khan
L/R: Maulana Ataur Rahman Qasmi, Zafarul-Islam Khan, Maulana Salim Qasmi, Syed Shahabuddin,
Maulana Junaid Banarsi
Praying and thanking Allah at the end of the
merger announcement
4 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
54 acquitted in
Kandhamal burning case
Odisha: A court in Odishas Kandhamal
district on 29 October acquitted, due to lack
of evidence, 54 people who were arrested
for their alleged involvement in the 2007
riots in the communally sensitive district.
Additional district and sessions judge,
Phulbani, Rajendra Kumar Tosh, acquitted
them due to lack of proper evidence against
them in the case. The prosecution alleged
that the arrested persons had allegedly set
on fire an Odia Baptist church and 14
houses at Barkhama village in the district
on December 25, the Christmas day, in
2007. The district had experienced riots on
the Christmas Day in 2007 and another
such clash after the killing of senior VHP
leader Swami Laxamanananda Saraswati
in 2008. Two separate judicial
commissions were now enquiring into the
reasons behind the riots and measures to
be adopted for preventing re-occurrence of
such incidents in future.
India Refuses To Co-Sponsor UN
Res. To End Child Marriage
India, which has more child brides than any
nation in the world, has decided not to co-
sponsor a United Nations initiative to end
child marriage. The proposal the first
ever U. N. Human Rights Council resolution
against the practice of child, early and
forced marriages has already been co-
sponsored by 107 other countries on
multiple continents. Adopted Sept. 27 in
New York, the motion recognizes child
marriage as a human rights violation and
pledges to eliminate the practice, as part of
the U. N.s post-2015 global development
agenda. India reportedly refused to
sponsor the measure because of the
resolutions vague definition of early
marriage, The Hindustan Times reports.
Since early marriage has not been defined
anywhere, there was no clarity on the legal
implication of co-sponsoring the
resolution, an Indian government official
said, as per the Times. But some say thats
the wrong move for India. Early marriage
cuts short [girls] education, places them
at risk of domestic abuse and marital rape,
and makes them economically dependent,
Human Rights Watch South Asia director
Meenakshi Ganguly told TIME. Although
the legal age for marriage in India is 18, its
24 million underage child brides constitute
nearly half of all child brides in the world,
according to The Times of India.
Implement EC directive on
employees attending RSS
shakhas in toto
Mumbai: In a letter written to Chief Election
Commissioner on 1 November, All India
Secular Forum demanded that its directive
to the state government officials to identify
government employees who attend RSS
Shakhas should be done on priority basis
and it should be ensured that they are kept
away from poll duty.
The government machinery should
now ensure that CECs directive is
implemented in toto. The government
employees associated with the RSS
should be quickly identified and it should
be ensured that no poll-related work is
assigned to them, LS Herdenia, convener
of the All India Secular Forum said in the
written letter to the Chief Election
Commissioner V. S. Sampath.
Since this task of identification will be
assigned to the state police there is every
possibility that this task may not be carried
out with hundred percent sincerely and
honestly. Therefore we demand that
Intelligence Bureau should also be
associated in this work, he added.
All India Secular Forum was the first
organization which demanded that the
Govt. Employees and Officers who
participate in the activities of the RSS
should not be given any responsibility in
connection with the forthcoming elections.
A memorandum containing such a
demand was given to the Chief Electoral
Officer of Madhya Pradesh. The
memorandum was also sent to the
Election commission. The memorandum
expressed the apprehension that RSS
volunteers among government employees
will not be fair and impartial in discharging
their poll related duties and demanded that
they be kept away from the poll process.
Ahmedabad: A bench of the Gujarat high court on 25 October directed the state
government to produce before it the relevant FIRs and case papers of the police
raid at the houses of Muslims in Sansrod village of Vadodara district on the day of
Eidul-Azha on 16 October and then again next day.The bench comprised of chief
justice Bhaskar Bhattacharya and justice J B Pardiwala.
The directions were given on a joint public interest petition filed by the Islamic
Relief Committee, Gujarat (IRCG) and Jamiat Ulama-e Hind (JUH), seeking an
impartial and independent probe into the police raid and policemen committing
atrocities on the Muslims in connivance with people of vested interests on alle-
gations of some Muslims slaughtering cows on 16 October.
The petitioners alleged that the police action was in violation of human and
fundamental rights of the people and it amounted to loot and rioting as the police
indulged in looting of live stocks of Muslims and resorted to unprovoked violence.
The petitioners submitted that the policemen accompanied by so-called ani-
mal activist Jatin Vyas not only tried to seize some of the animals that were to be
sacrificed for meeting religious obligations but also resorted to highhandedness,
violence and use of abusive language against women and old people that resulted
into rioting.
The petitioners alleged that Jatin Vyas was having a criminal background and
running an extortion racket on the pretext of his animal rights activities. The peti-
tioners further submitted that the police the next day (17 October) came again
with other persons having vested interests and arrested 40 Muslims and took
away all the livestocks kept for sacrifice for Edidul-Azha festival from the farmland
of Muslims and handed them over to panjrapole (cattle pound). Sansrod is a vil-
lage with 95 per cent Muslim population.
Stating that impounding all the livestock was grossly illegal and malafide,
the petition said that it seems to have been done with an ulterior motive and inten-
tion to usurp the livestock of the poor Muslim villagers and to extort money from
them and also to instigate communal violence and polarise the society on religious
lines during the Eidul-Azha festivities.
The petitioners also alleged that policemen accompanied by people of vest-
ed interests broke open the locks of several houses and indulged into looting and
damaging the properties belonging to the Muslims.
The police, according to the petition, booked 125 Muslims and arrested 40 of
them and were looking for the rest.
Surprisingly, among those booked included dead persons and those who are
not living in India, as also elderly and physically challenged persons who are not
able to commit any crime.
The petitioners further stated that those arrested by the police were illegally
beaten up not only by the police but also by people from outside.
IRCG has won several cases pertaining to violations of human and funda-
mental rights in the past. It was on IRCGs petition that the Gujarat high court
ordered payment of scholarships to Muslim students in Gujarat a few months
back. Gujarat government had denied the scholarships on the ground that it
was being given by the Central government on religious grounds. On another
petition by IRCG, the Gujarat high court ordered payment of compensation to
one Ruknuddin Peerzada for half a dozen male buffaloes meant for sacrifice
on Eidul-Azha that were seized by the police illegally and handed over to a cat-
tle pound last year.
Gujarati Muslim girl denied admission
Ahmedabad: At a time when Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is trying to paint
himself secular for a national role he aspires to, a school in Ahmedabad city has
refused to admit a little girl child simply because of her religion. The school admin-
istration has actually said so in as many words. The refusal of the school to admit
a Muslim girl came just two months after a city mall had refused free admission
to Muslim youths in celebration mood after Eid prayers on 9 August this year.
Zahira Momin, a trained pharmacist, had responded to an advertisement by the
Kapadia New High School in the citys upmarket area for some mid-term admis-
sions in pre-primary classes. Following preliminary inquiries over phone about
admission procedures and fees structure, Zahira turned up at the school to fill in
the requisite forms. During the registration process, her five-year-old daughters
name Kashaf did not reveal her faith. But, as soon as Zahira uttered the girls
fathers name and surname, the school administrator stopped and flatly said we
do not admit Muslims here. As Zahira wanted to know the reason behind the
refusal, she was told that it was the schools policy. An infuriated Zahira has lodged
a written complaint with the district education authorities and demanded that action
be taken against the school. As an Indian citizen, I have the right to get my daugh-
ter admitted to any school. They cannot deny her admission on the basis of reli-
gion, Zahira said, adding that her family has many Hindu friends and business
associates in the city.
Israel secretly provided arms to
India in 1971: Book
New Delhi: Israel secretly provided India weapons and instructors in 1971 as it
prepared for the war with Pakistan that led to the emergence of Bangladesh even
though the two countries did not have diplomatic relations, according to a new
book by an American journalist.
The Blood Telegram by Gary Bass, which focusses on the manner in which
US President Richard Nixon turned a blind eye to the repression of then East
Pakistan by military ruler Yahya Khan, offers a tantalising glimpse of what was
probably the first instance of military cooperation between India and Israel.
Quoting from the papers of diplomat P N Haksar, principal secretary to the then
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Bass describes the military supplies from Israel as a
surprising minor success of Indias efforts to mobilise the world community
ahead of its intervention in East Pakistan.
India did not have diplomatic relations with the Jewish state, and Haksar and
many Indian leaders were frosty toward it, Bass writes. But in July (1971), Golda
Meir, Israels prime minister, secretly got an Israeli arms manufacturer to provide
India with some mortars and ammunition, along with a few instructors. When
Haksar pressed Israel for support, Meir promised to continue helping out.
Bass account is based on Haksars meticulously maintained records that are
now held by the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in Delhi.
The arms maker who provided the mortars and ammunition is identified as
Shlomo Zabludowicz. The book further states that Israel also reportedly funneled
aid to the Mukti Bahini through an Israeli government official without giving fur-
ther details. The Mukti Bahini was the guerrilla force formed by Bengalis and Indian
intelligence in erstwhile East Pakistan after Yahya Khan ordered a crackdown on
supporters of the Awami League.
Meir reportedly sought diplomatic ties with India for the arms supplied in
1971. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi initiated work on diplomatic ties, which
were finally established in 1992, when P V Narasimha Rao was the premier.
Anti-Islam matters in Intermediate syllabus book
Lucknow: A book titled Hindi Gaurav prescribed in Secondary Education
Boards syllabus contains the sentence that by implicating the youth in terror-
ism, Islam is proving right the adage ghar phoonk tamasha dekh. This book is
prescribed for UPs intermediate syllabus and is being taught in 10+. A mem-
orandum against provoking hatred against Muslims and promoting negative
thinking and suspicions against Islam in impressionable minds of young stu-
dents was handed to UP Governor B. L. Joshi by a delegation led by Rashtriya
Ulama Councils Dr Nizamuddin Khan and other members of this organisation
on 1 November.
The memorandum to the Governor demands that action under relevant
provisions of IPC should be taken against the publisher of the book, Vidya
Prakashan Ltd, Meeruth, writers Dr Rameshwar Dayalu Aggarwal, Hira Lal
Jain, former lecturer of Jain Inter College, Barot (Baghpat) and editor Santosh
Kumar Upadhya and all copies of the book should be confiscated immediate-
ly. Dr Nizamuddin also filed a complaint in writing about it in Lucknows Hazrat
Ganj Kotwali but police has not so far registered any case. Dr Nizamuddin also
attached a copy of the relevnt portion of the book along with his application,
stating that in the book titled Hindi Gaurav (Hindi Pride) hateful and factually
wrong points against Islam and Muslims have been written. In the revised edi-
tion of this book giving examples of proverbs at page No. 455, the proverb
ghar phoonk tamasha dekhna and explaining and clarifying this, it is written
that by implicating the youth in terrorism Islam is proving right this proverb,
which clearly proves the biased mentality of the writers and publishers of the
book. He said that this is a criminal act and a deliberate attempt to promote
hatred against Islam, which will create negative thinking and a bad impression
in the minds of students. He requested the Governor that seeing the sensitivi-
ty and seriousness of the matter, a case should be filed against the publisher
Vidya Prakashan Ltd, Baghpat Road Meeruth and authors Dr Rameshwar
Dayalu Aggarwal, Hira Lal Jain and Santosh Kumar Upadhya and action
should be taken accordingly. (N. A. Ansari)
HC notice over Guj. village Eidul Adha police raid
Mumbai: Five suspected Hindu extremists have
been arrested for attacking a pastor and church
workers in the northern outskirts of Mumbai,
police said on 28 October.
Pastor Ajay Kasbe and others were allegedly
attacked on Sunday at their Assembly of God
Christian Faith centre in Kalwa, western
Maharashtra state, the second attack on the
prayer hall this month.
The accused have been charged with hurting
religious sentiments, assault, rioting and unlawful
assembly, Kalwa police officer Praveen Bhusare
said.
They attacked us, accusing us of illegal con-
versions, Pastor Kasbe said. They punched and
kicked us.
Men believed to belong to the same group
reportedly attacked Christian worshippers at the
center on October 6, leaving another pastor, Anuj
Raj, seriously injured.
In response, police provided two constables
as security on the following Sundays but Joseph
Dias, the head of rights group Catholic Secular
Forum, said this had proven inadequate.
Taking advantage of this, these fundamental-
ists attacked the pastor and church workers again
yesterday and the two policemen could do nothing
but watch, he said.
The mob then took
the pastor to the police
station and asked police
to file a case of forced
conversions against
him but police respond-
ed by arresting the
complainants after they
had been informed of
recent persecution by
community leaders.
Dias said that the
attacks signalled a
wider problem of Hindu
groups targeting reli-
gious minorities ahead
of the Indian general election next year.
He called upon the interior ministry to provide
protection to Christians in prayer halls across
Maharashtra.
This is an attempt to polarize voters on com-
munal lines, Dias said. (ucanindia.in)
Maharashtra Christians attacked, Hindu extremists arrested
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 5 www.milligazette.com
Fresh Communal
riots in
Muzaffarnagar
Fresh communal riots erupted in Muzaffarnagar
districts villages Muhammadpur Rai Singh and
Husainpur on 30 October in which three young
boys and another person were killed and many
injured. Those killed were identified as Firoz,
Meharban and Ajmal, all in their early twenties.
There are, however, different versions about their
death. According to Shahnawaz, husband of
Husainpur villages Pardhan, the three youths
who were living in a nearby refugee camp set up
for those uprooted in the September communal
riots, had gone out for some work when people
from Muhammadpur Rai Singh village inhabited
by Jats caught them and beat them to death.
According to another version, some one floated
the rumour that some persons hiding in the near-
by jungle were planning to attack the people of
Muhammadpur Raisingh village inhabited by
Jats. Hearing this, they rushed towards the jun-
gle with fire arms and shot the youths dead. The
two villages are about a kilometre apart but their
fields are close to each other. Police arrested
eight persons in connection with these killings
and are in search of about 15 others who are
considered to be involved in the fresh riot.
In another incident the same day, a Hindu
couple while returning from Shamli to their vil-
lage on motorcycle was attacked by some
unknown persons in which the woman Rina Devi
was killed and her husband Rajinder was
wounded. Police are trying to find out if this was
linked to the riot of 30 October. Though large
contingents of PAC and CRPF are deployed in
the affected and neighbouring villages, U.P.
Director General of Police, Devraj Nagar, admit-
ted that the fresh communal riots definitely took
place because of lapses and lack of alertness,
deliberately or otherwise, on the part of police.
He assured the people of strong action for these
lapses.
Next day, 31 October, after the burial of the
deceased persons under strong police security,
thousands of Muslims held a panchayat at
Husainpur village and made some demands
including suspension of SO, OP Chaudhary, and
his trial for involvement in the murders, payment
of Rs 25 lakh as compensation to each
deceaseds family and government job to one
member of each family, granting of arms licence
to people of the village and arrest of the culprits
within a week. Among those arrested for the
murder of the three youths are Rajinder, Maanga,
Arvind, Sarna, Ravinder, Azad and Harmod.
Search for others is going on.
According to the latest news about the
fresh bout of riots in Muhammadpur
Raisingh and Husainpur, Times of India pub-
lished the sensational news that the three
Muslim youths who were reported to be
killed by Jats of Muhammadpur were in fact
killed by PAC personnel who are notorious
for being anti-Muslim.
Victim at Muzaffarnagar
relief camp raped by
two youths
A riot victim at a relief camp was alleged-
ly gangraped by two youths at Jogya
Kheri village in the Phugana area of
Muzaffarnagar district, police said on 4
November. Tension prevailed in the area
after the victim, whose family was dis-
placed from their home at Phugana vil-
lage, was raped the previous day by two
accused identified as Sachin and Sunil
Kumar. The duo have been arrested after
a complaint was lodged in the matter by the
victims father. Villagers had caught and
thrashed the two accused before handing
them over to police. The victim, aged 20
years, was living along with her family at a
relief camp in Jogya Kheri, police said. She
was sent for a medical examination, which
has confirmed rape, police added. The duo
accosted the victim when she had stepped out
of the camp and raped her. They also threat-
ened to kill her in case she mentioned the inci-
dent to anybody.
N. A. ANSARI
The Sexual Politics of Modi,
the BJP and the Sangh Parivar
The systematic use of gang-rape as a weapon occurred in the
Surat riots after the Babri Masjid demolition, and an ugly inno-
vation was the videotaping of the gang-rapes. This was not a
case of some random bystander filming the attacks, but a
meticulously-planned spectacle with the venues flood-lit
despite the fact that electric wires to the rest of the neighbour-
hood had been cut
[1]
. According to Praful Bidwai, Modi was
the mastermind of the unspeakable atrocities against women
in the 1992 Surat riots
[2]
. Modi is pictured there with Advani
in their wake
[3]
.
A decade later, the Gujarat pogroms of 2002 continued the
grisly tale of gang-rape, sexual torture and mass murder; fake
reports of sexual assaults on Hindu women were used to justify
gruesome crimes against Muslim women and girls
[4]
. In some
places, the rapists were actively supported or even instigated by
Hindu women
[5]
. On this occasion, Modi presided over the sex-
ual assaults as Chief Minister and Home Minister. His administra-
tion allowed the police to participate in sexual assaults, and
made it impossible for survivors to get justice.
A court in Gujarat closed the case of Bilkis Banos gang-rape
and the massacre of 14 family members. She was able to get
justice only because the Supreme Court directed the CBI to take
over her case, and the case itself to be shifted out of Gujarat
[6]
.
Sexual violence was also evident in the anti-Christian
pogroms in Kandhamal (Odisha) in 2007-2008, including the
gang-rape of a nun, Sister Meena. Harsh Mander notes the strik-
ing similarities to the Gujarat pogroms, including the stunning
brutality of the violence, often targeting women and girls, the
inhuman conditions suffered by the survivors, and the complicity
of the state government with the perpetrators
[7]
.
The September 2013 anti-Muslim pogroms in Muzaffarnagar
(UP), where Modis trusted Home Minister Amit Shah had been
sent six months earlier, also bore a striking resemblance to the
Gujarat carnage. Once again, the violence included using
womens body to inflict all kinds of violence, attack on children,
rape of young girls and women and subsequent killings
[8]
. As in
Gujarat, a fabricated incident of sexual assault on a Hindu girl was
the pretext for carrying out a hideous revenge on the bodies of
helpless Muslim women and girls
[9]
.
The pattern, over a period of more than two decades, is
unmistakeable. Women and girls are seen, and treated, not as per-
sons in their own right but as sexualised embodiments of their
communitys honour, and consequently deliberate, systematic
sexual assaults are carried out against them as a way of destroy-
ing their community. In each case, the attacks are accompanied
by arson, looting, massacres and ethnic cleansing, the refusal to
let survivors from the minority community return to their homes,
or allowing them to return only on condition that they convert to
Hinduism.
This reading of the BJPs attitude to women is confirmed in a
very different context: the Delhi gang-rape in December 2012. BJP
leader Sushma Swaraj referred to the victim while she was still
battling for her life as a zinda laash (living corpse) and demand-
ed the death penalty for the rapists, with feminist activists object-
ing to both
[10]
. Swaraj repeated her demand for the death penal-
ty in the aftermath of the Shakti Mills gang-rape in Bombay
(August 2013), when the survivor was very much alive and had
expressed her determination to continue working as a photo-jour-
nalist
[11]
.
Since in India the death penalty is supposed to be reserved for
the rarest of rare crimes, what qualifies the crime of rape to belong
to this category? Since not all murders attract the death penalty, it
is clearly the belief that not only is the life of the survivor over once
she has been raped, but that the honour of her family and com-
munity have been assaulted.
However, in other rape cases there is no such demand. Dalit
women and girls are raped every single day; most of these attacks
are never reported, but in the wake of the Delhi gang-rape, when
the issue was in the news, we heard about some of them (for
example see
[12]
and
[13]
). Yet there was no demand from BJP
leaders that the perpetrators be punished at all, much less hanged;
indeed, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat claimed these rapes never
happened at all
[14]
.
There was no protest from them when Adivasi teacher and
activist Soni Sori was subjected to sexual torture in Chhattisgarh
under the supervision of SP Ankit Garg, not even when he was
given a presidential award
[15]
. No call for the hanging of an uncle
whose two-year-old niece died after he raped her
[16]
. And instead
of protesting against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act
(AFSPA), which provides impunity for armed forces personnel
accused of rape, BJP leader Arun Jaitley strongly opposes even a
dilution of the act to allow for prosecution in cases of sexual
assault
[17]
.
The most glaring case is the sexual assault of a minor girl by
self-styled godman Asaram Bapu. Far from calling for him to be
hanged, BJP leaders like Uma Bharati, Kailash Vijayvargiya and
Prabhat Jha leapt to his defence
[18]
. Even when Asarams wife
and daughter admitted supplying him with girls
[19]
and it became
evident that the man was a serial rapist, Subramaniam Swamy of
the BJP appeared on posters in trains plying from Gujarat alleging
that the case against Asaram was bogus
[20]
. Are these people
really so nave as to believe that he is innocent of all charges of
sexual assault? Surely not. In his case, as in all the other cases
where the BJP does not call for punishing rapists, the implicit
assumption is that dominant men of the majority community are
entitled to use the bodies of subordinate women and girls as they
wish.
If women have no right to say no to unwanted sex with dom-
inant men, they have no right to say yes to a man of their choice
either. The whole BJP campaign against so-called Love Jihad
targets cross-community friendships and romances. After being
used to beat up young men and women in Karnataka
[21]
, it was
a potent weapon in Muzaffarnagar, where they used a bahu-beti
izzat bachao mahapanchayat to launch a massive pogrom
[22]
.
In Maharashtra, too, Hindutva vigilantes target Hindu women in
consensual relationships with Muslim men
[23]
.
In the Gujarat pogroms, Geetaben was sexually assaulted
and brutally killed by the Sangh Parivar because she tried to save
her Muslim husband
[24]
, and she was not the only Hindu woman
attacked.
If women are not acknowledged as persons, then their will
and consent are not recognised either.
It is undeniable that some of these reactionary attitudes to
women and girls can be found among members of all parties. But
it is only the RSS, which appointed Modi as the prime ministerial
candidate of the BJP, that has the distinction of seeking to replace
the legal and constitutional rights of women in India with the law
of Manu (Manusmriti), which dictates that women shall be sub-
ordinate to men from the cradle to the grave
[25]
. (India United
Against Fascism)
Footnotes
[1] http://babrimasjid.tripod.com/aftermath.htm
[2] http://www.tni.org/archives/archives_bidwai_modi
[3] http://www.indianexpress.com/news/enter-narendra-modi-exit-l-k-
advani/1127356/
[4] http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?215433
[5] http://www.onlinevolunteers.org/gujarat/reports/iijg/2003/chapter3.pdf
[6] http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main37.asp?filename=Ne020208bilkis.asp
[7]http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/Harsh_Mander/ar ti-
cle2801082.ece
[8] http://www.indiaresists.com/muzaffarnagar-return-of-gujarat-memo-
ries/
[9] http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-chilling-familiarity-of-
muzaffarnagar/article5138832.ece
[10] http://feministsindia.com/activists-condemn-sexual-violence-
oppose-death-penalty/
[11] http://www.dnaindia.com/india/repor t-sushma-swaraj-demands-
death-sentence-for-mumbai-rapists-1879441
[12] http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/dalit-girl-raped-
by-known-persons-no-arrest-yet-in-haryana/article5161361.ece
[13] http://idsn.org/caste-discrimination/key-issues/dalit-
women/india/the-haryana-rapes- 2012/
[14] http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/rapes-occur-in-india-not-bharat-
says-rss-chief-mohan- bhagwat-313361
[15] http://feministsindia.com/tag/ankit-garg/
[16] http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/two-year-old-who-was-allegedly-
raped-by-her-uncle- dies-in-gujarat-hospital-309801
[ 17] ht t p: / / ar t i cl es. t i mesof i ndi a. i ndi at i mes. com/ 2011- 10-
29/india/30336028_1_afspa- paramilitary-forces-armed-forces
[18] http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?287676
[19] http://www.newsx.com/national/top-stories/item/12306-asarams-
daughter-bharti-and-wife-admit-supplying-girls-to-asaram-bapu
[20] http://www.sacw.net/index.php?page=imprimir_ar ticulo&id_ar ti-
cle=6022
[21] http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/nation/love-jihad
[22] http://www.one.in/hindustantimes/muzaffarnagar-love-jihad-beef-
bogey-sparked-riot- flames-451311.html
[23] http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/hindutva-vigilantes-target-
hindumuslim- couples/article5232505.ece
[24] http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/I-salute-you-Geetaben-from-
the-bottom-of-my- heart/articleshow/7296104.cms
[25] http://nirmukta.com/2011/08/27/the-status-of-women-as-depicted-
by-manu-in-the- manusmriti/
Modi was the mastermind of the unspeakable atrocities against
women in the 1992 Surat riots. Modi is pictured here with Advani
shortly after those shameful events when Muslim women were
paraded naked, raped and videographed.
Narendra Modi addresses
Indian Muslims
I will not speak sweetly like your fictitious friends,
Whose deceit has lowered you to this critical pass;
It is nothing but the result of their fraudulent talks,
That in six decades, you stand as the lowest class.
I was , I am, and I will remain your ferocious foe,
But it is I, who gave a new energy to your thought;
You have risen slightly from your dreamy world,
This change, only the Gujrat genocide has brought.
It is your fear of death that made you afraid of me,
As you have forgotten the valour to face and fight;
Make me Prime Minister: Only believe in yourself,,
With me in front , strengthen your arms and might.
Your traditional friends will destroy you for ever,
Their promises have made you coward and weak;
My common fright will narrow your sectarian ranks,
I will save you from the times that appear so bleak.
MUSTAFA KAMAL SHERWANI
sherwanimk@yahoo.com
RAM PUNIYANI
ram.puniyani@gmail.com
The politics of Modis parent
organisation (RSS) is based
on distor tion of history,
medieval history in particu-
lar. To begin with, the pro-
jection of kings through the
prism of religion, to
demonise Muslim kings
based on distortions and falsehoods of history,
and then in turn spreading hatred against
Muslims of today has been the foundation on
which RSS built it up. Taking the same method
to further lower levels, currently Narendra Modi
is trampling and distorting facts of history to
project his ideology.
In the last week, October 2013, he
addressed two rallies and gave one interview
which showed the levels to which he can fall to
score political mileage.
In Sardar Patel memorial inauguration, Modi
said that Sardar Patel should have been the first
prime minister of India. This was a dig at two
major leaders of the freedom movement,
Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
One recalls that Mahatma Gandhi, father of
Indian Nation, was the one who had the mandate
of the whole nation, irrespective of region, reli-
gion, gender and caste. It was left to Gandhi to
nominate the prime minister and he unhesitat-
ingly named Nehru to be the first prime minister
of the country. There might have been different
factors weighing on the mind of Mahatma, as
Sardar Patel and Nehru both were his closest
disciples. He knew both of them thoroughly, and
he made the choice. Patel went on to be the
deputy prime minister and home minister, in
which capacity he was instrumental in merging
over 520 princely states into the Indian Union, a
remarkable contribution to Indian nationalism.
Nehru as Prime minister laid the foundation of all
the policies related to industrial growth, educa-
tion, foreign affairs and became the architect of
Modern India. He placed India on the path of
Industrialisation and education, the foundations
due to which today India has been catapulted to
be one of the major economic powers in the
world.
Surely, in such a marathon enterprise, the
contribution of his cabinet colleagues should not
be underestimated. While criticism of some of
his policies is in order, the credit for trying to
take India out of the feudal society, the society of
blatant slavery of dominated castes and women,
to a society with democratic values of Liberty,
Equality and Fraternity, were also laid under his
indomitable leadership. Sardar Patel is being
projected by Modi-RSS despite knowing that
Patel was deeply committed to Indian
Nationalism, was a staunch follower of Gandhi
and a thoroughly secular person. RSS has none
of this. RSS and Modi are totally opposed to the
values which Sardar espoused.
The first thing which Modi tries to do in this
direction is to emotionally undermine the role of
Pandit Nehru. He went to the extent of saying in
an interview given to a Hindi daily that Nehru did
not attend the funeral ceremony of Patel. This is
a total concoction. This blatant lie was immedi-
ately exposed as the Times of India on its front
page next day had covered this event and promi-
nently told its readers about the presence of
President Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Prime
Minister Pundit Nehru on the occasion. It also
published the deep condolences of Nehru who
said that Sardar Patel has contributed immense-
ly to the process of Indias freedom and making
of new India.
Congress leader Digvijay Singh has posted
the clip of the documentary evidence showing
Nehru attending the funeral. Also it was recalled
that Morarji Desai in his autobiography (volume
I, page 271, Para 2) mentioned the presence of
Pandit Nehru on the occasion. In the face of this,
Modi retracted his statement, and the usual
things about being misquoted etc were dished
out.
It is surprising that RSS-Modi are trying to
project a person as their icon although the same
person had banned their organisation after the
murder of the father of the nation. In his letter to
the RSS chief, M. S. Golwalkar, Sardar Patel
wrote, All their (RSS) leaders speeches were
full of communal poison. As a final result, the
poisonous atmosphere was created in which
such a ghastly tragedy (Gandhis murder)
became possible (Outlook, April 27, 1998).
This same Outlook issue told us that RSS
expressed their joy and distributed sweets after
Gandhijis death.
One can add that by attacking the choice of
Mahatma Gandhi for the prime ministerial post,
Modi is continuing the work of Hindu national-
isms attack on Indian Nationalism which was
started by Godse. This Hindu nationalist, Godse,
had killed Gandhi for insisting on Indian
Nationalism and now another Hindu Nationalist,
Modi, is attacking the Mahatma for his choice of
the prime minister.
This attempt of Modi to say that Sardar Patel
should have been the prime minister instead of
Nehru, more than undermining Nehru is a direct
attack on Gandhiji. Not surprising. As Modi
belongs to the Hindu nationalism school of
thought for whom Gandhi and his ideology were
not acceptable for their strong support for the
diversity of India. Here they also undermine
Sardar Patel who was equally committed to the
values of pluralism and secularism of India, in
shaping which he contributed immensely. Patel
was committed to actualise Gandhis dream of
secular India, and for this he contributed all his
life.
Nitish Kumar in another part of the country
pointed out two major things: one as to how
Modi spoke lies about Chandragupta Maurya
being from Gupta dynasty, while he was from
Maurya dynasty. Second, that Alexander came
up to the Ganges. As a matter of fact, Alexander
returned from the banks of Sutlej. Modi dis-
played his knowledge or lack of it by saying that
Taxila belongs to Bihar, while it is in the Western
part which is now part of Pakistan. Modis utter-
ances were meant to play to the gallery in his
Patna rally. The Patna rally was called Hoonkar
rally. Hoonkar means speaking something vocif-
erously and with arrogance, a sign of fascist
mindset. Modi exhorted his audience to weed
out opponents. This is the mindset of a fascist
again who wants to eliminate all opponents. This
is what Hitler did, weeding out Jews, trade
unionists and Communists during his regime.
While currently Modi is focusing on political
opponents, his ideology of Hindu nationalism
has spread the slogan of Pehle Kasai, phir Isai
(First the Muslims, then the Christians). So here
we are witnessing a dangerous scenario emerg-
ing. He is attacking Indian Nationalism by attack-
ing the choice of Gandhiji for prime ministers
post -- a total distortion of history to play to the
gallery - Goebbels-style. And use of a language
which fascists routinely do, of weeding out oth-
ers.
At this point of time, to compare RSS-BJP-
Modi with any other electoral formation is dan-
gerous as BJP is a different cup of tea. It is
moulded for Hindu nationalism, and Modi with
his fascist tendencies is unable to conceal his
fangs. Those equating BJP-Modi with any other
party are doing a fatal mistake, which the coun-
try may have to regret later at the cost of losing
democracy.
Lets recall that Hitler also came to power
through democratic means. Having once come
to power, he was quick enough to abolish
democracy and impose fascism through his
multiple wings, storm troopers, foot soldiers on
one side and the followers of his ideology in dif-
ferent forms, on the other.
Warning bells are loud and clear. Those
wanting to live in a democratic Indian nation
need to take it as a wakeup call. (pluralindia.com)
Modi is abusing history for political mileage
6 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
While currently Modi is focusing on political opponents, his ideology
of Hindu nationalism has spread the slogan of Pehle Kasai, phir Isai
(First the Muslims, then the Christians).
So here we are witnessing a dangerous scenario emerging. He is
attacking Indian Nationalism by attacking the choice of Gandhiji for
prime ministers post -- a total distortion of history to play to the
gallery - Goebbels-style. And use of a language which fascists rou-
tinely do, of weeding out others.
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 7 www.milligazette.com
New Delhi: Both Intelligence
Bureau and National Investigation
Agency have denied that they
shared with media any informa-
tion on Popular Front of India. The
two agencies said this in refer-
ence to the media reports por-
traying Popular Front of India as a
terrorist organisation. The agen-
cies made it clear that they had
nothing to do with some newspa-
per reports dubbing PFI as a ter-
rorist organization. They said this
in statements submitted to the
Press Council of India (PCI) in
response to the notice sent by the
Council.
PFI had filed a complaint last
year to the PCI against the tenden-
tious news reports that appeared in
some Hindi and English language
newspapers linking the organisa-
tion with terror activities citing IB
and NIA as the source.
The repor ts published by
newspapers like the Asian Age,
the Deccan Herald, the Sunday
Guardian and the Pioneer had
alleged that PFI was a terrorist
organisation which was trying to
develop relationship with Dalits
and Maoists and human rights groups.
Of the 10 complaints filed, five were settled last July. But
when some newspapers claimed that their reports were based on
NIA and IB sources, Press Council sent a notice to both these
agencies demanding either to confirm or deny the media claims.
When the case was considered again for hearing on 28 October,
VK Upadhyaya, Under Secretary of Home Ministry, who appeared
on IBs behalf, submitted an official statement which categorically
refuted the claims of the newspapers.
In a similar statement, NIA also denied having shared any
exclusive information with the defending newspapers. Only
Sunday Guardian stuck to their argument that their report was
based on IB and NIA sources. Justice Markandaya Katju, the
Chairman of the Council, asked the newspaper to produce the
basis for their report or to publish the denial statements of both IB
and NIA.
Justice Katju pointed out that it is not the duty of the
Council to order the media to reveal the source, but it is
the duty of the newspaper to provide information about
the source.
The advocates appearing for PFI said that it was an
organisation working for the development of the com-
munity. It had contributed Rs 10 lakh to Uttarakhand
Chief Ministers Relief Fund for the flood victims.
Justice Katju said that it was unfair to blame an entire organisa-
tion for some of its members crimes.
Since the very agencies have denied they shared information
with the concerned newspapers, the Council ordered them to pub-
lish the denial statement of the agencies. The Council also dis-
missed the Sunday Guardians averment that to reveal the source
would affect the credibility of the newspaper.
Though the Asian Age agreed to publish the statement the
other two dailies informed that they could take a decision with
the permission of the management.
Justice Katju also asked Dainik Jagaran (Meerut) and Dainik
Jagaran (Delhi) to publish a correction that PFI is not a terrorist
organisation. The detailed judgment on the case will be published
after approval from the full members council.
The Council also disposed of the complaints of PFI against
Inquilab, Navbharat Times, Deccan Chronicle and New Indian
Express with an observation that they should be more careful with
their facts while publishing reports.
No information on PFI shared with media: IB & NIA
Vote for candidates who
can defeat fascist forces:
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind
New Delhi: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind on 2 November gave a clear call
to the people of the country to defeat communal forces in the
upcoming elections for five state assemblies and Lok Sabha. In a
press briefing at the JIH headquarters here the Ameer (National
President) of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Maulana Syed Jalaluddin
Umari noted that communalism is a big threat to the democratic
and pluralistic structure of the country, and votaries of fascism
must be prevented from grabbing power. JIH chief was accompa-
nied by General Secretary Nusrat Ali and national secretaries
Mohammad Salim Engineer, Mohammad Ahmed and Ejaz Ahmed
Aslam.
JIH is of the view that in the prevailing situation in the
country, communalism and fascism is a big threat which has
now assumed dangerous propor tions. The menace has endan-
gered democracy and secular ethos of the country, pluralistic
structure of the society and existence and identity of minori-
ties, said the JUH Ameer adding that the
Jamaat has decided to awaken people to use
their vote with full responsibility in the elec-
tions and vote for candidates who have good
character and clean image in the society and
who can combat communalism and fascism.
He fur ther said that in the election-bound
states, Jamaat will release a peoples mani-
festo to explain JIHs stand and create awak-
ening in the people. With the help of the
masses, workers of Jamaat will evaluate the
candidates and present to them the mani-
festo and demands. After a thorough
assessment, they will decide to suppor t
those candidates who can defeat candidates
of fascist forces and who are also on higher
moral grounds among the existing candidates.
While condemning the bomb blasts that are claiming innocent
lives, JIH leaders said such blasts have always been used by
some political parties for electoral gains. They said that commu-
nal riots are also being engineered and executed for similar ulteri-
or motives. JIH demanded a thorough probe into the Patna blasts
and stringent punishment for the culprits. They condemned media
trial of a particular community following every terror blast.
Jamaat leaders expressed serious concern over the situation
in Egypt, Syria and Bangladesh. They demanded the world com-
munity, including India, to make serious efforts to restore and pro-
tect democracy in these countries.
OPINION
Was Sardar Patel a
total communalist?
L K Advani has posted on his blog that Nehru
called Patel a total communalist (courtesy, for-
mer bureaucrat M K Nairs original book in
Malayalam, The story of an era told without ill
will, which is getting translated into English).
Though Nehru called Patel communal
when the latter preferred police action against
the Nizam of Hyderabad immediately after inde-
pendence, there were instances which pointed
out Patels communal bias against the Muslims.
Yet, I dont understand one thing: Why Patel is
being given so much importance? In fact, the
iron man doesnt deserve so much unctuous
praise. Much as I appreciate his intrepid stand
on the Hyderabad issue, Patel gave clear indica-
tions of him being a rabid Hindu, so much so as
to tacitly approve of the nefarious (Hindu) forces
behind Mr M K Gandhis assassination. Justice
G D Khosla observed that two individuals got the
benefit of doubt because of their position and
reputation. They were V D Savarkar, a morbid
Hindu, and Vallabhbhai Patel, a pathologically
Hindu Gujarati. Many of Khoslas observations
havent yet been declassified by the Government
of India. But British newspapers like The
Guardian, The Daily Mirror and Pakistans The
Dawn carried Patels dubious role in Gandhis
assassination and his open sympathy for Hindu
Mahasabha. Lord Mountbatten revealed just
before his assassination in 1979 that Patel
requested him to send all the mischief mon-
gers (read Muslims) to the newly formed
Pakistan.
The legendary American journalist and
Gandhis white son (though I dont approve of
this derogatory and condescending epithet)
Louis Fisher squarely blamed Patel for Gandhis
assassination. In a conversation with Minoo
Masani, Fisher openly said that Patel was angry
with Gandhi because of the latters sympathetic
attitude towards the Muslims. Patel is said to
have said that Gandhiji was crossing his limits!
Patel didnt like the fact that Abul Kalam
Azad was being thought of as the first education
minister despite having no formal degree in aca-
demics. Patel criticised Azads poor English and
called him a maulavi who was set to revolu-
tionise Indias education policies!
Now his ardent follower Narendra Modi is
grooming himself as the next PM and Patel is in
the news.
The problem with the average as well as
educated Indians is that theyre politically pol-
luted and paralysed and have very little knowl-
edge of the past and the heroes of the yore.
Ours is a historically impoverished society.
Why dont we read the unbiased books written
by the writers like Moolgaonkar (former editor of
The Indian Express), Ahmad Rashid, Raymond
Fletcher, Frank Morris (father of poet-journalist
Dom Moraes), Tushar Kanti Ghosh, among oth-
ers? They categorically excoriated opportunists
like Nehru and Patel.
Patel was nakedly power-hungry and was
full of implacable hatred for Jinnah and other
Muslim stalwarts. Here Im not exonerating
Jinnah of his misdeeds and flagrant ambitions.
My point is: Patel was an anti-Muslim Gujarati
Hindu. Dont make a hero out of him, to the detri-
ment of the nations composite image.
SUMIT PAUL
sumitmaclean@hotmail.com
Believe it or not the high drama of
Sadhbhavna Upvas was camouflaged as a
New Service in official documents.
The question is was it Modis New Service
to buy skull caps with Government money to
create stereotyped Muslims appear in his
meetings or was it much deeper?
Anhad & other secular organisations strong-
ly believe that our democracy and secularism
is directly under threat. The spectre of the
countrys descent into fascism stares at us.
The long reign of the UPA has not halted or
arrested the march of the communal fascist
forces; indeed there seems today to be a
greater acceptance of ideas that are fascist.
The strident demands for death penalty, the
impatience with rule of law, the acceptability
among the young urban people of a man as a
potential Prime Minister, under whose watch
minorities were systematically targeted, this
desire for a strong authoritarian leader, all
again point to the circulation and reception of
fascist ideas.
There have been several riots at least since
last year across the country. On the one hand,
one sees local-level riots engineering
machinery gearing up, and on the other the
cleansing and anointing of Modi as the devel-
opment man.
The rise in the power of the middle class via
a corporate media, which aggressively push-
es the agenda of corruption-free efficiency -
whose poster boy is Narendra Modi - at the
cost of issues of social justice, secularism
and democracy movements, is further push-
ing the Indian polity towards the Right.
Modi is being projected nationally as a leader
who is clean, charismatic and a visionary. An
image of a new leader is being created by
hired PR agencies and event management
companies. The new leader is going to
change the face of India and solve all prob-
lems. The facts show otherwise.
Anhad has decided to issue Kachcha Chittha
(Tales of misdeeds) of this man and his ilk.
Here is the first story:
Between September 2011 and February 2012
Modi organised 34 Sadbhavna Fast programmes
in Gujarat extensively covered by Media and the
project Image Makeover was launched fraudu-
lently using public money.
We are presenting below the facts available with
us which clearly establish:
1. Modis arbitrary nature of functioning and total
disregard for written provisions.
2.That the first three Sadbhavna Upvas pro-
grammes were held illegally, without any
approvals or following government rules and
regulations.
3. Neither the Chief Minister nor his Government
had any planning done for the Sadbhavna Upvas,
they had no clue even after one month the pro-
gramme had started of what it was going to
cost.
4. Evidence on record shows that huge amount
of funds were diverted from public departments
for personal gain and personal projection by
Modi keeping the next years state elections in
mind.
5. Modi tried to justify diversion of huge amount
of funds from Central schemes by sighting a
general circular which suggested promotion of
communal harmony programmes in the state.
6. The assembly, Governor and citizens were
deliberately misled about the actual expenditure
on the Sadbhavna Upvas. Blatant lies are special
characteristics of the projected prime ministerial
candidate.
7. This is clear misuse of Public funds spent
without legal procedures and authorisation.
8. As per Constitutional Ar ticles 266-267-
283(2) and provision for contingency fund and
Gujarat Financial Rules 1971, these expenses
are misappropriation of public money.
9. The accounts have not been settled till date of
the Sadbhavna Upvas programme.
Modi announced huge projects for development
of the host districts during his Sadbhavna Fast
programmes. Many of the projects he
announced were already part of the Municipal
Corporations budgets. Other projects like
automation of solid waste management, recar-
peting of roads, afforestation, fire brigade expan-
sion, housing schemes for urban poor, the fund
mainly comes from central governments
Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal
Mission (JNNURM). The announcements like the
beautification of Aji and Nyari dams on public-
private partnership model were also ongoing
projects. In Porbandar, Modi announced a Rs
281-crore package for three main projects of a
new drinking water supply network, underground
sewage pipeline and a housing scheme for the
poor. All three projects have been going on for a
while and are part of JNNURM.
So, in effect, Modi diverted huge amounts of
public funds to organise his Sadbhavna fasts
and deprived people of their rights to these
funds, and on the other hand made a show by
announcing projects which were either ongoing
or were running on Central Government funds.
A compulsive liar, now, he is trying to fool the
people of India.
FACTS
The Sadbhavna Upvas programme was
launched on 17 September, 2011-Modis birth-
day in Ahmadabad.
The last programme was organised on
12 February 2012 in Banaskantha.
A meeting was held in the General
Administrative Dept on 12 October, 2011
(almost one month after Sadbhavna Upvas start-
ed - one month late post-facto concocted
approvals are a blatant violation) in which Chief
Secretary and other officers of various depart-
ments were present. The estimated expenditure
of the Sadbhavna fast was calculated as: Road
and Housing: 30 lakhs, Dist collectors: 8 lakhs,
State transport: 20 lakhs, exhibition related
depts.:12 lakhs. On 5 November, 2011 vide let-
ter No. CNF/1111/433/k 3,00,00,000 rupees
were sanctioned from the Contingency Fund for
the Sadbhavna Upvas (one and a half months
after Sadbhavna Upvas started). More violation
of norms, public fund is treated as personal
property.
The sanctioned money above should have
been regularised in the budget session in March
2012 when the 2012-13 budget was presented.
There was no mention in the budget of this
expenditure or Sadbhavna Upvas.
A Supplementary Statement was made in the
assembly on 24 February, 2012. In this it was
referred to as New Service (Note:
Supplementary Demands are done for unfore-
seen expenses for which budgetary provisions
could not be made. All MLAs have to be given all
details of a New Service three days prior to
placing it in assembly and assembly has to be
convinced and it has to approve the supplemen-
tary demand for a New Service . No such pro-
vision was followed. (Gujarat Assembly is a
place where violation is a norm than exception,
everybody is scared to object).
Budget for 2013-14 found no mention of it
again. But Supplementary Statement for 2012-
13 presented on 20 February, 2013 gave sud-
denly an additional estimated expenditure of
15,48,15,000.
On 24 February, 2012 an MLA asked a question
in the assembly regarding funds given to each dis-
trict from the protocol dept. The reply given on
behalf of the Chief Minister was: 5 lakh each to
Jamnagar, Navsari, Patan, Tapi, Narmada, Kutch,
Bhavnagar, Vadodara, and 4 lakh to Porbandar.
On 14 March, 2012, General Administrative
Dept passed resolution No. Context-102011-
504GH to give funds to collectors of districts:
Jamnagar: 20 lakh, Navsari: 12 lakh, Tapi: 15
lakh, Narmada: 20 lakh Vadodara: 20 lakh,
Porbandar: 20 lakh, Dang: 20 lakh. (This is more
than one year after the Sadbhavna Upvas was
over).
Letter from Governors secretary - Letter No.
GS.14.1/138/2018/2012 dated 22.3.2012 stat-
ed the spent amount from various Departments
as :
Narmada Water Works: 46,800, Information and
Broadcasting dept: 64,34,000, Road & Housing
dept: 86,81,000, Sports, youth and cultural
dept: 4,97,209, Industry and mines dept:
56,832, general administration dept: 2,434.
(This comes to a total of 1,57,18,275.) The let-
ter is written more than one year after the
Sadbhavna Upvas was over. (The citizens, the
Assembly, the Governor and the nation are mis-
led by a corrupt CM, a congenital liar.)
According to the data available with us (detailed
table with the original supporting documents are
available on Anhad websites: www.anhadin.net,
www.secularstore.net & www.pheku.in
Modis Kachcha Chittha how he started
New Service of skull-caps & more
Modi is being projected nationally as
a leader who is clean, charismatic
and a visionary. An image of a new
leader is being created by hired PR
agencies and event management
companies. The new leader is going to
change the face of India and solve all
problems. The facts show otherwise.
8 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Guidelines for Assembly
Elections in Rajasthan,
M.P. and Delhi
Syed Shahabuddin, Convenor, Joint Committee of Muslim
Organisations for Empowerment (JCMOE), issued the
following statement on 7 November, 2013:
Three states of significance to Muslims are having Assembly polls
in November, 2013, namely, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and
Delhi which are, by way of Muslim population at serial number 10,
13 and 15, with more than 1% of Muslims as percentage of
National Muslim Population. They form 8.47, 6.37 and 11.72% of
Muslims in these states population, respectively. In their
Assemblies, there are
280, 200 and 70 members. In accordance with Muslim popula-
tion, they should have 30, 8 and 11 Muslim members in their
Assemblies. However, in the present Assemblies there are only
11, 3 and 5 MLAs which shows that Muslims are underrepresent-
ed in all of these states. And so they are in the State Councils of
Ministers. In all these three states, the main contestants are the
INC and the BJP. Though a number of national parties are also like-
ly to join the contest. In Rajasthan, two MLAs are from BJP but
none in MP and Delhi where they are all from Congress excepting
one in MP who is from NCP. AAP is likely to be another major con-
testant in Delhi. The last date for filing nominations is November
8, in MP, 12 November in Rajasthan and 16 November in Delhi and
the last date for withdrawal are 11, 16 and 20 November respec-
tively.
The other two states, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram which shall
also have polls in November, are not significant for the Muslim
community.
An analysis shows that there are diverse reasons for the
under-representation of the Muslim community. The first reason is
that while the BJP generally denies tickets to Muslims, the INC
also gives tickets to Muslims, much are short of their due num-
ber. The second reason is that other secular parties like SP, BSP,
NCP and JDU enter the fray merely to take some Muslim votes for
their candidates and this divides Muslim votes without putting up
any Muslim candidates. Thirdly, Muslim voters in every con-
stituency with Muslim concentration, either a majority or more
than 35%, do not poll unitedly for one common Muslim candidate
and their votes get divided not only among parties but by sects or
biradaris. A special reason in the case of MP is that the Muslims
have no operational social organisation at the state-level and,
therefore, the community is largely unable to organise its full vot-
ing capacity. Finally, any attempt to identify winnable Muslims
seats and to impose a candidate from the national or the state
capital invariably fails, because no national or state Muslim organ-
isation has much following by itself in Muslim-dominant con-
stituencies.
The JCMOE has, therefore, devised a methodology that the
local Muslims should select their own candidate in every con-
stituency which has a winnable proportion of Muslims. For this at
the constituency level, notable local Muslims, who are not in
active politics but are influential in the constituency, should form a
Political Consultative Committee which should select one Muslim
candidate in each identified constituency by interviewing the can-
didates in the field after they have filed nomination. Secondly, they
should mobilise Muslim support as well as support of marginal
non-Muslim communities which do not have candidates of their
own. Thirdly, the constituencies which have been identified as
winnable by Muslims should ensure that all Muslim voters includ-
ing women and youth are enrolled. Fourthly, the chosen Muslim
candidate should be assisted financially to mobilise and organisa-
tionally to take Muslim votes to the polling stations, so that the
Muslims vote unitedly and massively for the chosen candidate.
Muslims have experienced that Muslim MLAs do not always
pay attention to the problems of the community because, like
other MLAs, they are anxious to get favours from the state gov-
ernments. Therefore, in some cases a non-Muslim secular candi-
date, who has been tested in the past, is likely to be more useful.
The JCMOE adopted the above methodology in the last UP
Assembly election and achieved tremendous results, with record
number of Muslim MLAs. But most of them belonged to the ruling
party and were anxious to get ministership and any other position.
So, they have been silent through the first year of the new state
government, which saw a record number of communal riots.
Much more is to be done in advance of the election to prepare
the ground in various states:
1) Enroll all Muslim voters in identified Muslim constituencies;
2) Check the performance record of all past MLAs by making a
comparative scrutiny while nominations are being filed;
3) Form the Constituency Political Consultative Committee
which should become functional as soon as the final list of candi-
dates is available;
Generally speaking, the main contest in the three states is
between Congress and BJP. The Muslim community knows that
the BJP largely ignores Muslim interests. On the other hand, the
Congress is not as attentive as it should be. Therefore, more than
the party, it is the quality of the candidate which matters and must
be judged.
In many places, there are Muslim organisations and institu-
tions like JUH, JIH, local madarsas and Muslim schools and col-
leges as well as retired Muslim officers who are resident in the
constituency. Anyone can help apart from the Imams of Masjids
and teachers, Hakims and doctors, who are in touch with the pub-
lic, can well serve to initiate the formation of the Consultative
Committee and contact other Muslim organisations or institutions
or societies or prominent individuals in the constituency and form
the Committee which can devise its system to contact the candi-
dates and select the best one from the Muslim angle.
The Committee should then adopt all available means and
forums to mobilise the voters including modern means of com-
munication like mobiles, telephones, internet, local papers, and
printing leaflets. Success lies in mobilising effectively at least 75%
of the Muslim votes in every polling booth so that Muslim under-
representation and exploitation of Muslim voters by anti-secular
candidates is eliminated.
Also democratic voting demands that in other constituencies,
Muslim voters must use their votes to defeat criminal, dishonest
and self-seeking candidates, irrespective of religion and party
label.
NATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 9 www.milligazette.com
JTSAs Guilt By Association documents UAPA injustices
New Delhi: The Jamia Teachers Solidarity
Association (JTSA) on 7 November released
its report Guilt by Association on the arbi-
trary detentions under the draconian Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) from
Madhya Pradesh. The release of the report
was followed by the screening of the docu-
mentary film Fabricated which is based on
the case of the Kerala leader Abdul Nasser
Maudany who is again in jail on flimsy
charges.
Despite the fact that there had been no
incidents of terror attacks in the M.P. state, the
number of cases in which the accused were
charged with furthering the activities of an
unlawful association under UAPAis alarming-
ly high. Cases are registered against former
Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)
members, their friends and acquaintances,
and sometimes against people with no links to
either SIMI when it was a lawful association,
or any of its former members, in police sta-
tions in Indore, Seoni, Khandwa, Bhopal,
Burhanpur, Ujjain, Neemuch, Guna etc, and
practically the entire state.
Speaking on the occasion, civil rights
activist and national Vice-President of the
Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL)
Binayak Sen said that Muslim youths and
association to the banned SIMI is just one
example of abuses of draconian laws by the
state machinery. Dr Sen was himself a victim
of these laws. Dr Sen added that the security
forces, in collusion with a section of the judici-
ary, demonise on the basis of ascribed identi-
ties, be it minority, dalits or Naxalites.
Wajahat Habibullah, Chairperson of the
National Commission for Minorities, spoke
about the seriousness of the matter and
assured that the NCM will take up the matter
with the concerned authorities. He said,
UAPAis not a very sound law and it gives too
much authority to the police. He, however,
advised the community to refrain from falling
into a sense of victimhood as the Muslims do
not exclusively suffer, but all the deprived
communities are made to suffer. He urged
them to take advantages of bodies like NCM,
besides National Human Rights Commission
(NHRC) and National Commission for
Women (NCW) and engage with them in con-
structive ways.
Habibullah lauded the work of the com-
rades and good Samaritans like Manisha
Sethi, Advocate Vrinda Grover, Advocate
Ashok Agarwal, journalist Ashish Khetan and
others who struggle to defend the fundamen-
tal rights and liberties of fellow citizens.
Advocate Ashok Agarwal, who contested
the ban on SIMI in two earlier tribunals, and
was instrumental in the preparation of the
JTSA report, said that confessional state-
ments made to the police are not acceptable
in a court of law, but notes prepared on their
basis have been one main reason behind
continued ban on SIMI by the Home Ministry.
The JTSA report questions the dubious
judicial abdication in allowing this witch-hunt
by ignoring violation of procedural norms by
the police, by lowering the burden of proof, by
overlooking the fact that the incriminating lit-
erature predates the ban on the organisation,
and by ignoring the obvious contradictions, to
hand out conviction after conviction.
Advocate Agarwal said that there is long
history to abuses of draconian laws like
TADA, POTA or the powers given under
unlawful activities law and there is a pattern
from the Khalistan insurgency movement to
Kashmir to cases of Muslim detentions or
anti-Naxal operations, where individuals have
been detained and falsely charged with mali-
cious intentions.
Advocate Agarwal said that by a possible
collusion between judicial abdication and
Executive, malafide (intentions) and indiffer-
ences has given the security agencies free
hand to illegally detain, torture, fabricate evi-
dence that leads to punishment by process,
where even if the cases are fabricated, some-
times the accused spends years in jail as an
undertrial, and even his basic fundamental
rights are taken away without any due
process of law.
He said that if confessional statements are removed, there is
hardly any case in most of the instances. Pointing to the ban on SIMI,
he said that an appeal against the ban is pending in the Supreme
Court since 2002 without any known reason.
Dr. Manisha Sethi, President of the JTSA, said that the report
documents the cases from 2001 till date. She added that this is the
case in a state where not a single case of violent nature or terror hap-
pened, and yet a large number of cases have been registered across
the state, with an agenda of demonising a particular community. She
said that the way similar evidence and records have been put forth
shows as if UAPAis working on the principle of osmosis and keeps
transferring from one place to another.
Advocate Rebecca M John, who is also fighting several cases of
detained Muslim youths, gave examples of how due processes are
not followed and youths are made to suffer through a lax legal and
judicial system.
The release of the report was followed with the screening of the
documentary film Fabricated which is
based on the travail of the Kerala Muslim
leader Abdul Nasser Maudany. After the
screening, films director KP Sasi
engaged with the audience on the
scourge of falsely implicating activists,
political opponents, and fighters for peo-
ples causes.
The new JTSAreport has document-
ed 77 cases from MP and they are work-
ing on preparing a comprehensive all-
India report on the same pattern. The
report illustrates why the short-cut meth-
ods of special or fast-track courts, cur-
rently under discussion even in the Union
Home Ministry, will not help as the
malaise is deeper and more fundamen-
tal.
The report documents the large
number of cases registered under the
draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention
Act (UAPA) across the state of Madhya
Pradesh, and brings out the patterns of
framing, planting of material, and even
more tragically, rampant judicial abdica-
tion in the face of flimsy evidence and
obvious procedural violations.
The report says, The existence of
laws like UAPA, which render entire com-
munities perpetually suspect, make mali-
cious and biased investigation that much
easier, a statement by the JTSA noted.
JTSA hopes that the document will
strengthen the demand for the repeal of
this draconian law which, according to it,
is no less unjust than the earlier POTA
and TADA.
Passed in 1967, and amended
repeatedly, in 1972, 2004, 2008, and yet
again in 2012, the Unlawful Activities
Prevention Act (UAPA) grants the Centre
the power to declare an association as
unlawful if it is seen as a threat or a
potential threat to the countrys sover-
eignty and integrity, or is seen as pro-
moting enmity between different groups
or for imputations prejudicial to national
integration.
Though there is no all-India audit yet
of UAPAcases, more and more evidence
is surfacing about the extensive abuse of
anti-terror laws in targeting minorities,
tribals, deprived sections as well as polit-
ical activists. UAPA seems to be follow-
ing the trajectory of earlier anti-terror
laws such as POTA and TADA, which
were documented to have been used
extensively to target minorities (among
others).
At the heart of the UAPA legislation
are two issues: membership (of unlawful
organisations) and conspiracy (of further-
ing the activities of such an unlawful
organisation. Both, membership to an
organisation that no longer exists legally,
and nebulous charges of furthering the
activities of such an organisation are
notoriously difficult to pin down. In most
cases, the only proof that the investigat-
ing agency is able to demonstrate is to
associate the accused to a proscribed
organisation and his or her participation
in unlawful acts is inferred through the
alleged recovery of banned and seditious
literature from the custody of the
accused.
Jamia Teachers Solidarity
Association (teacherssolidarity. org) is a
collective of university teachers, formed
in the aftermath of the Batla House
encounter in September 2008. Though
initially focusing on the demand for a judi-
cial probe into the Batla House
encounter, JTSA has emerged as an
important voice arguing for the rule of
law, and against illegal detentions,
encounter killings, and communal witch
hunts by anti-terror agencies.
JTSA conducts fact-findings, investi-
gations, publishes reports, engages in
legal aid work. It also collaborates with a
range of civil society groups on issues of
democracy, justice and civil rights. This is
the third in the series of JTSAreports, the
earlier two being The Case that Never Was: The SIMI Trial of Jaipur
(2012) and Framed, Damned, Acquitted: Dossiers of a Very Special
Cell. (Adapted from a report by M Reyaz, twocircles.net)
L/R: Dr Binayak Sen, Wajahat Habibullah, NCM Chairperson, and
Advocate Ashok Agarwal
Guilt by Association
Cases are registered against former SIMI members, their friends and acquaintances - and sometimes people with
no links to either SIMI when it was a lawful association, or any of its former members - in police stations in Indore,
Seoni, Khandwa, Bhopal, Burhanpur, Ujjain, Neemuch, Guna etc, practically the entire state.
Examples of cases from MP: FIR No. 537/00 and FIR No. 663/00 were registered in Police stations Taliya and
Shahzanabad respectively on 22nd October 2000 against the same set of accused: (1) Sorab Ahmed (2) Maulana
Arsad Ilyas ahtesham (3) Abdul Razzaq (4) Mohd. Aleem (5) Muneer Uz Zama Deshmukh (6) Khalid Naim. The six
were accused of pasting provocative posters. The six then appeared in many other FIRs filed in the two thanas in
various combinations and permutations.
In other cases, it azppears that old FIRs are brought out, the files dusted and the facts of the case simply copied
on to a new FIR. The FIR No. 101/08 in which the accused Aman was screaming slogans in favour of SIMI at the
Sarvate Bus station when the police apprehended him is an exact replica of FIR No. 251/01, a case registered the
day after SIMI was banned.
In some cases, the evidence of guilt is identical: for example, the same copy of a magazine has been produced
in at least 4 different cases across the state. The same receipt of contribution to SIMI funds has been produced as
evidence in two different cases. Both cases ended in conviction, despite clear indication of concocted evidence!
Mere possession of news items pertaining to SIMI has been turned into incriminating evidence (For example,
FIR No. 467/ 01, PS Kotwali, Khandwa).
The JTSA reports wonders, Perhaps the Madhya Pradesh police should explain if it was unlawful for the news-
papers to publish reports of arrests of alleged SIMI activists; if it was unlawful to read those news items once pub-
lished. How then could possession of these news clippings be construed as evidence of unlawful activity (even if
you grant that these news clippings were actually in the possession of the accused)?
Domino effect: The Pithampur case of Dhar (FIR no. 120/2008), one of the most prominent SIMI cases of
Madhya Pradesh is also significant in that it set off a chain reaction resulting in the registration of near identical
cases across the state. Arrests of 13 leading SIMI activists were allegedly made on 27 March 2008. Immediately
after the arrests, on 29 March 2008, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Dhar, shot off letters to various districts
of Madhya Pradesh asking for registration of similar cases. These letters immediately set of a chain reaction, result-
ing in 18 cases within one month, and another four over next six months.
Some of the accused arrested in the Peethumpur case - Safdar Nagori, Hafiz Hussain, Amil Parvez, Shivli,
Kamruddin, Kamran and Ahmad Baig - were then implicated in different cases across the country, including in the
Ahmedabad serial blasts case of 2008, despite the fact that they were in jail at that time.
The JTSA report asks, If they were involved in the conspiracy of the blasts, it is for the government to explain
how they participated in the conspiracy whilst in jail. This is nonetheless the way in which UAPA works, almost by
association.
It is impossible to see these large number of cases registered as divorced from the continuation of the ban on
SIMI. These cases validate the extension of the ban; the ban legitimizes the witch-hunt in the name of combating
the terrorist organization creating a vicious circle. Under UAPA, the ban on an unlawful association is required to
be reviewed every two years by a tribunal. SIMI Tribunals are headed by a judge of the Delhi High Court. Barring
2008 when Justice Geeta Mittal revoked the ban citing the scarcity of evidence and facts - as opposed to the plen-
itude of allegations - against the organization, every single tribunal (2002, 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2012) has contin-
ued the ban.
The JTSA report adds, The endless extension of the ban on SIMI and the large number of SIMI cases are inti-
mately related to each other. The ban is extended citing the large number of SIMI cases, and Muslim youth are
arrested and charged for being members of SIMI on flimsy grounds. It is a tragic tautology that has played out for
the past decade and more.
Judicial Abdication: The JTSA report also questions the dubious judicial abdication in allowing this witch-hunt by
ignoring violation of procedural norms by the police, by lowering the burden of proof, by overlooking the fact that
incriminating literature predates the ban on the organization, and by ignoring the obvious contradictions, to hand
out conviction after conviction. The frivolous nature as well as the number of cases should have alerted the judici-
ary to the scale of frame-ups that the police was indulging in. And yet, the judiciary, which should have acted as a
bulwark against this, is abdicating its responsibility, it points out.
The number of convictions handed out on very spurious grounds compounds the number of cases registered.
Take for instance, State versus Irfan (FIR No. 251/01, PS Gwaltoli, Indore). The prosecution case was that, on the
intervening night of 27-28 September 2001 (the day SIMI was banned) at 12.15, Irfan was pasting posters of the
banned organization SIMI on pillar number 14 of the Sarvate bus stand (Indore). He was screaming that though the
government had banned SIMI, he would continue to be its member. His antics attracted a crowd. He was arrested
and charged with Section 10 of UAPA. The prosecution presented seven witnesses. Of these, three were police wit-
nesses, including the Investigating officer; two were from the ministry of Home who confirmed the signatures of the
authority who granted the sanction for prosecution under UAPA. The only two independent witnesses - Chandar
and Rajesh - denied the police story totally.
An expert witness testified that the Urdu literature seized contained nothing against the state or society, and in
fact only consisted of veneration of God. It was also accepted by the prosecution that there was nothing against the
state in the seized material.
The court convicted Irfan under section 10 of the UAPA, sentencing him to two years of imprisonment and Rs
500 as fine because the police witnesses have testified that they had seen the accused pasting SIMI posters and
propagating the banned organization SIMI.
Number of cases registered: Alirajpur: 1, Bhopal: 16, Burhanpur: 2, Dhar: 1, Guna: 4, Indore: 25, Jabalpur: 8,
Khandwa: 5, Mandsaur: 1, Narsinghpur: 1, Narsinghgadh (District Rajgadh):1, Neemuch: 3, Sehore: 1, Seoni: 3,
Shajapur: 3, Ujjain: 2.
Guilt by Association is available from
Pharos Media/Milli Gazette at Rs 100,
Please see page 19 for ordering details.
AFSANA RASHID, SRINAGAR
Rejecting Chief Minister Omar Abdullahs idea that the Irish model
could help resolve the Kashmir issue, separatists here said that no
short-cuts would be acceptable as they are aimed at diluting the
main discourse.
The Chief Minister had, in an interview to Telegraph newspa-
per in London, October 28, said that Jammu and Kashmir can
never be independent and will always remain under Indian sover-
eignty. The Northern Ireland peace process and devolution in
Scotland could inspire a future settlement of the Kashmir issue.
A day later, Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani, said, No
shortcut solutions, be it the Irish model or something else is
acceptable to us. Well continue to strive for the right to self-
determination guaranteed by the UN charter.
JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, October 29, said those
who couldnt get AFSPA revoked, shouldnt float ideas aimed at dilut-
ing the Kashmir issue. Various proposals and roadmaps like
Autonomy, Self-Rule and now Irish model is nothing but a ploy to
dilute the basic discourse on Kashmirs freedom struggle.
Senior separatist leader Shabir Ahmed Shah said, Kashmir
has never been part of India. Omars statement about Irish peace
model is a childish idea.
Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, October 29, asked
the Chief Minister, to focus on development and economic uplift
of the state. We dont need political rhetoric and shouldnt talk of
political solutions when the state is economically weak.
The Chief Minister, November 4, at Jammu said, I only meant
there is no single model to resolve the Kashmir issue. Kashmir is
a political problem and every political party and group has its own
opinion and suggestion to resolve it.
He denied having ever questioned the States accession to
India and termed Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of Union
of India. Earlier in March, this year, the Chief Minister had said in
the state assembly that accession was only on four subjects of
communication, currency, defence and foreign affairs, which was
gradually eroded.
Hurriyat (G) spokesperson, November 5, said, It has always
remained a tradition with the Sheikh dynasty to issue contradicto-
ry statements in Jammu, Kashmir and Delhi. This portrays their
deceit and infidelity. Hurriyat (M) spokesperson, November 5,
said, Historical truth cannot be belied by claiming Kashmir to be
an integral part of India.
Geelani starts anti-poll campaign
Immediately, after his release from house-arrest, Hurriyat (G)
chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani kicked-off the anti-poll campaign
from his hometown, Sopore in north Kashmir. Geelanis eight
month-long house arrest ended, October 29.
Over one lakh Kashmiris sacrificed their lives for the just
cause; thousands of youth languish in jails; people are reeling
under oppression for taking the ongoing movement to its logical
conclusion and for not participating in elections, said Geelani,
while addressing a gathering at Sopore, November 1.
He added the only objective of all mainstream parties is to
help the Government of India and Army to suppress the senti-
ments of Kashmiris and the ongoing movement for right to self-
determination. He rejected all allegations that he was released to
favour a particular mainstream party in elections through his poll
boycott call.
Addressing another gathering in south Kashmirs Shopian,
November 6, Geelani said Peoples Democratic Party and Peoples
Conference are the offshoots of Congress whereas National
Conference is patronised by the Central government right from
1938.
Geelani was confined to his residence for the last three years
without any formal court order, says Hurriyat (G) spokesperson,
Ayaz Akbar. In 2010, Geelani after his release from
Cheshmashahi was placed under house-arrest at his residence. In
2011 and 2012, he was allowed to move outside his residence
only on a few occasions. During the current year, he remained
under house-arrest for 236 days.
Geelanis free movement would help the Kashmir cause and
would prove beneficial for the resolution of Kashmir issue, said
Awami Itihad Party president, Er Rashid, November 1.
Appealing to Geelani to halt his poll boycott campaign,
National Conference senior leader Ali Mohammad Sagar, October
30, told local news gathering agency, KNS, Elections are for day-
to-day issues of common people, it cannot affect even a single
dimension of the Kashmir issue.
Sagar added that the poll boycott call can affect only Srinagar
and other districts vote in good numbers. He further added the
government hadnt arrested Geelani; it had just imposed restric-
tions on his movement.
The Third Front leader and former Parliament Member, Abdul
Rashid Kabli, told local news gathering agency, CNS, November 1,
Election boycott is the conviction of Geelani but unfortunately, it
helps those people to grab power, who pursue anti-people policies
and suppress youth.
Defending Geelanis detention, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah,
while interacting with media at Jammu, November 4, said,
Intelligence agencies and police felt that his free movement is a
threat to the prevailing calm, particularly on Fridays, when the
Secretariat was in Srinagar. Wherever he went, stone-pelting fol-
lowed. We didnt want such a situation wherein dealing with
stone-pelting or in trying to maintain law and order there are any
unfortunate deaths or casualties. He added as the situation
improved; intelligence agencies and law and order machinery felt
it was appropriate to let him go free.
Pertinently, Geelani was, October 26, reelected as chairman
Hurriyat (G) for the next three years.
Court supports use of lethal arms
In a significant decision, the High Court here dismissed three
clubbed Public Interest Litigations (PIL) seeking a ban on the use
of pepper-gas and pellet-guns in quelling protests during unrest in
Kashmir. In its 11-page judgment passed by Chief Justice M M
Kumar and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey, October 30, it has
been stated that the petitions are devoid of merit and the prayer is
out of sync with the provisions of law.
These petitions styled as PILs have been filed without any
empirical research and in a totally casual manner. Averments have
been made that have no authenticity and without any supportive
documentary evidence. In fact, averments are based on false and
incorrect assumption, said the court.
The petitioners had sought to ban use of pepper-gas, stating
that it affects vital organs of human body. They pleaded it should
be banned as it has already claimed several lives and has caused
multifarious disorders, diseases and uneasiness, especially
among children.
Advocate General M I Qadri argued that Defence Research
Development Organization has given a report supported by scien-
tific opinion authenticating that pepper-gas isnt injurious to
health.
Hurriyat (M), October 31, said it will file a review-petition
against the judgment. In May this year, the Court had admitted a
PIL filed by Hurriyat (M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, against
use of pellets and pepper-gas used by the police and CRPF to deal
with law and order situations.
Advocate Aijaz Ahmad, who represented one of the petition-
ers, stated that the court hadnt appreciated the report of depart-
ment of General Surgery, SKIMS wherein it had mentioned that it
has received 198 cases. Out of which six deaths have been
reported and many have lost their eye-sight and others rendered
physically challenged, said Ahmad, adding that the petition was
supported by documented proof.
Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani, October 31, termed
the dismissal of PIL as a message to separatists not to take
things non-seriously.
High Court Bar Association too has decided to a file review
petition against the judgment. The case is bound to affect human
rights of people, said its spokesperson, November 4, adding that
the Bar also feels that the judgment would be taken as a license
by the police and other forces to use pepper-gas and pellet-gun.
7 out of 10 subscriptions are through WORD OF MOUTH
You know we dont have the resources to advertise & promote ourselves, so
please ask your friends to get their copy now
THE MILLI GAZETTE
First English Newspaper of Indian Muslims. Telling the Muslim side of the story fortnight after fortnight since January 2000
Separatists reject Irish Model for Kashmir
10 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 NATIONAL www.milligazette.com
The claim that the Somnath
reconstruction was done as per the
decision of the Nehru cabinet is a
total lie. Since the public memory is
too shor t, anything propagated
repeatedly star ts sounding like
being true. Contrary to what is
being propagated, a little peep into
the recent history will show us that
the Indian Government had nothing
to do with the reconstruction of
Somnath temple. The lie that Nehru
Government had reconstructed or
suppor ted Somnath reconstruction is a
distortion of the fact that two ministers of Nehru
cabinet were involved in the reconstruction in
their personal capacity. As such when the idea of
reconstructing the temple at Somnath was
mooted by Sardar Patel, Gandhiji who was alive
at that time opined that Hindus are themselves
capable to build the temple and they dont need
Government money or assistance for the
reconstruction neither should Government give
money for such a construction.
With the death of Sardar Patel, K.M.Munshi
and N.V. Gadgil, who were ministers in Nehrus
cabinet, took up the reconstruction work at
personal level. There was no question of
reconstruction proposal being passed by the
cabinet as falsely being claimed by communal
forces. After the completion of the temple for its
inauguration, the then President of India
Dr. Rajendra Prasad was invited. He accepted
the invitation against the wishes of Pandit
Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru opined that public
officials should never publicly associate with
faiths and shrines.
RAM PUNIYANI
Let Modi be Modi
Why Muslims want Modi to apologize for
Gujarat pogrom In a desperate bid to capture
the top job in the next Lok Sabha elections,
Modi is snowed by cry for justice for the
Muslim victims of 2002 Gujarat holocaust. His
par ty and his mentors in RSS are not in favor
of any appeasement of Muslim voters. After
all, their fundamental springboard to rule India
and get all Hindus aboard their leaking boat, is
by making Muslims the OTHER and on that
premise, make Muslims second class citizens.
Once they get a parliamentary majority, they
may even, with the stroke of a pen, disfranchise
Muslims. That is their fascist philosophy and
plan. However, Modi has realised the current
fracturing of the political scenario does not
promise his BJP any sign of majority in
Parliament in the next elections and he is
desperate to now increase his voter
constituency to include misguided fringe
Muslims who prize their business and material
interests over their Muslim identity and
community interests. These Muslims are now
joined by well-meaning Muslim interlocutors
who think they can hold a dialogue with Modi
and get a better deal with him if he comes to
power. Actually, these simpletons are not aware
of the intensity of the RSS inroads into the
psyche of the extremist of Hindutva who can
hardly change their spots, especially more so
when they are in power on their own. It is,
therefore, much wiser that Muslims should
stop reforming Modi and let Modi remain as the
Modi of 2002 Gujarat, so that people are not
fooled by his mere speeches forced to give to
win election. The more Modi remains Modi, the
better chances are for the fractured 'secular'
political groupings to unite and give him a
beating that will last for his lifetime. Otherwise,
if Modi transmutes into Congress avatar, he will
be doubly lethal for Muslims and others.
GHULAM MUHAMMED
ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com
Indian Mujahideen:
The Aunt Sally of
Government
The serial bomb blasts in Patna that claimed
six lives are being ascribed to IM (Indian
Mujahideen), the Aunt Sally of Indian
Government and Intelligence. TOI repor ts
that four people have been nabbed and
they've confessed to having their allegiance
to this terrorist outfit. They could have an
allegiance but the media, especially the print
media, ought to be more responsible before
zeroing in on any outfit because it may flare
up the public sentiments. India has become
a communal cauldron.
In these ber-sensitive times, print as
well as visual media must wait and watch
before naming those who've been booked or
detained. In the past, "confessions" of many
"terrorists" turned out to be forced and under
duress and the suspected outfits proved to
be innocent.
Why did the blasts take place when
Narendra Modi visited Patna? There seems to
be much more to it than what meets the eye.
This appears to be a destructive attempt of
sharp polarisation (on the basis of religion)
of political choice(s) at the ensuing hustings.
Politics and its ' practitioners' (read
politicians) can stoop to any level.
SUMIT PAUL
sumitmaclean@hotmail.com
The truth of Somnath temple construction
What an irony really prevails in the Indian
democratic set-up. On one hand, the coun-
try is hailed globally for being a democrat-
ic nation. On the other, time and again,
most of us are forced to reflect on whether
true democracy really prevails in India? Is
India really a totally democratic country?
Are all the Indian citizens given their due
share of democratic equality as well as democratic power?
The last question bears democratic importance socially,
politically and also economically. Sadly, it is difficult to cred-
it India as a totally democratic country. In fact, there has
never been a phase in independent India when it could be
described as a truly democratic nation. Prospects of this
phase being round the corner seem as dim today as they
were a few decades ago.
True, India and Indians are moving at an amazingly fast
speed where progress is concerned, particularly in relation
to material development. At the same time, it is practically
impossible to turn a blind eye towards the nature of demo-
cratic politics being publicised by BJP leader Narendra
Modi. It seems that in certain areas, Modi is going overboard
to convince the whole world and all Indians about his demo-
cratic intentions. Soon after Patna blasts, Modi wasted little
time in reaching out to the victims to express his sympathy
for them. Should this be viewed as a democratic step taken
forward by a democratic leader?
It would be more appropriate to regard it as a political
step taken by a BJP leader. Howsoever strongly Modi may try
to assert his democratic intentions, it is difficult to label them
as democratic reflecting ideals of an Indian leader. Did Modi
express his sympathy in a similar manner towards Muslims
grievously affected by the Gujarat-carnage? Everybody is
familiar with the answer to this question. He did not. Has he
taken out time for Muslims troubled by Muzaffarnagar riots?
He has not. Against this backdrop, what can be said about
Modis democratic approach towards Indian Muslims? Is it
confined to including some of them as a part of the crowd
attending his rallies and other political functions? Even if it is
accepted that to a degree Modi has succeeded in gaining
support of a few Muslims, the following question remains
unanswered: To what extent, has Modi really displayed his
democratic support for Indian Muslims in his own state
(Gujarat) and other parts of the country?
Modis democratic approach is probably limited to his
own political circle and his own political stand regarding his
personal political ambitions. In other words, his democrat-
ic vision appears confined to his using it for his own politi-
cal plans. He has stepped out of Gujarat and is testing his
political reach on the national platform. As one, who is trying
to be recognised as a national leader, democratically, it is
expected of Modi to pay equal attention to democratic rights
of all Indian citizens. At least, his electoral campaign should
focus on creating this image. If Modi could display his dem-
ocratic sympathy for those affected by Patna-blasts, what
prevented him from being equally democratic towards
Muslims still suffering from the impact of Gujarat-carnage
and those recently affected by Muzaffarnagar riots and many
in between?
Maybe, Modis approach towards Indian democracy is
defined by his own political priorities and that of the party
supporting him. But then, doesnt democracy demand that a
leader should give greater importance to the needs and
views of the people he claims, or aspires, to lead? If Modi is
in the fray for prime ministerial position, isnt he expected to
redefine his democratic approach to include democratic
aspirations of the Indian community as a whole and not just
his own? He is expected to but hasnt yet started taking
notable democratic steps in this direction. After all, it cannot
be ignored that if to a degree democracy is still vibrant in this
country it is because of the prevalence of democratic sense
at the grassroots, among Indian citizens. How can it be
missed that true democracy derives its real strength from
Indian people and not on what a few leaders claim. It is the
Indian people who have kept the democratic spirit still alive
in this country.
Can Modi claim to be a truly democratic, Indian leader
simply because certain opinion polls display him to be in the
lead? The answer would have been yes if all the opinion
polls could be labelled as truly and democratically reflective
of the Indians stand. Certainly, these opinion polls gain a
new importance during electoral period. Yet, they cannot be
hailed as a correct perception of even a percentage of the
countrys population. Besides, there is no guarantee that
even fifty percent of the ones whose opinion is taken really
cast their votes at election time.
Several more reasons can be cited to elaborate on weak-
nesses of the opinion polls being conducted in India. So even
if Modis vision of his success rides atop these opinion polls,
he still cannot lay claim to being a democratic leader!
Speaki ng Out
Modi is hardly
democratic
NI LOFAR SUHRAWARDY
TEESTA SETALVAD
Six days into 2013, about a 1,000 kilometres
away from the nations capital, in the faraway
north Maharashtrian town of Dhule, a brutal
police action, videographed in evidence, docu-
mented the shameful killing of six innocent
young Muslims, by men in uniform. Though
these deaths amounted to crimes by protectors
of the law, they have hardly registered on the
nations psyche. Months before that, in
September 2012, four Gujarat police officers
had shot dead three Dalits, including a 17-year-
old, using AK 47s in the night of September 22-
23, 2012 at Thangadh in Surendranagar district,
not far from Ahmedabad. In early September
2013, violence perpetrated in four districts of
Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Shamli and Meerut
has, once again, documented even more crude
cases of police complicity.
The script that was being played out in
western UP, Dhule and Thangadh is a familiar re-
run of what the country has witnessed since the
late 1980s, when evidence of deviant conduct
by men in uniform surfaced from several bouts
of targeted violence countrywide (Nellie, Assam
1983- 3,000 Muslims massacred in Assam;
Delhi 1984 - over 3,000 Sikhs systematically
killed; Hashimpura, Uttar Pradesh 1987--51
Muslims shot dead by the PAC of Uttar Pradesh;
Bhagalpur, Bihar, 1989 -- a massacre that left
thousands dead and evidence buried below a
hastily planted cauliflower field; Over 100,000
Kashmiri Pandits forcibly displaced from the
Kashmir Valley; Bombay 1992-1993 - over
1,200 dead; Kandhmals, Orissa 2008 - nearly
100 Christians; Gujarat 2002 - over 2,000
Muslims massacred) cour ts and Judicial
Commissions have strongly indicted Indias
police for harbouring a distinct anti-minority
bias, committing crimes through manifestation
of this hatred and not being punished for it. In
Gujarat, the violence that lasted from February
27 to early May 2002, saw institutional resist-
ance to vile political diktats from about eleven
districts and commissionerates where the police
chiefs and administrative heads refused to bend
to the criminal intent of their political superiors,
and were made to pay for it.
If Article 14 and 21 gives every Indian the
right to life and equality before the law, Article
15(1) of the Constitution guarantees that The
State shall not discriminate against any citizen
on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex,
place of birth or any of them.
If, as repeated bouts of targeted and com-
munal violence in the country have shown,
regardless of who casts the first stone, the logic
of identity-driven majoritarian institutional func-
tioning is that the minority (linguistic or reli-
gious, Dalit, or Adivasi) suffers most in terms of
loss of life, livelihood and property, should there
not be legal measures to remedy this? Laws to
protect women have been termed discriminato-
ry and anti-family by many who would prefer
women not complain about violence and abuse.
Opposition to the 1989 Atrocities law that seeks
to prosecute crimes driven by a deep caste-rid-
den mindset is no less widespread though
muted.
A candid look at the trajectory of communal
and targeted violence in the country will lead us
to several reports of judicial commissions of
enquiry appointed by different state govern-
ments in response to major communal car-
nages - Jagmohan Reddy Commission
(Ahmedabad, 1969), D. P. Madon Commission
(Bhiwandi, Jalgaon and Mahad, 1970), Joseph
Vithayathil Commission (Tellicherry, 1971),
Venugopal Commission (Kanyakumari, 1982),
Jitendra Narain Commission (Jamshedpur,
1979), the B. N. Srikrishna Commission
(Mumbai, 1992-93), reveal two common
threads that run through all these reports: one,
the criminal role of Hindutva organisations in
masterminding the violence; two, the partisan,
anti-minority (Muslim, Christian, Sikh) conduct
of the police. Just two examples: Here was not
only a failure of intelligence and culpable failure
to suppress the outbreak of violence but (also)
deliberate attempts to suppress the truth from
the Commission, especially the active participa-
tion in the riots of some RSS and Jana Sangh
leaders -Justice Jagmohan Reddy Commission
on the Hindu-Muslim Ahmedabad riots, 1969;
The RSS sets itself up as the champion of what
it considers to be the rights of Hindus against
minorities. It has taken upon itself to teach the
minorities their place and if they are not willing
to learn their place to teach them a lesson
Justice Venugopal Commission on the Hindu-
Christian Tellicherry riots of 1971.
An obvious exception to the above was the
1984 massacre of Sikhs in Delhi. It was spear-
headed by Congress leaders where, as always,
the police either remained passive and indiffer-
ent or sided with the murderous mobs.
Institutional correction that should follow
such institutional acknowledgement of a deep-
rooted bias within police functioning has been
absent. Such correction is only possible if the
malaise is first widely recognised, and that too
with some candour and detatchment. Which is
not to argue that none from the minority be he or
she a Muslim, Sikh, Bihari, Christian, Dalit or
Tamilian, are incapable of the first act of vio-
lence. They are. When such acts take place,
however as they have done, in Malegaon and
Mallapuram among others, the police and
administration have acted swiftly and firmly.
When minorities, linguistic or religious, Adivasis
or Dalits, have been the specific target, howev-
er, the functioning of the police and administra-
tion, has been observed to have turned partisan
bending towards the numerically and otherwise,
more powerful. The loss of lives, livelihood and
properties of these sections is therefore invari-
ably and proportionately much greater. It is a
recognition of this unbalanced and partisan
functioning of institutions of governance that the
Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence
(Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill 2011
seeks to acknowledge and remedy.
Why and how are policemen and adminis-
trators, as also elected representatives and non-
State actors able to commit such crimes, again
and again, with impunity? Because they live
secure in the knowledge that the law will not act
against them. Their superiors too sit pretty,
never being held to count for the failure to pro-
tect the loss of lives, homes and businesses.
The PCTV Bill has proposed, therefore, broaden-
ing the definition of dereliction of duty - which is
already a crime - and, for the first time in India,
added offences by public servants or other
superiors for breach of command responsibility.
Where it is shown that continuous widespread
or systematic unlawful activity has occurred,
the draft says, it can be reasonably presumed
that the superior in command of the public ser-
vant whose duty it was to prevent the commis-
sion of communal and targeted violence, failed
to exercise supervision and shall be guilty of
the offence of breach of command responsibili-
ty. With 10 years imprisonment prescribed for
this offence, superiors will hopefully be deterred
from allowing a Delhi 1984 or Gujarat 2002 to
happen on their watch. It is a draft that propos-
es accountability of the most profound kind
from a public servant.
Section 197 of the CrPC is a provision of
law, bestowed by the British, through which
errant governments have refused to give sanc-
tion to prosecute offenders. Leave aside the
public servant, absence of sanction has pre-
vented a Thackeray, Togadia and Modi, equally,
from being hauled to court in a private complaint
under sections 153a, 153b, 505 of the Indian
Penal Code and 295 of the CrPC for spewing
hatred and venom. The proposed law removes
the barrier of sanction when officials are to be
charged with offences which broadly fall under
the category of dereliction of duty. For other
offences, sanction to prosecute is required to be
given or denied within 30 days, failing which it
is deemed to have been given. Reparation and
compensation for loss, not limited to majority
or minority, has been standardised and related
to a rational scheme related to the cost-price
index, not left to the whims of a particular gov-
ernment.
It is no wonder then that such a proposed
law that recognises the corrosive ill of majoritar-
ian, communal and caste bias has generated
more heat than reason.
The most hysterical criticism has come
from outfits that have benefitted politically from
fuelling a majoriatrian and supremacist bias,
often being perpetrators and agent provocateurs
of violence themselves. Representatives of
these outfits have gone to the extent of impos-
ing brute will on police stations when officers of
the law have tried to constrain them during
bouts of communal conflict. The Shiv Sena,
Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and BJP are
equally guilty of attempting to bully local police
stations to paralysis and inaction at such times.
It is the same bullying tactics that is precluding
any rational discussion on a long-overdue
measure that signifies mature institutional cor-
rection of anti-minority bias and partisan admin-
istrative and police functioning. Fortunately this
time round, other political players like the Left,
the JD(U), the National Conference and the
Samajwadi Party have greeted the tabling of the
Bill with cautious enthusiasm.
Finally, another caveat. A Bill, once it gets
tabled, always goes to a Standing Committee,
before and after which amendments can and
will be tabled, shaping and re-shaping the draft.
The RTI of 2005 went into over 180 amend-
ments after coming in draft form to Parliament.
This will and must happen with the PCTVB also.
Once it is tabled in the Rajya Sabha, however,
regardless of the shape and colour of the next
Parliament, it will be a step on the verge of being
taken. No wonder then that it is the very forces
that have been the political beneficiaries of com-
munal violence that are preventing Indian law-
makers from taking this quantum leap.
The writer is an activist, educationist and journalist
who was associated with the drafting of the Bill
ANALYSIS The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 11 www.milligazette.com
Righting Institutional Bias
They & We
They spent money for Islam
We make money from Islam
They brought others into the Ummah
We send Muslims out of the Ummah
Their leaders were the best of them
Our leaders are the worst of us
They measured Net Worth in character
We measure Net Worth in money
They were known for their courage
We are known for our cowardice
They stood up to kings for the sake of Allah
We stand up to Allah for the sake of kings
They honored their teachers
We abuse our teachers
They competed in obedience
We compete in disobedience
The Malaika knew them
The Shayateen know us
The Malaika recognized their voices raised in
praising Allah and dua
The Shayateen recognize our voices raised in
Rap and Beat Boxing
Their criterion for the Dunya was Islam
Our criterion for Islam is the Dunya
They were proud of their Islam
We are ashamed of our Islam
Following Islam honored them
Leaving Islam dishonored us
They showed the way to the world
We dont even know that we are lost
They were the Sahaba of Rasoolullah (SAS)
We are those about whom Rasoolullah (SAS)
will complain
(May Allah save us from that)
MIRZA YAWAR BAIG
yawarbaig@gmail.com
Film star SHAH RUKH KHAN
has been appointed by South
Korea, after great efforts, its
Goodwill Ambassador. The
country, which is home to
multi-national industrial
giants like Samsung and
Hyundai, was keen to
appoint the Bollywood
superstar as its goodwill
ambassador and had been chasing him for more than
two months for conferring him this honour. Finally,
South Korea succeeded in trapping him and Shah
Rukh Khan officially accepted South Koreas offer to
become its Goodwill Ambassador. South Korea is
now keen that Shah Rukh Khan visits that country
before South Koreas President (Ms) Park Geun-hyes
maiden official visit to India which is scheduled in
January 2014 to upgrade and strengthen political and
strategic relations between the two countries. Let us
hope that King Khan will certainly visit that country in
deference to its wishes.
SHAMIM AIYYUB and IRFAN BAKHSHI have been
appointed by union communications minister Kapil
Sibal as Members of Telephone Advisory Committee.
Irfan Bakhshi who has been appointed Bharat
Sanchar Nigam, Patnas Telephone Advisory
Committee member is presently media adviser of
Hindi daily Early Morning and is closely associated
with journalism. He was also coordinator of National
Commission for Minorities Educational Institutions as
well as a Zonal and Divisional level member of
Railway Advisory Committee three times between the
years 2000 and 2008.
Dr HENA FATEMA of Career Medical College,
Lucknow was elected a Member of Medical Council
of India in a meeting of members of Medical Council
of India held on 30 October at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia
Awadh University, Faizabad. She secured six votes
out of a total of 7 votes cast. Her nearest rival, Dr
Prabhakar of Medical College, Lucknow got only one
vote whereas two other doctors of Lucknow Medical
College and Career Medical College got not a single
vote.
Professors NESAR AHMAD and SHAMSHAD
AHMAD have been appointed heads of their repective
departments in AMU. Whereas Prof Nesar Ahmad
has been appointed Head of the Department of
Economics for 3 years in place of the present Head,
Prof Abdul Wahab whose term ended on 3 November,
Prof Shamshad Ahmad has been appointed Head of
the Department of Pathology in AMUs JN Medicl
College for 3 years in place of Prof Veena
Maheshwari after the completion of her term. Prof
Shamshad is presently on leave and in his absence
Prof Rana Khalid Sherwani will officiate as Head of
this Department till 22 January 2014.
HANIF AZHAR, a cartoonist who in the past also cre-
ated comic characters and TV serials like Shaktiman,
particularly popular among children on the pattern of
Spiderman, Superman etc in English, who recently
jointed BJP, is being used by BJP for its propaganda
campaign against the ruling government, through
cartoons, on current problems like rising prices par-
ticularly of onions, corruption, law and order, high
power and water bills etc. Cartoons on these prob-
lems have been conceived by Azhar and he has been
employed for making new such cartoons every 3 or
4 days to attack the ruling government in these times
of elections because, according to BJP sources,
satirical cartoons are eye catchng and more effec-
tive than high sounding and firy political speeches.
Hoardings depicting his cartoons will be put up at
crowded and prominent places in Delhi. Assembly
elections in Delhi will be held in the first week of
December.
MEN & WOMEN IN NEWS
OBITUARIES
12 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 NEWSMAKERS www.milligazette.com
Dr ASLAM JAMSHEDPURI, President of Urdu Department in
Charan Singh University, Meeruth along with some others was
honoured with UPTA Excellence Award (Kamleshwar Award)
2013 by UPTA (United Progressive Theatre Association), Meeruth
in recognition of his valuable services in the field of literature.
ABBAS MEHDI, journalist and producer in Zee Salam TV channel
was honoured with Farogh-e Urdu Award at a function organised
by Amroha Foundation and Shia-Sunni Unity forum.
Maharashtra Urdu Academy awards
The Maharashtra Urdu Academy last month announced the
names of 92 Urdu scholars, academicians, critics, historians,
teachers and journalists from all over Maharashtra who will be
conferred its annual awards in different fields for the years 2011
and 2012.
The awards are conferred on the recommendations of the
members of the academy. Each member sends his or her recom-
mendations from respective areas. These names are then sent to
the core committee for its consideration, President of the
Maharashtra Urdu Academy Khurshid Siddiqui said, adding that
the awards to the authors are given based on the recommenda-
tions of a panel of judges after a thorough and critical reading of
their books and research work.
The complete list of the award is as under:
For the year 2011
Sant Gyaneshwer National Award of 51,000 to Dr ABDUS SAT-
TAR DALWI, Wali Dakani Award of 30,000 to Dr RAFEEA SHAB-
NAM AABDI, Siraj Aurangabadi State Award of 25,000 to Prof
SHAH HUSAIN NEHRI, Setu Madhurao Pagadi Marathi Translation
prize of 25,000 to ASLAM MIRZA.
In new writers category awards are given to MUHAMMAD
ASLAM PERVEZ (Saher Ludhiyanawi Award of 10,000), MUNTE-
JEEBUDDIN MUNIRUDDIN, SHAMIM EJAZ, HASAN AALAM
RIZVI, SAEED AH KHAN each will be conferred Haroon Rasheed
Awards in Journalism.
Renowned calligrapher of Malegaon RAMZAN FAIZEE has
been selected for Layout & Design award. MUHAMMAD AMIN-
UDDIN, QAZI ASIFUDDIN DANISH, SHREE DALVI, KHIZAR
AHMED KHAN, RUKNUDDIN WADEKAR, BASHIR PERVAZ, SHA-
KEEL KHAN, AZHAR SHAKEEL, MUHAMMAD RIZWAN KHAN,
YAQUBUR RAHMAN are selected for special awards.
In teachers category awards will be given to RAJE BAGBAN,
Dr. ABDUL AZIZ IRFAN, MUHAMMAD YUNUS ANSARI,
SHEHNAZ BANO ALI MAZHAR, ATHER JAMEEL, TASNEEM
ANSARI, AAFTAB AH KHAN, ZAFAR AH KHAN, MAHER RAHMAN
and SULTAN AH RAEES AH.
In research category, SALIM SHEHZAD, Dr MAHMOOD
HASAN ALLAHABADI and KHALIQUZZAM NUSRAT will be con-
ferred the awards. RAOOF SADIQUE, ASEER UMMEDI, SANDIP
GUPTE and ARSHAD MEENANAGARI are selected for the awards
in poetry. M. MUBEEN, ANSARI YAQUB HASRAT, MUKHTAR
YUSUFI and MAHSHAR FAIZABADI are selected for their literary
work for the children.
For the year 2012
Sant Gyaneshwer National Award of 51,000 to SAMPOOR SINGH
KALRA GULZAR,
Wali Dakani Award of 30,000 to SHAMIM TARIQUE,
Siraj Aurangabadi State Award of 25,000 to KALEEM ZAFAR,
Setu Madhurao Pagadi Marathi Translation prize of 25,000 to
IBRAHIM AFGHAN.
Dr REHAN ANSARI is selected for Sahir Ludhyanawi Award,
MUHAMMAD ZIYAUDDIN, ANWARUL HAQ KHAN, Dr LATEEF
SUBHANI and RASHEED QASMI are selected for Haroon Rasheed
Awards in Journalism.
Dr. SYED SHUJAAT ALI, SUKOOM JAUNPOORI, Dr. MUSTAFA
PUNJABI, Syed ASGHAR ALI USMAN ALI, SHAIKH RAHMAN
SHAIKH MUNEER, Adv ZUBAIR AZMI, SYED IQBAL, MUAN-
WWAR SULTANA, TAJDAR TAJ and IQBAL PATANI are selected
for special awards for the year 2012.
In teachers category, HUMA BARGIR, MAIMUNA SHAIKH, Dr
YAHYA JAMEEL, MEHEK NUR MUHAMMAD, ATEEQUR RAH-
MAN, AISHA KAUSAR, KHAN ABDULLAH, ABDUL HAQ, SHAIKH
NIYAZUDDIN and ANWAR AH KHAN. MUHAMMAD ASADUL-
LAH,QAZI MUSHTAQUE AH and ASHFAQUE ANJUM are selected
for the 2012 award for their research work.
In poetry, SHABBIR AASIF, ZAFAR GORAKHPURI, ISHRAT
JALANDHARI and MAZHAR SIDDIQUI are selected for the award.
For the literature of children, BANO SARTAJ, BASHEER SHOLA-
PURI and RAHEEM RAZA, whereas SHAB ANSARI, SULTAN
SUBHANI, SADDAQUA NAWAB SEHER, FARZANA ASAD, ANEES
CHISHTI and SYED NAUSHAD BAIGAM are selected for special
awards.(ummid.com)
AWARDS
A l l a m a
M A N S O O R
BIJNORI, gen-
eral secretary
of Majlis Ahrar-
e Islam Hind
died on 10
October in
Dehradun after
heart attack
while attending a book release func-
tion. He was buried in Bijnore. A
condolence meeting was held at
Ludhiana in the central office of the
Majlis in which its president
Maulana Habibur Rahman Sani
Ludhianwi and others participated.
SYED HASNAIN MIAN NAZMI
MARAHRAVI, sajjadanashin of Khanqah
Barkatiya Marahra, author, naatia poet
and journalist died in Mumbai on 6
November after a prolonged illness.
Author of about 3 dozen books, he had
also translated the Quran into Hindi from
its Urdu translation titled Kanzul Eemaan.
A linguist, he was well-versed in Urdu,
Hindi, English, Arabic, Persian, Sanskrit,
Gujarati and Marathi languages. He was
also equally well-versed in poetry as well
as prose. His hamd (praise of God in
verse) composed in English, Nazm-e Elahi
is included in the syllabus of different
schools of England. He was also an
UPSCs Indian Information Service officer
and held high offices in Indian govern-
ments Aakashwani and Press Information
Bureau. His body was taken by air to
Marahra for burial.
MAULANA IBRAHIM MIAN SAHEB, suc-
cessor of Shaikhul Hadees Maulana
Zakarya died in Delhi on 2 November after
a protracted illness. He was born in South
Africa where his monastery associated
with the name of Sheikh Zakarya is in
Linesia (South Africa). In accordance with
his will and wish, his body was taken to
Mewats village Malpuri in Haryana for
burial because he had written in his will
that if his death takes place in India, he
should be buried in Mewat within 4 hours
of his death. Author of about a hundred
books, he was around 66 years of age
and leaves behind 3 sons and 1 daughter.
Dr VIDYA SAGAR ANAND, an Urdu man of
letters, poet, essayist, and composer of
naats, who was settled in London died
there in September. Author of more than
20 Urdu books, he also provided financial
support to many Urdu magazines and
while living in London he worked for the
promotion and service to Urdu. A widow-
er, he leaves behind one son and one
daughter.
HAFIZ SHAFIUDDIN ASHRAFI, noted
milad reader and singer died on 1
November at Sambhal at the age of 82
years. He spent about 70 years of his
life in preaching Islam through recita-
tions of naats, speeches on the life of
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and mysti-
cism among Muslims of all sects. This
had made him very popular among all
Muslims and because of this Muslims of
all sects, Shias, Sunnis, Barelvis,
Deobandis etc and even non-Muslims
had par ticipated in very large number in
his funeral.
Indian preacher Dr. Zakir Naik conferred
Malaysias top award
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Abdul Halim Muadzam
Shah, the King and Head of State of Malaysia, conferred upon the
Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik the prestigious Tokoh Maal
Hijrah Distinguished Personality
International Award for the Year
2013 for his services to Islam in
particular, and humanity at large.
Along with him, former min-
ister in Malaysian Prime
Ministers Office Tan Sri Abdul
Hamid Zainal Abidin was award-
ed the national-level Tokoh Maal
Hijrah award for the year 2013.
Both the awards were given
at a special ceremony at
Putrajaya International
Convention Centre in Malaysia
on 5 November. Also present on
the occasion was Prime Minister
of Malaysia Dato Seri Najib
Razak and his wife Datin Seri
Rosmah Mansur.
Dr. Zakir Naik (48) is the founder of the Islamic Research
Foundation (IRF) and Peace TV. He is a graduate in medicine and
surgery from University of Bombay. He was recently awarded
Islamic Personality of the year award for 2013 by United Arab
Emirate (UAE).
Prof Noorul Islam was laid to rest at Minto
Circle in Aligarh on 3 October. He passed way
the previous day after a seven-year-long
struggle with cancer.
He was one of the pioneer teachers of the
coaching centre at Sultan Jahan building in
June 1968. He was born in Pathia,
Mughalsarai in February 1937. He passed his
high school from there, his intermediate from
Lucknow and BSc from BHU. Later he joined
AMU where he topped in MSc Chemistry and
received the facultys Gold Medal in 1957.
He did his PhD from Univ of New York
where he was the first Asian to receive
Founders Day award.
His basic work was on fusion and fission.
He was a co-worker at the rocket fuel team in
USA/ He worked at NASA for some time but
returned to India due to the insistence of his
parents.
He was a member of Hydrogen Atomic
Energy Commission of India. He is survived by
his wife, two sons and two daughters. His eld-
est son, Prof Najmul Islam is Head of
Biochemistry at AMUs JNMC. (Dr Mohsin
Raza)
PROF NOORUL ISLAM
Mushawarat delegation visits Muzaffarnagar
SPECIAL REPORT The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 13 www.milligazette.com
MG/Yusuf
New Delhi, 6 November 2013: A high-level delegation of the All
India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, umbrella body of Indian
Muslim organisations, visited several camps in Kandhla, Shahpur
and Sunaithi areas in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli districts to
assess the situation of the riot victims who are still stranded in
camps. The delegation consisted of Mushawarat President
Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan and a leading member Maulana Ataur
Rahman Qasmi and included two journalists and a social worker.
This was the third such visit by a Mushawarat delegation since the
anti-Muslim violence erupted in Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and
Baghpat districts of western Uttar Pradesh last September.
According to a Jamaat-e Islami Hind survey, 115 persons were
killed during these riotsout of which 97 were Muslims.
Intermittent cases of murder and attacks on Muslims continue in
the area even now.
The delegation visited camps in Kandhla, Kairana and Shamli
where it assessed the ground situation and the needs of the
stranded and uprooted Muslims who were made homeless by
sectarian violence since 7 September when pro-BJP Jats
unleashed unprovoked violence against hapless Muslims in
Hindu-majority villages. Close to one hundred thousand Muslims
fled from dozens of such villages. At least a dozen villages like
Phugana, Lasadh, Kutba, Kutbi, Batavdi, etc witnessed murder,
burning of Muslims alive, burning their homes, raping women and
kidnapping girls etc. Muslims of these villages were the first to flee
their homes since 7 September. Muslims in many other villages
fled out of fear lest they too become victims of these crimes. A
majority of these people took refuge in Muslim majority villages
and adjoining areas include forest lands where thousands of tents
are pitched even today. Some people who had fled only out of fear
have now returned to their villages, while others have either rent-
ed accommodation elsewhere, especially in towns, or have gone
to live with their relatives in other villages.
The Mushawarat delegation found that the earlier enthusiasm
of Muslims of the area and outside has now died down, that tens
of thousands of these refugees are braving creeping cold weather
in tents mostly made of plastic sheets with little hygienic activities
and their food stocks have almost dried. These people are in dire
need of ration and heavy blankets to brave the cold weather. Some
children have started going to nearby madrasas while thousands
of uprooted children are wandering around because no school in
the area is willing to admit them in the middle of the school year.
The delegation found out that government supplies hardly
reached these camps. Some intermittent supplies of atta and milk
etc came from time to time but at present even such irregular sup-
plies have totally stopped. Authorities at first tried to forcibly send
these refugees back to their villages but most refused to go back.
Now the authorities want to open three big camps and to close the
dozens of smaller camps found in the districts of Muzaffarnagar,
Shamli, Baghpat and even at Loni on the outskirts of Delhi. People
are resisting these moves and are planning to settle down near the
camps or in Muslim majority villages.
Some organisations and people have started planning to buy
land and settle such people there so that they are not harassed by
the police or by forest and district authorities.
The delegation found that the Rs five lakh aid announced by
the state government for each family is meant only for refugees
from 12 specified villages which witnessed murders, violence,
arson of homes etc and even this aid is not reaching all the
uprooted families entitled to it. One objectionable aspect of this aid
is that recipients have to sign an affidavit in which they forsake
their right to return to their villages, which means that soon their
properties and homes will be usurped by others. It also came to
light that no central help has come to these hapless people
although the Prime Minister visited
some of these camps in mid-
September itself.
The delegation found that
though some madrasas and local
people have rendered a yeomans
service to help these hapless peo-
ple in their hour of distress, some
local sharks too have star ted
exploiting the situation and are
diverting aid coming from outside
and selling the same in the market.
While appealing to the people
to continue to help these hapless
people, Mushawarat requests all
donors to physically come to the
camps and distribute the aid per-
sonally to the deserving recipients
instead of sending it or delivering it
to managers of camps.
The camp people require ration
including dried milk, heavy blan-
kets (razaees with mattresses) and
water-proof tents. The camps also
need medical help in the form of
doctors and medicines.
Concerned donors should
come forward to buy land for these
refugees who are camping on pri-
vate or forest land which they will
have to vacate soon. Forest
department has filed FIRs against
them but there is no physical
attempt until now to uproot the
camps on forest land.
Mushawarat and Charity Alliance, the organisation run by
Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, may be contacted by people willing to buy
and donate land to settle these uprooted people. Both organisa-
tions are continuing relief efforts. Mushawarat has just ordered
300 blanket and mattress sets which will be ready for dsitribution
after a week while Charity Alliance has agreed to buy some land
and offer the same to the poorest among the uprooted people.
INFORMATION FOR DONORS:
You may visit Charity Alliance website to donate (please see page
17). The cost of around 100 sq. yard land (suitable for one fami-
ly) is approximately Rs. 100,000 (US$ 1670). One set of blanket-
mattress (razaee-gadda) costs Rs 850 (USD 14) while a water-
proof tent will cost Rs 5000 (USD83).
Kaiant International School, Kainat
Nagar, Kako, Jehanabad, Bihar
(kainatfoundation.org) has been
selected by CBSE, New Delhi, to
participate from Patna region in the
National Education Day
Celebrations 2013. Aisha Ara, a
student of 9th standard, will pres-
ent her group work on A positive
impact on the society at National
Science Centre, New Delhi on
11 November, the birth anniversary
of the first education of minister of
independent India Maulana Abul
Kalam Azad.
Kolkata: In the backdrop of a rising graph of rape, murder, molesta-
tion, dowry killing committed against women, West Bengal Jamaat-e
Islami held a big rally in Kolkata on 30 October which is considered a
historical event in West Bengals history. The rally commenced at Haji
Mohammad Mohsin Square and concluded at Rani Rashmoni
Avenue where a grand womens conference was held.
Inaugurating the conference, the state president of JIH womens
wing Rehana Sultana said that not even a political party in West
Bengal had been able to organise such grand womens rally about
one of the most burning issues in the country. The ongoing heinous
crimes against women should be stopped immediately, she said. She
also said that the govt. should take stern steps to punish the culprits
involved in such crimes. She exhorted women to wear modest
clothes, put on hijab and give up provocative dressing. She said that
women should not be used as a commodity. She strongly con-
demned the commercialisation of the female body.
The state president of JIH West Bengal Mohammad Nooruddin
said that the conference is against the current violence against
woman, against the lobby which wants to disrobe woman. Our
movement is to protect womens dignity, he said adding that a mass
movement should be launched against the commodification of
women in the name of so-called women emancipation. He empha-
sised on education for women and
said that we are strongly against
immorality in the name of freedom of
women.
Dr. Raisuddin, member of the All
India Muslim Personal Law Board, said
a woman renders a dual duty in her
family: as a wife she has to support
her husband to maintain a righteous
way of life and as a mother she has to
care for the proper upbringing of her
children. Woman is the first education-
al mentor for her child.
CPIM MLA and former minister in
the state govt. Abdur Razzaque Molla
said he whole heartedly supported the
programme organised by JIH. He said the gathering is not only for the
Muslim women but also for the the whole country. He said no politi-
cal party or other mass organisation dared to organise such grand
conference of women in Kolkata in support of womens dignity and
rights but the Muslim women have done this today. He spoke strong-
ly against the dowry system.
State General Secretary of JIH Mohammed Abdur Rafique said
that mere protest, convention and laws cannot prevent atrocities on
women. He said only capital punishment can prevent all the crimes
against women and can save their dignity. He said, women in gener-
al are being deprived from their right of property. He said, this con-
vention raises its voice against feticide. (Shaikh Rabiul Islam)
Womens rally in Kolkata
Honour for Kaianat Schools
Aisha Ara
No...No...Vote
for Congress
Arre...Listen
to me also...
SP cares for
Muslims, vote
for them
Humanity wants a spiritual society
Kishan Ganj: Maulana Asrarul Haque Qasmi, religious scholar
and Lok Sabha MP from Kishan Ganj said while speaking at an
Inter-Religious Conference sponsored by Jain Anuwarat Samiti at
Terah Panch Bhavan on 30 September that today the whole of
humanity is in search of a peaceful society so as to live in a state
of spiritual and mental peace.
This Conference was chaired by Sadhvi Shri Pramila Kumari,
religious leader of Jainism. Maulana Qasmi said that he is sure and
certain that true guidance to a misled humanity can be provided
through religion and religious teachings. Hence for true guidance
all religions should be deeply and thoroughly studied. He said that
in the light of comparative study of religions he can confidently say
that seven principles of life are common in all religions which are:
humanism, love, non-violence, truthfulness, justice, pity & mercy
and equality. Therefore, in this Sarva-dharm Sammelan (all-reli-
gion conference) I make an appeal to representatives of all reli-
gions to try to promote and strengthen religious principles and
teachings, particularly in India.
He further said that Islam is the religion which for the first time
enlightened human society with the fact that all human beings are
born from one father and mother and the same blood is circulat-
ing in the veins of all persons and hence there is a blood relation-
ship with each other in human society which demands that we
respect every one as a human being. Narrating an incident he
said that once when Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was in a lane of
Madinah a funeral happened to pass from there. He stood up in
reverence. When the funeral had passed, a companion told him
that the funeral was of a Jew and he knew that. So what, he said,
this was the funeral of a man, a human being. In this religious
conference a very large number of people: Hindus, Muslims,
Christian, Sikhs and in particular, followers of Jainism were pres-
ent. Other important people who participated in this conference
were MLC, Dr Dilip Jaiswal, Prof UN Sinha, Trilok Chand Jain,
Chairman Qamrul Hoda, Ram Autar Jalan, MPs media incharge
Prof Shafi Ahmad and others.
Munnu worth half a million
Indore: Munnu the envy of all the goat sellers fetched a price of
Rs 5.11 lakh for its owner at the time of Baqr Eid. Raised in Gulzar
Nagar locality of the city it was bought by Jamil Khan at the
Ranipura market who is an auto dealer. AC Raja purchased a goat
at Rs 2.5 lakh at the Khajrana market.
Sacrificed goat yields 100 gms of gold!
Hoshangabad: Muhammad Khalid Fazil got a pleasant surprise
when the goat sacrificed on Baqr Eid yielded 150 beads of gold
weighing approximately 100 gms. The goat, bought at a price of
Rs 20,000, yielded the beads, which were found in its intestines.
Believing it as a blessing from Allah, the family is using the beads
as Tasbih.
Sharaee court set up for Muslim women
Pune: All-women Sharaee Adalat set up by Bhartiya Muslim Mahila
Andolan (BMMA) has started working from 2 October here. This is the
first all-womens Sharaee court of its kind in the country which will
take up for hearing cases relating to marital problems like marriage,
divorce, properties, marital relationship and other family problems for
settlement or reconciliation. Head of this courts Pune branch,
Sayeedah Jamadaar said that the need for womens Sharaee adalat
was felt because in Sharaee courts of All India Muslim Personal Law
Board dominated by men, very often a partial attitude in favour of men
and against women is adopted. In the Pune branch of womens
Sharee court there will be two women judges or Qazis. The other
woman judge or Qazi in addition to Sayeedah Jamadaar in Pune
branch is Zubaida Khatoon who is the convener of BMMA of
Maharashtra. This is the alternative arrangement to the judicial system
of the country for settlement of family disputes.
Giving more information about safeguarding the interests of
Muslim women through BMMAs Sharaee courts Mrs Sayeedah
said that the Pune branch was set up after the encouraging
results of womens Sharaee courts in three other cities of the
country. She also said that if the Quran has given equal rights to
men and women, why should women face discrimination in con-
jugal disputes which are brought to Sharaee courts for settlement
which are dominated by men and which give verdicts that are
generally discriminatory against women? She said that in BMMA
Sharaee courts, men also can bring their family disputes but there
will be no discriminiation against them.
Poetic rendering of the Quran into Hindi
Bhilai: Noted Bollywood lyricist and music composer Ravindra
Jain rendered the text of the holy Quran in poem form version in
Hindi. Some portion of the text has been recorded in melodious
rendering. Ravindra Jain accomplished the task in 20 years. Surah
Baqarah has been recorded in a four hour cassette. The whole text
will soon be released in book form. Aligarh-born Jain who is visu-
ally challenged, described his mission of bringing the human her-
itage to the common man. A product of Ganga-Jamuni tehzib,
Jain feels that he has tried to repay the debt he owed to his city.
He is busy devoting time to classics of other languages too.
A rejoinder to Rashtriya Muslim Manch!
Vadodara: Approaching and soliciting Muslims all over the coun-
try to convince them that the BJP has immense love and concern
for the development of Muslims, the Vadodara unit of Gorakshaks
demonstrated it with inflicting fractures and wounds to cattle mer-
chants transporting goats and buffaloes for Eid.
Despite valid documents and without a cow or calf in the vehi-
cle the driver and owner of the vehicle were mercilessly beaten.
Azizur Rahman Muhammad Bashir Deewan and helpers Moin
and Irfan are now nursing their wounds in hospital. Muslim organ-
isations drew the attention of the government and the governor to
these atrocities on Muslims at the time of Eid.
New Urdu weekly starts publication in Gulbarga
Gulbarga: Hamid Akmal, a senior journalist and editor of BN
Times, Gulbarga, said while releasing Aman Times, a new weekly
Urdu newspaper published from Gulbarga that it is easy to publish
or start an Urdu newspaper but it is extremely difficult to keep it
alive and running. Congratulating Akbar Ahmad, the young journal-
ist and editor of Aman Times for his venture, he said that with the
publication of this news weekly another Urdu newspaper has been
added to the list of Urdu newspapers published from Gulbarga. He
further said that the price of Urdu newspapers as compared to
those of English and Kannad, is very small but even then there is
virtually no trend among Urdu knowing people to purchase and
read Urdu newspapers. Describing the patronage of Urdu newspa-
pers as the responsibility of Urdu knowing people he said that the
progress and promotion of Urdu language depends on the stabili-
ty and popularity of Urdu newspapers.
The new Urdu weekly Aman Times was released by Haji
Qamrul Islam, Incharge of municipal administration, Public enter-
prises, minorities welfare and Waqf, government of Karnataka in
the presence of many dignitaries. Azizullah Sarmast, a senior jour-
nalist while speaking on this occasion laid emphasis on the need
of training and preparing new generation of Urdu journalists.
Pak students win India Todays Awards
New Delhi: Inter-School Debating Competition Cup organised
by India Today magazine at Vasant Valley School, Delhi was
won for the second year in succession by students of Lahore
College of Ar ts and Sciences (LACAS), Lahore by defeating
main rivals, Doon School, Dehradun on 23 October. Three stu-
dents of the Lahore School had taken par t in this debating
competition and all the three prizes for the best speakers in the
final round were won by Pakistani students. The topic of the
Debate was A Truth and Reconciliation Commission is better
than a war crime tribunal. More than 25 schools from India
and some foreign countries had taken par t in this Inter-School
Debating Competition including famous schools like Modern
School, Shri Ram School, The British School, Delhi Public
School, La Mar tiniere Boys School (Lucknow), Bishop Cotton
School (Shimla), Doon School, Modern High School (Dubai)
and so for th. Arun Kapur, Director of Vasant Valley School said
that it is a good oppor tunity for all of them (students) to inter-
act and learn new things.
Gitanjalis versified Urdu translation
New Delhi: Versified Urdu translation of Gitanjali, an anthology of
songs and poems by Rabindra Nath Tagore which won him Nobel
Prize for literature is ready and available now. These poems origi-
nally written by Tagore in Bengali were subsequently translated by
Tagore himself into English. Urdu translation of this book, which
consists of 103 poems, in verse was done by Dr Suhail Ahmad
Farooqi, poet, linguist and teacher in Jamia Millia Islamias
Department of Urdu and sponsored by Tagore Research and
Translation Scheme of JMIs Urdu Department. Dr Farooqi has
translated this book not from Bengali but from its English transla-
tion and for this he has taken help from the translations of Dr
Abdur Rahman Bijnauri, (Late) Maulana Neyaz Fatehpuri, Abdul
Aziz Khalid and Zaheer Abbas. The translated version runs into
232 pages whose Foreword is written by Prof Shahzad Anjum,
Coordinator of Tagore Research & Translation Scheme whereas
the Preface is written by Prof Wahajuddin Alvi, President of JMIs
Department of Urdu.
Religious rites contribute to global warming
London: According to a report published in the British newspaper
The Telegraph, fire and smoke arising from religious rites in India
like burning of dead bodies in crematoriums, graveyards and
Buddhist temples and muths are responsible for almost a quarter
of the green house gases (which include carbon dioxide, chloro-
fluorocarbons and some other pollutants) which are considered
responsible for global warming, melting of snow and glaciers etc
in India. It is stated that though researchers had already been
entertaining doubts that religious rites in India, Nepal and South
Asian countries may be responsible for air pollution in these
regions, not much effort was made to assess the enormity of this
problem. This was confirmed by studies made by researchers in
Desert Research Institute in Nevada state of USA and Pundit Ravi
Shankar Shukla University in Chhattisgarh (India) according to
which about 23% air pollutions are caused by burning of fossil
fuels like coal and other materials like wood, particularly mango
wood used in crematoriums, on marriage occasions, incense
sticks, aloe sticks, frankincense (looban) in temples, graveyards
and homes, dung cakes (which are commonly used in villages),
camphor, dry leaves etc. In their researches they identified a num-
ber of very harmful organic compounds like formaldehyde, ben-
zene and others. They also found that funeral pyres in cremation
grounds emitted the largest amounts of pollutants like brown car-
bon which was found to be the biggest contributor to global warm-
ing which in turn leads to melting of snow in mountains and gla-
ciers.
Though much of such pollution is ignored because of peo-
ples faith in religious worship and ceremonies, researchers have
warned that the enormity of environmental pollution and damage
will have a telling effect on man and nature and hence their further
and deeper study and ways to reduce them is necessary. It may
be stated incidentally that there are about three million places of
religious worship in India alone.
National SC Tribunal apprised of atrocities
New Delhi: Women victims from nine states apprised an eight
member jury of 45 cases of atrocities in a two day seminar at
Patnagar. While dalit women are not allowed to sell cow milk in
Mahesana (Gujarata) to cooperative societies Rajasthan brands
them as witches and ostracises them. Dalit women in Kandha
(Orissa) are forced into prostitution and in Haryana several girls
are victims of rape.
Wherever any attempt to lodge petition is made they are bom-
barded with threats. Social activists and legal advisors, who try to
extend a helping hand, are also subjected to mental trauma. They
are implicated in false cases whereas the women victims are
denied medical support / investigation accusing them of low
virtue. Police does not register any FIR. The jury comprised,
among others, Farha Naqvi, Henry Tifagne, Asha Kautale, P.
Shiva Kami etc felt that human rights organisations are either
helpless or ill equipped to lend a helping hand.
Saadat Association Award for Prof Mehrunnisa
Ahmedabad: Prof Mehrunnisa Desai, a columnist of Gujarat Today
and former vice principal of Tibrewal College, was honoured with
Saadat Association (Gujarat) Award in an Eid Milan programme in
the presence of several illustrious dignitaries for inspiring partici-
pation in Ahmedabad Muslim Women Association (AMWA) activ-
ities.
New Delhi: Thirty-five year old Shabana Parveen mother of 4 chil-
dren had come to AIIMS (Delhi) from Meeruth on 19 September
for her own treatment. After the doctor examined her, she was
found suffering from heart ailment and a date around Eid was
fixed for her operation. On 30 Sept she had again come to AIIMS
along with her children and after asking three daughters, includ-
ing 17-year old Nagina to wait at the (AIIMS) gate, she went along
with one of her daughters to the doctor on the 6th floor to request
him to fix the operation for some other date after Eid (which was
celebrated on 16 October) because of the festival. When she had
gone to the doctor, AIIMS security guards, including one woman
guard Haim Lata caught Nagina by her hair and dragging, took her
towards Lal Building. The guards were blaming her for theft of
some ones mobile phone. Her two younger sisters standing at
the gate started crying when they saw their elder sister Nagina
being dragged to some other place. When after a while their
mother Shabana Parveen came after meeting the doctor and
asked about Nagina, the girls told her that guards had taken her
away. When Shabana asked the guards about Nagina, they told
her that she has been detained because of theft of a mobile phone
and that she will soon be sent to police station. When she went
to Hauz Khas police station, no body was aware about her. Since
that time she met many police officers and went to many police
posts, DCP office etc but her whereabouts could not be known.
She then lodged a complaint in Hauz Khas Police Station about
her daughter being kidnapped. She suspects that Nagina has
either been murdered or kidnapped and sold by some criminals.
When this matter was brought to the notice of AIIMS
authorities, they refused to take any responsibility for this.
AIIMS spokesman Dr Y. K. Gupta flatly said that AIIMS has
nothing to do with this because guards are not AIIMS employ-
ees but are posted here by a private security company. People
however dont agree to this casual and irresponsible attitude
of AIIMS authorities. Many responsible people, par ticularly
Muslims, argue that if such incidents take place in a world
famous institution like AIIMS and authorities and police show
no concern or responsibility for such horrible incidents, these
may become common occurrences. They also asked why
those people and human rights organisations who show great
concern and shout at the top of their voice for the safety and
honour of women are silent on this serious matter and that
when last December the whole country strongly raised its
voice in favour and sympathy of Damini for several days and
police also showed extraordinary vigilance, why are they total-
ly silent and police also is showing no interest now. Is it
because they (Shabana and Nagina) are poor people and
Muslim?, they ask. Some of them said that this case is even
more serious than that of Damini because her case had taken
place at late night and by unsocial elements but this case has
taken place in broad day light and by the employees of the
hospital, which is a government hospital. They seriously ask
why the guards have not been questioned and why no action
has been taken against them. Hence the government must
take strong action against all those persons, including AIIMS
authorities who also should be made responsible for not tak-
ing any action against their guards because though they are
posted by private security agency, they must be following
AIIMS rules and codes of discipline. They specially said that
the role of woman guard is all the more shameful and con-
demnable. They also say that when the girl was taken from
there to Lal Building, how did she disappear from there? If she
was not sent to the police station, it means that guards them-
selves are clearly responsible for her disappearance. Hence
they should strongly be dealt with. They have also made an
appeal to health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to intervene in this
matter and help the helpless girl and her mother. (N. A. Ansari)
Meerut girl found missing from AIIMS
14 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 COMMUNITY NEWS www.milligazette.com
Madani dancing to Modi tunes?
Jaipur: Accusing the Congress of raising the Modi bogey to woo
Muslims, Jamiat Ulama-e Hind Chief Maulana Mahmood Madani
assured minorities that roots of secularism are deep and even if
Modi manages to become the PM there is nothing to be afraid of.
Congress, according to Madani, is creating a scare wave. Instead
of focussing on community welfare, it is relying on Modi phobia.
He warned of a Muslim backlash in the assembly polls. Citing
Muzaffarnagar and Gopalgarh riots, he accused both the
Congress and Samajwadi Party of failure to read the communal
undercurrents. This stance is being construed by many as praise
for Modi. In damage control exercise, Madani clarified that he
was misunderstood - he neither praised Modi nor did he ever do
so. He pointed out that Muslims in Gujarat were happy and pros-
perous despite Modi. He warned Congress not to seek Muslim
votes by raising the Modi bogy.
Folding of hands at school prayers not compulsory: HC
Mumbai: Sanjay Salve, an atheist English teacher in Savitrybai
Phule Secondary School in Nasik had asked about six years ago
why he should fold his hands at prayer time and had refused to
do so. The school authorities, at his audacity had refused a high-
er pay scale and had frozen his annual increments in 2008.
Against this action of the school he (Salve) filed a petition in
Mumbai High Court and asked Pray, what wrong did I do? He
had also stated in his petition that compulsory prayer in state-
funded schools was against the Constitution. After about six years
when the court took up his case for final hearing, it ruled in his
favour, saying that folding of hands at prayer time in state-funded
schools could not be imposed on individuals as it was against Art.
28 (3) of the Constitution. Justice Abhay Oka of the Court who
had given this ruling, however, had said that he should respectful-
ly be present at prayers. The court also directed the school man-
agement to release his dues before 31 January 2014, warning
that it will be considered contempt of court if the management
does not follow the time limit. At a previous hearing of this case,
the school management had offered an out-of-court settlement,
agreeing to pay his dues but he did not accept the settlement pro-
posed by the school, saying that he wanted the court to decide
the case on its merit, so that it could become a precedent for
other similar cases. The schools argument for not giving higher
pay scale etc was that his refusal to fold his hands at prayer times
was an act of indiscipline which may have an adverse effect on
other students. It may be added that the states education depart-
ment had sent letters to the school to restore his scale and incre-
ments etc but the management was adamant and had stopped his
increments from 2008.
Durga pooja celebrations led by a Muslim in Nagpur
Nagpur: Two Muslims went to the office of Municipal
Commissioner of Nagpur to seek permission for setting up a
Durga pooja pandal. They were dressed in skull cap and Pathani
suit. According to one of them, Mohsin Pathan, when he
expressed his desire to meet him, the commissioner asked, why
they wanted to meet him? The commissioner could not believe it
when he was told that they wanted to meet him to seek his per-
mission for putting up a pandal for Durga pooja celebration. The
Commissioner also said that never in his posting had he ever
received such a request from a Muslim. Mohsin says that
employees of the ordnance factory in Nagpur, which is a central
government concern under defence ministry have been celebrat-
ing Navratri festival in this city for the past 38 years in which
Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Buddhists and others also par-
ticipate. Mohsin Pathan says that he has been so much involved
in these celebrations from his very childhood that today he is the
vice president of Durga Pooja Mandal. He also performs the
evening aarti daily. He works in an IT firm and for this occasion,
on his request his work timings have been changed so that he
may be able to be present for the evening aarti.
Funds for modern education in madrasas unutilised
New Delhi: Union HRD ministry had claimed in a statement that
funds allotted for promotion of modern education in religious
madrasas under the Scheme to Provide Quality Education in
Madrasas (SPQEM) launched in 2008 were fully utilised. This
claim was however proved false in a report published in some
newspapers under the heading Madrasas modernization scheme
a failure because of lack of will on 27 April. In reply to a question
about this report, the HRD ministry said in a letter that the funds
allocated under this scheme are being fully utilised, but after 4
years when the progress of this scheme was reviewed, it was
found that instead of showing encouraging results, the scheme
was proving a failure. The HRD ministry itself had issued a report
in the beginning of the current year giving a detailed account of
the madrasas which were supposed to be the beneficiaries of this
scheme but according to the statistics given in this report it was
found that the number of such madrasas was continuously falling
and in some states the number of beneficiary madrasas was zero.
According to HRD ministrys statistics the number of religious
madrasas in different states which were beneficiaries of SPQEM
was 1979 in 2009-10 which surprisingly increased to 5045 in
2010-11 and further increased to 5934 in 2011-12 but their num-
ber sharply fell to 1348 in 2012-13 which was even less than
what it was in 2009-10. This sharp decline is, in spite of HRD
ministrys claim that the funds allocated for modernization of
madrasas are being fully utilised and that this scheme is being
implemented successfully whereas in the last meeting of Central
Grant-in-Aid Committee (CGIAC) it was clearly admitted that the
position of funds allotted for SPQEM was not satisfactory. At the
same time concern was expressed over the position of funds allo-
cated for Infrastructure Development in Minority Institutions
(IDMI) and because of unsatisfactory position of funds utilization
the Committee had expressed its inability to approve the old pro-
posal of religious madrasas and minority institutions nor had
shown any enthusiasm in approving new proposals.
Governments of Indias under secretary (Ms) Aruna Sharma said
regarding modernization of madrasa that if funds are available,
both the old as well as new proposals (for modernization of
madrasas) will be kept in mind. She reiterated that from our side
the funds allocated for modernization of madrasas are being fully
utilised. She further said that till 5 August in the year 2013, an
amount of Rs 5, 45, 865 had been released by the concerned
ministry for 1720 teachers and 2533 madrasas but maintained
silence on the fact, as per governments own statistics, that the
number of madrasas benefiting from SPQEM has sharply declined
in 2012-13.
Awards to meritorious students
New Delhi: Human Welfare Foundation organised an awards-giv-
ing function in Hamdard Public School at Talimabad, Sangam
Vihar, New Delhi on 27 October when 100 students of Delhi who
had secured more than 80 percent marks in the Board examina-
tions held in March 2013 and selected on merit basis were hon-
oured with awards. In addition to these 100 students, another 104
students studying in 8th class from UP and Delhi and selected in
All India National Muslim Talent Search Examination (NMTSE)
were also honoured with awards and certificates. Those who
secured 1st, 2nd and 3rd position in this Talent Search
Examination were separately given Rs 10,000;7,000 and 5000
respectively. Important dignitaries including Maulana (Dr) Mufti
Mukarram Ahmad, Imam of Shahi Masjid, Fatehpuri, Siraj Husain,
former Vice Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard, Mrs Neeta Pradhan
Das, Deputy Director of CIIE and others attended this function. All
the speakers urged the students to develop their mental and other
faculties for success in these days of competitions. On the same
day i.e. 27 October awards giving function was held in Rajasthan
too where 100 students were given awards.
123 Waqf properties likely to be handed over to Waqf Board
New Delhi: The problem of 123 Waqf properties which is hanging
in the balance for many years is likely to be settled soon and they
will be handed over to the Waqf Board soon because talks on this
are in the final stage. Though this problem is associated with the
central government but inclusion of Delhi Lt Governors office,
which is considered the most important authority in matters of
land in Delhi, in the decision taking body gives a hope that these
properties may be handed over to the Waqf Board soon.
According to a top level source in LG office, discussions on the
123 properties which are actually Waqf properties but are under
dispute for a long time, are going on feverishly among the repre-
sentatives of UD ministry, Land and Development Office, Central
Waqf Council and Delhi Waqf Board and it is hoped that soon
these may be handed over to the Waqf Board. It may be stated in
this connection that in the beginning of the current year after Delhi
High Courts instructions and reminder and instructions, Attorney
General of India, M. Ghulam Wahanvati had given his approval on
the file of ministry of urban development (UD), thereby paving the
way for denotification of Auqaf. The A G had also made it clear
that now there is no legal hitch in handing over these 123 proper-
ties to Delhi Waqf Board. LG office further told media persons that
last week Delhi Waqf Boards CEO Ali Ashraf also had held talks
with L&D officers in the LG office and since there is no legal hitch
in handing over these properties to Delhi Waqf Board, a notifica-
tion to this effect will soon be issued.
Department of Urdu set up in Maharaja Bhoj University
Bhopal: Two important developments for the progress of Urdu
language and literature took place in the months of September
and October this year. One was the allotment of land by the gov-
ernment of Madhya Pradesh for Maulana Azad National Urdu
University (MANUU)s branch in MP and the second was the cre-
ation of Urdu Department in Maharaja BHoj Open University and
starting of Urdu MA, M. Phil and Ph.D (Urdu) courses. In a func-
tion held in the Cultural Hall of this University chaired by the
Universitys Vice Chancellor Prof Tariq Zafar, Maulana Muhammad
Sayeed Majaddidi, Ameer of Darul Uloom Bhopal, who attended
this function as a special guest, said while speaking on this occa-
sion that promoting and popularising Urdu language and literature
in India for its survival is a national service and those rendering
this national service deserve all praise and encouragement. Vice
Chancellor Prof Tariq Zafar in his presidential address, while
expressing his sincere happiness over the promotion of Urdu said
that students of Urdu will also become a part of this Universitys
about one lakh and twenty-five thousand students. He further said
that whereas many other languages were being used in this
University for its research journals, newsletters, progress reports
and other publications, now Urdu education and language will
also be used in its publications.
Call to send one lakh postcards for communal violence bill
Mumbai: Social worker Ms Teesta Setalwad said in a press con-
ference at Press Club, Mumbai on 28 October that Rahul Bose,
film actor has launched a movement to send one lakh post cards
from different areas of Maharashtra state to prime minister
Manmohan Singh requesting him to introduce The Prevention of
Communal and Targeted Violence (Acces to Justice and
Reparations) Bill (Communal Violence Bill) 2011 in Rajya Sabha
forthwith. She said that the post cards, addressed to the prime
minister, will contain the following request: I believe in an India,
free from violence and hatred. I therefore urge that the govern-
ment of India keeps its nine years old promise and tables the
Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to
Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011 in the Rajya Sabha forthwith.
In this press conference important personalities including promi-
nent advocate Yusuf Muchhala, D. De Souza, Maulana Mahmood
Daryabadi and others were present. This movement is being sup-
ported by important and justice loving people, which has been
started under the Justice for all campaign. This Bill is considered
necessary not only for stopping or at least minimising communal
violence and riots which take place frequently and even deliber-
ately manipulated and instigated in different parts of the country
by mischievous people, political parties and even some govern-
ments for their selfish interests and also to bring to book police
personnel who falsely implicate innocents and remain passive
spectators riots etc or directly or indirectly help the rioters either
out of communal bias or for their own selfish interests.
Falling standards in madrasas
Saharanpur: Maulana Kabiruddin Faraan, general secretary of the
Organisation for the Welfare of Madrasas (West UP and Punjab)
while addressing teachers of Isalmic madrasas said that today
every body feels that the standard of Islamic madrasas is falling.
This is not simply because the existing syllabus of madrasas is
not in conformity with modern times but the main reason for this
is low standard of teaching and training. When the new session
starts in madrasas, by the time the process of admission of stu-
dents is completed, half the month of Zeeqads over. Thereafter,
before monthly syllabus is finalised and books are made available,
Eiduz Zuha vacations start. Regular education and teaching starts
from the month of Muharram which continues for three months.
He said that during one year classes are generally held for 5
months only. During the gap of 5 months students are not in touch
with books and there is no atmosphere of education and training.
In addition to these, frequent absence of students from classes or
madrasas and teachers going on leave further add to absence of
a teaching atmosphere. What is a matter of greater concern and
worry is that even on the basis of wrong examination results, stu-
dents are promoted to higher class with the result that inefficient
and incapable Ulama are produced in madrasas and lakhs of
rupees go waste. When asked as to the reason for such a sorry
state and bad conditions in madrasas he said that the main rea-
son for this is that madrasa authorities are more interested in the
admission of large number of students rather than improving the
quality or standard of education, building more and more of con-
gested madrasas, their carelessness and lack of sincerity about
the future of the new generation of students and carelessness and
indifference of Muslims or parents themselves towards the sys-
tem of education and training of their children. He further said that
young students at a tender age do not understand the conse-
quences of carelessness towards education and added to this,
because of madrasa management and teachers not being educa-
tion friendly and well wishers of their students, todays madrasas
products are greatly lacking in educational qualities and learning
and because of this many people are losing faith in madrasas.
Hence Majlis- Shoora, Madrasa authorities and Muslims in gener-
al should fulfill their duty and responsibility of protecting the
madrasas, which are a milli heritage, from destruction.
Panipat: All India Muslim Personal Law Boards member, Hafiz
Peerji Husain Ahmad said while talking to media persons that
though the new Waqf Amendment Bill 2013 which has been
recently passed after years of hard work is certainly praise-wor-
thy because it is an effective tool for getting Auqaf lands vacated
of illegal occupants but there are still some loopholes which need
immediate attention and action. He said that after its enforcement
in toto, incomes of Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and
Chandigarh Waqf Boards will be reduced almost by 80 percent,
in consequence of which not only religious and welfare activities
of these Boards will come to a stand still, it will also become dif-
ficult to pay the salaries of Waqf employees and particularly the
salaries of Masjid Imams.
Replying to many questions by media persons he said that
in addition to the graveyards currently in use in these states,
there are almost 75 percent lands in these states which though
mentioned as graveyards in official records, have been used by
big colonies and large factories, which are built on these lands.
He said that in Haryana alone there are 70 thousand bighas of
land where no dead bodies have been buried or, in other words,
used as graveyards for about half a century, though in official
records these lands have been recorded as graveyards. He said
that according to Waqf Act 2013, graveyard lands in use cannot
be given on rent but even those lands which have been shown in
official records as graveyards also cannot be given on rent.
The position prevailing at present in Haryana is that Haryana
Waqf Board, in order to protect such lands and also to earn
money, gives these lands on rent but takes an undertaking from
the tenant that if and whenever needed by it (Waqf Board), the
tenant concerned will have to vacate it.
Welcoming the new and amended Waqf Act 2013 under
which two years jail has been prescribed for the illegal occupant
as punishment, he said that government has even now exempt-
ed Waqf lands from Public Premises Act (Panchayat law). He
sarcastically said that people of Haryana make fun of and laugh
at open auction of Waqf lands because no immovable property
or land is under Waqf Boards own possession. If some land is
in the name of some other person, the occupant or the tenant
exacts a fat amount for vacating it but only a small amount is
written in the record. Under such circumstances the question
arises as to how can the open auction be possible? According to
the new (amended) Act, if a land is given to some one on 15 or
20 years lease, governments prior permission will be required.
(N. A. Ansari)
Waqf Bill 2013 has loopholes
COMMUNITY NEWS The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 15 www.milligazette.com
CHRIS HEDGES
Israel has been poisoned by the psychosis of permanent war. It has
been morally bankrupted by the sanctification of victimhood, which
it uses to justify an occupation that rivals the brutality and racism of
apartheid South Africa. Its democracy-which was always exclusive-
ly for Jews-has been hijacked by extremists who are pushing the
country toward fascism. Many of Israels most enlightened and
educated citizens-1 million of them-have left the country. Its most
courageous human rights campaigners, intellectuals and journal-
ists- Israeli and Palestinian-are subject to constant state surveil-
lance, arbitrary arrests and government-run smear campaigns. Its
educational system, starting in primary school, has become an
indoctrination machine for the military. And the greed and corruption
of its venal political and economic elite have created vast income
disparities, a mirror of the decay within Americas democracy.
And yet, the hard truths about Israel remain largely unspoken.
Liberal supporters of Israel decry its excesses. They wring their
hands over the tragic necessity of airstrikes on Gaza or Lebanon or
the demolition of Palestinian homes. They assure us that they
respect human rights and want peace. But they react in inchoate
fury when the reality of Israel is held up before them. This reality
implodes the myth of the Jewish state. It exposes the cynicism of a
state whose real goal is, and always has been, the transfer, forced
immigration or utter subjugation and impoverishment of Palestinians
inside Israel and the occupied territories. Reality shatters the fiction
of a peace process. Reality lays bear the fact that Israel routinely has
used deadly force against unarmed civilians, including children, to
steal half the land on the West Bank and crowd forcibly displaced
Palestinians into squalid, militarized ghettos while turning their land
and homes over to Jewish settlers. Reality exposes the new racial
laws adopted by Israel as those once advocated by the fanatic racist
Meir Kahane. Reality unveils the Saharonim detention camp in the
Negev Desert, the largest detention center in the world. Reality
mocks the lie of open, democratic debate, including in the countrys
parliament, the Knesset, where racist diatribes and physical threats,
often enshrined into law, are used to silence and criminalize the few
who attempt to promote a civil society. Liberal Jewish critics inside
and outside Israel, however, desperately need the myth, not only to
fetishize Israel but also to fetishize themselves. Strike at the myth
and you unleash a savage vitriol, which in its fury exposes the self-
adulation and latent racism that lie at the core of modern Zionism.
There are very few intellectuals or writers who have the tenaci-
ty and courage to confront this reality. This is what makes Max
Blumenthals Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel one of the
most fearless and honest books ever written about Israel.
Blumenthal burrows deep into the dark heart of Israel. The American
journalist binds himself to the beleaguered and shunned activists,
radical journalists and human rights campaigners who are the con-
science of the nation, as well as Palestinian families in the West
Bank struggling in vain to hold back Israels ceaseless theft of their
land. Blumenthal, in chapter after chapter, methodically rips down
the facade. And what he exposes, in the end, is a corpse.
I spent seven years in the Middle East as a correspondent,
including months in Gaza and the West Bank. I lived for two years
in Jerusalem. Many of the closest friends I made during my two
decades overseas are Israeli. Most of them are among the Israeli
outcasts that Blumenthal writes about, men and women whose
innate decency and courage he honors throughout his book. They
are those who, unlike the Israeli leadership and a population incul-
cated with racial hatred, sincerely want to end occupation, restore
the rule of law and banish an ideology that creates moral hierarchies
with Arabs hovering at the level of animal as Jews-especially Jews
of European descent-are elevated to the status of demigods. It is a
measure of Blumenthals astuteness as a reporter that he viewed
Israel through the eyes of these outcasts, as well as the
Palestinians, and stood with them as they were arrested, tear-
gassed and fired upon by Israeli soldiers. There is no other honest
way to tell the story about Israel. And this is a very honest book.
Goliath is made up of numerous vignettes, some only a few
pages long, that methodically build a picture of Israel, like pieces fit
into a puzzle. It is in the details that Israels reality is exposed. The
Israeli army, Blumenthal points out in his first chapter, To the
Slaughter, employs a mathematical formula to limit outside food
deliveries to Gaza to keep the caloric levels of the 1.5 million
Palestinians trapped inside its open air prison just above starvation;
a government official later denied that he had joked in a meeting that
the practice is like an appointment with a dietician. The saturation,
22-day bombing of Gaza that began on Dec. 27, 2008, led by 60 F-
16 fighter jets, instantly killed 240 Palestinians, including scores of
children. Israels leading liberal intellectuals, including the writers
Amos Oz, A. B. Yehoshua and David Grossman, blithely supported
the wholesale murder of Palestinian civilians. And while Israelis
blocked reporters from entering the coastal Gaza Strip-forcing them
to watch distant explosions from Israels Parash Hill, which some
reporters nicknamed the Hill of Shame-the army and air force car-
ried out atrocity after atrocity, day after day, crimes that were uncov-
ered only after the attack was over and the press blockade lifted.
This massive aerial and ground assault against a defenseless civil-
ian population that is surrounded by the Israeli army, a population
without an organized military, air force, air defenses, navy, heavy
artillery or mechanized units, caused barely a ripple of protest inside
Israel from the left or the right. It was part of the ongoing business
of slaughtering the other.
Unarmed civilians were torn to pieces with flechette darts
sprayed from tank shells, Blumenthal writes. Several other chil-
dren covered in burns from white phosphorous chemical weapon
rounds were taken to hospitals; a few were found dead with bizarre
wounds after being hit with experimental Dense Inert Metal
Explosive (DIME) bombs designed to dissolve into the body and
rapidly erode internal soft tissue. A group of women were shot to
death while waving a white flag; another family was destroyed by a
missile while eating lunch; and Israeli soldiers killed Ibrahim Awajah,
an eight-year-old child. His mother, Wafaa, told the documentary
filmmaker Jen Marlowe that soldiers used his corpse for target prac-
tice. Numerous crimes like these were documented across the Gaza
Strip.
By the end of the assault, with 1,400 dead, nearly all civilians,
Gaza lay in ruins. The Israeli air force purposely targeted Gazas
infrastructure, including power plants, to reduce Gaza to a vast,
overcrowded, dysfunctional slum. Israel, Blumenthal notes,
destroyed 80 percent of all arable farmland in the coastal strip,
bombing the strips largest flour mill, leveling seven concrete facto-
ries, shelling a major cheese factory, and shooting up a chicken
farm, killing thirty-one thousand chickens.
Twelve [years old] and up, you are allowed to shoot. Thats
what they tell us, an Israeli sniper told Haaretz correspondent Amira
Hass in 2004 at the height of the Second Intifada, Blumenthal writes.
This is according to what the IDF [Israel Defense Force] says to its
soldiers. I do not know if this is what the IDF says to the media, the
sniper was quoted as saying.
The 2008 murderous rampage is not, as Blumenthal under-
stands, an anomaly. It is the overt policy of the government of Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who advocates a system of open
apartheid. Israel, as Blumenthal points out, has not lifted its state
of emergency since its foundation. It has detained at least 750,000
Palestinians, including 10,000 women, in its prisons since 1967. It
currently holds more than 4,500 political prisoners, including more
than 200 children and 322 people jailed without charges,
Blumenthal writes, including those it has labeled administrative
detainees. Israel has a staggering 99.74 percent conviction rate for
these so-called security prisoners, a figure that any totalitarian state
would envy.
Blumenthal cites a survey of Jewish Israeli attitudes on the Gaza
bombing, known as Operation Cast Lead. The survey, by Daniel Bar-
Tal, a political psychologist from Tel Aviv University, concluded that
the publics consciousness is characterized by a sense of victim-
ization, a siege mentality, blind patriotism, belligerence, self-right-
eousness, dehumanization of the Palestinians, and insensitivity to
their suffering. Bar-Tal tells Blumenthal these attitudes are the
product of indoctrination. And Blumenthal sets out to chronicle the
poison of this indoctrination and what it has spawned in Israeli soci-
ety.
The racist narrative, once the domain of the far right and now
the domain of the Israeli government and the mainstream, demo-
nizes Palestinians and Arabs, as well as all non-Jews. Non-Jews,
according to this propaganda, will forever seek the annihilation of
the Jewish people. The Holocaust, in which Israeli victimhood is
sanctified, is seamlessly conflated with Palestinian and Arab resist-
ance to occupation. The state flies more than 25 percent of Israeli
11th-graders to Poland to tour Auschwitz and other Nazi extermina-
tion camps a year before they start army service. They are told that
the goal of Arabs, along with the rest of the non-Jewish world, is
another Auschwitz. And the only thing standing between Israelis and
a death camp is the Israeli army. Israeli high schools show films
such as Sleeping With the Enemy to warn students about dating
non-Jews, especially Arabs. Racist books such as Torat
HaMelech, or The Kings Torah, are given to soldiers seeking
rabbinical guidance on the rules of engagement. Rabbi Yitzhak
Shapira and Rabbi Yosef Elitzur, the authors of the 230- page book,
inform soldiers that non-Jews are uncompassionate by nature
and may have to be killed in order to curb their evil inclinations. If
we kill a gentile who has violated one of the seven commandments
[of Noah] ... there is nothing wrong with the murder, Shapira and
Elitzur write. The rabbis claim that under Jewish law there is justi-
fication for killing babies if it is clear that they will grow up to harm
us, and in such a situation they may be harmed deliberately, and not
only during combat with adults.
These narratives of hatred make any act of deadly force by the
Israeli army permissible, from the shooting of Palestinian children to
the 2010 killing by Israeli commandos of nine unarmed activists on
the Turkish boat the Mavi Marmara. The activists were part of a
flotilla of six boats bringing humanitarian supplies to Gaza. The
Israeli propaganda machine claimed that the small flotilla was a
covert terror convoy. Never mind that the Mavi Marmara was in
international waters when it was attacked. Never mind that no one
on the boat, or any of the five other boats, was armed. Never mind
that the boats were thoroughly searched before they left for Gaza.
The Israeli lie was trumpeted while every camera, video and tape
recorder, computer and cellphone of the activists on board was
seized and destroyed-or in a few cases sold by Israeli soldiers when
they got back to Israel-while those on the boats were towed to an
Israeli port and detained in isolation. The ceaseless stoking of fear
and racial hatred- given full vent by the Israeli government and
media in the days after the Mavi Marmara incident-has served to
empower racist political demagogues such as Netanyahu and
Avigdor Lieberman, a camp follower of Meir Kahane. It has also
effectively snuffed out Israels old left-wing Zionist establishment.
In Israel you have three systems of laws, the Israeli Arab
politician Ahmed Tibi observes in the Blumenthal book. One is
democracy for 80 percent of the population. It is democracy for
Jews. I call it an ethnocracy or you could call it a Judocracy. The
second is racial discrimination for 20 percent of the population, the
Israeli Arabs. The third is apartheid for the population in the West
Bank and Gaza. This includes two sets of governments, one for the
Palestinians and one for the settlers. Inside Israel there is not yet
apartheid but we are being pushed there with ... new laws.
As Blumenthal documents, even Israeli Jews no longer live in a
democracy. The mounting state repression against human rights
advocates, journalists and dissidents has reached the proportions
of U. S. Homeland Security. The overtly racist cant of the political
elite and the masses-Death to Arabs is a popular chant at Israeli
soccer matches-has emboldened mobs and vigilantes, including
thugs from right-wing youth groups such as Im Tirtzu, to carry out
indiscriminate acts of vandalism and violence against dissidents,
Palestinians, Israeli Arabs and the hapless African immigrants who
live crammed into the slums of Tel Aviv. Israel has pushed through
a series of discriminatory laws against non-Jews that eerily resem-
ble the racist Nuremberg Laws that disenfranchised Jews in Nazi
Germany. The Communities Acceptance Law, for example, permits
small, exclusively Jewish towns planted across Israels Galilee
region to formally reject applicants for residency on the grounds of
suitability to the communitys fundamental outlook. And all who
denounce the steady march of Israel toward fascism-including
Jewish academics-are attacked in organized campaigns as being
insufficiently Zionist. They are branded as terrorists or collaborators
with terrorists. As a headline in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz read:
The settlers are the real government of Israel.
Woody [a law school graduate from New York] became my ini-
tial liaison to Tel Avivs radical left, introducing me to a loose-knit
band of a few hundred anarchists, disillusioned ex- soldiers, disaf-
fected children of ultra-Zionists, queers, academics, and generally
idealistic and disillusioned young people who came of age during
the Second Intifada when the liberal Zionist peace camp closed
ranks with the militaristic right wing, Blumenthal writes. This tiny
band of social deviants comprised the only grouping of people I met
who sincerely embraced multiculturalism and who took concrete
action against the discriminatory foundations of their countrys
political apparatus. Right-wingers and many Jewish Israelis who
considered themselves part of the social mainstream referred to
members of the radical left assmolinim, which simply means left-
ists, but the word carried a deeply insulting connotation of an unac-
ceptable caste, an Other. As branded social outcasts, inflexible in
their principles, disdainful of ordinary politics, and brazen in their
racial liberalism they resembled nothing so much as the pre-Civil
War abolitionists.
The late Amnon Dankner, the former editor of Maariv, one of
Israels major newspapers, Blumenthal notes, denounced neo-Nazi
expressions in the Knesset and entire parties whose tenor and
tone arouse feelings of horror and terrifying memories. David
Landau, the former editor-in-chief of Haaretz, has called on Israelis
to boycott the Knesset to stand against the wave of fascism that
has engulfed the Zionist project. And Uri Avnery, a left-wing politi-
cian and journalist, says: Israels very existence is threatened by
fascism.
The disillusionment among idealistic young immigrants to Israel
dots the book. As one example, Canadian David Sheen is recorded
as saying that everything he had known about Israel and
Palestinians was, in Blumenthals words, a fantasy cultivated
through years of heavy indoctrination. But perhaps what is saddest
is that Israel has, and has always had, within its population intellec-
tuals, including the great scholar Yeshayahu Leibowitz, who sought
to save Israel from itself.
Leibowitz, whom Isaiah Berlin called the conscience of Israel,
warned that if Israel did not separate church and state it would give
rise to a corrupt rabbinate that would warp Judaism into a fascistic
cult.
Religious nationalism is to religion what National Socialism
was to socialism, said Leibowitz, who died in 1994. He understood
that the blind veneration of the military, especially after the 1967 war
that captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem, was dangerous
and would lead to the ultimate destruction of the Jewish state and
any hope of democracy. Our situation will deteriorate to that of a
second Vietnam, to a war in constant escalation without prospect of
ultimate resolution. He foresaw that the Arabs would be the work-
ing people and the Jews the administrators, inspectors, officials,
and police-mainly secret police. A state ruling a hostile population
of 1.5 million to 2 million foreigners would necessarily become a
secret-police state, with all that this implies for education, free
speech and democratic institutions. The corruption characteristic of
every colonial regime would also prevail in the State of Israel. The
administration would have to suppress Arab insurgency on the one
hand and acquire Arab Quislings on the other. There is also good
reason to fear that the Israel Defense Force, which has been until
now a peoples army, would, as a result of being transformed into
an army of occupation, degenerate, and its commanders, who will
have become military governors, resemble their colleagues in other
nations. He warned that the rise of a virulent racism would con-
sume Israeli society. He knew that prolonged occupation of the
Palestinians would spawn concentration camps for the occupied
and that, in his words, Israel would not deserve to exist, and it will
not be worthwhile to preserve it. But few, then or now, cared to lis-
ten. This is why Blumenthals new book is so important.
Chris Hedges has previously spent nearly two decades as a
foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and
the Balkans. He has reported from more than 50 countries and has
worked for The Christian Science Monitor, National Public Radio, The
Dallas Morning News and The New York Times, for which he was a
foreign correspondent for 15 years,
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16 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 INTERNATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Imploding the Myth of Israel
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INTERNATIONAL The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 17 www.milligazette.com
MAZIN QUMSIYEH
On November 28, 1947, the CIA predicted accu-
rately the meaning of Truman's push to partition
Palestine: Armed hostilities between Jews and
Arabs will break out if the UN General Assembly
accepts the plan to partition Palestine ... the result-
ing conflict will seriously disturb the social, eco-
nomic, and political stability of the Arab world, and
US commercial and strategic interests will be dan-
gerously jeopardized ... The poverty, unrest, and
hopelessness upon which Communist propagan-
da thrives will increase throughout the Arab
world.
It has been 20 years since the Oslo process
and we can engage in a postmortem analysis of
the dozens of failed initiatives and plans for
peace, or pacification. Some would tell us our
choices are or were limited. Ten years ago, our
departed friend Professor Edward Said wrote:
Who is now asking the existential questions
about our future as a people? The task cannot be
left to a cacophony of religious fanatics and sub-
missive, fatalistic sheep ... We are that close to a
kind of upheaval that will leave very little standing
and perilously little left even to record, except for
the last injunction that begs for extinction. Hasn't
the time come for us collectively to demand and
formulate a genuinely Arab alternative to the
wreckage about to engulf our world?
Today, seven million of the 12 million
Palestinians around the world are refugees or dis-
placed people. There are some 5.8 million Israeli
Jews and nearly 6 million Palestinians who live
under the rule of the apartheid Israeli state. Half
the Jews who live in Palestine/Israel are immi-
grants. Israel stole most of the land and now con-
trols some 93 percent of the land of Palestine
(before the British invasion and the Balfour
Declaration, native and Zionist Jews collectively
owned only 2 percent of Palestine).
It is tempting for some people to lose faith in
the possibility of liberation and justice after 132
years since the first Zionist colony and 65 years
after the 1948 Nakba. There was a phrase in the
1960s civil rights struggle, free your mind and
your ass will follow. Surely when we free our
minds we will see there are many options, despite
the attempt of our oppressors to convince us that
our options are gone, save for surrendering or
issuing empty slogans.
Surely, we as a people can and do chart a
path forward. What are our options outside of slo-
ganism or defeatism? That is to say, outside of
current policies of endless talk or endless negoti-
ations while weak?
The other options are not magical nor new;
many have already articulated them in clear
visions in countless studies.
Why not revive the original charter of PLO to
liberate all of Palestine? Why not democratize the
PLO to really represent the 12 million Palestinians
around the world? Why not refuse to suppress
resistance and instead engage in massive popular
resistance throughout historic Palestine?
Why not engage in resistance in areas outside
of Palestine? Why not target Zionist companies
and interests world wide by economic boycotts
and even sabotage? Why not expose and confront
the network of Zionist lobbyists that support war
crimes and support Zionist control? Why not
engage in educational campaigns and media cam-
paigns and lobbying around the world?
Why not build alliances with powerful states
that could provide protection or support, like
China, Russia or Brazil? Why not promote boy-
cotts, divestment, and sanctions? Why not work
through international agencies including the
International Court of Justice to bring Israeli war
criminals to justice and challenge membership of
Israel in the UN and all its agencies? Why not do
all the above and even more?
Politicians are reluctant to consider change
because they believe they are important. To justi-
fy their inaction and lack of backbone, they even
lie. But people can and do force politicians to
change. Regardless of how they got into power or
the nature of governing systems, leaders cannot
afford to ignore strong people demands. But if the
people are complacent and ignorant, this is the
best scenario for status quo politicians.
We saw changing policies in the Ottoman
Empire from support of Zionism to rejection. We
saw changes in British policies in response to the
Palestinian revolution of 1936 and continuing
pressures even recently when the British parlia-
ment voted against attacking Syria on behest of
Israel.
And we saw the power of resistance in 1987-
1991 in challenging both the complacency of
leaders in Tel Aviv and Tunisia. Surely we can also
learn lessons from the limitations of military might
whether in Vietnam in the 1960s or in Iraq in 2003,
or Lebanon in 2006, or Gaza in 2008. More
recently we can see dramatic shifts and retreats in
issues dealing with Syria and Iran. History is
dynamic and not static nor is it to the liking of sta-
tus quo politicians.
The original Zionist project was for control of
the area between the Euphrates and the Nile. Here
we are 130 years later and even the area between
the Jordan and the Mediterranean is roughly at
parity between Jewish Israelis and Palestinians.
When Balfour declaration was issued in 1917,
there were 650,000 Palestinians in Palestine;
today there are nearly 6 million.
Surely this is not a hopeless scenario. After
denying our existence, the Palestinian flag now
flies around Palestine even inside the Green line.
Surely this should not be at the expense of
Palestinian flags on security uniforms preventing
Palestinians from engaging in resistance or as
backdrops with Israeli and American flags in end-
less negotiations.
Martin Luther King, Jr stated once:
Cowardice asks the question - is it safe?
Expediency asks the question - is it politic? Vanity
asks the question - is it popular? But conscience
asks the question - is it right? And there comes a
time when one must take a position that is neither
safe, nor politic, nor popular; but one must take it
because it is right.
The author is a professor at Bethlehem
University. He previously served on the faculties of
the University of Tennessee, Duke and Yale.
The views expressed in this article are the
author's and do not necessarily reflect Ma'an
News Agency's editorial policy. (maannews.net)
Palestinians do have options for change
Today, seven million of the 12 million Palestinians around the world are refugees or
displaced people. There are some 5.8 million Israeli Jews and nearly 6 million
Palestinians who live under the rule of the apartheid Israeli state. Half the Jews who
live in Palestine/Israel are immigrants. Israel stole most of the land and now controls
some 93 percent of the land of Palestine (before the British invasion and the Balfour
Declaration, native and Zionist Jews collectively owned only 2 percent of Palestine).
Madam Arafat, Sisi
is not the right
address for you
KHALID AMAYREH
O c c u p i e d
Jerusalem: Suha
Arafat, widow of
the late
Palestinian leader
Yasser Arafat,
reportedly has
called on the
leader of the mili-
tary coup in
Egypt, Abdul Fattah Sisi, to help determine the
identity of her husband's murderer or murderers.
Mrs. Arafat has been quoted as saying I
appeal to Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to devote a special
care to the subject of the death of Abu Ammar
(Yasser Arafat's nom de guerre) who had served
in the Egyptian army as an explosives expert.
She reportedly added: Egypt must help us in
resolving this crime. I hope that the Egyptian state
and Mr. Sisi himself will take this issue very seri-
ously and help us initiate a global probe into the
circumstances surrounding Arafat's death
According to tests carried out by Swiss sci-
entists, Arafat may have been poisoned with the
radioactive substance, polonium.
The first forensic tests on samples taken
from Yasser Arafat's corpse reportedly have
shown extremely high levels of radioactive polo-
nium-210, suggesting the Palestinian leader may
have been poisoned with the rare and lethal sub-
stance.
The Swiss scientists who tested Arafat's
remains after the exhumation of his body in
November 2012 discovered levels of polonium at
least 18 times higher than usual in Arafat's ribs,
pelvis and in soil that absorbed his bodily fluids.
The Swiss forensic report was handed to
representatives of Arafat's widow, Suha Arafat, as
well as representatives of the Palestinian
Authority on Tuesday, 5 November.
We know who murdered Arafat
I think most Palestinians know deep in their
hearts that Israel, and no one else, is responsible
for murdering Yasser Arafat. We only need to
know the details of the crime.
Indeed, Neither Sisis, a mass murderer par
excellance, nor Barack Obama or anyone else
would be able, even if willing, to tell us how Israeli
intelligence agents were able to reach Arafat and
deliver the deadly substance into his body.
This task is the responsibility of the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian
Authority (PA). . But, unfortunately, these people
are too incompetent to perform this job.
Let us not fool ourselves and become a
laughingstock of the world. Yasser Arafat was
murdered by Israel which used Palestinian agents
to deliver the deadly substance. These
Palestinians dogs must have been members of
Arafat's immediate coterie or circle of trusted
aides.
The ultimate answer as to who murdered
Arafat lies in there, not with Sisi, the man who
usurped his people's will by overthrowing Egypt's
only democratically-elected President.
Besides, since when was Sisi involved in the
business of resolving crimes and discovering the
identities of murderers. The truth of the matter is
that Sisi is a Nazi-like murderer who carries on
his hands the unjustly-spilled blood of thousands
of innocent Egyptians whose only crime was
their participation in peaceful rallies protesting
the criminal coup against the Egyptian people's
will. Indeed, despite the massacre of thousands
of peaceful demonstrators, not a single murderer
has been indicted, thanks to Sisi's perfidy and
criminality.
Hence, I call on Mrs. Arafat not to tarnish her
husband's memory by asking the Hitler of Cairo
to help decipher the puzzle of Yasser Arafat's
death.
Every Palestinian boy and girl knows that
Israel did it. How Israel was able to do it is the
hard-and embarrassing question- that we must
try to answer courageously and unflinchingly.
KARAMATULLAH K. GHORI
Welcoming his Pakistani guest, PM
Nawaz Sharif, in the Oval Office, last
October 23, President Obama had
undertaken an over-arching survey of
relations between two very old allies
and quipped, at the end of it, that there
inevitably will be some tensions and
occasional misunderstanding. He was,
of course, making this somewhat flip-
pant remark out of his experience of a
relationship that has been quite like a roller-coaster ride.
However, neither Obama nor his awe-struck guest, Nawaz
Sharif, could have thought that the tortured relationship between
the two will be put to the test, exactly according to Obamas off-
hand parameters of tensions and misunderstanding, within days
of Sharifs departure from U.S.
The test came in less than ten days of the Oval Office meet-
ing. And it was none other than Obama who punctured the trial
balloon of rebuilding normalcy of relations between Washington
and Islamabad. All it took was a drone strike to unravel what the
two leaders had set out to put together in their White House tete-
a-tete.
To be fair to him, Obama had said not a word about the dead-
ly drones that have been wreaking havoc on Pakistans tribal belt
along the Afghan border with increasing frequency since he
entered the White House. However, Nawaz, taking advantage of
his Oval Office audience, made a fervent plea for a halt these
strikes. He did so because his government-like the one before it-
is under enormous pressure from the people of Pakistan to seek
an end to the nightmare of frequent drone visitations.
None of the public or private accounts of the Obama-Nawaz
encounter claimed the former made any commitment-or gave
indication of any kind-to the latter to even consider reducing the
frequency of drone strikes against targets in Pakistan, much less
halt them altogether.
However, for purely selfish reasons Nawaz tried to put a spin
of his own on the issue. He wanted to impress his domestic audi-
ence in Pakistan that hed delivered exactly as they expected him
to. So, both he and his minions claimed in their media briefings
that vibes from Obama were good and encouraging in the context
of drones, and there was good reason to believe that drone strikes
would be drastically reduced, soon, if not ended altogether.
Nawaz was obviously playing politics. Hed embarked on his
Washington yatra assuring the people of Pakistan that hed be
pulling no punches to seek an end to the scourge of drones from
his Washington host. While Nawaz spin was understandable, the
Pakistani people werent ready to buy his bombastic. Theyd heard
such claims before, besides knowing so well their leaders craven
pusillanimity when it comes to standing up to Washington.
They didnt have to wait long for their leaders bravado to
unravel. The bluff was called when a drone struck Miranshah, the
hub of the Pakistani Taliban in the notoriously wild and violent
North Waziristan, on October 31 killing at least three people: ter-
rorists, according to Washington, innocent civilians, according to
Pakistani sources.
A deadlier after-shock followed the next day, November 1,
when a precision drone strike took out HakimullahMehsud, leader
of the notorious Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and four of his
prime lieutenants. But the strike also quickly touched off another
cyclic crisis of confidence between Islamabad and Washington
befitting Obamas prediction of tension and misunderstanding.
The Nawaz governmentsreaction to Hakimullahs death has
been unusually sharp and combative, given that the slain terror-
isthad been amortal enemy of the State of Pakistan, recognising
neither its writ nor the sanctity of the law of the land. In a blunt and
almost harsh media statement, Interior Minister ChaudhryNisar, a
right-hand crony of Nawaz, pointed the finger at Washington for
sabotaging the peace process just hours before it was to be
launched with TTP. Nisar threatened to review the spectrum of
relations with Washington.
In another unusual move, the American Ambassador was
summoned to the Foreign Office and given a dressing-down for
scuttling the peace process with the Taliban when it was so close
to a kick-off.
That Nawaz government should be so worked up and betray
signs of paroxysm over the elimination of a deadly enemy whod
shown no mercy against the people of Pakistan-killed by the thou-
sands in acts of TTP-spawned terrorism-has taken political pun-
dits and media gurus by complete surprise.
The surprise is because Nawaz, since returning to power five
months ago, has been so very keen-almost desperate-to seek the
best of relations with Washington for his basket-case country.
Obama, on his part, seemed responsive to Nawaz when he
announced the Congressional approval of a $ 1. 6 billion aid pack-
age for Pakistan to relieve the burden of mounting economic chal-
lenges to Pakistan. In the circumstance, what is at the back of an
angry backlash from Islamabad to something that has been going
on routinely, i.e. the drone strikes, for so long? What has really
triggered such anger when the latest strike ended the deadly
career of an arch terrorist? Why should the Nawaz government
wish to jeopardise Washingtons goodwill and largesse just
because a terrorist leader had been liquidated?
The explanation to these questions must be sought in the
Pakistan governments moves, over the last two months, in par-
ticular, aimed at engaging the deadly Taliban in a peace process
demanded by all the major political parties in the Pakistani galaxy.
In September this year an All-Parties Conference had unanimous-
ly endorsed a proposal to hold a dialogue for peace with the
Taliban and given a mandate to the government to engage them.
The devil in this sudden crisis of confidence, vis--vis
Washington, is in the timing of the drone strike that killed the TTP
leader, hours before he was due to receive a delegation of religious
elders inviting him, on behalf of the government, to begin a dia-
logue aimed at putting an end to the nightmare of terrorism that
has plagued Pakistan for so long.
Interior Minister Nisar has seen the American strike as a delib-
erate conspiracy to rob his government an opportunity to engage
the enemy of the people of Pakistan, i.e. the deadly Taliban, in a
dialogue. He decried Washingtons move as a ploy to scuttle what
his government had been building up for months, brick-by-brick
in his words.
The element of conspiracy has angered even those political
leaders-like the legendary cricketer-turned-politician, Imran Khan-
who have been openly critical of the government for its slow pace
in the peace process. Imran, whose party, the Pakistan Tehrik-e-
Insaf (PTI) has been governing the Taliban-infested Khyber
PakhtoonKhwa (KPK) province sharing a long border with
Afghanistan, has threatened to stop the NATO transportation
trucks from using the province for its supplies to Afghanistan, if
U.S. didnt put an end to its drones in Pakistan.
Anger and rage is mounting in Pakistans ruling and political
circles because this latest American move is seen as a deliberate,
callous and provocative gambit to keep Pakistan convulsed in the
throes of the Taliban-led terrorism. The Pakistanis are interpreting
the move as yet another gratuitous American intervention in
Pakistans internal affairs. It has even provoked a man as unsen-
timental as PM Nawaz Sharif to remonstrate, in utter frustration
that Pakistan has the right to take the decisions on its own
according to its interests.
Throwing the gradually building momentum to peace out of
sync will no doubt lead to more acts of terrorism and violence in
the country. The Taliban leadership licking their wounds are
already taking it out on the Pakistani leaders and politicians by
denouncing them as slaves of America. It doesnt take a genius
to figure out that in the new situation spawned by the deadly drone
strikes, peace talks look like a forlorn prospect.
Interestingly, the military establishment of Pakistan, often
accused by the Americans of turning a blind eye to the terrorist
activities of the Taliban against them, if not being complicit, has
expressed no reaction at the sudden turn of events. The military
has been seen by the outside world as being the power behind the
Pakistani political establishment and calling the shots in all mat-
ters impinging on national security.
The military has also been at the receiving end of the Pakistani
Taliban terror and has continued to pay a stiff price for what the
terrorists believed was its collusion with U.S. in the war against
terror. Even after the national consensus had been reached among
the civil and military elite, last month, the Taliban didnt spare tar-
geting a military convoy and killing a major-general of the army.
The military also shares the politicians preference to engage
TTP in a peace dialogue but has reserved the right to take on the
terrorists on the battlefield if they failed to show an inclination for
peace. The Army Chief, General AshfaqKayani, felt it necessary to
let the Taliban-and everybody else in Pakistan and abroad-know
that the military brass readiness to opt for dialogue as the better
of two options shouldnt be interpreted as any kind of weakness.
But theres also a cynical take of political pundits on why the
army hasnt reacted the way of the political leadership felt com-
pelled to. For one, HakimullahMehsud was a sworn enemy of the
military establishment and there was no love lost between them.
His elimination from the scene could only be a welcome develop-
ment for the army establishment.
For another, the military is the largest recipient of U.S. assis-
tance; its share in the latest package of $ 1.6 billion is as much as
$ 1.3 billion, which spares precious little for economic assistance.
On top of it, the special relationship between the Pakistan army
and the powerful U.S. military establishment is a factor that has
wielded extraordinary influence on the whole gamut of governance
in Pakistan.
The ultimate cynical view, however, says that the Pakistan
army is complicit in the drone strikes, and has been so for years.
So the army must feel smugly contented that someone else is
doing the dirty job on its behalf saving it acute embarrassment
vis--vis the people of Pakistan. Cynics argue that there couldnt
be a better win-win deal for the Pakistan army than this.
However, if blame is to be passed around, the Pakistan army
alone shouldnt be in the dock. The Pakistani civilian establish-
ment should be apportioned as much blame for turning a blind eye
to whats without doubt gross violation of Pakistans sovereignty
in the guise of repeated and frequent drone attacks.
Complicity of the Pakistani establishment-both civilian and
military-has been suspected and alleged for a long time in the
context of drone attacks by CIA and US military combine. The
Wiki-Leaks had stirred quite a hornets nest on the issue when it
revealed a duplicitous Pakistani leadership telling Washington to
deploy drones with impunity against Pakistani targets and not be
put off by the political leadership making theatrical noises only to
assuage the people of Pakistan.
But irrespective of whether or not their rulers in mufti or
uniform have been complicit with the Americans, and to what
extent, in the perpetuation of a scourge, the people of Pakistan feel
that U.S. has stabbed Pakistan in the back, one more time in a
series of betrayals spanning decades. The American conduct in
regard to Pakistan and its people has been overly questionable in
the years since Pakistan, on General Musharrafs watch, joined
the ranks of those lending support to the U.S. war on terror.
Pakistan, the common mans perception says, has paid a price in
blood and economic devastation in the process that has brought
the nation to the brink of catastrophe and is totally unacceptable.
Where would this latest twist in a tortured relationship lead to
is a question hard to answer at this early stage. But the Pakistani
rulers may find it hard, if not impossible, to ignore or downplay the
rage this latest violation of Pakistani sovereignty has triggered in
the people. Pakistan is once again caught at a tangent: it must
decide which is a greater menace to its national interest, U.S. or
the rag-tag Taliban? The Pakistani people, not known for their
cool, may not be inclined to give their rulers all the time in the
world to come up with the right choice and answer.
Who Stresses Pakistan More:Taliban or U.S.?
18 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 INTERNATIONAL www.milligazette.com
Complicity of the Pakistani establishment-both civilian and military-has been suspected and
alleged for a long time in the context of drone attacks by CIA and US military combine. The Wiki-
Leaks had stirred quite a hornets nest on the issue when it revealed a duplicitous Pakistani lead-
ership telling Washington to deploy drones with impunity against Pakistani targets and not be put
off by the political leadership making theatrical noises only to assuage the people of Pakistan.
The strange politics of
Southern hunger
SUE STURGIS
Date on which the Republican-controlled U. S. House, led by
majority leader Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), voted to make deep cuts
to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more com-
monly known as food stamps: 9/19/2013
Amount the House would slash in funding over the next decade:
$39 billion
Number of Americans who rely on the food stamp program: near-
ly 47 million
Number of those who are children: nearly 17 million
Who are senior citizens: 5 million
Who are elderly veterans: 300,000
Of the 10 states with the greatest share of their population on food
stamps, number in the South: 7
The final House vote to enact food stamp cuts: 217-210
Number of Democrats who voted for the cuts: 0
Number of Republicans who voted against the cuts: 15
Of the 15 Republicans who opposed the cuts, number who repre-
sent districts in the South: 3*
Of the 254 counties where the number of food stamp recipients
doubled between 2007 and 2011, number Republican Mitt
Romney won in last year's presidential election: 213
Of those 213 counties, rank of Kentucky's Owsley County among
those with the largest proportion of food stamp recipients: 1
Percent of Owsley County's population that receives food stamps:
52
Percent of Owsley County's vote that Romney won: 81
Percent of Owsley County's vote won by Republican Rep. Hal
Rogers, who voted for the food stamp cuts: 84
Portion of legislators who represent America's hungriest counties
who voted in favor of food stamp cuts: 2/3
Portion of residents in Cantor's home state of Virginia who receive
food stamps: 1/8 (Institute for Southern Studies)
Israeli gangsterim
Israeli aircraft struck a military base near Syria's port city of
Latakia overnight from 30 October to 1 November, according to U.
S. officials. There have be no official statements from Syria or
Israel, however an explosion was reported at a missile storage
site in the area. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human
Rights said, "Several explosions were heard in an air defense base
in the Snubar Jableh area." According to a U. S. official, Israel tar-
geted Russian-made missiles that were to be transferred to
Hezbollah. While Israel does not comment on military operations,
it has been accused of several strikes on Syrian territory this year.
Meanwhile, the Syrian army has reportedly gained control over
the northwestern town of Safira believed to be near a chemical
weapons facility, one of the two sites the Organization for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has been unable to visit
due to security concerns. Government forces overtook the town,
which is on a strategic road near Aleppo, after about three weeks
of fierce clashes with rebel fighters, who have held the area for
over a year.
Arafat killed by polonium
A Swiss team of forensic scientists said that Yasser Arafat, the
leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization who died in 2004,
was assassinated after conducting experiments on his exhumed
body. Tests found compelling evidence that Arafat was poisoned
with polonium, a radioactive element most associated with the
murder of a Russian dissident in 2006. High levels of Polonium-
210 and Lead-210, a byproduct of Polonium-210's decay, were
found in the autopsy and on Arafat's personal effects, the tests
found. Arafat's symptoms before his death and the uneven distri-
bution of radioactive elements found in the tests are "compatible
with an acute intake [of Polonium-210] occurring prior to the
onset of the clinical symptoms," the report stated.
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20 The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES www.milligazette.com
ABIDA RAHMANI
The new Muslim or Hijri year 1435 has arrived. Hijrah calendar fol-
lows the lunar year according to moon sighting. It consists of
twelve months but is 10 days shorter to the solar or common era
calendar every year. That is why its seasons and days keep on
moving. The CE or the Gregorian calendar is followed all over the
world including the Muslim with the exception of Saudi Arabia. But
Muslims everywhere follow their religious rituals according to the
Hijri calendar. Saudi Arabia follows the Hijri Calendar in all its offi-
cial and regular work. They have set up an Ummul Qura Lunar
Calendar, based on a lot of research.
Most of Muslims do not celebrate this New Year as they cele-
brate January 1st. A pall of gloom is felt in Muslim society when
the first Hijri month, Muharram, comes closer. Moreover, the Shia,
a prominent sect within Islam, gets prepared for mourning and
lamentations all clad in black mourning dresses.
The Significance of Hijrah in Islam: During the reign of Umar ibn
al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) the companions
agreed to start the Islamic calendar from the year when
Messenger of Allah (pbuh) made hijrah (emigration) to Madina
where he eventually established the first Islamic State.
As we enter the blessed month of Muharram, it is critical for
us to realise that this event not only marks the beginning of our
calendar but, more importantly, it commemorates the establish-
ment of the nucleus of the first Islamic State.
Muharram, the first month of the Hijri calendar, is one of the
four sacred months concerning which Allah says, Verily, the
number of months with Allah is twelve (in a year), so it was
ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and
the earth; of them, four are sacred. That is the right religion, so
wrong not yourselves therein (At-Tawbah 9:36)
Muharram means sacred (muharram): Although Muharram is a
sanctified month as a whole, yet, the 10th of Muharram is the
most sacred among all its days. This day is named Ashuraa.
When the Holy Prophet migrated to Madinah, he found that the
Jews of Madinah used to fast on the 10th of Muharram. They said
that it was the day on which the Holy Prophet Moses and his fol-
lowers crossed the Red Sea miraculously and the Pharaoh was
drowned. On hearing this, the Holy Prophet said, We are more
closely related to Moses, than you, and he directed the Muslims
to fast on the day of Ashuraa. (Abu Dawood).
In short, it is established through a number of authentic
hadiths that fasting on the day of Ashuraa is a Sunnah of the Holy
Prophet, with a great reward to those who follow it.
According to another Hadith, it is more advisable that the fast
of Ashuraa should either be preceded or followed by another fast.
It means that one should fast two days: the 9th and 10th of
Muharram or the 10th and 11th. The reason of this additional fast
as mentioned by the Holy Prophet, is that the Jews used to fast on
the day of Ashuraa alone, and the Holy Prophet wanted to distin-
guish the Muslim way of fasting from that of Jews. Therefore, he
advised the Muslims to add another day of fast to that of
Ashuraa. This practice was started before the advent of the
Ramadan fast.
However, there are some myths and misconceptions with
regard to Ashuraa which have found their way into the minds of
the ignorant though the same have no support of authentic Islamic
sources. For example, some say: This is the day on which Adam
was created; This is the day when Ibrahim was born; This is the
day when Allah accepted the repentance of Adam; This is the day
when Qiyamah (Resurrection) will take place; Whoever takes bath
on the day of Ashuraa will never get ill and so on.
All these and other similar myths are baseless and the tradi-
tions referred to in this respect are not worthy of credit.
Some people take it as Sunnah to prepare a particular type of
meal on the day of Ashuraa. This practice, too, has no basis in
the authentic Islamic sources.
Some other people attribute the sanctity of Ashuraa to the
martyrdom of Imam Husain during his battle with the Syrian army
of Yazid. No doubt, the martyrdom of Imam Husain is one of the
most tragic episodes of the Islamic history. Yet, the sanctity of
Ashuraa cannot be ascribed to this event for the simple reason
that the sanctity of Ashuraa was established during the days of
the Holy Prophet, much earlier than the birth of Husain himself. On
the contrary, it is one of the merits of Sayyidna Husain that his
martyrdom took place on the day of Ashuraa.
Another misconception about the month of Muharram is that it
is an evil or unlucky month because Imam Hussain, the grandson of
the Holy Prophet, was martyred mercilessly in this month. It is for
this misconception that people avoid holding marriage ceremonies in
the month of Muharram. This is again a baseless concept which is
contrary to the express teachings of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah
of the Prophet. The Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet
have liberated us from such superstitious beliefs.
Lamentations and Mourning: Another wrong practice related to
this month is to hold lamentation and mourning ceremonies in the
memory of martyrdom of Sayyidna Husain. As mentioned earlier,
the event of Karbala is one of the most tragic events of our histo-
ry, but the Holy Prophet has forbidden us from holding mourning
ceremonies on the death of any person. The people of Jahiliyah
(ignorance) used to mourn their deceased through loud lamenta-
tions, by tearing their clothes and by beating their cheeks and
chests. The Holy Prophet stopped Muslims from doing all this and
directed them to observe patience by saying Inna lillaahi wa
innaa ilayhi raajioon (We all belong to Allah and we all will return
to Him). A number of authentic haadiths are available on the sub-
ject. To quote only one of them: He is not one of us who slaps
his cheeks, tears his clothes and cries in the manner of the peo-
ple of Jahiliyah. (Sahih Bukhari).
Authentic jurists have said unanimously that the mourning of
this type is not permissible. Let us greet the New Hijri year with
optimism and prayers for the success, unity and prosperity of the
Ummah.
Celebrating the Muslim New Year
Why Blame
Christianity For
Irish/British
Terrorism?
MAHMOOD A. QAZI
Individuals, not religions, carry out inhuman
acts. Islam is a religion of peace, accepted and
practiced by more than 1.25 billion people
worldwide. It is the fastest-growing religion in
the world today, and if it was what some critics
claim, why should people from all walks of life
from around the world keep embracing Islam?
Where is the sword now?: In Islam, a person
has the right to defend himself, his family, his
country or his neighbour(s). This justifies the
resistance being offered by the people of
Afghanistan, Bosnia, Chechnya, Iraq and
Palestine in reaction to the attacks on their soil
by the so-called liberators who are actually the
occupiers. The Holy Quran clearly states that if
a person saves one life, its as if he saved whole
humanity, and if a person kills one innocent
human being, its as if he killed whole humanity
(The Quran - 5:32).
What is happening in the enslaved Muslim
countries is a natural reaction to occupation,
bombings, killings and terrorizing of innocent
civilians (children, elderly men and women),
rapes, in addition to looting of resources, nation-
al antiques and artifacts, and above all destruc-
tion of properties by the occupiers.
Terror breeds terror: We would like to tell those
who bash Islam that if there was no occupation
by foreign invaders, there would be no resist-
ance - the so-called terror.
We would like those who criticise Islam to
explain the following acts committed by
Christians on Jews, other Christians and
Muslims alike, throughout history:
- Hundreds of thousands of Muslim men,
women and children killed by the Crusaders who
were Christians;
- Inquisition of Jews and Muslims in Spain
by the church;
- Millions killed by the European and
American Christians during the two world wars;
- Hundreds of thousands of Christians killed
by Irish Christians, including the British and the
IRA, both Catholics and Protestants, during the
past few centuries. Why are they not blamed to
be Christian Terrorists?
Both of them believe in Jesus Christ, who
told them to turn the other cheek, and both of
them believe in the same Lord Who commanded
that Thou shall not kill. Period;
- Timothy McVeigh, who bombed the
Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, was a
Catholic. Are all Catholics terrorists?
Last but not least, explain the bombings,
killings, rapes and lynchings of both American
Indians and black slaves (Afro-Americans) dur-
ing the past 200 years in the United States. What
about them?
Will those filled with hate for Islam blame
Christianity for the above inhuman acts by
Christians in various parts of the world?
If not, then why are they blaming the religion
of Islam for what is a natural reaction to occupa-
tion of Muslim countries by foreign invaders?
Most importantly, these folks should know
that the three great Abrahamic religions -
Judaism, Christianity and Islam - have one com-
mon basis, and that is one God Almighty.
All men (and women) are created equal,
and we all are one community under Almighty
God, is a statement of the Holy Quran and is
very well elucidated in the U.S. Constitution.
Lastly, yet impor tantly, as brothers in
humanity, we recommend those filled with
hate to get education in the history of Islam
and Muslims before they venture to write
nasty ar ticles and letters full of hate and
vendetta.
We would be pleased to provide anyone with
free copies of the Holy Quran and Islamic litera-
ture in English, which would help them to under-
stand the truth about Islam and Muslims and get
rid of hate from their systems, God willing.
The writer may be contacted at
drmaqazi@yahoo.com ; drmaqazi@hotmail.com
BOOKS The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 21 www.milligazette.com
BooK: Ikhwanul Muslimoon: Tazkiya, Adab, Shahadat (Muslim
Brotherhood: Self Purification, Literature, Martyrdom)
Author: Obaidullah Fahd Falahi
Publisher: Al-Qalam Publications, Baramulla, Kashmir
Year: 2011
Pages: 302
Price: Rs 210
MUSHTAQ UL HAQ AHMAD SIKANDER
Al-Ikhwan Al-Muslimoon, or Muslim Brotherhood, is one of the
oldest contemporary Islamic revivalist movements in the Muslim
World. A number of works have been written about its birth, evo-
lution, ideology and engagements. In most of these works,
Muslim Brotherhood (MB) has been portrayed as a radical and
fundamentalist movement and in certain cases as terrorist too.
Some analysts have gone further and described MB as the ideo-
logical force behind various Islamic terrorist organisations.
It is a factual reality that MB witnessed many phases and dur-
ing its initial decades few ideologues like Sayyid Qutb came for-
ward with a radical interpretation of Islam that described the mod-
ern-day institutions and system as Jahiliyah, and made it obliga-
tory on every Muslim to struggle for its removal and change.
Sayyid Qutb had to pay a heavy price for his views and was sent
to the gallows by the Egyptian regime under President Gamal
Abdel Nasser.
MB had to bear the brunt of the Egyptian dictators and the
Egyptian State and this continues till today.
The relationship between MB and the Egyptian State is an
interesting subject for study and analysis. The recent violence
against elected President from the MB, his government and MB
cadres opens a new ground for research.
The present book under review by an academic and
researcher on Islamic political movements doesnt deal with these
intriguing questions about MB. Rather, it is a collection of his
papers which he wrote from time to time on various aspects of
MB. It deals with the reasons behind the establishment of MB by
Hasan Al-Banna in 1928 in Egypt and the various phases that it
passed through including, the religious movement phase (1933-
39), political phase in which MB took active part in politics (1939-
45), and spreading and establishing branches in other countries
(1945-48). Dr Fahad also describes the role of MB volunteers and
cadres in the first Arab-Israel war of 1948 over Palestine as well
as during the Suez Canal crisis in 1956.
He also covers the stance of MB vis--vis Egyptian State and
the huge sacrifices offered by the MB cadres which surprises one
with the fact that there still exist men and women who are ready
to sacrifice everything for a noble cause and ideology. The jail
seems to be the second home of every MB leader except its
founder Hassan Al-Banna who was mercilessly assassinated in
Cairo on 12 February, 1949 by the Egyptian secret service agents.
The incarceration and sacrifices that MB offered over the
years during the dictatorships of Nasser, Sadat, Mubarak and now
General Sisi in Egypt kept the flame of resistance burning and MB
didnt compromise on its ideals about the establishment of Islamic
State as envisaged by its founder. These sacrifices and steadfast-
ness made MB survive the brutal attacks of the Egyptian authori-
tarian regimes.
MB history inspires the reader and instills in him the love for
an ideology and a cause that demands sacrifices.
Another chapter describes the amalgamation of Islamic
Mysticism (Tasawwuf) and politics in MB. The cadres are incul-
cated the Islamic values and norms alongwith the love of Allah,
the Prophets and People while being politically active is also con-
sidered as an act of worship by MB. MB believes that politics has
an over-arching impact on lives of people and this field cant be
left at the mercy of sycophants and vested interests. They
describe their indulgence in politics for welfare of the people and
to enforce the code and conduct of the Quran on Muslim soci-
eties. MB trains its cadres while reinforcing the fact that coming
to power is a long-drawn process. For the revolution to be suc-
cessful, there must be an organisation of dedicated souls, other-
wise no revolution can be materialised nor any Islamic State be
established, though the strategy for establishing the Islamic State
has changed from revolution to electoral process now.
Dr Fahad describes the atrocities that MB cadres had to go
through particularly in Egypt and how there were orders for resist-
ance but not for violence from MB leadership to its cadres. But
Fahad fails to describe how the chief ideologue of MB Sayyid
Qutb, the martyr, and his thoughts were sidelined by the MB after
his death. They described his ideology as not being representative
of MB and his followers were branded as Qutbists not Ikwanis.
For the West and Muslims too Sayyid Qutb still remains the ideo-
logue and the idealist face of MB. This subject should have been
probed by the author.
The book breaks the myth of MB supporting terrorist activities
or violence to achieve its goals. Time and again we witness MB
leaders abhorring, condemning and criticising violence that,
according to them, proves counter-productive in achieving their
goals in Muslim societies. In contrast, MB supports use of vio-
lence against forces of occupation like Israel.
In some chapters, Dr Fahad describes the writings of MB lead-
ers and its cadres that have acquired a definitive and unique sta-
tus in the Muslim literary world, while being true to the spirit of
Islam and the ideology of the Ikhwan. Most of the MB leaders were
good writers and the emphasis on literary culture and reading
made them pen down a lot of Islamic literature that has acquired
a unique distinction in the literary accomplishment of Muslim
revivalist movements.
Also there is a lot of information in this book about the organ-
isational system and character-building of the cadres that includes
both men and women, but Dr Fahad hasnt given a description if
there is any difference in the curriculum and organisational
process among men and women inducted into MB.
The author has failed to include more ideological discussions
about the concept of Islamic State of MB and the process of rev-
olution. Such a discussion would certainly have added to its aca-
demic merit and conceptual luminosity.
Despite these flaws the book is a must read for anyone inter-
ested in MB as the author has brought many issues lucidly for-
ward that engross the reader to complete the book to its end.
Overall the book is a nice addition to the Urdu literature about
Islamic Revivalist Movements though the book predates the latest
developments in Egypt which for the first time ushered in an MB
government which was also overthrown by the army within a year.
The struggle continues and the MB cadres have shown their ded-
ication and perseverance in facing the military government with-
out resorting to violence.
The reviewer is a writer-activist based in Srinagar
Egypts Muslim Brotherhood
Kashmir in Sickness
and in Health
Book: Kashmir in Sickness and in Health
Author: Gulzar Mufti
Publisher: Partridge India
Pages: 306 pages/p/b
Publisher: PartridgeIndia
Year: 2013
ISBN 9781482810004
In his new book, Gulzar Mufti examines 150
years of political ups and downs in Kashmir
and their impact on the well-being of its peo-
ple.
Well-known U.K. surgeon Gulzar Muftis
new book entitled Kashmir in Sickness and
in Health takes the reader down uncomfort-
able avenues of the enchanting but troubled
and war-riven Kashmir Valley. Mufti, who
was born in Kashmir, has pulled off the task
of juxtaposing the last 150 years of
Kashmirs turbulent history with its medical,
educational and social development,
from the start of Dogra rule in the
mid-nineteenth century until the
present time.
To illuminate specific aspects of
the story, the author cleverly inter-
weaves the narrative with his own
experiences of growing up in down-
town Srinagar, the capital of
Kashmir.
Well-researched and powerfully
insightful, Kashmir in Sickness and
in Health skillfully dissects the roles of various individuals from
within and outside the Valley who shaped the destiny of this land
and steered its social and intellectual development.
The heart of the book lies in the inspiring and pioneering work
of British missionaries who laid the foundations of modern health-
care and education in the Valley.
The following excerpt from the book
sums up the authors feelings about the
need for a change in the status quo:
Sultan Zain-ul-Aabidin, popularly
known as Budshah, ruled Kashmir from
1420 to 1470AD. He inspired Kashmiriyat -
the code of Kashmiri consciousness - and
transformed this land into real paradise.
Even today when labourers pull or push at
heavy goods with full force, they recite loud-
ly the words Budshah, Padshah (Budshah,
the Master King). He is probably the only
ruler who arouses a feeling of respect and
reverence in a Kashmiri mind, because his
period was known for freedom of thought,
justice and good governance. Perhaps
Kashmir Valley is waiting for another
Budshah to restore it to health.
The author, Ghulam Rasool (alias
Gulzar) Mufti is a consultant urological sur-
geon in the UK. He also works as a
Medical Director for Care UK and as a
Fitness to Practise Panellist for the
General Medical Council UK, and lives
with his wife in Kent. He was born and
brought up in downtown Srinagar and
obtained his primary medical qualifi-
cation from Srinagar Medical College.
He visits the Valley frequently and is
keenly interested in Kashmirs history,
and its political, social and healthcare
development.
Just Published
Godse ki aulaad
Bharat mein Bhagva dahshatgardi
First exhaustive work on Hindutva terror
Urdu translation of Godses Children
by Subhash Gatade
Pages: 388 Price: Rs 300
(English edition: 446 pages/ Rs360)
To order please see page 19 of this issue
MB believes that politics has an over-arching
impact on lives of people and this field cant
be left at the mercy of sycophants and vested
interests. They describe their indulgence in
politics for welfare of the people and to
enforce the code and conduct of the Quran on
Muslim societies. MB trains its cadres while
reinforcing the fact that coming to power is a
long-drawn process...
Sultan Zain-ul-Aabidin, popularly known
as Budshah...inspired Kashmiriyat - the
code of Kashmiri consciousness - and
transformed this land into real paradise.
Even today when labourers pull or push at
heavy goods with full force, they recite
loudly the words Budshah, Padshah
(Budshah, the Master King)...
REACH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
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Mushawarat
Al-Hamdulillah! Pray Allah (s.w.t.) keep us all Muslims united like a lead-
ed-wall and bestow upon our Supreme Guidance Council of the
Mushawarat the strength, will and wish to act upon this opportunity, as it
is envisaged to be acted upon for the welfare of all Muslims and ultimate-
ly to have a peaceful social ambiance, all over. Ameen!
Shafiq Ahmed
maldar101@gmail.com
Muzaffarnagar violence
The spirit and zeal shown by the community in helping the riot victims of
Muzaffarnagar is laudable. If the same enthusiasm, spirit and unity is
maintained during normal times for the uplift of Muslim society many
problems of the people can be solved. The Holy Quran says: Give to the
near of kin his due and also to the needy and the wayfarer. Do not squan-
der your wealth wastefully (17 : 26).
Prof. Shaista Bano, Aligarh
Shah Bano case
I have seen the letter of Dr. M. Hashim Kidwai, ex-MP on Shah Bano Case.
His letter does not clarify fully why Muslim leadership was unhappy with
the Supreme Court Judgement on the maintenance for Muslim divorcees.
Justice Chandrachuds derogatory remarks about the Shariat had enraged
the Muslim community. Also the judgement was legally defective because
it ignored the Shariat Application Act of 1937 not to speak of the commit-
ment to respect for Muslim Personal Law made repeatedly by the leaders
of the Freedom Movement. It also ignored the exceptions made in the
Criminal Procedure Code, in Section 127 in 1971 which exempted the
Muslims from the application of Section 125, in case a former husband
fulfills all his obligations under the Muslim personal law to the divorcee.
The Hindu families were unhappy that While Hindu Personal Law had been
reformed, the Government was not prepared to touch the Shariat. Prof.
Kidwai completely ignores the fact that most writers attribute Rajiv Gandhi
Governments action on the Babari Masjid case e. g., opening the doors
for worship, giving freedom to the VHP to make full preparations for build-
ing the Ram Janambhoomi Temple on the site of Babari Masjid, allowing
VHP to begin construction of the Mandir illegally on the land close to the
Masjid which was under court embargo. Most writers think that Rajiv
Gandhi found that his enactment of Muslim Divorcees Bill had angered the
Hindu community, and he picked up the Ram Janambhoomi issue to
approve them. Historically this is not correct. The Ram Janambhoomi
question had been raised even by some Congress leaders in the last days
of 1949 in order to defeat the socialist leader Acharya Narender Deo. Since
then it had been smouldering. Later it was taken up by the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad and subsequently by the BJP. What is needed is to correct this
impression about what came first - the Muslim Divorcees Act or the
unlocking of the Babari Masjid to turn it into a place of public worship. The
truth is that Babari Masjid was unlocked in February, 1986 while the Bill
was discussed in Parliament and passed in May, 1986. Also Rajiv Gandhi
launched his election campaign from Ayodhya in the name of Ram Rajya!
This impression needs to be corrected.
Syed Shahabuddin
syedshahabuddinexmp@gmail.com
Narsimha Rao was utmost failed leader
Narsimha Rao was HM in 1984 when Indira gandhi was murdered by his
Sikh body guard and in one day more than 3000 Sikhs were killed in Delhi
under the nose of HM. Even then he was given PM post. During his PM
ship horse-trading of MPs started and the government was run with finan-
cial conspiracy (JMM episode). In Raos PM ship the historical Babri
Masjid was demolished withtacit support of Rao. Where it stood 400 yrs
to nation. But Brahmin professor in kings college London Harsh. V. Pant
eulogises Rao (Brahmin) as successful leader who rescued India from
economic crises in 1991 not mentioning Rao pyre episode which is les-
son for the world. S. Haque, Patna
HM advisory - Congress conspiracy
Congress led UPA H. M Mr Sushil Kumar Sindhe sent an advisory to all
states not to harass / arrest innocent minority youths in terror cases. This
advisory is just mere an eye wash to grab minority (Muslims) votes
because since 10-15 yrs thousands Muslims youth are languishing in jail
for years without any trial. When Muslims pain became unbearable
Congress came out for lip service as in 45 of Congress rule after inde-
pendence Muslims condition deteriorated and Muslim deliberately ruled
out of govt jobs. Then Congress instituted Sachhar Commission for lip
service. Congress diluted minority character of AMU and Jamia Millia
University. UPA coined AMU campus at Kishangaj and establishing of 5
minority universities at different cities of India. Road track of Congress is
instituting commission after riots and Sachhar, Ranganath Mishra
Commissions fake announcements and useless advisory etc are modus
operandi to grab Muslim votes. This is the mentality of congress dominat-
ed by Brahmanism. S. Haque, Patna
Stamp on Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Apropos of the news item published in MG (16--31, October 2013)
regarding the stamp issued in memory of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.
According to MG, a special stamp has been brought out by the Govt. of
India in memory of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
had taken part in freedom movement. He was known as Frontier Gandhi.
After creation of Pakistan, he chose to remain in Pakistan. Thus, he
became a Pakistani citizen. Indian National Congress (INC) celebrated its
centenary inn 1985. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was invited as one of the
guests at the INC centenary celebrations. INC gave him red carpet honour.
He was also awarded Bharat Ratna in 1987 by Govt. of India. He was also
honoured with Jawaharlal Nehru award in 1967 for International
Understanding. My humble submissions are as follows: How can INC
invite a Pakistani citizen or an enemy countrys national?. How can a
Pakistani national be given a red carpet honour? Why should he be given
highest award by Govt. of India? Why should special stamp be brought out
in memory of such a person who was not citizen of India? What has he
done for India in general and Indian Muslims in particular? Will the givers
of International Understanding award please explain his contribution in this
particular field? Will the givers of International Understanding Award kind-
ly define the terminology used? Muslims living in India are killed, persecut-
ed, discriminated, raped, harassed, humiliated, suspected day in and day
out, whereas foreign nationals are given VVIP treatment. Why? I, a disci-
ple of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) do not approve the decisions of INC and
Government of India. Muslims of India have never forgiven and will never
forgive Khan Abdul Ghaffar for the damage he has done to the Muslims.
Farooq Abdul Gaffar Bawani Rajkot Gujarat
mohammed.galeriya@yahoo.co.in
What India got or lost by invading Kashmir and holding on to it
Now that there is open discussion about how the crucial decision to send
troops into Kashmir (Patel alternative), instead of treating the hold-out
state with international code of behaviour and bringing in democratic play
into any voluntary association with India, a trial balance could be charted
as to what India gained or lost, by opting for Patel Option. That small con-
tingent that landed on Srinagar airport that historical night, was not the end
of story, but beginning of a saga, that entailed wars, terror attacks, insur-
gency and torture regime of insurgents, beside cold-blooded murders,
heavy defence outlays, and constant vigil against the neighbour's ongoing
agenda of the thousand cuts. The list is incomplete. The Nehru option
though aborted and derided as impractical and infantile, do have its sup-
porters. Just as Modi recalls and asserts that Patel as Prime Minister
would have been better than Nehru, a similar comparison could be made
to find how Nehru option on no-war could have benefited the normaliza-
tion of relations between the new neighbours. Could wars have been
avoided? Would the arms race be minimized? Whether both the neigh-
bours may not have been compelled to develop nuclear options? Would
the minimization of defence outlays, helped both neighbors divert the
resources for the welfare of their people, uplifting them out of poverty and
destitution? The analysis will chalk the derivatives from the future course
of events that may have to be chosen in view of clear cut alternatives
between Nehru and Patel options.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com
Modis misleading statement
The B. J. Ps prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi while addressing
his first public meeting in Kanpur U. P. on October 19 said India has only
one religious scripture - the Indian Constitution. This statement of Modi is
false and misleading. As a matter of fact the saffronites have never accept-
ed the secular and democratic Indian Constitution drafted by unity and
which has stood the test of time. Mr K. S. Sudarshsn, the RSS chief, just
after taking charge had declared in a press meet in Nagur that present
Indian constitution should be scrapped and replaced with a new constitu-
tion based on Hindu ethos i.e. RSS brand Hindutva. Infact the
safronites dont believe in secularism and secular an democratic constitu-
tion of India. On the contrary they are bent upon subverting and destroy-
ing it. Since India is a multireligioius, multi cultural, multilingual country the
concept of Hindutva constitution and Hindu Rashtra is detrimental to
the peace, progress, prosperity, unity and integrity of our motherland.
G. Hasnain Kaif, Nagpur
Ram Rajya Versus Khilafat
The Gujarat Chief Minister Mr Narendra Modi said he believes in Gandhis
Ram Rajya. When pressed Modi explained that Ram Rajya meant a wel-
fare state The late Rajiv Gandhi(former Prime minister of India) inaugurat-
ed the Congress party 1989 election campaign from the vicinity of
Ajodhya with a promise to usher in Ram Rajya which was also Mahatma
Gandhis dream. There have been and still are many politicians who wish
to give Ram Rajya a concrete shape in their own shape in their way But
was their any period in Indian history where we had a glimpse of a gold-
en period or an ideal society? In fact 17th century Santh Tuka Ram extol
Chhtrapati ShivajiMaharajs reign as Ram Rajya in which ruler and sub-
jects were all equal and there was all-round welfare. However it is to be
noted that legend of Ram whose exemplary characters and governance
more than 10000 years ago makes the more popular text book on moral
living and righteous polity. In post colonial India Ram Rajya as a concept
was first projected by Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi announced that Ram
Rajya would be brought once independence arrived When he was asked
the ideal state he talked about Ram Rjya. By using the Ram Rajya slogan
Gandhi implied an ideal Rajya without being communal, Where values of
justice, equality, idealism, renunciation and sacrifice are practiced. It is not
a rule of Hindus said Gandhiji.
Dr AH Maqdoomi Hyderabad
Salute to Vibhuti Narayan Roy, ex-IPS
Hindi national daily (15 Sept 13) brought a full page about riot under title
Dango ka Dansh in which two Hindu (AJNU Prof analyst) article is worth
and the rest of three are cosmetic superficially penned. Mr Wibhuti
Narayan Roy clearly wrote that if riot continues more than 24 hrs means
either government failed or government wants riot to prolong. He suggest-
ed to punish the officers (magistrates & police offices) whose responsibil-
ities wee to protect the lives and properties then only riots can be checked
finally Mr Roy penned to pass the anti riot bill and compensation policy
should be uniform. On behalf of MG I salute to Mr. Roy Finally media dis-
tributed sugar coated poison by writing that 58 karsevaks were burnt and
riots broke in reaction in Gujarat in 2002. It is exactly the sanghs voice
because how Hindi national daily reached o conclusion that karsevak in
bogie were burnt. The justice U. C. Banergee commission concluded that
fire broke out from inside. And the national Hindi daily justifies the riot
because it was reaction This is our national media character that they
utilise every opportunity to push Sanghs agenda justice loving people
must hammer the character of media.
S. Haque, Patna
Hypocrate Americans
Awed by America? Who among world leaders has guts to ask the
American rulers: since when they (who killed millions throughout the
world) have become sympathetic towards Syrian people and why?
S. Akhtar, Khanpur Deh - 392150
Akhilesh has a job on hand
It is alarming to learn that the recent riots in Muzaffarnagar may change
the demography and the land holding pattern of the region unless Akhilesh
government acts with some alacrity. Thousands of Muslims have left their
land with ready to harvest crop of sugarcanes standing in their fields. It is
reported that the Muslims former neighbour Jats have given a call that the
one who harvests the crop will own the land. Naturally it will be Jats who
will harvest the crop in the absence of Muslim owners of the land who
have fled to the relief camps. Also new locks are seen on some Muslims
houses, placed by Jats thereby appropriating the land and homes of the
displaced people. Hopefully these are isolated cases but the authorities
should be alert to the possible jungle raj in the offing. Akhilesh Yadav
should take up the challenge head on. He must act with promptitude to see
that the rule of law is not usurped. There is a danger, otherwise, of the
temporarily displaced population becoming permanently displaced. Also
restoring the legendary communal harmony between Jats and Muslims
will have to be given great effort. The central government should extend
both moral and material support to the state government towards these
ends. Yes, criticizing Akhilesh for not being able to prevent the violence is
justified but the need of the hour is to heal the wounds and the restoration
of status quo ante. Muzaffarnagar should not be allowed to become
Gujarat post 2002. Dr Mookhi Amir Ali, Mumbai 400054
drmookhi@hotmail.com
Is Allah different to God?
Mr Sumit Paul is mostly right but partly wrong. Chapter 112 of the Holy
Quran says: In the name of God the most gracious, the most merciful.
Verse 1: Say: He is God the One and Only. Verse 2: God the Eternal, the
Absolute. Verse 3: He begets not, nor He is begotten. Verse 4: There is
none comparable unto Him (Holy Qur'an, Sura 112, verses 1-4. If the
Malaysian Christians accept the above definition of God, they can use the
Arabic term Allah to indicate one True Almighty God. But in the case of the
Christians they say that the one and only son of God is Jesus Christ. This
goes against the above definition of God given by the Quran. That is God
is not the son of anybody nor God is the father of anybody. When the
Malaysian Christians translate the Bible from English to Malay language,
whenever the Bible uses the word God in English, they can use the name
Allah (in the Malay Bible). But when the word FATHER is used in English
Bible, the word father as Malaysian Muslims argue should not be translat-
ed into Malay language as Allah. This is because the Malaysian Muslims
beleive that Allah is not the father of anybody. Also whenever the name of
Jesus (or son or similar word) comes in the English Bible, Malaysian
Muslims argue that it should not be translated as Allah. This is tantamount
to deceiving the less-educated Malay Muslims to make them follow
Christianity without misgivings. Christian missionary work using financial
incentives is very strong in Malaysia and Indonesia where tens of thou-
sands of poverty-stricken Muslims fell victims. Malay language has a
word for God: Tuhan. So when the Bible is translated into Malay language
it is correct to translate it as Tuhan, not as Allah. But when Bible is trans-
lated into Arabic language, the Malaysian Muslims say, of course by all
means use the term Allah because in Arabic language the word for God is
Allah. In the same way, Muslims may feel hurt if, say, Hindu scriptures are
translated into Arabic language and the word Allah is used as synonymous
with Ram, Krishna, Shiva, Vishnu, Kali etc. This is certainly wrong
because the term Allah in Islam is incomparable, Allah has no plural or
no feminine form; Allah has no parents, no incarnation, no sons or daugh-
ters. But when the Hindu scripture uses a word like Bhagwan, it can be
translated into Arabic as Allah. No problem there.
The problem is we cannot use the name Allah for what other religions
consider as incarnations regardless of how great their lives had been in
religious history. For instance, we cannot use the term Allah for Jesus
Christ, because according to Islam Jesus was one of the mightiest
prophets but not God the Creator nor the saviour as believed.
PA Mohamed Ameen (via e mail)
Azan
Azan: Islamic Call to Prayer (MG 1-15 October 2013) is very informative
and thought-provoking write-up. Azan is unique in its meaning and mes-
sage. It is also the most commonly heard call (voice) across the globe.
Prof. Shaista Bano, Aligarh
The Reality about The Politics Of Power Not Welfare
The reality of Mr. Modi is different from what he is saying in Patna about
Hindu-Muslim that the two communities should be fighting poverty instead
of each other. Hindu poor should be fighting the poverty in their commu-
nity instead of Muslims just as the poor among Muslims should be fight-
ing their poverty rather than Hindus, Modi said, adding that Hindus and
Muslims needed to unite for the sake of growth.(Times of India, Lucknow,
28 Oct, 13) But the reality is different from what he is doing in his electoral
state because Muslims, who used to live across Ahmedabad, are now
increasingly flocking to ghettos, mostly along the citys fringes as written
b in article Worlds apart in a divided city by Darshan Desai, The
Hindu,dated 28 Oct, 13. Above all Muslim clerics have different reasons to
support Mr. Modi and what common Muslim is thinking no one cares
about. Now, it is the time for Muslim to think on the issues which is above
all Politics, which is about growth and development for all. Think about it!!!
Aiman Siddiqui (via email)
A Fools Errand
Sense finally prevailed and the truth dawned on ASI (The Archaeological
Survey of India) that the seer Shovan Sarkar took the entire country for a
ride. No gold was found from the excavation of an old fort at Unnao in UP.
The whole drama wasted taxpayers hard-earned money and dented the
exchequer. That it made the country a butt of ridicule is obvious to all. The
Government must take a cue from the laughable episode that the words,
prophesies or dreams of no seer in future will be taken seriously and
such people will be behind the bars for their irresponsible acts like this one
at Unnao.
Sumit Paul , Pune
sumitmaclean@hotmail.com
Hang all rapists
The hanging of every rapist of every age should be telecasted. But then,
something should also be done about the shameless women who contin-
ue to attract mischievous male eyes by exposing, rather exhibiting, their
bosoms and bellies, especially in big cities.
S. A. U. Patel, Khanpur Deh - 392150
Curse the liars
Even if the blatant lie about Hindus being persecuted by Muslim rulers is
ignored, is it not a shining truth that upto the end of the 18th century, both
Hindus and Muslims had not only lived peacefully with one-another but
had also helped mutually in uplifting one-another religious Faith. Hindu
publishers had served The Holy Quran and Sunnah. Likewise Muslims
had served Ramayan, Mahabharat and Panchtantra etc. But in the 20th
century poisonous politicians fomented hatred for capturing chairs of
power. So let us, unanimously, pray to Allah Almighty for the total annihi-
lation of such satans.
S. Akhtar, Khanpur Deh - 392 150
Mushawarat on Rahul Gandhis Muzaffarnagar statement
Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, you are absolutely correct. Mr. Rahul is aware of
the facts and I am sure that he knows the game. If he is really sincere
about his and his colleagues promises made to the minority, then he
should immediately seek proof from IB and make it public without any hes-
itation. Otherwise, he too shall be one of the political pawns of the true
enemy (you know Wwo) of India. Pray Allah (swt) guide you and your
team on the Right Path and give you all the strength, good health and wis-
dom to tackle on and overcome the enemies of Islam in India and abroad.
Ameen.
Shafiq Ahmed, Pune
maldar101@gmail.com
Vote bank & Muslim appeasement
Feudal-minded people love the word vote bank and Muslim appease-
ment and they propagate these two words to cover up the perennial injus-
tices inflicted upon the minorities especially Muslims. Because they ask
why Muslims demand equal shares in proportion to their population in the
resources of India. The sick feudal mindset is not ready to answer the
questions that Muslim Indians have rights to cast their votes at their choice
or not? And Muslims constitute 16-17% of Indias population but in edu-
cation and jobs, Muslims representation fluctuates between 2 to 4% Why?
Muslims are languishing in jails at approximately double the rate of their
population. Why? Is this justice? If Muslims demand justice, feudal mind-
ed people start beating drums of vote bank and Muslim appeasement.
S. Haque, Patna
REJOINDERS/OPINION/LETTERS The Milli Gazette, 16-30 November 2013 23 www.milligazette.com
The Milli Gazette, P.O. Box 9701, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025 Email: letters@milligazette.com Read more letters on MG website
RNI No. DELENG/2000/930 REGISTERED DL(S)-01/3215/2012-14
LICENCED TO POST WITHOUT PREPAYMENT U (SE)-57/2012-14
PUBLISHED ON 11 NOV 2013 POSTED ON 11,12 NOV 2013
ADV. FORTNIGHTLY AT NDPSO-110002
The Milli Gazette
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24 The Milli Gazette,16-30 November 2013
Printed, published and owned by Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan and printed at Vibha Publication Pvt Ltd., D-160B, Sector-7, Noida, U.P. and published at D-84 Abul Fazal Enclave-I, New Delhi 110025.
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With best compliments from
Kaleem Kawaja , Washington DC
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Areas of Cooperation between Muslims
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Relationship between Muslims and oth-
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Similarities between Islam and Sikhism
Buddhism and Islam
Jainism & Islam: A Comparative Study
Scope of Cooperation Between Islam
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Areas Of Cooperation Between Muslims
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Mutual Respect Among Religions Not
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Countering Negative Impact of
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Relationship between Hinduism and
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We are planning to print polo-neck (collar) tshirts and sweat shirts for
winters, if you are interested pre-book yours.
FRONT OF MAROON T-SHIRT
FRONT OF BLUE T-SHIRT
I thought I HAD
AN IDEA of
what is in the
quran,
until I Actually
read IT.
Just Published
A Unique book full with startling revelations
Baar-e-Shanaasaee
Kuch log, kuch yaaden, kuch tazkeray
un shakhsiyaat kay jinhon nay Pakistan kee
taarikh banaee aur bigaadee
By Karamatullah Ghori
Pages: 200 / Rs 200
To order please see page 19 of this issue