Security agencies worried over madrassas

NEW DELHI, July 13 – Security agencies are working overtime these days along the Indo-Nepal border, the reason being the growth of large number of Madrassas that have come up in a disproportionate way and are not proportional to the Muslim population in the area. Some of the Madrassas or Islamic seminaries are believed to be the safe houses for the militant groups who were trying to set up the bases in the Himalayan kingdom and operate from there, a top security official said. “Setting up of Madrassas is nothing wrong. But what is worrying us is the Madrassas are not proportionate to the Muslim population in the area,” he said. On the Indian side the Islamic seminaries have come up in Uttar Pradesh’s Basti, Siddharth Nagar and Balrampur districts while in Nepal, the Madrassas are concentrated on Jhanda Nagar and Barhi-Krishna Nagar areas. “It is a known fact that ISI has a good base in Nepal and we suspect that many of the Madrassas have been abetted and assisted by the agency to spread their nefarious design in India,” the official said. UP and Uttarakhand share 863 km border with Nepal. Unlike clearly demarcated Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir, the situation along the Indo-Nepal border is different where the border is porus. Besides, there is conventional movement of people from both sides of the border as Nepal and India share good relations and friendship. “We maintain vigil on the movement of people along the border. But fool-proof vigil is not possible due to the nature of the border,” he said.With National Security Advisor M K Narayanan’s confirmation about ISI’s involvement in the attack on Indian Embassy, security agencies are particularly worried over the fact that ISI has intensified its anti-India activities in recent past. The story of IC 814 Indian Airlines plane, which was hijacked in 1999 after it took off from Kathmandu, was still fresh in everyone’s mind as also how the ISI acted behind the scene and helped the hijackers. Last month the SSB, which guards the border, tipped off its Nepalese counterparts about a fake currency racket operating from their side. Nepalese authorities promptly acted the specific report and busted the gang. “Such gangs are also being assisted by the ISI,” the official said. Despite change of guards in Kathmandu, the Nepalese security agencies so far have been working in close coordination with the Indian security agencies at the ground level. “This is a very sensitive border because Nepal is a friendly country. Fortunately, despite the change of government in Nepal, we are still maintaining good relations with our Nepalese counterparts,” the official said. – PTI source: assam tribune

Ram Vilas Paswan - A Secular Fraud

Ram Vilas Paswan at AFMI Convention - A Secular Fraud

By Mustafa Kamal Sherwani
Indian political fabric is characterized by three realities: one the secular fraud, second the fascist reality and the third a pendulum known as Muslims helplessly swinging between the two. Any approach to the Indian Muslims problems, or the appraisal of India ’s political scenario from any angle other than this can never lead to a comprehensive analysis regarding what positive measures are needed to change the situation for a better future. The unbroken chain of experiences accumulated till date is more than enough to convince even a man in the street, let alone the community’s intelligentsia, that ‘the fraudulent secularism’ and ‘realistic communalism’ are complementary to each other, and they are used as a decoy to permanently keep the gullible Muslim masses in a state of permanent enslavement, and as a tool to circumvent the emergence of Muslim political leadership. How long these unscrupulous secularists will be allowed to thrive on the blood of Muslims is for the community’s opinion makers to deliberate upon.
When I read the news about the Minister of Steel and President of Lok Jan Shakti Party, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan being invited by the American Federation of Muslims from India(AFMI) in its International Conference in New York to be held from 4-6 July, it brought to my mind the flashes of a similar convention held at Banglore, India in late 90s which I had the privilege to attend. The prominent participants included Mr. H.D.Deogora and Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan.. I fully remember that to the thunderous applause of the audience which was dominated by AFMI members, Mr. Paswan had declared, “ our these American brothers give me tremendous moral and financial support because I protect the interests of Indian Muslims and check the B.J.P. and other communal forces from coming to power.” Much to the bewilderment of Muslims, the same Mr. Paswan was seen in the B.J.P.-led N.D.A. government . Such a self-proclaimed defender of Muslim rights was the cabinet Minister when the Muslim pogrom occurred in Gujrat, but his conscience did not force him to resign at least to retain the slightest semblance of his secular credentials. It is a forgone conclusion once again that he will be the Minister in the next L.K.Advani-led B.J.P. government, if it comes to power.
However, he is not alone in this nefarious game of power struggle which is revolving around the helpless and disorganized Indian Muslims in the name of ‘secularism’. Be it U.P. Chief Minister Mayawati, Chandra Babu Naidu and many others- all got Muslim support in the name of defeating B.J.P. but aligned with it and the hapless community could do nothing. Their dirty realpolitik remains unbridled because they are perpetually being nourished by Muslims both within and outside India without any accountability. It is an irony of fate that Muslims are seeking their empowerment through Ram Vilas Paswn and his ilk and attach with their predicament the already empowered Dalits. Amongst ‘Dalits’ it is the struggle for power and leadership, whereas for Muslims it is the struggle for security and survival.
Those who club them together in the name of ‘marginalized sections’ or other aspects of empowerment, are suffering from a total misconception that Muslim political leadership can develop under a non-Muslim. There is an outcry that Muslims are a leaderless community, but none attempts to analyze the situation in the realistic perspective. Muslims are the only community in India for whom secularism is a fraud and ‘ equality before law’ the greatest farce. And the future holds out no bright prospects till we continue to be befooled by these secular hypocrites, and make a division line between ‘ secularism’ and ‘fascism’. Whenever some small endeavour is made to develop Muslim leadership by Muslim political groups , the whole process is scuttled by this ‘defeat B.J.P.’ slogan. B.J.P. is getting stronger and stronger not because of its inherent strength but because of the power struggle of these mischievous secular forces who trap the Muslim community through the hallucination of fascist outfits, and none of them has ever come to the front when communal terror is unleashed. How long this political drama will continue and how long these secular thieves will be allowed to bleed Muslims and how long such a vast community will survive in an atmosphere of terror, and how long it will remain in their destiny to forget all positive facets of life , are the most serious questions .
Amongst all the mentioned names of non-Muslims who are going to attend this Convention, the only one having unblemished secular credentials is Teesta Setalvad. She may genuinely be called as the real defender and relentless crusader of Muslim rights who faced all the grave dangers in fighting for Gujrat victims’ justice, but she will never exploit the community through political arena. Moreover, I am sure, if she contests elections and solicits Muslim support, she will not get it because countless brokers and middlemen will propagate that she is B.J.P. agent and is contesting to divide secular vote. It is the greatest misfortune of Indian politics, and more so of my community. If our affluent groups like AFMI are sincere for Indian Muslims, they will have to find the traces of secularism and Muslim empowerment in the persons like Teesta Setalvad and not the secular frauds like Ram Vilas Paswan. source: http://www.khabrein.info

Denying Hindus space

Denying Hindus space

5 Jul 2008, 1201 hrs IST, Tarun Vijay

The Amarnath land row in Kashmir has proved that if Muslim politicians of the valley feel strongly about something they can make the government bend and accept their demands. So it is hypocrisy when they complain in some summits in London that Delhi doesn't heed them or they have less power to rule the valley 'appropriately' and hence need more autonomy. They fought on the streets and denied a piece of land to Hindu pilgrims to be used for facilitating a night’s stay and food in that snowy area just for two months. The land was barren; not a single tree grows there and not one person was to be stationed there permanently. Yet the votaries of Kashmiriyat , who would announce day and night how keen they are to see Kashmiri Hindus return to their localities and how their religion stands for love, compassion and peace, stood firm, spreading lies to ensure that Hindus do not get an inch of space for a temporary shelter. They said it is a place which will be used to reduce Muslims in the valley to a minority. The land is forest area, Hindus will destroy the environment, they said. It's a plot by Indians to assault Muslims of the valley. Hence, land will not be given at any cost, the politicians said. They won. And they knew what they are saying to defend their indefensible position are all lies. The first thing the new governor N N Vohra was made to do was to take back the proposal on behalf of the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board for the acquisition of approximately 100 acres of land. He didn't begin his tenure trying to see Kashmiri refugee Hindus are returned with honour and safety to their homes. Nor could Vohra hold any meeting to ensure the valley is free from jihad and that developmental plans are executed to benefit all patriotic citizens. The first move that a Hindu majority country's constitutional appointee took was against the interests of Hindus. I am sending this column from Kolkata where, being involved in a seminar on security, I saw a message from the then Governor General Sinha wishing that the seminar goes off well. It is the kind of message that holders of gubernatorial posts often send but there is a difference: while all constitutional authorities use just one symbol of the state insignia – that is, the replica of the Sarnath pillar with four faces of the lion – in Jammu and Kashmir, another state insignia is used parallel to the Indian one, representing Jammu-Kashmir. The only state in India which has a separate flag and a special power bestowed on it by the constitution is Jammu and Kashmir. On an average it gets 10 times more grants compared to any other Indian state yet it complains a hundred times more about Delhi's discrimination and prejudice. The jawan who protects the people and the territory with his sweat and blood is not allowed to buy an inch of land in the state due to the constitutional provision of Article 370 which bars any Indian from settling down in Kashmir. source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Cancel revoked order on land transfer to Amarnath board: BJP

Demanding that the Jammu and Kashmir government cancel the revoked order on land transfer to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday asked Muslim organisations across the country to support the cause.

"The revoking of land transfer order to the SASB by the government is unfortunate and shameful," BJP president Rajnath Singh told reporters in Jammu.

Alleging that the government had succumbed to the separatist forces on the issue, Rajnath Singh said the state government and the Centre were equally responsible for the situation arising out of the cancellation of land to the shrine board.

The BJP president said the decision to transfer land to the SASB was taken with a view to providing facilities to the pilgrims through the board. But the state and Central government yielded to separatists' pressure after they launched an agitation in the Valley and revoked the order.

"Since the minority government in the state has no moral authority to cancel the order, the BJP demands the cancellation of the order immediately," Rajnath Singh said.

While welcoming the Muslim organisations which supported the issue, the BJP president appealed to the community to come forward and fight against the decision.

Rajnath Singh vowed to cancel the order, if the people of Jammu and Kashmir helped the BJP come to power in the state. source: rediff.com

Islam beyond fundamentalism

Islam beyond fundamentalism

— Benazir Suraiya

“When India lost a cricket match to Pakistan, some idiots within the community would burn crackers and I ended up bearing taunts from people. That was painful. I am a diehard Indian and I can’t tell you how such slurs feel”, says Fahim, a moderate Muslim.The idea that militant Islam is the problem, moderate Islam is the solution is finding greater acceptance over time. But there is a growing confusion over who really is a moderate Muslim. The ideological side of the war on terror is making some, but limited, progress. The term “moderate Muslim” is not only becoming important in the post September 11 discussion of Islam and the West, it is also becoming highly contested. Some use the term to indicate a Muslim who is either pro-western in his politics or is being self-critical in his discourse. In some intellectual debates, the term “moderate Muslim” is used pejoratively to refer to a Muslim who is more secular and less Islamic than the norm, which varies across communities. In America, a moderate Muslim is one who peddles a softer side of Islam, is willing to coexist peacefully with people of other faiths, and is comfortable with democracy and the separation of politics and religion.Moderate Muslims are different from militant Muslims in their methodological orientation and in the primordial normative preferences which shape their interpretatica of Islam. For moderate Muslims, Ijtihad is the preferred method of choice for social and political change and military Jihad is the last option. For militant Muslims, Jihad is the first option and Ijtihad is not an option at all. Moderate Muslim intellectuals see Ijtihad as the spirit of Islamic thought that is necessary for the vitality of Islamic ideas and civilisation. They aspire for a society – a city of virtue – that will treat all people with dignity and respect. Jihad literally means a holy war, fighting against the evil without the use of weapons, guiding a person to the real path. However, the meaning of jihad has changed with the attitudes of the people. The stereotypical West has labeled jihad as a new face of terror, of course the militant Muslims have spread terror in the name of jihad, which was originally a fight against the evil, but now a carrier of evil.Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre in New York, there is a growing general public interest in Islamist fundamentalism as a perceived breeding ground for contemporary international terrorism, and a growing confusion in explaining its ideas and categorising its various components. Fundamentalism is the spearhead of religion engaging a counter attack on the secularism which had reduced its power during recent decades. The concept of the world as a battlefield where the forces of good and evil are fighting against each other, of a perennial universal battle going on everywhere and at all times is a defining characteristics of the fundamentalist groups. Today, the relationship between Islam and the rest is getting worse. Muslim militants are sowing seeds of poison and hatred between Muslims and the rest of humanity by committing egregious acts of violence in the name of Islam.Moderate Muslims do exist. But, of course, they constitute a very small movement when compared to the Islamic onsalught. There are a slew of films that project the voice of moderate Muslims. The Pakistani film Khuda Kay Liye is a reflection of liberal Islam. As the director of the film, Shoaib Mansoor, quotes “The film was born out of anger I had nourished all my life regarding the blatant misinterpretation of Islam”, so has the film succeeded to some extent in countering the image that Islam is synonymous with fundamentalism and terrorism. Liberal Muslims are shunned by their own kind internally for being modern in outlook, while the world at large sees them as potential suspects of terrorism just for bearing a ‘Muslim name’. This paradox is resulting in great suffering for a forward looking Muslim. The film is a bold attempt by Mansoor to portray the turmoil in the minds of Muslims as to adjust to the times, while still holding on to their Muslim identity that has been under attack post 9/11. The film tries to show that Islam is a progressive religion and Muslims would like to be seen as proud members of this religion rather than fundamentalists. The overwhelming response to the film shows how wrong the impression of the world about Muslim is. “I do not hate USA just because some Americans have done injustice to me. In the same way, do not hate all Muslims just because some of them have harmed your country”, said a moderate Muslim to his American wife. This was one dialogue in the film that won tremendous applause.Hence, there is a world of Islam beyond fundamentalism. More importantly, one should not forget that we are human-beings first, religion comes later. And religion is only a faith, a belief in God. It should not be muddled up with terror and violence. After all, the terrorists spread terror for their personal prejudices but they pollute a religion by carrying out evil ‘in the name of God’. Source: assam tribune editorial

Is Hindu Renaissance a cure or a curse?

Omar Luther King

This frequently asked question needs to be answered: ‘Is Hindu Renaissance a cure or a curse?’ The reality that I, a Christian by faith, am a descendent of a Hindu by accident of birth of my forefathers may compel me to own the entire Hindu past but that cannot force me to accept the Hindu beliefs, which totally negate the Christian faith. While retaining my loyalty to my biological parents, family, tribe, clan and nation, I am now (after conversion to Christianity) set to be loyal to the global family of God.Our Constitution did not initially inscribe that India should be a secular state. It was after about three decades of independence, sometime in 1976, that the world "secular" was inserted in the preamble of the Constitution. But did that in any way help anybody deal with the crisis of communal conflicts that the Republic of India has been facing since its independence?Spiritually speaking, secularism is the freedom to believe that God exists and that He is the Creator, the Provider, the Protector and indeed the Saviour of the world. May India set an example to the world by being a dynamic nation in which people and their leaders are neutral in matters of religion, neither supporting nor opposing any particular religious beliefs or practices.The constitutional secularism has served mainly as a stick in the hands of our political leaders, who take sadistic pleasure in beating at will the religious communities, groups or institutions that do not practice or propagate ‘ancient tradition’ or ‘indigenous religion’. It is unfortunate that the militant Hindus have discovered in the uniform civil or common code yet another ammunition (and a more powerful one at that) to use against the minority communities. The different systems of personal laws had so far been recognized as legitimate in India and were even permitted to flourish. What has so suddenly necessitated our leaders to think of having a uniform civil code for India? As one who left his ancestral religion to embrace Christianity, I am tempted to explain here why the non-Christians speak disparagingly of Christianity. But my God forbids me from doing so. However, it goes without saying that Christians, unlike Muslims in India, are not only a politically powerless minority but also are always in danger of being victims of the tyranny of the majority. Come the next General Elections, and we will have a fresh lot of political leaders who will, I am sure, not only provide equal protection of the law for all citizens but will also ensure that there is no discrimination of persons on the basis of race, caste, creed, sex and religious affiliation, not to speak of place of birth, as in the cases of Mother Teresa, Sister Nivedita and Sonia Gandhi. Taking advantage of this particular weakness of the Indians (the ability to hate and the unwillingness to love), the politically motivated Hindu leaders and scholars of our country have succeeded within the past few decades in creating the difference between ‘us’ (the Hindus) and ‘them’ (the Muslims and Christians). In the light of the recent political, social, cultural and religious realities, the so-called leaders are justifying the denigration and suppression of the minority communities by the majority community as is evident from the contents of the article under discussion.If in a society the ‘caste Hindu’ who, regarding himself as of ‘higher caste’, hates the ‘untouchable’ who is his brother in religion, how can he love a Muslim or a Christian (from a ‘foreign religion’) living in the same society? To end communal hatred in India, we must seek help from the beyond.Let me end here with these words of G.K. Chesterton: "The Bible tells us to love our neighbours, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people." The quotation is directly applicable to us in the Indian context.