-
Archives
- November 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
-
Meta
Monthly Archives: May 2010
From Mini-Skirts To Burqas: Iran, Turkey Clad As Scientific Powers
A study showed that Iran and Turkey have registered fastest growth in the field of science in the world in the recent years. The scientific output has grown 11 times faster in Iran than the world average, faster than any other country. A survey of the number of scientific publications listed in the Web of Science database shows that the growth in the Middle East––mostly in Iran and Turkey––is nearly four times faster than the world average. The progress made by these two powers are being recognized by countries like Russia and China, albeit for their own diplomatic and military interest. The United States, Israel and West Europe want to use sanctions to push back their development. Continue reading
Hypocrisy In The Guise Of Freedom Of Expression
The Western society has always claimed to be protector of Freedom of Speech. But is it Islam bashing in the garb of Freedom of Speech? Does the West really practice what it preaches? Each European country has law against denying Holocaust. Did we have a page on Holocaust cartoons on Facebook, the ultimate place of liberty? In April 2003, a Danish cartoonist Christoffer Zieler offered some cartoons of Jesus Christ to Jyllands-Posten. Paper Sunday edition editor, Jens Kaiser replied: “I don’t think Jyllands-Posten’s readers will enjoy the drawings. As a matter of fact, I think that they will provoke an outcry. Therefore, I will not use them.” But the same paper in 2005, showing blatant double standard published Prophet Mohammed cartoons. Continue reading
Politics Of Fatwa In India
Most of the electronic channels have an impression that by attacking and highlighting the conflicts in the Muslim society they would gain more funds by improving their TRP. The same is the case with the print media. The invented story that a fatwa said that it is “haram and illegal according to Sharia for a family to use a woman’s earning” found prominence in the media. The irony is that the fatwa is available official website of the Islamic seminary of Deoband. When the seminary denied the fake story published by the media, there were few takers for their denial. From the mufti who pronounced the fatwa to the liberal Muslims to media, everybody played a role in damaging the image of Islam and Muslims and used it to further their politico-economic ambitions. Continue reading
Auditing Aligarh Muslim University Faculty: Lock Over Research In Talagarh?
What does one expect from a university’s faculty dedicated to the educational modernization of Muslims? Of course nothing less than a leadership role in scholarship about the community to which it primarily caters. How many doctoral dissertations have been completed at the three departments at AMU? Does the topic of research of the dissertations cover issues of Indian Muslims? I examined the titles of 144 dissertations in the Economic Department and found a mere 5 pertinent to Indian Muslim issues; 121 dissertations were submitted in the Department Sociology between 1971 and 2006, none pertained to contemporary Indian Muslims; out of 250 dissertations in Political Science submitted from 1959-2008, only three pertain to contemporary Indian Muslim issues. Continue reading
Phenomenon Of Shah Faesal: Some Lessons
Shah Faesal is a phenomenon which is unparalleled in recent years in Kashmir. His performance has been hailed from the Governor and the Chief Minister to a layman in Kupwara. His campaign for Right to Information Act, along with another dedicated worker for the cause Mazaffar Bhat, merely shows his belief that right to information is essential pre-requisite for a democracy. I must take this opportunity to warn against the craze among our younger generation for following the exact footsteps of Faesal. Nor should parents put undue pressure that might make them paranoid. Moreover while faesal is an excellent source of inspiration, no two persons can be exactly alike. Continue reading
Unconstitutionally Yours
Do you know that the mammoth exercise of Census 2011 being carried out by the Government has no column for your religion, linguistic background and whether you are an OBC but demands to know if you are SC/SC, with an explicit remark that SC/SC can only be a Hindu, a Sikh or a Buddhist. For years since Independence, the true count of Muslims in India has always been kept under veil. While the Government kept on insisting for a long time that the Muslims were between 10 and 12 per cent. If such a grand exercise was being carried out, the Government must have ensured that the survey form was so designed that all the essential information gets available through the Census.. Continue reading
Badshah Khan’s Hundred-year-old Message Of Peace
“There is nothing surprising in a Muslim or a Pathan like me subscribing to the creed of nonviolence. It is not a new creed. It was followed 1,400 years ago by the Prophet all the time when he was in Mecca.†– Badshah Khan
Badshan Khan’s message of peace, love, and non-violence is even more relevant and needed today than ever before, and not only to the Pathans but to the whole Muslim Ummah. Continue reading
Muslim-Hindu Relations In Jammu Province — Part 2
All the shrine custodians and Barelvi scholars I met insisted on the need for harmonious relations between the different communities, and bitterly critiqued the violation of human rights in India, including Kashmir, by Muslim and Hindu militants as well as the armed forces. They unanimously insisted that the killing of innocent people, irrespective of religion, was a grave sin in Islam, and argued for the need for a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir issue. To kill a single innocent person, no matter what his or her religion, they pointed out, is condemned in the Qur’an as tantamount to the slaughter of all humankind. Continue reading
Identity, Indian Politics And Caste Census
It is true caste is an anathema in a secular democracy and must be abolished and our constitution rightly abolished it. But what is reality? India is highly stratified, multi-layered, multi-cultural and multi-religious society. The stratification has not diminished even a wee bit. On the contrary it has been intensified several folds. The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured the parliament that caste will be included in the current census. Apart from caste even religion has not been included which also raises doubts in the minds of minorities. Maulana Madani, a Muslim leader and Rajya Sabha member has threatened to launch an agitation if column of religion is not included in the census form. Continue reading
Let us Bring Back Civility in Politics
There is no need to emphasize the importance of politics on our lives. It is now very common to dismiss all politicians as selfish people who have absolutely no principles. Interestingly, politicians of different parties try to make the best … Continue reading