Bhopal Gas Tragedy
Fact File: Dec 3, 1984. Some 500,000 people are exposed to poisonous gases in the state capital of Madhya Pradesh, India. Between 5000-8000 people died immediately and thousands over the years from long term illness. More than 100,00 remain chronically ill in Bhopal today. The water and soil of the area is still contaminated.

Where’s the justice for innocents who still suffer?

Ruchika Molestation Case
Fact File: Aug 12, 1990. A promising 14 years old tennis player, Ruchika Girhotra, is molested by the then Director General of Police Shambhu Pratap Singh Rathore in Chandigarh, Haryana. The case drags on as the molestor moves freely. Ruchika on the other hand is expelled from school (maybe because Rathore’s own daughter was Ruchika’s classmate), false cases filed against her father and brother Ashu, the brother goes to the the prison and is tortured, her father is suspended from his job on false charges of corruption, Ashu is released a day after her suicide, the sole witness (Ruchika’s friend Aradhana) gets harassed with threatening calls, false cases filed against Aradhana’s parents, her father too suspended and demoted and eventually given premature retirement.

After 19 years, 40 adjournments, more than 400 hearings, and a promotion for Rathore, the court did find him guilty but could only sentenced him to six months imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1000. Within 10 minutes he got the bail and was smiling. What about the innocent smile that was lost forever?

Babri Masjid Demolition
Fact File: Dec 6, 1992. A mosque in the city Ayodhya of Uttar Pradesh, India, is destroyed by a strong crowd of 150,000 people. The police stood a mute spectator! More than 2000 people die across India in the riots that follow.

The Justice Liberhan Commission set up by the Government of India to investigate the demolition, took 48 extensions and 17 years to submit its report. The report itself has nothing new to offer. What a waste of public money and time.

Godhra Massacre
Fact File: February, 27 2002. 58 Hindu passengers are burnt alive in a coach of Sabarmati Express in Godhra, Gujarat, by a alleged Muslim mob. In the resulting riots more than 1000 (by official estimates and 2000 by independent sources) people, mostly Muslims, are butchered. The violence is covered extensively by the Indian media.

The cases are still being probed. Only a handful of the large numbers of accused have been found guilty and punished.

No wonder there are some 30 million unresolved legal cases in India. The police-politician nexus has to be broken for the court to work freely. And until that happens the unresolved cases would only add up.

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Sir Syed Ahmed Khan - Founder of Aligarh Muslim University

I feel sad to say that my first attendance at ‘Sir Syed Day’ (in UAE) after leaving AMU was an utter disappointment. For me it’s a day to remember the great soul and find ways to fulfill his dream of Muslim upliftment.

I absolutely adore Azharuddin for what he achieved on the cricket pitch, but where is the need to invite celebrities when there are some very senior and highly influential Aligs already working in UAE.

We desperately need to change this image of ‘Sir Syed Day’ as a ‘Sir Syed Dinner.’ Also, where is the need to host dinner in a 5 star hotel! I think the whole purpose is killed by this dinner.

If my voice can reach anywhere I’ve the following humble suggestions-

1. Sir Syed Day should have a Q&A with a senior working representative from AMU on the ways to improve the working of the university.
2. There should be a small form for the people attending where they should give their suggestions and the ways they can contribute to the university.
3. The representative should share important figures like the number of campus selections and the students making it to the civil services.
4. The platform should also serve as a means to help our brothers and sisters looking for a job or accomodation. I know some people may laugh but it’s a serious issue for an expat anywhere.
5. I know the event is very well organised and covered by the press in Saudi Arabia but it isn’t in UAE. There should be a press release. At least those who are unable to make it know what all they missed. Indirectly it would serve to build the AMU brand which has been hit hard.
6. People should be felicitated on the basis of their contributions (beyond money, although money is important too) to the alma mater. Those providing books to the library or supporting poor students deserve equally.
7. Every year there should be a mention of some prominent Aligs who made the university proud with their achievements. A brief about their life and if possible a video message from them. This should be the common factor in all the different chapters of the event across the globe.
8. There are better fillers than the archaic jokes cracked during the recent event in UAE.

That’s all I can think as of now. The bottom line is, it has to be a serious business if we want to restore the high standards of this great university.

I love my university and feel sad when I see the current state of affairs.

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THE first name that comes up whenever a book reference is needed on the city of Lucknow is “Guzishta Lucknow.” The book is a detailed historical account of the Lucknow society during the Nawabi rule by Maulana Abdul Halim Sharar. Maulana Sharar took out several magazines during his lifetime, his most famous being ‘Dilgudaaz Lucknow’ [ENG: Beloved Lucknow.] In that magazine Sharar wrote a series on Lucknow by the name of “Hindostan me mashriqi tamaddun ka akhri namoona” [Lucknow : The Last Phase Of An Oriental Culture]. It ran for years and was warmly received. The same was later turned into ‘Guzishta Lucknow’ the book.

Sharar’s Urdu is reminiscent of a glorious past. A past where city of Lucknow reached its zenith in terms of its rich traditions and culture. To read Guzishta Lucknow is like walking through a city which slowly but surely outshined its elder brother – Delhi. The Nawabi patronage to arts and the difficult affairs at the Moghul Capital, Delhi, brought Lucknow into prominence. This was also the time when Persian reigned supreme at the court of Awadh. Not surprising as the Nawabs came from Iran.

The book gives you an insight into the daily lives of the Nawabs and the commoners of the city. The author has managed to capture even minor details like how the paan (beetle leaf served as a breath freshener) was served during social gatherings in his account of history.

Guzishta Lucknow is filled with countless lesser known facts and fascinating stories about yesteryear’s Lucknow. The author tells us that it was actually Faizabad (a city close to Lucknow) where the Nawabi rule originated and initially flourished. Most of today’s so called old city areas came up during the period of Nawab Asafi-ud-daulah. His son’s Wazir Ali Khan’s wedding had 1200 elephants, and the bridegroom dress was studded with Rupees 2 million worth of precious stones. Nawab Sa’adat Ali Khan was responsible for the establishment of many old markets such as Sa’adatganj, Rakaabganj, Maulviganj, Golaganj and Rastogi mohalla. He also built Motimahal. Nawab Ghayasuddin Haider started the practice of animal fighting in Lucknow. His wife on the other hand pioneered numerous new and controversial Shia practices. A cook named Muhamdoo in the period of Nawab Nasir-ud-din Haider invented the sheermaal (a popular orange coloured local bread). Nawab Amjad Ali Shah established Hazratganj and connected Lucknow and Kanpur with a road link. During his tenure, his minister Amin-ud-daulah inhabited Aminabad. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah never danced in his life as many believe.

The book is a slow read specially through the end and lacks continuity. This could have been avoided if the magazine articles were better edited and adopted. Also, the author’s uninhibited love for Lucknow makes him a little biased towards Delhi in his account.

If you are from Lucknow or if history interests you then Guzishta Lucknow would be an enjoyable read. Lucknow has rarely been portrayed this lovingly.

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I saw Firaaq this week and was quite impressed with its realistic portrayal of the events. Nandita Das is not just a very fine actress but also an active social activist, and it shows in her directorial debut. The movie is a no-nonsense take at the horrible Gujarat riots. What makes Das’ effort different is her characters. It’s how her characters evolve in the aftermath of the violence that’s makes the movie special.

And boy what a stellar cast! It seems you can’t miss Naseruddin Shah when you are making a socially relevant film. Naseer has turned another fine performance after ‘A Wednesday’. You are absolutely charmed by his character of Khan Saheb, the musician. You can feel the agony in his eyes when he realises that his city is buring with communal violence. His response to his caretaker’s, “Apko is baat ka gham nahin ke musalman maara ja raha hai?” [TRANS : Don't you feel sad that Muslims are being killed?]” is the dialogue that will stay with you. He says, “Insaan insaan ko mar raha hai is baat ka gham hai Kaleem miya!” [TRANS: "Human being is killing his fellow human being that saddens me!]”

Raghuveer Yadav is a brilliant actor be it any role, Firaaq is no exception either. He could have easily played the role of Kaleem miya, Khan saheb’s caretaker, in his sleep. It’s a pity that the world of Hindi cinema couldn’t fully utilize this tremendous talent. Ever since he charmed us in Massey Sahib almost two decades back, he’s given us some amazing performances on television and in movies.

The rest of the star cast too turned in restrained but commendable performances, be it the highly talented Shahana Goswami as Munira or Tisca Chopra as Anuradha Desai. Sanjay Suri has realised early that offbeat films is where he should focus on, and so far he is doing quite well. Mohammad Samad as the little boy Mohsin fitted the role perfectly.

For me the defining moment of the movie was when Munira (wrongly) thinks that her good (Hindu) friend was there when her house was being burnt down. In one shot the director was able to highlight the mistrust that the Muslims in Gujarat developed as a result of the mindless violence.

Sanjay Suri’s Sameer Shaikh speaks well for most educated Indian Muslims. Actually Das has managed to cover the majority of Muslim classes in India, and this is where she excels.

The musical score gelled well with the plot and was actually quite a surprise.

Firaaq is serious cinema, one that will hit you hard.

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THINK of the movie ‘Roja’ and its music comes instantly to the mind. The musical compositions of the movie swept the whole nation and created a star. That was also the time when many like me thought that an Indian musician has produced a truly international score. When AR Rahman followed the success of Roja with the music of Kadalan and Bombay, the genius in him was confirmed. Its 17 years since Roja but Rahman hasn’t lost his ground. He remains one of India’s finest ever music composers!

Rahman’s musical roots may be traced to his father R.K. Sekhar who was a music director himself. The highly respected singer Yesudas sang several Malayalam songs under Sekhar, something which he would repeat for his son. When Rahman created history at the Oscars, Yesudas promptly said, “Rahman makes music out of silence.”

Rahman took piano lessons at a very young age of four. Five years later, tragedy struck his home when his father passed away. Being the only son could have led to his musical career starting at just eleven. Rahman joined the legendry music director Ilayaraja’s troupe as a keyboard player and also accompanied the renowned tabla player Ustad Zakir Hussain on world tours. He dropped out of school by this time.

Rahman’s finally got the opportunity to showcase his talent to a wider audience when Maniratnam met him at an awards function. Rahman was there to receive the award for the Best Ad Jingle for a coffee ad. The ace director signed him the moment he listened to his compositions. The movie was Roja and Rahman became a household name with its release. In fact the Maniratnam-Rahman duo gave movies from down South a new found respect amongst the North-Indian cinema-goers.

For me Rahman’s crowning glory was the National Award (the first by a debutant) and the recognition for the music of Roja. In 2005 Time Magazine chose it as one of the ten best soundtracks of all time. The magazine was all praise for the man behind it, “This astonishing debut work parades Rahman’s gift for alchemizing outside influences until they are totally Tamil, totally Rahman.” Slumdog Millionaire took his career to a different level altogether.

We, in India, knew his talent for long and for us it was just a matter of time before the rest of the world would recognise it. Bharat Bala, producer of Vande Matram, echoed the same thoughts after Rahman’s incredible show at the Oscars, “I think his music is truly international as he is able to connect with global audiences, something which no Indian has been able to do.” For Rahman his music is the outcome of a desire to influence the young India, “I wasn’t too happy with the I-don’t-want-to-listen-to-it attitude of our youngsters towards film music. Why can’t we get our guys to listen to our own music rather than to Michael Jackson? I didn’t want us to lose the market to the West. The music had to be cool and rooted, and yet had to branch out.” The acclaimed lyrics writer Gulzaar agrees, “Rahman’s compositions are a challenge – because he is innovative and unconventional. His music talks to you and work becomes easy.”

With a Padma Shree, 4 National Awards, 25 Filmfare Awards, 1 Bafta Award, 1 Golden Globe and 2 Academy Awards most people would change in their outlook, but not Rahman. He makes sure that all his artists are given due credit. That’s why you will find the mention of his entire team on the inlay card of an album. I was once listening to the flute player (forgot the name) behind the theme music of the movie ‘Bombay’ on NDTV expressing his surprise when during a show in Dubai the crowd chanted his name. A singer on the same show talked about how he refused to sing a song for Rahman as it didn’t suit his style. A few months later Rahman approached him again for a different song and he agreed. That’s Rahman for you! He holds no grudges.

If music has given him fame it’s his religion which has gives him peace. The transition to Abdul Rahman (he later changed it to Allah Rakha on music director Naushad’s suggestion) from Dileep Kumar took place in 1988. One of his sisters fell seriously ill and all medical aid failed. That was the time when the family came in contact with a Muslim Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jeelani popularly known as Pir Qadri. He prayed for them and Rahman’s sister made a miraculous recovery. Influenced by the events the whole family converted to Islam.

An atheist once, Rahman today, is one of those rare Muslims in the film industry who have managed to strike a balance between religion and work. He never misses his five daily prayers and has been to Haj twice. To him his religion provides a base that keeps him humble, “While praying you attain a certain position, telling the lord that you are the most horrendous sinner in the world, that you must be granted forgiveness and mercy.”

Rahman has a strong belief in Sufism, “I’m a deeply spiritual person. Sufism is about love – love for a fellow human, love for humanity, and ultimately love for God.” He is an outright critic of the extreme means adopted by some Muslims. In an interview given to Arab News he goes at length offering his outlook on the Islamic teachings-

“Muslims should go to lengths to follow the basics, which say ‘be kind to your neighbours, keep smiling when you meet others, pray and do charity.’ We should serve humanity. We should not show hostility toward others, even to the followers of other faiths. This is what Islam stands for. We should present before the world a model through our behaviour, nature and presentation. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) never used his sword to spread Islam; rather he spread the religion through his virtues, behaviour, tolerance and righteousness. And this is what is needed to change today’s distorted image of Islam.”

He rubbishes the rumours that link him to fundamentalism and forced conversion, “How can it be that I provide funds for them (suspected charities), when I have received death threats from the extremist (after he sang and re-composed Vande Matram) and the state government has posted police personnel to guard my residence.” On conversion he says, “When I am not perfect myself, how can I convert others? I follow my religion, let others follow their own.”

Rahman was once asked what makes him click. He replied in all humility, “It is all the will of Allah. I just do my bit and leave the rest to Him. It is He who decides the fate of us mortals.” Sure he does!

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I was thrilled when a friend’s father gifted me this book by Dr Rafiq Zakaria. “Indian Muslims – Where have they gone wrong?” The book is an honest attempt by a well respected individual. A congressman to the core Dr Zakaria is a staunch supporter of the principles set by Gandhiji. His dislike of Jinnah and his politics is also something you can’t miss in his work.

But before I talk about the actual book I’ve to mention the absolutely brilliant foreword by another famous Indian writer M.J. Akbar.

For those in a hurry, just the foreword would give you the essence of the book. Akbar hits the nail on the head when he ponders, “At what point in the last thousand years did Indian Muslims become a majority?” They were never in the majority even before the partition. He explains, “A minority is not a function of numbers, but a definition of empowerment. As long as Muslims felt that they were an important, and even decisive, element of the ruling group they did not feel that they were a minority.” To him the portrait of the Indian Muslims is drawn by four great Urdu poets Amir Khusrau, Mirza Ghalib, Akbar Allahabadi and Sir Muhammad Iqbal. He summarises the Indian Muslims in a beautiful couplet from Akbar Allahabadi-

“Paamal hain magar hain sabit qadam wafa main

Hum misle-e-sang-e-dar ke is aastaan par hain’’

[Though crushed, we are firm in our loyalty

We are like a rock at the threshold of our country]

The book as a whole is a scholarly work of immense importance in today’s context. Dr Zakaria raised a very important question, “Where have Indian Muslims gone wrong?” And he provides us the answer: Whenever they forget their Indian roots.

The author has explored the subject in depth. He talks about the role of Muslims in the freedom struggle of the country, Hindu-Muslim relations in pre and post partition India, the Pakistan angle, religious extremism, problems facing the Indian Muslims and the need for a change in the Muslim outlook. The worst thing that happened to Indian Muslims according to him was the partition of India, and he holds Jinnah mostly responsible for not just dividing the country but the Muslim community as well. Looking forward Dr Zakaria advices Indian Muslims to stop asking for doles and instead harness their inner strength to be self-reliant. But first they have to discard their in-built prejudices and outmoded habits.

He also calls upon the non-Muslims and Muslims alike to understand the real message of Islam. Speaking to Muslims the author is quite blunt-“They must know that long beard, short pyjama and flowing veil do not constitute the faith. The Quran clarifies that ammalus salah (good deed) is the only criterion.”

Dr Zakaria brings some interesting facts to the fore-

The period of effective and comprehensive Muslim rule over India from the seventh to the thirteenth centuries was barely of thirty years duration.

Shivaji’s treatment of his Muslim subjects was exemplary. He even built a mosque along with a temple in front of his palace in his capital Raigarh.

The mosque at Ayodhya was built by a Shia Mir Baqui but was later used by the Sunnis.

Babur’s testament that he left for his son refutes the various allegations against him. It talks about doing justice to each community, avoiding cow-slaughter, taking care of the places of worship, promoting Islam by deeds and not terror, ignoring the differences of Shia and Sunni, and promoting national integration.

Dara Shikoh (eldest son of Shah Jahan) brought out the common features between Muslim and Hindu mystics in his Majmal-ul-Bahrayn.

During the Mughal period the saint Mirza Mazhar Jan-i-Janan pronounced that Muslims must accept Rama and Krishna as the prophets of God, something which was highlighted by Syed Sulaiman Nadvi of Lucknow’s famous Nadwat-ul-Ulema in his Seeratun Nabi. [*]

In 1985 a petition was filed to ban the Quran as a threat to peace and communal harmony before the Calcutta High Court. The petition was rightly dismissed as isolated passages, read out of context, cannot change the true peaceful position of the holy book.

A sect called Nizari Ismaili pioneered the movement for terrorism. They were given ‘hashish’ from which the word ‘assasin’ was drawn.

I was particularly impressed by a Nehru’s speech delivered on the campus of my alma mater, Aligarh Muslim University. It goes something like this-“You are Muslims and I am a Hindu. We may adhere to different religious faiths or even to none, but that does not take away from that cultural inheritance that is yours as well as mine. The past holds us together, why should the present or the future divide us in spirits?…

Whatever confusion the present may contain (referring to communalism), in the future, India will be a land, as in the past, of many faiths equally honoured and respected but of one national outlook – not I hope a narrow nationalism living in its own shell but rather the tolerant creative nationalism, which believing in itself and the genius of its people takes full part in the establishment of an international order.” Strong words that hold true even today!

The book is actually a collection of Dr Zakaria’s articles, written over a period of more than 50 years. Perhaps that explains the repetitions, which are a plenty! Still it could have been better edited. My other issue with Dr Zakaria is the constant mention of his own work for the upliftment of Indian Muslims and his uncalled for defence of some books he has authored. He could have written separately about them. That said the book shows a mirror to the Indian Muslims of their past and what went wrong along the way. Dr Zakaria has also written quite passionately about the ways in which the situation can be turned around.

*Pg 485-

Syed Sulaiman Nadvi says, “According to the teachings of the Prophet, it is necessary to believe that in countries such as China, Iran or India, there appeared prophets before the advent of Muhammad [PBUH]. No Muslim can really deny to the people in these lands the truth of their faiths, ascribed to the mentors venerated by them. On this basis, some ulama have described India’s Rama and Krishna as Prophets.”

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I felt that a section of the Indian media acted a little immature by linking the terrorists to Pakistan even before the official word. Playing to the gallery gets you TRPs but doesn’t help the greater cause. Agreed the men came from Pakistan (as shared by the government later) but the country is itself fighting the same monster. It’s high time that we work together on countering this threat together rather than play the age old blame game. If Pakistan is serious we will get closer to the people who masterminded the Mumbai carnage. And for that it needs to do more than just mere assurances.

Replying to the Indian claims of the terrorists coming from Pakistan, a TV channel (News One) there has come up with its own weird conspiracy theory. I couldn’t watch the entire programme as it was too far fetched to digest and in a way mocked the sacrifices of some very brave men.

The video features Zaid Hamid. Hamid is an idependent Pakistani security expert and also the founder of BrassTacks – a Pakistani Think Tank devoted to the study of regional and global political events and their influence on Pakistan. He comes from a military background having signed up as a volunteer in the Afghan war. His jihadi roots speaks for his biased opinions and weird logic. On a lighter note he is a good entertainer with his kind of imagination.

Have a look-

http://www.brasstacks.pk/brasstacks/Default.aspx?TabId=159

What can I say other than we have to shed aside our differences if we are to fight a common enemy. The electronic media needs to be more restrained in their approach. Such telecasts only fuel the fire.

It saddens me to see India’s name amongst the 20 most dangerous places to visit by the UK’s Telegraph. Needless to mention the millions we will lose because of tourists shying away. And we share space with Pakistan on that list. I’m sure the Pakistanis too feel the same!

Let’s find solutions rather than faults!

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The city of Mumbai is slowly recovering from the terrible shock of the Wednesday gone by. Many of the dead have been buried. Families and friends of those who lost their lives in the Mumbai siege are slowly coming to terms with the reality. The firing is over but the lives of Mumbaikers transformed forever.

This is the time to pray for the deceased souls and a time to remember the brave people who saved many. Some of those brave men are lucky to be alive today, othere were not so lucky.

Hemant Karkare- The moment the ATS chief heard of the attack he took his constable’s helmet, wore a bullet proof jacket, took a service revolver, and headed straight to face the terrorists. This one act summarise the brave man who never shied from his duty under any sort of circumstances. The 58 year old IPS officer was well informed and a vociferous reader as shared by Hassan Ghafoor, the Commisioner of Mumbai police, on NDTV.

Though his death is in no way related to the Sadhvi Pragya case but he did receieve death threats in connection with the same. A man of few words when questioned about the death threats to his life, he just gave a smile. The smile will live on as the brave man’s name will.

Ashok Kamte- A product of St Xavier’s College, Bombay, he was the additional commissioner of Mumbai Police. Kamte also served in the United Nations peace-keeping police force. He also represented the country at the junior power-lifting championship in Peru in 1978. During the communal riots in Karad, Maharashtra, he himself led the police lathicharge. He was again in the midst of action on the fateful wednesday, 26th November 2008, only to die in the line of duty.

Vijay Salaskar- The encounter specialist who reportedly killed around 75 dreaded criminal was heading the anti-extortion wing of the crime branch. He joined the police force as a sub inspector. He once said in an interview, “In a shootout, no one has time for niceties. Either you kill or you get killed. I am plain lucky to still be alive.” He was until this wednesday.

Salaskar yearned for recognition and official acclaim during his life. He got it all but a trifle too late.

Karambir Singh Kang- The general manager of Taj Mahal Hotel lost everything in the hotel he worked for. His wife and two sons aged 14 and 5 perished as a result of asphyxiation in the hotel. Inspite of all this he stayed back to help those stuck in the hotel.

CST railway staff- The scene at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus could have been even more dreadful had it not been the proactiveness of the railway staff. The staff at the inquiry desk used the public address system repeatedly to warn people from using the front gate, and instead use the last gate. They were lucky enough to survive the bullets.

Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan- An NSG commando, Unnikrishnan was an alumnus of the National Defence Academy. He was the only son of an ISRO official. Coming from the Bihar regiment to the NSG, his sacrifice should also give Mr Raj Thakery a reason for some serious introspection of his policies.

Gajender Singh- A hawaldar with the NSG, Singh also lost his life fighting the terrorists. He was a member of NSG’s 51 Special Action Group.

Mumbai Fire brigade- The firemen of Mumbai had to brave both fire and bullets to rescue lives, something they never experienced before. Their services were even used by the NSG commandoes to gain access to the Taj hotel.

The list is not exhaustive. There are many others whose names don’t figure but their sacrifice is equally commendable.

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Dear Mr Obama,

Your election has been the most followed event in recent memory. I for one did support you right from the time of your nomination.

You are an inspirational speaker and a leader who could be trusted. It was a pleasure listening to your public speeches during the campaign, and your victory speech was a fitting ode to an extraordinary election. Everything worked for you in this election. You had the best funded campaign of any US Presidential candidate ever, and a strong group of loyal supporters worked for you passionately. The natural tool of change in any country, the youth, was on your side and it was their record turnout to vote that changed the equations in several states. You’ve a great family, and like you, they stood the test of times.

Naturally you won!

And now that you’ve won comes the serious part, how to put things back on track and all that you promised. The people have given ‘change’ a chance by electing you, please don’t disappoint them! The world is passing through difficult economic times and the US, being the most powerful nation in the world, is looked upon to sort things out. You are their hope Mr President!

The foreign policy of your country has been a disaster during the last two terms of Mr Bush. It was a major election issue during your campaign as well. Your victory has shown that people agree with you. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have been a failure. You’ve to stop them sooner or later. With a tumbling US economy I don’t see the logic to fund such operations. Please use that money to put your economy back on track. And if even then you have money to spare, please feed those hungry souls in Africa and elsewhere.

“Winning the hearts and minds of people,” has been the most overused phrase by your country in its war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you seriously think you can win over people by occupying their lands? It’s like the Palestinians thanking Israel for powering Gaza’s only power plant providing electricity after occupying their land for more than half a century now. The sooner your troops move out of those areas the better it would be for the countries involved and the rest of the world. Rather than finding the source of poison (read Osama) why not dilute it! Make friends with the Arab world, not slaves. I know it’s a tall order but if hope can bring a black President to US, it can certainly help you overcome these obstacles.

Five years is not a long period to change the world but it can surely lead to a better start.

Wishing you all the best in your endeavours,
Inam Abidi

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As I was discussing with a Hindu friend the state of affairs in India today she suggested that I should convey to the Muslim community that terrorism would soon be an organised crime, and also sent me a link to an interesting cover story in Mumbai Mirror. She was right in a sense – it has already become one!

I will not be used by terrorists

The Indian Mujahideen’s terror mail minutes before the A’bad blasts spoke of Kandivali resident Bilal Ahmad being assaulted on a local train. Horrified at being thus used, Bilal says he doesn’t want anyone taking revenge on his behalf

Posted On Saturday, August 30, 2008
Jyoti Punwani

The Indian Mujahideen may want to use him as the poster boy in their retaliatory terror campaign, but 21-year-old Mumbaikar, Bilal Ahmad, a student of Madarsa Meraj-ul-Uloom, at Cheetah Camp, vehemently shrugs off his victim tag.

On July 3, the day the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had called for a bandh over the Amarnath issue, Bilal was returning home to Kandivali with two of his friends on the local train when they were picked on by a mob of roughly 20 people as the train drew out of Jogeshwari station. While two of his friends managed to jump off the slow moving train, Bilal was cornered. He was pushed around, roughed up, called a “musalman terrorist,” and forced to chant Jai Shree Ram. His friends’ bags which they had left behind in their hurry to jump off were thrown out of the train. When the train pulled into Goregaon station Bilal’s assailants jumped off and managed to escape.

Bilal’s harassment on the train led to much concern within the community and then became one of the points mentioned by the Indian Mujahideen in the email circulated minutes before the Ahmedabad blasts and the one which was linked to Kenneth Haywood. The email mentioned the incident and warned of the “ill consequences” following “troubles faced by the Madrasa students in Mumbai Western Railways (sic).”

Horrified at being thus appropriated by propagators of terror, Bilal, who continues to travel by the local train, says: “We don’t want anyone taking revenge on our behalf. Islam prohibits us from taking the law in our own hands. It’s the government’s responsibility to punish the culprits, not the public’s. So even if we see the men who attacked us, we will inform the police.”

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The story in the news item is nothing new. The problem arise when we start castigating an entire community based on the actions of a few fools (read terrorists). First it was the ‘pro Pakistan’ tag that my father’s generation had to live with and now this new media obsession – ‘Islamic terrorists.’ Enough has been said and written about the two. What we really need is to kill the mindset and not just terrorists. If the politicians are serious there are ways to address this menace.

India has the third largest Muslim population in the world and we are still considered a minority in India. That doesn’t mean that the poor (they could be Hindus as well) should not be given provisions. I’ve personally visited many Muslims areas in several cities of India. Part of the problem arise from the ghetto mentality and part from the attitude of the authorities. Most of the times a Muslim area would always be considered last when it comes to providing the basic facilities. As for the ghetto culture, it started because of the increasing discrimnation when it comes to housing. More people shy away from renting or selling houses to Muslims than ever. I’ve had a couple of experiences myself.

India needs to bring Muslims in the mainstream, not by giving quotas but by recognising them as an integral part of the social fabric of India. Don’t wait for another blast or riot to start a dialogue. Let respected preachers from the Muslim community come forward and answer non-Muslims, and also clear their stand on the violence in the name of Islam. Encourage building of more schools in the Muslim areas, free land or a quick recognition by the government would go a long way in building bridges. The media and government on its part should approach the sensitive issue with caution. A terrorist has only one religion and that’s terrorism. You link him up with a religion and you are glorifying his cause. Let’s not be fooled by his understanding of Islam.

And so in these difficult times we need to highlight and appreciate people like Bilal Ahmad. There are many more Bilals in this great country. Sounds too idealistic and optimistic but Gandhiji started on a similar note against a collosal opponent. Sixty-six years later the opponent has graduated into a foe (terrorism) and we need to put all our strength together as Indians.

Note. Hazrat Bilal was a freed slave who patiently endured several hardships during the early years of Islam and gave Islam’s first call for prayers (azaan). Ahmad is another name for the Holy Prophet [PBUH], also meaning “highly praised.” Bilal Ahmad stood true to his name!

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