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Author Archives: Yoginder Sikand
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
Book Review: A Necessary Engagement—Reinventing America’s Relations With The Muslim World
Relations between the ‘Muslim world’ and the ‘West’ have rapidly deteriorated in recent years, and, despite repeated calls for dialogue, they only seem to be further worsening. The marked tendency of many senior American officials to see the world through the lens of terrorism, to refuse to recognize that most Muslims do not support terrorism, and to be unwilling to acknowledge that the majority of Muslims do indeed support ideas of good governance and are willing to enter into meaningful dialogue with others, including America. Continue reading
Muslim-Hindu Relations In Jammu Province – Part 1
The Jammu province accounts for around 45 per cent of the total population of Jammu and Kashmir. The province consists of six districts: Doda, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, Jammu and Kathua. Muslims form the majority of the population in the first three districts, and Hindus in the remaining three districts. Despite its recent history of communal antagonisms, which is further reinforced by the strong presence of right-wing Hindu organisations in the town, Jammu has not witnessed any large-scale communal riots in recent years. Continue reading
Buddhist-Muslim Relations In Ladakh – Part 2
In Ladakh, the Buddhists, Shi‘as and Sunnis, have been fairly cordial. However, recent years have witnessed a marked deterioration in relations, owing primarily to various political developments. This finally culminated in a social boycott by the Buddhists of the Muslims of Leh district, declared and enforced by the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) in 1989. The ongoing political tussle which underlies the communal schism is further exacerbated by the fact that the Ladakh region, including Kargil and Leh, has just one parliamentary seat. During elections, Buddhist and Shi‘a leaders are said to consistently pander to communal prejudices to mobilise votes for this one single seat. Continue reading
Buddhist-Muslim Relations In Ladakh – Part 1
The majority of the population of Kargil, some 85 per cent, are Shi‘a Muslims.The remainder are mainly Buddhists. In Leh, the overwhelming majority of the population is Buddhist, with a minority of Sunni, Shi‘a Balti and Nurbakshi Muslims. Islam’s first contact with Ladakh goes back to the eighth century, when Arab soldiers and traders began entering the area. Buddhists and Muslims in Ladakh historically shared a broadly similar culture. The local Muslims spoke Ladakhi and wore the same dress, often with minor differences. Food habits were, to an extent, similar, except for the consumption of alcohol and carrion. Continue reading
Interview: Nasr Abu Zayd On A Humanistic Reading Of The Islamic Tradition
Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd is a well-known Egyptian Islamic scholar. Controversies about his academic work led to a court decision of apostasy and the denial of the appointment. A hisbah trial started against him Islamist groups and he was declared a heretic (Murtadd) by an Egyptian court. Continue reading
Posted in Islam, Newsmakers, Religion, Society
Tagged Cairo University, Egyptian Islamic scholar
1 Comment
Mewat Madrasas Reforming Themselves To Cater To Modern Needs
The winds of change blowing across Mewat have not left even traditional madrasas unaffected. Many of these have now included a basic course in ‘modern’ subjects while continuing to focus mainly on traditional Islamic learning. In addition to the core religious or traditional subjects, students at the madrasa now also learn basic English, Hindi and Mathematics, besides practical skills such as tailoring, embroidery, cooking and first-aid. Continue reading
Mewat Witnessing A Great Educational Revolution
Despite its proximity to Delhi, Gurgaon and Jaipur, Mewat is one of the most impoverished regions in northern India. Lack of education in Meos was wide spread but now young Meos are striving for ‘modern’ education. Dozens of ‘modern’ schools run by Meos have mushroomed all over Mewat. Increasing number of girls are enrolling in these and in government-run schools and many ulema are on the forefront of promoting ‘modern’, in addition to religious education among the Meos.
Continue reading
Islamic Perspectives Of Inter-Community Relations
Islam teaches that all human beings, irrespective of community or race, are children of the same set of primal parents, and, so, are bound together by their common humanity. This basic Islamic teaching stresses the need for consciousness of our common humanity and of us being brothers unto each other. Continue reading
Posted in Islam, Religion
2 Comments
Al Jamia Al Islamiya: A Madrasa With a Difference
Located at Santhapuram, a township in the Mallapuram district some eighty kilometers from Calicut, the Jamia al-Islamiya is one of the largest Islamic seminaries in Kerala. Established in 1955 by activists associated with the Kerala unit of the Jamaat-e Islami, and considerably expanded since then, the Jamia offers a wide range of courses and seeks to combine Islamic and modern subjects Continue reading