Everybody loves a bad fatwa. And why not? It fills column space for newpapers; It brings in viewers for Television channels; it plays into the image of Muslims as a backward community for communalists; and it gives activists a chance to reinforce their secular credentials. Never mind that this fatwa will not change the lives of millions of Muslims and text of the fatwa could be not what has been reported or maybe the said fatwa doesn’t even exist.
Fatwa is nothing but a religious opinion from a religious scholar to a question asked by a Muslim on a particular situation that he or she may be facing at the time or might face in future and doesn’t know what should be an appropriate way to act in light of Islamic teachings. A mufti then issues a fatwa or opinion based on his understanding of the question and Islam. Just as different medical doctors will have a difference of opinion regarding a diagnosis and treatment plan, it is common for different muftis to give different opinion for the same question.
Media circus
Frontpage of The Times of India, Delhi Edition, May 11, 2010
At least once every year, on a slow news day, some enterprising journalist finds a fatwa that will fit the stereotype about Muslims being backward or Muslim scholars being ignorant or out of touch with the real world or all of the above reasons, and will publish a news story based on this ‘prized’ fatwa. Let’s take the example of the fatwa issued by Darul Uloom Deoband that is making the round in news cycles this week.
The fatwa in question was issued more than a month ago and one can ask the question, why is there a sudden interest by the media in this particular fatwa? A fatwa that is only a sentence long has had numerous newspaper column space and hours of airtime devoted to it. The media bosses have decided that it is an important fatwa because it has all the right keywords to keep the attention of readers & viewers, and therefore will keep a flow of revenue coming in.
One has to question the motive of the major media regarding the publicizing of a fatwa. There is more to this than meets the eye when the Indian media that is obsessed with breaking news and exclusives these days picks up a fatwa that was issued more than a month ago. Within 24 hours of this news being flashed on NDTV on May 11th, 2010, all major media networks of India had reported it. And every new report had added information that was not even there. Let’s look at the fatwa first.
Question number 21031 to Darul Ifta (house of fatwas) of Darul Uloom Deoband asked by someone in India states: “Asalamu-Alikum: Can muslim women in india do Govt. or Pvt. Jobs? Shall their salary be Halal or Haram or Prohibited?” Answer published on April 4th, 2010 simply answers it as: “It is unlawful for Muslim women to do job in government or private institutions where men and women work together and women have to talk with [to] men frankly and without veil.”
Headlines
Now let’s look at some of the headlines of news reports about this fatwa:
Fatwa against working Muslim women: NDTV
Fatwa to working Muslim women: Don’t talk to male colleagues: NDTV
Women’s earnings haram, says Deoband: The Times of India [Print edition]
Deoband fatwa: It’s illegal for women to work, support family: The Times of India[Online]
Don’t talk to male colleagues: Darul Uloom’s fatwa to all working women: DNA
Muslim women can’t work: Deoband: Samay Live
Darul Uloom says Muslim women can’t work in public: India Today
Now, fatwa against working women: Indian Express
Women Working with Men Un-Islamic: Deoband: Outlook
Fatwa against men-women proximity at workplace: Zee News
In case you ever wondered why there isnt a successful supermarket tabloid in India, here is your answer. There is no need for one because major media houses in India do that job very well.
Thought fatwa is religious order. But when the opinion comes from respected and well-established source, that’s bound to effect many people, if not the educated and privileged lot. That’s why the condemnation.
Hi,
Newspaper job is to report. They are just doing the same. For example when a swamiji was doing scandalous job they report the same. Author could critcize the actual matter reported rather than complaining about the reporter.
Hindu cannot be a terrorist and that a Bajrang Dal is not an illegal organisation too is media reporting. If we do not ban or call acts supposedly by Muslims only as terrorists, is that reporting? Fairness is dead for long.
Hi,
They did it once again.
‘”Insurance policy unIslamic,says Deoband fatwa ”
Atleast one guy in the community has the back bone to say that all this are un practicable :
“aved Akhtar had strongly opposed the Darul Uloom Deobands fatwa,which called womens earnings haraam (forbidden) and asked them not to work with men.
On a news channel,he had apparently called the muftis (those who issued fatwas ) mad and insane.
Akhtar may be a good poet,lyricist and scriptwriter.He is not an authority on Islam and has no right to insult ulema (Muslim scholars) and muftis.He must apologise for his outrageous comments against our revered clerics, said Maulana Mehmood Daryabadi,general secretary,All India Ulema Council.We are pained and hurt by his utterances. ”
Hope the community at large show this bunch of ego tripped individual without having any idea of practicality their place.
@satwagunam
They did it once again.
‘”Insurance policy unIslamic,says Deoband fatwa ”
****************************
Deoband is right. As per Islam, interest based banking is haram. Muslims can’t have their cake and eat it too.
Read the thing fully. Insurance based on interest is haraam. I dont understand what is the problem with people who have nothing to do with Islam? Muslims never question how the christians are behaving. The Hindus even publicise the refusal of parshad by the christians and that too without any eyebrow being raised while they argue with Muslims for doing the same. The beef eaters of West are revered while similar action by Muslims is bad!! If you insist that Javed Akhtar is a Muslim, I insist that Hitler is a Hindu. Mr Akhtar is entitled for whatever name he carries but to be Muslim one must conform to some practice. Javed has gone insane to call others mad. How on this earth someone claiming to be cultured abuse others? What happened to his wife being profiled and told how many houese she wants. The so called Muslim liberals should understand that they cant sell any ‘version’ of Islam for their own needs. If they cant have the facebook or youtube on open hurt of sentiments of Muslim by removing pages, how come they claim to reporesent them. If muslims say they are hurt, others need not decide whether it really hurt. Anybody who seeks redressal even by peaceful means, people report them to be Islamists. Should the Muslims pay for the needs of those weak people who are not able to remove a simple webpage from the internet? These weaks then say we are living in stone age. The West may be abusing their religion and their churches (they did it to actually abuse others while the church remains a potent force despite the many bad things with it) but it is ridiculous to seek similar action from others. you may abuse your father or force your mothers, daughters and sisters to bear your children but this cannot be insisted on others. It is sheer intereference. This is due to the bad education of the so called well educated who want the West in this land while not bothering for many factors. Where is the only ‘backboned’ Muslim, atleast he should have called his ‘ideaological godfathers’ to remove the offensive pages. If he says that the Prophet need not be so exalted as Muslims claim to be, he does not remain a Muslim. Javed Akhtar need to talk on many things being demanded by Muslims and then only he’d be listened to by them. If he continues demanding one sided concession ala Palestine and the West, there is no love lost. I request IM to arrange for a chat session with the ‘only boned’ muslim!!
Muslims: The new Dalits of India:
1.5 million Brahmins are working in Muslim Gulf countries and 2 million Brahmins are living in US/UK/Austarlia etc. Brahmins are standing at the doors of Christians and Muslim nations. How many Muslims and Christians depend upon Brahmins?.
The Brahminic establishments and Hindutva forces have successfully alienated and suppressed Muslims. Around 80% of Muslims live in ghettos and slums. Above all, since terrorism has become synonymous with Islam, many MNCs and private firms avoid employing Muslims and prefer exclusive non-Muslim neighbourhood for their executives.
Today Muslims have become the new Dalits and untouchables of India. This is nothing new for Islam. In fact, Islam came to liberate slaves and the oppressed. Hazrat Bilal(ra), a black slave, was appointed as the first moezzin(prayer caller) and treasurer of the Islamic state by our Prophet muhammed(pbuh).
This is a blessing in disguise. Let’s NOT forget that all Dalits are dravidans and majority Muslims and Christians renounced Hinduism from Dalit and low caste communities. We are talking about 70% of the population.
Deoband Darul Uloom must issue a fatwa declaring that all Indian Muslims are Dalits by default. Muslims must proudly say that they are Dalits.
Garv se bolo, hum Dalit hain.
When Brahmins can insult and blame Islam/Muslims as and when they wish, why NOT Muslims return the favour to Brahmins?. Muslims have all the rights to criticise Brahmins openly and Brahmins must learn to take it gracefully.
Dalits+Dravidans+Ambedkar+Periyar+Mayawati have called a spade, a spade.
The time has come for Muslims to disengage Brahmins.
Alamsha!
The very use of ‘garv se…’ should not be there at first place. You cant defeat your opponent by adopting their ways. The first weapon invented by the Brahmins was the very language which we call Hindi. What is Indian about Hindi (meaning of India) except that a script is imposed on others. Why only celebrate one thing. Actually the purely Indian thing Urdu is not celebrated but opposed. Even the budgetry provisions are for arranging its slow death. We must in fact make these Brahmins Dalit or even Harijan. Harijan means the offsprings of Hari (god) and is deragatory. It is like saying you were not fathered by your father. It is insulting to the mother and father.
Muslim Brahmins under the garb of minoirity commission leaders are more dangerous than real Brahmins.
The term “Dalit” is a Sanskrit word that means “those who have been broken and ground down deliberately by those above them in the social hierarchy.
There is no difference between Muslims and Dalits. Majority Mulsims who first embraced Islam without any hesitation 1400 years back were living like Dalits.
@alam
Brilliant idea and you must try this out in all place other than tamil nadu. Remember the anti-brahmin / ant-hindu tirade will work in tamil nadu which has never been affected repeated invasion. However the border state are more affected by historical invasion and wars.
Let the same dravidian try his stunt for example in bombay and see where he stands on the contrary they put up the bigger ganapati mandal. I think these guys know which side of the bread is butter.
@satwagunam: ‘Newspaper job is to report. They are just doing the same’
Exactly….the newspapers should report the correct news…..they shouldnt distort the meaning or put new words in the mouths of the persons. Devilish indeed!!!!!!!!
‘when a swamiji was doing scandalous job they report the same’
Are you trying to compare a scandolous swami with a religious mufti???? If yes…man gimme a break!!!!!!!!!
‘Author could critcize the actual matter reported rather than complaining about the reporter.’
That means you didnt understand the article.
‘Atleast one guy in the community has the back bone to say that all this are un practicable ‘
Muslims doesnt care the likes of Javed akhtar and muslim community doesnt even give them a deaf ear coz they are no authority in Islamic studies.
@abirsinha: Ofcorse fatwa is a religious order and it will definitely effect the muslim community, then whats the big fat problem of others???
What do you mean by saying ‘if not the educated and privileged lot. That’s why the condemnation.’
Do you think the muftis are uneducated. FYI…Islam is an institution in itself and the muftis are certified in a specialised subject and then they are authorised to give fatwas. Oh Gosh!!!! Non muslims really need to educate themselves atleast about the “I” of ISLAM.
Theres nothing like good fatwa or bad fatwa. All fatwas have religious backing. Just how a patient cant say whether a pill given by the doctor is good or bad, similarly no one can say whether a fatwa is good or bad unless they have counter backing from the religious point of view. The muftis are learned men specialised in respective fields and their fatwas carry religious backing.
‘Ofcorse fatwa is a religious order and it will definitely effect the muslim community, then whats the big fat problem of others???’
Don’t have any problem as such as long as it doesn’t effect my personal freedom, that was just my 2 cents. And also don’t consider muslims as ‘others’, your view on non-muslim may not be the same, but off-course everyone has right to attain different views.
‘What do you mean by saying ‘if not the educated and privileged lot. That’s why the condemnation.’
Do you think the muftis are uneducated. FYI…Islam is an institution in itself and the muftis are certified in a specialised subject and then they are authorised to give fatwas. Oh Gosh!!!! Non muslims really need to educate themselves atleast about the “I” of ISLAM.’
Read it again without the presumption, when did I say muftis are uneducated? Fatwa, good or bad as it might be, tend to effect bottom of the heap rather than those who can decide for themselves. So Fatwa, which is according to the author a personal opinion can effect large group of people even if it is frivolous to ‘educated and privileged lot’.
@neha
Offcourse both are new and their job is to publish news. what can be argued is if the facts are not presented to the public.
Further nobody says that the muslims have to bother about the others. If you ask me personally, who has the time and who bothers about what is happening around, even when they are critical to the society. However why is the converse of the same expected.
If the learned mufti’s are given thier fatwa and peope are happy, i think other community does not have any issues. Go head, in fact, i had a great suggestion that india must have a referendum and if selected by muslim in majority, implement the true shariah of saudi arabia. Truly it will reduce the crime in muslims to start with and it can be extended to hindus over a period of time.
as per Dar ul-Ulum Deoband, muslims have no right to speak about true or false, if its practical in current scenario than also muslims cant speak about it…. the examples are Javed Akhtar, Taslima Nasrin…..
media is right on their way… no doubt they are generating revenue but what about terrorists, they are also generating revenue by Cannabis and Heroin…
but
@harddisk009,
your really behave like a hardware, i.e without brains……..
One need to upgrade your ‘drivers’. How many time did the media reported that the heroin trade was nil during the ‘Taliban’ you hate by default!! The drugs are coming out of Afghanistan as if Taliban are in command there. Are they coming out through the sat-fone these people use. Why you are willfully blind and accept the contention that the whites or christians could do no wrong?
Your favourite Javed would do well if he calls Facebook and YourTube to remove the hate Prophet comaign. He accepts that the absent ‘edit tag’ from pages Jewish on wikipedia are required but he insist on Muslims face with grace the purposeful denigration of the Prophet. This inward mentality is used by people like you to say Muslims that Javeds and Taslimas are Muslims. The Muslim memory is not that short that this very man and his wife were a flat for bearing muslim names. Where were the numerous Hindu backboned liberals to defend this only backboned ‘muslim’. The end game you want is well known to most of the Muslims. Muslims are not ready to accept being second grade to those who are readily second grade to the West. To muslims, all human beings are equal and there is nothing like castes etc. If muslim are for interest free what the hell it affects the ‘interest’ wala. This open challenge to anything Islamic is a call for war. If you cant do something for the discrimination on every account, how you expect the Muslims to follow you. Those who deny absence of discriminations are not living, only living people have sense, and you the harddisk009, are a hardware.
@M Naqqaad
You are mixing up too many issues. Hope this gets published. Why donot you ask for a referendum among indian muslims on whether they want to follow civil or shariah. If chosen, i think hindus must have common sense to allow implementation of shariah with the assistance of saudi arabia, the protector of two mosque.
I have written enough about the practice of INTEREST FREE in this forum which you can refer yourself. If muslims wants to do an islamic fiance they can very well do it as a microfiance or a venture fund. Give the loans to the individual as preferred capital with share on profit without management rights. Instead of finding solution on the existing structure, it is quiet natural to blame the environment for failures.
I am yet to see any indian muslim having the guts to answer this question?
When Brahmins have all the rights to criticise/insult Islam as and when they like, Muslims also have equal rights to reply/criticise Brahmins. Brahmins must learn to take it gracefully.
Muslims also must learn to listen/ignore any criticism on Islam, like it or not.
There is no other better way to live peacefully in a secular, multi cultural, multi religious, multi caste nation.
abirsinha: ‘Don’t have any problem as such as long as it doesn’t effect my personal freedom”
By the way who is curbing your personal freedom. Do you mean to say the deoband are asking you to follow the fatwa.??
‘And also don’t consider muslims as ‘others’’
Who is considering muslims as others….I mean nonmuslims by ‘others’.
‘when did I say muftis are uneducated? Fatwa, good or bad as it might be, tend to effect bottom of the heap rather than those who can decide for themselves.’
When did I say you said the muftis uneducated. Ofourse the fatwa will effect the ‘not only the uneducated but also the educated’ and whats wrong if it effects all muslims?? And wait a second, if you think that fatwas are outdated or stone age, then I think I cant proceed further.
@ satwagunam: ‘If the learned mufti’s are given thier fatwa and peope are happy, i think other community does not have any issues.’
Muslims are happy with the fatwa.Its only the media which is picking some exceptions inorder to run their shops and making all sorts of confusions. Media is becoming devlish day by day. Majority muslim community or deoband is least effected by such loose media stunts . Today is the age of Islamophobia or Islam bashing, and media knows this very well.
harddisk009: ‘as per Dar ul-Ulum Deoband, muslims have no right to speak about true or false’
It sounds quite funny. Do you really have time to bellieve in such jokes???
‘media is right on their way… no doubt they are generating revenue but what about terrorists, they are also generating revenue by Cannabis and Heroin…’
Who told you terrorists are drugs smugglers. I guess you are hinting towards Taliban. Who gave you this breaking news. OK let me guess, MEDIA!!!!!!!!!! Some Fairy tales should be heard only at bed time. Or you are trying to compare media with terrorists, then why we rely on the media which is no better than terrorists, according to your argument???
@neha
Problem is not with me, but there are some muslim who does not agree. In some case like country like france, the law does not agree that is where the problem is.
Muslims have a choice to either go with the law or go to the place like saudi and kuwait which suits all laws of muslims.
@satwagunaam: Ofcourse everyone has to follow the law of the land. The question is not whether to follow the law of the land or not. The question is why every now and then there are attempts to demoralize or detach muslims from their religious laws, why no stone is kept unturned to degrade , oppress , subjugate , criticize and attack muslim shariat and laws. Why doesnt the world try to leave muslims alone. Why everyone is behind muslim’s religion and their customs. In our lovely country too the situation is no more different, and its only the result of ageold resentment and hell lot of misinformations that even educated indians like you are talking or thinking like this. Whats the rationale behind banning ‘burqa’. It makes no sense at all, unless somebody is hell bent or has pledged to eradicate ‘muslim laws’ or degrade ‘muslims’ in their country. There seems no reason behind this irrational step taken by france.
When afghanistan demolished the ‘bamiya statues’ the whole world seems to get the pain in the tooth for the non-living statues who cant feel or sense. Afghanistan had the complete right to demolish or erect any public monument or property according to their rules and laws and to preserve or demolish their heritage. When some country has taken some decision about their heritage why should others interfere? But in case of france such an inhuman attempt is made to attack the very freedom of expression of a particular community and their basic essence of life is disrupted, but the world doesnt even seem to inhibit the slightest effect, and infact they are arguing in favour of france. This is coz of the fact that the considerations for muslims is worst than ‘non-living statues’ in the eyes of the world. Muslims in todays world have to live like aliens on earth, as if they belong to some different planet.
@satwagunaam: ‘Muslims have a choice to either go with the law or go to the place like saudi and kuwait which suits all laws of muslims.’
What about those muslims who want to opt for western countries. Or is that, they are not allowed just becoz they are muslims. So has it become a crime to be a muslim in todays age?? Its quiet sad that such suggestions are coming up. Try to shun your resentment against any community and try to think on human terms
@neha
Sorry to say indian muslims / muslims settled in western countries have double standards. What i call as convenience religion.
One side they donot want a hundred percent shariah and on the other side they donot want a civil law. Can you do some introspection.
India suppress muslims, probably for the following reasons :
1. Laws was passed to abrogate the justice which was given to a old lady who
sought maintenance.
2. Even today legally every muslim can marry four time when the whole country is
talking about smaller families due to economic reality.
3. Government goes out of the way to fund haj pilgrimage where as no such exist
for hindus.
4. Minority status is given to muslim to start and run any institution without
interference of the government. HIndus have sought minority status in north
eastern state and still being question when factually they are minority
5. Government ban books which offend muslim sentiments but has not done
anythig for MF hussain who paint nudes pictures of hindu gods and bharat mata.
Probably religion is more important than humanity is the reason that thousand of people are killed in india and abroad only in the name of religion.
“Afghanistan had the complete right to demolish or erect any public monument or property according to their rules and laws and to preserve or demolish their heritage.” By your argument tomorrow if bjp comes to power with the brute majority they can do anything is that what you are trying to say. Then why are you criticizing the burqa ban in europe. It is absolutely correct for europe to decide what they want to do. Whys does indian muslim give advice to them when they have not sought it.
Human rights is a joke in any islamic country. I will be happy if you can prove me wrong.