Logging life

Gujarat government has made many claims about vibrant Gujarat. Recently, it has also made claims that Muslims in Gujarat are in much better condition that many other states of India. When Narendra Modi’s newspaper ad in Bihar was found to be using image of the UP Muslims , BJP spokesperson claimed that facts about minorities of Gujarat remain the same. He said his party is ready to debate the data. It is time to test the facts and see how Gujarat fares in the light of public data. 1. Muslim population of Gujarat: According to Census 2001 figures, Gujarat has 4.59 million Muslims out of total state population of 50.67 or 9.1% of the population. Total Muslim population in India, according to the same census data is 139.2 million, therefore a total of 3.32% of Indian Muslim population live in this state. Closest state to Gujarat in terms of Muslim population and their share in total state population is Rajasthan with 4.79 million Muslims (8.5% of total). Of the top fifty districts

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind of today is not the same organization that Abu Ala Maudidi launched in 1941. Starting with the aim of establishing Islamic governance, its purpose and role in India has slowly changed to the Jamaat becoming a champion of secularism and democracy. Its detractors will say that this apparent change in Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) is just tactical, but researcher Irfan Ahmad’s extensive ethnographic fieldwork, archival research, and data analysis, published as “Islamism and Democracy in India: The Transformation of Jamaat-e-Islami,” proves that the JIH belief in secularism and democracy is “deeply ideological.” The Jamaat began its life as an isolationist organization, it was an idea chosen by journalist-turned-Islamist-ideologue Maududi who made attainment of an “Islamic state”-the main goal of this organization. Striving for the Islamic state meant that Jamaat members could not participate in democracy, seek government employment, or even study in universities as the

Stereotyping is an oversimplified image or representation. One image is meant to represent all members of that group or community. It helps in identification but offers no individuality or scope for diversity that exists within that group. When you see news stories about Muslims on TV it is often accompanied by images of burqa clad women and men with cap and beard. In both cases visuals are selected carefully that suggests to the viewers that Muslim women have no personality of their own and men are extremists. However, stereotyping can also be a positive experience, a Muslim man with beard and cap and lovingly embracing his daughter can be a moving experience. A Muslim family eating together can reinforce the family values that Islam lays so much emphasis on. With the easy availability of digital cameras, these are the images that Muslims have to create themselves. The Hindustan Times, New Delhi, May 24rd, 2010 Another positive use of stereotype is to show that Muslims also e

"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 A hundred years ago, a young Pathan of just 20 years of age, established a modern school to bring education to his people. Concerned about poverty, ignorance, and violence around him Abdul Ghaffar Khan started his first school in Utmanzai in Frontier Province in 1910 educating boys and girls. It was a successful venture that led to the establishment of several other schools. Pathans loved it and the British Raj did everything they could to stop it. Quite a contrast to what is happening today in the region of Afghanistan and Pakistan, home to millions of Pathans. Today in the same region Talibans burn the schools and American Greg Mortenson is busy building schools. Pathans are proud people, they have been farmers, traders, and artists for generations but due

An analysis of randomly selected Deoband fatwas Fatwas have been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Headlines and news reports give readers the impression that muftis who issue these fatwas are working against heavy odds to keep Muslims backward and that most of their energy is spent on keeping women in check. The realty is far from what media, liberal Muslims or even Muslim scholars would like to admit. Most will be surprised to know that the majority of Muslims have never asked for any fatwa in their life. Out of 11 thousands Deoband fatwas online, only 2% are categorized as "Women's issues." An analysis of fatwas issued by Darul Uloom Deoband reveals that a majority of them are pretty harmless as they deal with issues like meaning of names, interpretation of dreams, or other personal issues. And if you look carefully there are many examples of good fatwas as there are fatwas that can be considered bad. Frontpage of The Times of India, Delhi Edition, May 11,

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 opini

Mukul Sinha has a PhD in Physics but even before getting his degree he got involved in the rights of the workers in his institute. Years later he completed his law degree and now he works as a lawyer and civil rights activist. One of the founding member of civil rights organization Jan Sangharsh Manch (JSM), he has been at the forefront of struggle for justice for victims of Gujarat genocide of 2002. Violence erupted in the aftermath of burning of a train near Godhra in Gujarat. The state government of BJP alleged that Godhra train burning was a case of Islamic terrorism and many Muslims of Godhra were charged under draconian POTA law. Mukul Sinha has successfully fought to get the terrorism charges dropped. A big believer in judicial process, he has participated in Nanavati Commission inquiring into 2002 violence in Gujarat. Though he admits that he doesn’t see much hope from this Commission but he says that it was important to use this platform to raise awareness about issues and

Minorities Commission as a non-statutory body was set up in 1978. In the days following Babri Masjid demolition it was made a statutory body and in 1993 it came to be called National Commission for Minorities (NCM). Its main object is to safeguard the interest of minorities but its power is even less than the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and National Human Rights Commission. Lacking any effective tool it is merely a spectator that can make some noise but not be part of the game. Annual Conference of the State Minorities Commission is organized on Wednesday March 31st in Delhi, the last one held on January 20th, 2009 offered 17 recommendations but a year later the “Action Taken Report” on these recommendations suggest anything but action. Read on: Recommendations 1. State Minorities Commissions (SMCs) should be set up in the States where they do not exist. Uniformity in power and organization for all SMCs. 18 states and UTs responded. Declined Punjab, Lakshadweep, C

When FIFA World Cup Soccer Final match is played on Sunday, there will be at least a billion people will be watching it around the world. Going by the two pictures that I will present to you, some of these fans will be young Muslim girls of India. First picture is from Indian state of Kerala. Soccer is huge in Kerala and not only boys but also girls get worked up for their teams. Brazil and Argentina are two most-favorite teams in Kerala. The picture is taken by Photographer Rahmath of Areekode in Kerala. He took this picture in May of this year and appears to be two young boys’ teams dressed in Brazil and Argentina and fighting it out. Many girls in hijab are in attendance and watching the match with full attention. The ball is near the goal post and one can clearly see two girls with their arms fully extended in excitement. Few more girls are in the process of raising their arms in anticipation of their teams scoring a goal. Second picture is by Amit Dave of Reuters and pub

Be good to your parents unless they ask you to do shirk and even then you have to behave with them in a kind manner. Breast-feeding is recommended for two years. Breast-feeding is also a form of family planning but unfortunately Quran commentators have not talked about that meaning of this verse. سورة لقمَان اور ہم نے انسان کو اس کے ماں باپ کے متعلق تاکید کی ہے اس کی ماں نے ضعف پر ضعف اٹھا کر اس کو پیٹ میں رکھا اور دو برس میں اس کا دودھ چھوٹتا ہے کہ تو میرے اور اپنے ماں باپ کی شکر گزاری کیا کر میری ہی طرف لوٹ کر آنا ہے۔ (۱۴) اور اگر تجھ پر دونوں اس بات کا زور ڈالیں تو میرے ساتھ ایسی چیز کو شریک ٹھیرا جس کی تیرے پاس کوئی دلیل نہ ہو تو تو ان کا کچھ کہنا نہ ماننا اور دنیا میں ان کے ساتھ خوبی سے بسر کرنا اور اسی کی راہ پر چلنا جو میری طرف رجوع ہو پھر تم سب کو میرے پاس آنا ہے پھر میں تم کو جتلا دوں گا جو کچھ تم کرتے تھے۔ (۱۵) And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his wean

Radiance magazine of 7-13 November 2010 has some data about JIH's membership strength. Total members: (arkaan + kaarkun) 1948: 300. 2010: 33,079. Muttafiqueen (symapthizers?): Males: 2,71,616. Females: 1,25,546. According to the article penned by Dr. S. Ausaf Saied Vasfi, Jamaat refuses to take any foreign donation. It is running 683 deeni madaaris, 10 big hospitals, 75 dispensaries, and several ambulances. Leadership: Presidents: 1. Maulana Abul Lais (1948-72) 2. Maulana Mohammad Yusuf (1972-81) 3. Maulana Abul Lais (1981-1990) 4. Maulana Muhammad Sirajul Hassan (1990-2003) 5. Dr. M. Abdul Haq Ansari (2003-07) 6. Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari (2007- current) Secretatry-Generals: 1. Maulana Muhammad Yusuf (1948-1972) 2. Maulana Afzal Hussain (1972-1989) 3. Maulana Muhammad Shafi Moonis (1990-1990) 4. Maulana Muhammad Jafar (1990-2007) 5. Maulana Nusrat Ali (2007-current) Source: http://www.radianceweekly.com/index.php?issue_id=229

Words are clear in this verse that there should not be any alteration in Allah's creation but the context in which this verse appears is talking about religion. So I am a bit confused if this is a general directive or specific to religion. If it is general directive does that mean that we can't do any of the plan grafting or genetic engineering? Wherefore set thou thy face towards the true religion uprightly. And follow thou the constitution of Allah according to which He hath constituted mankind. No altering let there be in Allahs creation. That is the right religion, but most men know not. [Ar-Room: 30] And Ashraf Ali Thanwi's tarjuma: سوتم یکسو ہو کر اپنا رخ اس دین کی طرف رکھو الله کی دی ہوئی قابلیت کا اتباع کرو جس پر الله تعالیٰ نے لوگوں کو پیدا کیا ہے الله تعالیٰ کی اس پیدا کی ہوئی چیز کو جس پر اس نے تمام آدمیوں کو پیدا کیا ہے بدلنا نہ چاہیئے پس سیدھا دین یہی ہے لیکن اکثر لوگ نہیں جانتے۔ (۳۰)

So hallow Allah when ye enter the night and when ye enter the morning,-- And His is all praise in the heavens and the earth! --and at the suns decline and when ye enter the noon. [Al-Room : 17-18] پھر الله کی تسبیح کرو جب تم شام کرو اور جب تم صبح کرو (۱۷) اور آسمانوں اور زمین میں اسی کی تعریف ہے اور پچھلے پہر بھی اور جب دوپہر ہو (۱۸)

سُوۡرَةُ العَنکبوت وَلَا تُجَادِلُوۡٓا اَهۡلَ الۡكِتٰبِ اِلَّا بِالَّتِىۡ هِىَ اَحۡسَنُ ۖ اِلَّا الَّذِيۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡا مِنۡهُمۡ‌ وَقُوۡلُوۡٓا اٰمَنَّا بِالَّذِىۡۤ اُنۡزِلَ اِلَيۡنَا وَاُنۡزِلَ اِلَيۡكُمۡ وَاِلٰهُـنَا وَاِلٰهُكُمۡ وَاحِدٌ وَّنَحۡنُ لَهٗ مُسۡلِمُوۡنَ‏ ﴿۴۶﴾ Al-Ankaboot And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation) unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say "We believe in the Revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our God and your God is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam)." [Al-Ankaboot: 46]

Recite what is sent of the Book by inspiration to thee, and establish Regular Prayer: for Prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; and remembrance of Allah is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. And Allah knows the (deeds) that ye do. [Al Ankaboot: 45]

Kashmir in Conflict: India, Pakistan and the Unending War by Victoria Schoefield Pretty balanced book about Kashmir between Indian and Pakistani position and also the struggle and challenges of the Kashmiris. One must remember that Kashmiris did nothing to sabotage Indian position in any of the Indo-Pak wars. In 1971, India had an opportunity to force Pakistan to accept Indian position in J&K, but didn’t. Start of Kashmir agitation [p.18] Kashmir was already like the proverbial powder keg. The spark was provided by a butler in the service of a European, Abdul Qadir, who, in July 1931, made a fiery speech calling for the people to fight against oppression. When he was arrested, crowds mobbed the jail, and several others were also arrested. There were further protests at which point the police fired on the crowd. Twenty-one people died. Their bodies were carried in procession to the centre of the town. Hindu shops were broken into and looted. The government retaliated with f

spare change newspaper of Cambridge Originally uploaded by TwoCircles.net "Spare Change" is a newspaper published by homeless people of Cambridge and Boston. Many homeless sell this newspaper to make a living and I usually give some extra to the person that I buy it from. There is not much to read usually but once in a while you get some gems that give real picture of life on the street or from the view of a homeless person. Click on the image of the cover of an issue of "Spare Change" attached to this post. They chose to highlight two stories on their cover. First one covering 75% of the real estate on the cover and that is devoted to a former homeless woman who wins a lottery jackpot. On the bottom is the second story which is about a young man who used to be homeless but through his determination was able to go college and towards a brighter future. Interesting thing about this cover is that even a newspaper by homeless is giving more weight to lottery wi

Lady in red hat Originally uploaded by TwoCircles.net

On March 29, 2002 a Palestinian girl Ayat Al-Akhras killed two Israelis. Victim of the suicide bombing by this 18 year old included a 17 year old Israeli girl Rachel Levi. They lived barely miles apart but in a totally different world, they represent two sides of a conflict that has consumed a large part of the world for more than 60 years. The world that they lived in were very different from each other and they could meet each other only in their death. Photographs of the two girls shocked the world because they looked so much like each other.   Documentary "To Die in Jerusalem" sets up a meeting between the two mothers and though both agree that they both are victims there is nothing else they agree with. There is no agreement on the cause of the violence and also what can be done to bring peace. As the world continue to spiral out of control led by politics, religion, capitalism, and above all greed and hate, do we have a failure to communicate or failure to empathize?

I wish to travel all-over the world but for one reason or the another I have not been able to do that but I have kept my hope and interest alive by watching travel channel and recently used my soon-to-expire airline miles to subscribe to a new travel magazine "Afar." I have never heard of this magazine before so was not sure what to expect. It is not exactly National Geographic but tries its best to be a travel magazine that looks for heart of the places that its writers go, I believe they fail to capture the soul but able to capture the heart. I would also say that writers have pretty clear Western slant meaning they are there as travelers and looking everything through a Westerner's eyes. Still, writing is engaging and photographs are great. I Look forward to the next issue. http://www.afar.com/

Notes from Tariq Ramadan talk in Boston in May 2010 Muslims are only reacting. More emotional you are weaker your position becomes. First attack is on the confidence of the people to make them scared. The word “sabireen” in quran is translated as perseverance which is a combination of patience and being active. [He meant that being patient doesn’t mean that we have to be passive] Islam is a commitment. Muslims should be more spiritual and less emotional. We should strive for justice but justice for all not just for Muslims. Justice for all. To be just is to forgive. Muslims should join universal struggle for equal rights. System and structure in the world are promoting injustice. Framework is good but enforcement is not. Challenge the media discourse. For Muslims minority: speak the local language, be loyal to the country, and abide by the laws. We can face some of the challenges by being more confident and being more assertive. C

Shadow war Originally uploaded by TwoCircles.net Shadow War: The Untold Story of Jihad in Kashmir by Pakistani journalist Arif Jamal. I was expecting this book to be a justification for "jihad" or militancy in Kashmir and also provide more information about strategy and thinking of the militants as supposedly the author had talked to hundreds of militants. The book provides sequence of events that led to militancy in Kashmir but much of it is already public knowledge and there is not much new information in there except it gives time, names, and places of people involved. Syed Ali Shah Gilani of All Party Hurriyat Conference and Syed Salahuddin of United Jihad Council appear in really bad light accused of attacking and killing their adversaries. Interesting thing is that this book is not at all favourable to Pakistani position or takes the side of militants in fact at several points it shows that Indians were willing to go to any length to talk but either Pakistanis

an old article: By Kashif-ul-huda, TwoCircles.net A commission constituted by the UPA government suggests that Muslims in India face vulnerability in employment sector due to low level of education, having no land and being Muslim. A Draft Report on “Conditions of Work and Promotion of Livelihoods in the Unorganised Sector” released by the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (NCEUS) reveals low level of schooling and high rate of poverty among Muslims who are employed in organized or unorganized sectors. Muslims rank between OBCs and SCs for various indicators studied by the commission. Commission termed as a “vulnerability” the socio-religious group the worker belonged to. The report notes that socially under-privileged groups get reservation for jobs and provisions for admission to higher education institution while Muslims who are “economically backward” have no such provision. 6.1 years of schooling is an average for non-agricultural worker. For work