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Special Humanitarian Coordinator of the United Nations, Jan Egeland warned that Lebanon is heading for a humanitarian catastrophe because of the aid agencies’ inability to distribute foodstuffs among the people in the war-torn regions. The World Food Program is not in a position to deliver foodstuffs to the people because of the volatile situation in the country following Israel’s continuing aggression. “It’s already a very major crisis,” he said, adding that more than 5,00,000 people have either been forced to flee or are trapped, a number destined to grow dramatically.”


Jan Egeland has called on Israel to guarantee safe passage for humanitarian goods into Northern Lebanon by road, into the ports of Beirut, Tripoli and Tyre for sea cargo, and into Beirut airport for air shipments. The airport has not been working since Israel bombed its runways. Referring to the conflict, Jan Egeland said: “It has to stop. This is no natural disaster. This is a man-made crisis”, he said at a press conference in Larcana, Cyprus.


He said that it would take over $100 million to help the hundreds of thousands of Lebanese who have been hurt or displaced since the Israeli bombings began. He also unveiled UN’s humanitarian plan in Lebanon. Egeland’s land, sea, and air plan would be to truck humanitarian convoys from Aarida, a northern border town, through the still-accessible coastal road south to Beirut. The sea plan would be to create three safe harbours for relief supply shipments in the north, at Tripoli, in the centre at Beirut, and in the south at Tyre. The air corridor would involve the heavily-bombed Rafik Hariri Airport in Beirut. At least one of the two runways would need to be repaired in order to receive cargo planes.

All India Milli Council Convention


Mr. Justice A. M. Ahmadi called for empowerment of Muslims of India through the Constitution, at a massively attended convention on the topic at the Talkatora Stadium on July 24, organised by the Milli Council.


Ahmadi told the delegates, the only sure way forward is through education using the constitutional right of free and compulsory education enshrined in the newly added Article 21A in Part III, viz., chapter on Fundamental Rights. “Let us stop blaming others for our miseries, let us introspect and correct our mistakes, and march on. Not to provide education to your children is a serious crime since you are destroying their destiny and leaving them to suffer the same plight as you presently are suffering”, he added.


Ahmadi reminded the delegates that members of the Muslim community must realise that empowerment can only come through acquisition of knowledge through proper education. Quoting statistics from the Census of 2001, he said he found that of the total population of India, Muslims were around 14 crore; of them around 192 lakhs were receiving education at the primary level, 105 lakh at the secondary level, 73 lakh at the matriculation level and 30 lakh at the higher secondary level.


There are only 24 lakh at the graduation level i.e. in all about 4 crore only. ‘I think this percentage at the college level needs to be substantially increased’, he opined.He said the miserable statistics entitled the Muslims to ask, particularly the political parties what action they propose to take to enable the Muslims to seek empowerment through the Constitution and the laws of the country.


Justice Ahmadi said he was afraid at the scenario of the Muslim ummah. He said: “I am sorry to say that our clerics have not been made aware of the long strides science has taken in recent times. They have remained in the dark and need to be made aware of the dynamics of scientific developments that have taken place in the last few decades. Many of them still refuse to believe that humans have entered space and have landed on the moon, despite television flashes”. In his Address to the Millat, Council General Secretary, Dr. Mohammad Manzoor Alam outlined nine challenges before the Muslim community. He said the foremost challenge was to set the millat on the path to progress without which peace and prosperity was impossible. The second basic challenge is the protection of the rights of the Indian Muslims, its implementation and restoration and achievement of rights and privileges. The third challenge is to enhance dignity, weight, respect and value of the Indian Muslims at every level.


The fourth challenge is the demand for rights and privileges as given under the Constitutional system. The fifth challenge is to make India a peaceful zone of the world and riot-free area.


Other challenges included weakening of the anti-human forces, resolving the real problems of the country in right perspective, presenting deen-e-rahmat (Ideology of Compassion) in India as a benefactor of humanity, and finally replying to the questions, particularly raised by the West with regard to certain principles and concepts of Islam.


The convention focused on the issue of political empowerment of Muslims. Political empowerment is not a mechanical device. It should form part of a carefully contrived strategy involving the governing system, the civil society and the Muslim community. The essentials may include a commitment on part of the political elite to take enabling measures for Muslims as a matter of constitutional obligation, a far responsible role of media, help from NGOs and emphasis on initiation of secularisation processes. These essentials provide the philosophy, methodology and environment conducive to taking enabling measures resulting into political empowerment of Muslims.


Among the Resolutions of the convention, one was the steps to be taken up for giving Muslims fair representation in governing bodies, institutions and units including legislature, executive, civil service and judiciary. There is scant or no representation of Muslims on government boards, commissions, committees etc. Increasing their representation would also amount to confidence-building measure.