LETTERS TO EDITOR

This has reference to article "Sultans of science" (Islamic Voice July 2010). The CEO of MTE studios has stated "we want to create our indebtedness to a civilisation which was once the greatest."I wish to point out that Muslim scientists never added their names to their inventions / laws discovered or developed by them. On the contrary Western scientists associated their names e.g., Newton'laws, Archimedes' Principle, Pythogara's theorem etc.

In fact, Westerners Latinized the names of the Muslims scientists so fully that these scientists themselves came to be identified with the Western communities rather than being known for their Arabic or Islamic origin. So Ibne Sina became Avicenna, Ibne Rushd got altered to Averroes. Hence MTE is doing yeomen service in highlighting the contributions of Muslim scientists.

This refers to the article titled 'Presumptuous writings of Praveen Swami: Acusing the Victims' by Praveen Swami, the assistant editor of The Hindu in Islamic Voice, June 2010. The writer has ably dissected the wortings of Swami who has been publishing doctored versions of reports from intelligence sources, some of whom are out to defame the Indian Muslims. It is strange that Swami has carried out such calumny about Muslims in a newspaper as great as The Hindu for so long. Several of his pieces have been of absolutely speculative nature, the truth of which has now been exposed with the unveiling of the involvement of Abhinav Bharat activists.

The North Indian Muslims merely believe in identity politics which is not going to benefit them any more. After personal law and Urdu, they have now jumped onto the bandwagon of Jamia Millia's minority status and Right to Education (RTE) Act. Having lived in Delhi for several years, I believe the bankrupt politicians of the North are out to pollute the South Indian Muslims too.

Jamia Millia's minority status is not at all a question to be made a political issue. The University suffers from lack of feeder institutions. Delhi has two universities to cater to higher education needs of the Muslims i.e., Jamia Millia and Jamia Hamdard. But the City has hardly a dozen Muslim run or administered schools. In fact they require nearly 120 high schools to cater to these universies. Instead of setting up adequate number of schools, the Muslims in the capital city squander their money on sacrificing goats at the drop of the hat, having meaningless convetions on Urdu, AMU and madrassas et al. The dozen Urdu and Muslim high school are in pathetic state. Consequently, the professional faculties of the two universities are grabbed by more competent non-Muslims students through competition. While Bangalore has nearly 200 Muslim high schools (vide Islamic Voice, March 2009) , the Muslims here try to compete for professional colleges through CET and are in race with other communities. Delhi Muslims need to learn a lesson or two from South Indian Muslims who have invested in basic education in a big way and are reaping the fruit of development.

North Indian Muslims are fed with an overdose of 'Protective' mindset. That's why most agitation like 'Tahaffuz Urdu', Tahaffuz Muslim Personal law', Tahaffuz e saqafath' emerge from this clamour-minded North Indian politicians. Muslims in south India will be well advised to keep these self-seeking leaders at bay. They are out to drown the Muslims in backwardenss that characterises the Muslim localities of Delhi, Pilibhit, Lucknow, Moradabad, Kanpur, Bareli and invariably all other destinations.

A new issue this leadership has caught on to is the impact of RTE which according to them, would affect madrassas. Most madrassas in North India refuse to register themselves as NGOs, are opaque about their fundings, do not want to amend the syllabus in sync with times and have no controller of exams and no method of ceritification, accreditation. They are independent republics of private maulvis. Bereft of knowledge of Hindi, English and other vernacular languages, they equip their graduates with no worldly skills. Should they now demand to remain exempted from RTE in order that Muslim resources are spent on keeping them backward? It is time the North Indian Muslim intelligentsia resuses to hang on to the coat tails of the 'Tahaffuz' brigade and madrassa enterprises run by moulvis. Unless this is done, they will drown the entire Muslims of India into the depth of despair. It is long since we have heard any sane voices from Delhi and Lucknow. Why look towards them for guidance?

The feature 'Forest Maker of Kerala' by Maqbool Ahmed Siraj made interesting reading, Islamic Voice July 2010. Curiously, a BJP minister of the central government recognised the work of Abdul Karim. But hardly any Muslim organisation has taken cognizance of his contribution of econology and environment. Islamic Voice deserves kudos for featuring this man. Such people need to be felicitated and given prizes because their contribution goes beyond the realm of community. They care for the whole humanity. It is time we identified ourselves with the human issues and problem rather than stewing in our own juice. The AMU which is opening a campus in Kerala should adopt Abdul Karim's forest for study of forestry sciences.