Islamic Voice A Monthly English Magazine

May 2005

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Community Round-Up

Delay in Bomb Blast Case

Tired of waiting for a verdict in the 1993 bomb blast case, the Bombay High Court has converted a letter written by seven persons regarding this into a writ petition demanding an answer from the state government and the Central Bureau of Investigation. The letter points out to the chief justice that the judgment in the 12-year-old case has not yet been delivered despite all the evidence being recorded and arguments being completed in 2003. The letter dated December 6, 2004, was co-written by Feroza Seervai, Carmen Kagal, Vibha Kamat, Neela D’Souza, Krishna Kaikini, Saethu Nair and Ernest Fernandes. Last month, the HC converted the letter into a writ petition and the case was admitted on March 28. Advocate Farhana Shah, who appears for the accused in the case, said, “This case is not like any other criminal case where only one crime is registered. There are 52 crimes registered in this case and there is tons of evidence on record. We have to consider these factors while talking about a delay in judgment.”

High-Level Committee

By Andalib Akhter

The Government of India has constituted a High-Level Committee to look into and address the issues relating to the socio-economic and educational backwardness of the Muslims in the country. The Committee would look into the geographical pattern of the economic activity of the Muslims, their asset base and income pattern, level of their socio-economic development, their relative share in public and private sector employment, their access to education and health services, municipal infrastructure, bank credit and other services provided by the Government. Located under the Cabinet Secretariat, the Committee is headed by well known human rights activist and former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, Justice Rajinder Sachchar.

Prejudice Against Muslim Prisoners

Journalist Iftikhar Gilani’s latest book, My Days in Prison (Penguin, Rs 195) has brought some startling revelations about prejudice against the Muslim prisoners in jails. He writes: “ It seems strange for a community which forms 12 per cent of the total population of the country, 30 per cent of the jail population is Muslim. Most of them are inside allegedly for committing petty offences”. In his book, he writes that during his stay in jail, a shocking incident bordering on open hostility to Islam happened. “The jail authorities for reasons best known to them demolished two mosques in Ward nos 10 and 11. The ‘mosques’ were actually open platforms allotted during Kiran Bedi’s tenure, without any roof, with a small almirah where copies of the holy Quran were kept. The explanation offered by the authorities was that they found some improvised knives buried under the mosque. It may be recalled that Gilani spent seven months in jail for an offence he never committed.
Gilani who worked earlier for feature syndicate FANA and The News, Lahore, currently works for Radio Germany.

Foundation Stone Laid

The foundation stone was laid here for the building of Touheed Girls’ Independent Pre-University College last fortnight. The function was graced by dignitaries like Moulana Syed Yousuf, Rev. Fr. Stany Pereira, Ganesh Kamath, Abdul Hameed MH, Raju Devadiga and G. Ganapathy Shipai. The college is being run by Touheed Educational Trust.

Jinnah House to Pak

By A Staff Writer

President Pervez Musharraf has said that the Indian government has agreed to give Jinnah House in Mumbai for Pakistan to open its consulate in Mumbai. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will also soon arrive on a visit to Pakistan. India and Pakistan have decided to open their respective Consulates in Karachi and Mumbai before the end of the year to promote people-to-people contacts. A few years after Partition, the British Deputy High Commissioner (DHC) began to reside there. The most senior information officials at the DHC occupied the first floor. Both moved out in the early 1980s. Around this time India agreed to Pakistan’s request that it be allowed to buy or use Jinnah House to house its Consul-General and his offices, only to change its mind. For well over a decade no one lived there. For one thing, it was of undoubted historic significance. The Gandhi-Jinnah talks were held at this bungalow in September 1944. So were Jinnah’s talks with Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru who met him there last, ironically, on August 15, 1946, exactly a year before India became independent and was partitioned.

Saare Jahan Se Achcha turns 100

Saare Jahan Se Achcha, Dr Allama Iqbal’s unique tribute to India which is today an inseparable part of the national consciousness, has turned 100. On April 21, Iqbal’s death anniversary, Mumbai-based Urdu scholar Abdus Sattar Dalvi and his associates had organised special centenary celebrations for the song at the V P Naik Bhavan at Mumbai University’s Kalina campus. In 1904, Iqbal, then a young lecturer at the Government College, Lahore, was invited by his favourite student Lala Hardayal - a patriot who established the Gadar Party in the US. Iqbal sang Saare Jahan Se Achcha with gusto.When poet Dr Allama Iqbal sang Saare Jahan Se Achchha, the audience was stunned; no one had heard anything like it before. Simple and alluring, the song became a rallying point for freedom fighters.

Summer Camp at Oomerabad

The 23rd Summer Islamic Camp of the Institute of Introductory Studies of Islam will be held from May 14 to 29 May at Jamia Darussalam, Oomerabad for Muslim students who are studying in higher secondary classes and college. The students who are studying in 10 standard need not apply.

The classes will be conducted in Tamil, Urdu and English. Jamia Darussalam will provide boarding and lodging to the participants. Contact for registration: The Director, Summer Islamic Camp, Jamia Darussalam, Oomerabad – 635 808. Vellore dt. (T.N.). Ph: 04171 – 258322 Fax : 04171 – 255451.

Muslim NGO's Directory

Global Media Publications, New Delhi, is planning a directory of Indian Muslim Non-Governmental organisations (NGOs). The directory aims to fulfill the long-standing need of Indian Muslim social activists, NGO managers and others who want to collaborate, help or work in association with others working in similar fields. For further details get in touch with S.Ubaidur Rahman, Global Media Publications, J-51A, 1st Floor, AFE, Jamia Nagar Okhla, New Delhi-110025 Tel-011-55666830, 9818327757. E-mail: mail@mpublications.com.Website: www.gmpublications.com

Talents Day at Silicon

Silicon City Public School, Indiranagar, Bangalore celebrated the Talent’s Day and Graduation Day of U.K.G students recently. Mohammed Iqbal Hothur, president, Salsabeel Educational Trust presided over the function and Y. Ghouse Khan, a well known industrialist was the chief guest. Amina Chisty, principal, Silicon City Public School, presented the achievements of the school. The school plans to extend good transport facilities covering additional areas such as Fraser town, Benson town, Shivajinagar, Baidwadi, Neelasandra, Ashoknagar, BTM Layout, Koramangala and Mavalli. The CBSE syllabus will be introduced during 2006-07. For further details, contact, Silicon City Public School, Masjid-e-Ummul Hasnain Complex, 3/1, H - Colony, Indiranagar, Bangalore – 560 038. Ph.: 25219961

Modernise Education

Report from P.A.Muhammad

Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, K. Rahman Khan, has opined that the clamour for ‘Reservation’ alone would not solve the problems of the Muslim community. While speaking at the valedictory function of the Kerala Muslim Educational Association at the Ernakulam Town Hall, he suggested that the community should look beyond the agenda of Personal Law and propagation of Urdu.The community should give preference to modernise the existing educational system than going for more of such mediocre educational institutions. He pointed out that nearly 50 per cent of the Muslims who constitute 13.4 per cent of the total population are illiterate. The convention was presided over by K.M.E.A President, Syed Basheer Ali Shihab Thangal.

Anjuman-e-Dawat-o-Islah Trust, Bismillahnagar has set up a clinic near Bismillah Masjid. It was opened on March 27 by Karnataka Secondary Education Minister, Ramalingareddy. It provides out-patient treatment, vaccination facilities offered under central government health schemes for children. It is specially meant for women and children. Currently a lady doctor and a nurse handle the services. The clinic charges only Rs. 5 for consultation together with medicine. Deputy Commissioner Sanaullah, Mufti Iftikhar Ahmed and Maulana Zainul Abedin of Jamiatul Ulema e Hind also attended the opening ceremony. It proposes to set up a blood bank.

Advani to Open Temple in Lahore

Former Pakistan prime minister and Muslim League president, Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain has invited BJP party president L.K Advani to visit Lahore to inaugurate a temple dedicated to Luv, the son of Lord Rama.

According to legend, Luv founded the city of Lahore, now in Pakistan, and his temple is located in the Lahore Fort. The temple has remained shut since the time Alauddin Khilji ruled most of North India, including areas currently in Pakistan says a rediff.com report from New Delhi. “It is being repeatedly said in Pakistan that Advani was responsible for the demolition of the Babri Masjid. We have asked Advani to come and inaugurate a temple dedicated to Luv that is going to be restored and developed into a model temple,” Hussain said. Asked if it was an attempt to bury the ghost of the Babri Masjid, Hussain said: “This is the only solution to the Babri dispute. Instead of demolishing temples to avenge the destruction of the Babri Masjid, it is better to construct a temple and ask Advani to inaugurate it.”

On March 30, Advani told a delegation led by Hussain that he would visit Pakistan in June and would like to travel to Karachi (where he was born and spent his youth), Lahore and Islamabad.
This will be Advani’s first visit to Pakistan since 1978, when he visited the country in his capacity as minister of information and broadcasting in the Janata Party government.

Islamic Books Fair

An Islamic and Urdu Books Fair will be held from May 13 to 22 at Al-Ameen School, near Lalbagh Main Gate, here in the city. The Fair is being organised by Bookware, an Islamic books house which organised a similar exhibition in 2002. Visitors can look forward to a large collection of English, Urdu, Kannada and Malayalam books on Islam from different publishers. Publications from Malaysia and Saudi Arabia will also be available. There will be an exclusive pavilion for Islamic cassettes and CDs. Many Urdu literary titles will be on display. GoodWord Books, a leading publisher of Delhi is the co-sponsor for the event.

According to Syed Tanveer Ahmed, director of Bookware, the exhibition will bring awareness among the new generation about the wealth of Islamic books and also help them understand Islam in its purest form. The Book Fair will be open from 10 am to 9 pm

Goal-Setting Tips for Students

Report from Md Ziyaullah Khan

A Personality Development workshop which is an annual event of the Islamic Centre Markaz colony, Nagpur, was organised from April 9 to 11 for students of 10th and 10+2. The three-day workshop was conducted by D. Hussain Ali, HR Manager, Union Bank of India (UBI) Mumbai. Topics like Communication skills, Goal Setting, Time management, Public speaking, Leadership, Networking and Team Building were effectively dealt by him. The sessions concluded with prize distribution with a motivational speech by Mr Yaseen Khan, President, JIH, West, Nagpur. Md Mohsin was judged as the best cadet of the workshop, while consolations prizes were bagged by Afzal, Zafar and Amir.

Afzal Hussain Award for SSLC Toppers

The Students’ Islamic Organisation of India, Karnataka Zone will felicitate the Muslim toppers of SSLC this year with the Afzal Hussain Award. Students who have secured more than 90 per cent in the academic year 2004-05 are eligible for the Afzal Hussain certificate. Muslim students from Karnataka studying under Urdu, Kannada and English medium can send the xerox copy of their marks card attested by the head of the institution with postal address to the zonal office at: S.I.O of India, No 7, SRK Garden, Jayanagar East, Bangalore – 560 041. Ph; 2664 6861, on or before 30th June 2005.