Trends

Many Muslims have not let age dominate their psyche. Going 70, but they are leading active lives serving the community.


Aging is a simple fact of life. There are people who accept the fact and age gracefully. There are others who let old age dominate their psyche, physique, and health.


It is possible to remain active, healthy, and productive even post 75 years. Let us take example of those who are nearing 80s, but are as active as ever.


A. Gani Atlaswala is one of the most low profile Muslim philanthropists. At the age of 77, he is as active as ever. When it comes to community, social and educational welfare, Gani Atlaswala is always in the forefront. He starts his day immediately after Fajr prayers and completes his business assignments.


Relaxing for an hour in the afternoon prepares him for a long evening session, meeting many individuals and groups and helping them in every way he could. Gani Atlaswala is associated with a number of welfare Trusts in guiding them. What makes Gani Atlaswala unique is his low profile and straight forward approach to work. Zameerul Hassan, Managing Trustee of the Renaissance Welfare Trust has worked with him on many projects and says that Gani Atlaswala is the most approachable person.


Dr. Jhamkhanawala: At the age of 77, Dr. Jhamkhanawala as the president of Anjuman-i-Islam is not only managing more than 100 institutions but also planning their growth and expansion as never before. Anjuman has never expanded at the pace as it is growing under the leadership of Dr Jhamkhanawla. He is leading a team which has nearly got the UGC approval to recognise Anjuman as a deemed university. Under his leadership, Anjuman-i-Islam has taken shape as a professional educational institution backed by a sincere cause for the upliftment of the community. But Dr Jamkhanawala even at this age does not want to rest on his laurels; he is all set to introduce the latest courses at affordable fees for the Muslim students.


Adam Noor: Hon. Gen. Secretary, the Memon Educational & Welfare Society (MEWS) is in his mid 70s. Here is a person who never takes a break. Sitting in the office of News, he single handedly manages the welfare activities of the organization. From raising funds for the scholarship for poor students to editing the MEWS organ to managing the affairs of the various MEWS activities, Adam Noor is a one- man army never allowing age to come in the way of serving the community.


Dr Abdul Karim Naik: Founder of IRF and Rehmani Foundation. At 77, he is the ubiquitous face in most of the community forums and initiatives. His passion for serving the community has only increased with age. Simultaneously working on many projects and serving slew of organisations, Dr A K Naik never allows age to stress him down. Simple living and high thinking has made him the visionary personality of the community.


Haroon Mozawala: 64, is member and trustee of many Muslim organisations. He is devoting his full time for the social cause handing over his business empire to his son. The cause, which is very dear to his heart, is helping Muslim students financially for their day -to-day problems related to health, education, housing and even drinking water. Haroon bhai as he is popularly known is active in socio-political issues even writing speeches for the Muslim politicians. He is also popular amongst the Ulema, hosting the All India Muslim Personal Law Board meetings in Mumbai.


Psychologist Dr Mumtaz Jani, opines that aging is more related to the psyche. His advice is very simple:Accept aging as a fact of life and embrace it. Always think about those who will never have the opportunity to age.


Remember that your age is just a number, not who you are. Dr Jani said that aging lends an air of respect, dignity, and wisdom. “Feel good about it. Your aging will be seen as a good thing in the eyes of others. Make sure you view your aging in the same way” he said.


Never stop working! When you reach retirement age, do not retire unless you have to. If you are forced to retire, do it, and then promptly get another job that you will love doing. Many people retire and promptly go downhill emotionally and physically. Retirement is for old people. But you are aging, not getting old. However, aging is normal, progressive and irreversible. But old age is not synonymous with disease; one can maintain good health even at an advanced age.


Maulana Riaz Ahmed Khan: Chairman, Idara Dawatul Quran is in his early 70s. After the demise of Maulana Shams Peerzada, couple of years back, it is Maulana Riaz who is carrying forward the mission of Idara. In Mumbai, Maulana Riaz is one of the face which is acceptable to all the sections of community. Even at this age he is proactive, raising funds for a number of educational institutions and Trusts he is associated with.

The Children of Rifaa In search of a moderate Islam

By Guy Sorman
Translated from the French by Asha Puri. Published by Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11, Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi-110017, India. Price: Rs 250


In 1826, Rifaa el Tahtawi, a theologian in Cairo, arrived in Paris. His mission was to discover the secret of the scientific prowess of the West and find out if it was possible to reconcile the tenets of Islam with a modern and progressive outlook. By the time he returned to Egypt in 1831, after a thorough study of Western science, military power and jurisprudence, he had come to the conclusion that nothing in the Quran opposed the modernisation of the Muslim world. His enlightened analysis led to what is known as the ‘Arab Renaissance’, a discernible shift towards modernity and democracy in the Muslim world, which lasted till the 1950s.


Over the last fifty years, this spirit of reform has more or less given way to a more fundamentalist and less tolerant approach. While Muslims themselves have largely given the moderate tradition a go-by, the West too has pandered to convenient stereotypes. Bin Laden, 9/11, Afghanistan and ‘Jehad’ have become the symbols of modern-day Islam, so much so that Muslims as a whole have been branded as fanatics and even worse as ‘terrorists’.


Guy Sorman’s book, The Children of Rifaa. In Search of a Moderate Islam, is a scholarly study that takes a look at Islam in the contemporary world, and asserts that contrary to popular perceptions, there are still thinkers in the Muslim world who subscribe to a moderate and liberal view of Islam. These progressive Muslims, who call themselves ‘the children of Rifaa’, seek to reconcile globalisation and modernity with the need to preserve the integrity of Islam. Calling upon both the west and the Islamic world to unambiguously express their solidarity with these free-thinking Muslims, the author emphasizes that this is a responsibility we can ignore only at our own peril.


Guy Sorman was born in France in 1944 and studied at the University of Paris. At 25, he started teaching economics in this same university and as a visiting professor abroad, mainly in the USA and Latin America. Over the last 40 years, he has written numerous columns for French and other newspapers around the world. He is currently a member of the French National Commission for Human Rights, a member of the Indo-French forum and the founder and honorary president of Action against Hunger.


The book has been translated into English from French by Asha Puri based in Delhi. She has taught French at the Alliance Francaise, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia.
The Children of Rifaa. In search of a moderate Islam, stirs the conscience of Muslims and non-Muslims. Guy Sorman should be given full credit for his unbiased views and authentic research that has gone into the book.


Some very hard-hitting facts mentioned by Guy Sorman could keep the community wide awake and set them thinking. Here is one sample: Says Guy Sorman in the chapter “The Origins of Poverty”-


“ In the 54 countries with a Muslim majority, only two per cent of the Muslim population enjoy economic standards comparable to those of the industrialised countries. For the knowledge-based developed countries, one index is particularly disquieting: a tiny country like Switzerland issues more scientific patents in a year than all the 54 Muslim countries put together!”