Community Round Up

Keeping up with the tradition, Muslim employees in government offices in the Andhra Pradesh are being allowed to leave one hour earlier to the official time during the month of Ramzan. The Government has also announced that white card holders would be given additional 3 kgs of sugar. Efforts are also being made to supply enough milk the day before Eid in the State. A sum of Rs. 25 lakhs has been sanctioned from the Minority Welfare Board to repair the Royal Mosque in Public Gardens and Makkah Masjid at Charminar. For the first time a ‘control room’ has been set up at the AP Hajj House in Nampally to handle complaints regarding water, electricity or any other essential services during the holy month of Ramadan.

The Andhra Pradesh Wakf Board convened a meeting of Qazis recently at the State Haj House along with Wakf Board Chairman Mohammed Saleem to discuss the menace of old Arabs marrying young Hyderabadi girls. Recently, some cases came to light where the old Arab nationals married young girls and after a short span of time deserted them. These Arabs visit India and exploit the poverty among the Muslim families in Hyderabad. The Wakf Board chairman wanted the Qazis to prevent this exploitation, but the Qazis expressed their helplessness as they are bound to perform their religious duty. They said it is upto the Government to bring about the restrictions. However the Qazis agreed to co-operate on moral grounds.

The new guidelines stipulate that in the larger interest of poor Muslim girls, the Arabs will produce the proof of date of birth, financial soundness, marital status including number of children and no objection certificate from their governments and their respective embassies of India. According to the Qazis, about 150 Arab marriages are performed every year in the city. Most condemnable aspect is that these foreigners are indulging in contract marriages which is against the spirit of Islam.

The Islamic State of Pakistan is allowing an Indian company to set up liquor plant. Consumption of liquor by Muslims is banned in Pakistan, but it isn't stopping Vijay Mallya from foraying across the border. UB group firm McDowell & Co is in talks with a bottling company in Pakistan to manufacture its premium whisky brand Black Dog.

"It will only be a small set-up as just 3 per cent of the Pakistani population is permitted alcohol consumption. But we are looking at the opportunity as we are trying to widen our footprints in the Saarc region," said Vijay Rekhi, managing director, McDowell & Co, and president (spirits division), UB group.

According to Rekhi, the company is looking at getting a foothold in Muslim countries like Bangladesh and Malaysia through similar arrangements. It is to be seen whether the citizens of these countries will oppose the move before its too late.

Madrasa Talimul Quran here celebrated its 30th anniversary. Maulana Abdus Subhan Nadvi of Rai Bareli presided. Abdul Wahhab Nadavi and Abdul Mateen of Jama Masjid were the chief guests.

Dr. Naveeda Jukaku of the Raja Rajeshwari Dental College, Bangalore and Fathima Zohra of Abbas Khan College for Women have been adjudged the winner of the first prize for the essay contest held by the Bazme Sualihaat in the City. Umme Salma F, and Sameera Sadiya were selected for the second and third prize respectively. The consolation prize were won by Dr. Lubna Patel, Dr. Ayesha Minama, Mrs. Akiya Bano, Asma Imraan, Ruhi Khanum, Nazia husna, Tabassum S., Mohsina and Imraana Banu. The theme for the essay was Blessings of Ramadhan.

The Hazarduari Palace Museum Library has undergone renovation and has been thrown open to visitors and users. Situated in the first floor of the grandiose Hazarduari Palace built by the British in 1828 at the banks of River Bhagirathi, the Library is a repository of priceless collection of 8,000 books and 4,000 manuscripts in Urdu, Persian and Arabic. Besides it stores nearly 50,000 documents, firmans and records.

According to librarian, Abdur Rab Mollah, the library was restored by the Archaeological Survey of India during the last 20 years. Former West Bengal Governor, Prof. Syed Noorul Hassan who visited it in early 80s urged the Human Resource Development Ministry to take urgent steps to restore the library. Since then the old documents have been dusted, loose sheets bound in secure volumes and old journals and firmans catalogued.

Among its precious collections is the Diwan e Laqueeth written by famous calligrapher, Yaqut al Mustasmi (died 1283 AD) and Gulistan and Boostan by Hafiz Saadi Shirazi. It also preserves the original copy of Ayeen e Akbari written by Mughal emperor Akbar’s courtier, Abul Fazal. The library has the bound volumes of Illustrated London News, a journal from England belonging to the middle of the 19th century.

The Library also stores entire documents pertaining to correspondence between the British rulers and Nawabs of Bengal who succeeded the throne after defeat and death of Nawab Siraj-ud- Dowla in the battle of Plassey in 1757. Following this, Murshidabad came under the British rule and Mir Jaffer, whose treachery led to the defeat of Sirajud Daula, was enthroned. Hazarduari Palace Museum also displays the rare armoury, photographs, art objects, thrones and furniture and rich porcelain utensils and furniture of the era.

For details contact: S.K. Choudhary, Asst. Superintendent Archaeologist, Hazarduari Palace Museum Library, Murshidabad, Phone: 03482-270334.

The Government of India has cleared 82,000 Hajj applications for Hajj 2005. The Government has also decided to continue the subsidy to the pilgrims as usual. In fact, the government received a total of 82,000 applications and all of them were cleared. The subsidy amount would be the same as that given last year and Aurangabad (Maharashtra) and Guwahati have been added to the list of embarkation points. Gaya is substituted with Patna. Indian Airlines would operate hub-and-spoke flights from Guwahati and Patna to Delhi or Kolkata and from Aurangabad to Mumbai. To the pilgrims of Srinagar, hub-and-spoke flights would be operated from there to Delhi. 56,000 pilgrims would be flown by Saudi Arabian Airlines and the rest by the Air India under the arrangement.