LETTERS

Sir, I, being a Sikh writer and scholar, have been reading your journal for several years. In your September 2009 issue, Malerkotla Muslims have been praised. You have also mentioned that during 1947 Partition riots, no harm was done to them by Sikhs.

In my opinion, Malerkotla Muslims are hardcore fanatics and extremists. Punjabi journal Faran published from the town is effulgent in praise of tyrant Muslim kings such as Mahmood Ghaznawi, Muhammad Ghori, Allauddin Khilji and Aurangzeb.

Of course, Baba Sheikh Farid is a great saint and I revere him the holy Guru Garanth Sahib has praised him. It is futile to promote communal harmony between Muslims and Non-Muslims as most of the Quranic verses do not allow this. However, some verses do help the matters.

(Note: This is translated version of the letter received in Urdu. Though we have tried to stay faithful to the text, illegibility of handwriting compelled us to skip certain paragraphs. Editor)

Usually awards are conferred upon people for their accomplishments, not for pledges. On October 9, 2009, US president Barack Obama was awarded Nobel Peace Prize. But Obama has neither achieved peace nor has undertaken efforts to establish the foundations for world peace. No sooner had he received the prize for peace he convened his war council to discuss how best to wage war in Afghanistan. Obama's war council is also deliberating options to expand America's war in Pakistan. American officials are openly debating whether to launch missile attacks on Quetta— Baluchistan's largest city. In Iraq, Obama's so called draw down policy masks a similar sinister plan that relies heavily on private security contractors to strengthen America's military presence in the country and to compensate for the withdrawal of US troops. Under Obama's watch the civil war in Somalia is mushrooming at an alarming rate. It is fuelled through the supply of US arms to the beleaguered US puppet government. Likewise Obama's continued support for autocratic rulers of the Muslim world has convinced many Muslims that Obama is no different than George Bush. But, nowhere is Obama's failure to deliver peace more pronounced than Palestine. As a prelude to his inauguration, Obama displayed resolute determination not to condemn Israeli savagery in Gaza. One wonders, if the Nobel Prize committee has looked into all this before selecting the person.

Anyone watching the Middle East and the Occupied Palestinian territories recently can tell you that rage is bubbling just below the surface. What may not seem apparent is that a new intifada, or uprising, may be right around the corner. When this happens, Western media outlets will scramble to explain how and why we have come to this state. They will likely place the blame on the Palestinians, the victims of Israeli oppression, once again ignoring any and all history or context of the illegal Israeli occupation and its daily horrors. If some might find this far-fetched, we have only to look back at the recent war on Gaza when the Western media blamed the victims and realized much later that they had ignored the ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip and Israel's violation of the ceasefire. The last intifada was sparked when Ariel Sharon and an entourage of countless armed soldiers violated the sanctity of the Noble Sanctuary. Today, tensions in Jerusalem are rising again as demonstrations against home demolitions continue, and Israel continues to prevent the freedom of movement for worshipers into the holy sites. So now what? That is the question Palestinians are asking. Their leaders have failed them. The US and Obama, supposedly an honest broker, have failed them. The international community and the system which is supposed to protect the basic human rights of all people have failed them.

Should the name be changed?
Q: My wife who has converted to Islam still legally carries her Christian name but she is Muslima by conviction and practices Islam as well. At the time of marriage she had told the Imam that her Islamic name would be 'Zahra' but no one really calls her with this name. Can you, in the light of Islam, help me understand if it's needed to change her name legally or not? I would also like to know if it's permissible to just start using her Islamic name Zahra in public and let others including family and friends tell to start calling her with Islamic names as well.
Haseeb Khan


Not necessary in all cases
A: Most names have roots in linguistic and ethnic background of people. Change of faith does not necessarily urge a change of name. However in cases where a name clashes with the basic doctrine of faith, it needs to be changed. Despite change of faith, Iranians, Indonesians and Turks did not change their names. In India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Muslims still carry certain ethnic surnames such as Chowdhury, Bhagat, Kumar, Kutty, Kunhi, Rather, Mandal, Biswas, Sarkar, Bhuiya, Hazarika etc. Some of the Islamic names were however moulded into the local languages with a few modifications in spellings. It should be purely a decision of the individual and the families to affect a change in the name of the individuals. Islam respects the ethnicity as much as it emphasizes the identity. If indeed, your wife feels that she will be more comfortable to have a traditional name associated with Muslims, she can adopt the name mentioned by you and gradually make it known to others. And it is always preferable to be known by one single name be it among one's own relatives and in the legal records. One has to judge such preferences from the viewpoint of convenience, rather that strictly from religious angle. Mrely urges taking such names that imply virtues and goodness.