LETTERS

This has reference to article in Islamic Voice of August 2008 titled ‘The mango man from Maleehabad, Kaleemullah Khan’. 

While I commend his enormous contribution to the field of mango cultivation, I should also not fail to mention that his naming of the mango varieties is totally inappropriate.  For the blessings Allah has bestowed on him in terms of knowledge and skill he must have named the mango varieties with an appropriate name which will be a form of thanks-giving to Allah without whose grace nothing would have been possible for Khan.  His selecting of names of his household members and worst the cine star is very wrong.

Most of the problems that the Muslims are facing throughout the world today is due to the lack of duas and blessings of our great pillars of Islam, the great Sufi saints. Due to Westernisation and the Israeli/American infleunce directly or indirectly upon the Muslims, we have taken the Sufi saints for granted and do not either respect or honour them. In this regard, Islamic Voice has a mighty role to play by starting a “Sufi Corner” where teachings and profiles of great sufi saints can be published.

In a developing country like India and in a milling crowd of about one billion people, it is a difficult task for any security agency to nab or keep a track of one or two culprits strolling around with a few bombs ticking around their bodies or planting them in the dark corners of a street. A few security experts have advocated the security system of USA and UK in combating terrorism. But looking at the history of terrorism in India, its geographical location, its multi-religious fabric and lack of sophistication, the security measures adopted by those countries does not appear to be feasible. Apart from the scientific and technological methods, it is time that the government agencies should mull over some religious, spiritual and psychological approach to the menace of terrorism. Our government agencies should also educate our youngsters against the act of evils by instilling fear of God in their hearts. This could be done by propagating the noble injunctions of various scriptures that advocate peace and love, reverence towards other religious beliefs, The tools to propagate these messages could be electronic and print media. In electronic media, the messages could be spread through inspiring plays, dramas and documentaries. In print media, it could be through feature articles and columns and by moral teachings in schools and colleges.

A special Tribunal lifted the ban on SIMI under the pretext of ‘lack of evidence’. It is noteworthy that the organisation has been outlawed since 2001 and the ban has been since extended thrice. From 2001 till today, government and the media made die-hard efforts to link SIMI with each and every terrorist activity. I wonder on what basis did the government ban a law abiding organisation for six long years on the basis of illusion and fancies? With the matter now in the apex court, it is the plea of a thoughtful citizen of the largest democracy of the world that it is high time that justice be done and that too soon, because justice delayed is justice denied.

Your editorial ‘Faiths divide, Values unite’ ( July 2008) is very thoughtful.  I would have two other observations on the topic.  One is that devotees have come to think that they can secure forgiveness for their sins by doing these acts.  Thus they can continue to sin as long as they carry out the sin-forgiving rituals.

Secondly, we have the political use of these externals.  Politicians publicly observe these rituals so that their constituencies will identify with them and admire them for their piety.  In addition, they use these external symbols to solidify their constituencies against competitors.
Wearing of the hijab or the forehead mark or the cross becomes a “holy” way to make a political statement.

I fully agree with most of the views expressed in your editorial ‘Faiths Divide, Values Unite’ (July 2008 issue) but the conclusion drawn i.e., that Faiths divide, and Values unite is not correct. It is wrong to say that faiths (religions) divide.(Religions came into being to inculcate values and code of conduct in the social animal beside introducing the Creator).It is the followers of the religions  who do so  by misinterpreting and  placing more than required emphasis on the dos and don’ts prescribed by the religion, without understanding the true sprit behind them.

For example everybody who enters a mosque immediately folds up the hemline of the trousers (most of the time not sufficient enough to expose the ankles) only to expose the dirty margins. Nobody has told them that the whole purpose of the command to keep the dress length above ankles was to condemn the long flowing dresses worn in the times of the Prophet by the elite, rich and lords to show off their privileged status. Thus the dictate to wear ankle length dress was to condemn and discard any form of dress which is worn to show off superiority and snobbery (takabbur).

Unfortunately our religious sermons and writings have rarely emphasized enough on Islamic teachings on akhlaq (moral conduct), maamlaat (dealings), rights of fellow human beings, charity, duties of well-to-do towards the needy, orphans, destitute, sick, disabled, and the oppressed. The emphasis has been on ibadaat (worship), which mostly became ritualistic and spiritless.