READER'S COMMENTS

Kashmir Talisman
Helping Muslims
Thackeray is Right
Exceptional
Why this Silence?
Appeal for help
Science Exhibition

This is with reference to article “A Talisman for Kashmir” by Prof. Mujtaba Khan.

The cease-fire initiative by the Government of India in Kashmir has been extended further. It is surely a goodwill gesture.

But realizing the present situation in Kashmir as well as in Pakistan, it is still a big question whether the Kashmir problem would be resolved in the near future. The step taken by the Indian Government has not evoked the desired response from the Pakistan and that there are shades of hardening in their attitude after the initial positive reaction. The Government has not taken any step to take the leaders of the main opposition, the Congress, into confidence either. Besides, there is no apparent follow-up steps by the Indian Government itself.

This promising step of resolving the problem could be derailed by the secessionist elements in Kashmir. It has been shown recently from the killing of six Sikh Kasmiris by the militants.

Ahmad Qisai, New Delhi

I am a nuclear physicist living in the USA. My expertise is terrorism committed in the name of Islam. Dr. Ahmed Zewail, a professor at California Institute of Technology and the 1999 Nobel Prize winner of Chemistry grew up in Egypt in a Muslim family. In a tour of the Middle Eastern Arab countries after receiving the Nobel Prize, he warned that Arab countries are well on their way to becoming banana republics. He attributed this due to the neglect of not imparting scientific knowledge to their citizens. Heeding to his advice, Egypt set up a science and technology university.

While I consider Muslims to be inherently capable, two factors have hampered Muslims: 1) A literal rather than pragmatic interpretation of Islam, 2) Control of Mullahs who are not exposed "enough" to the modern way of life while still adhering to the medieval culture of Arabic tribes. As has been discussed in Islamic Voice, this has led to the difficulty of Muslims in absorbing modern knowledge, including science.

I therefore see a bleak future for Muslims and because of them a bleak future for India. The poison of extremist Islamic ideology will destroy India from within like cancer. Pakistan is an example of what the popularity of Islamic extremist way of thinking can do.

Moorthy Muthuswamy, org@saveindia.com

I read with interest for the first time your web-site. You have mentioned that Dilip Kumar had protested the activities by Bal Thackeray against the film Fire which deals with the subject of lesbianism. Now you know, Islam frowns upon this subject, and then we have two supposedly Muslim actors, Dilip Kumar and Shabana Azmi fighting for this, and Bal Thackeray attacking this film. I must say that though I oppose him for his demonizing the Muslims, on this issue, I fully support him. I am ashamed that Muslim actors and actresses take up such subjects.

Farook Chandiwala on e-mail

I have searched the entire internet but not found any newsmagazine in English about Indian Muslims except yours, which is as exceptional as any quality mainstream magazine. I hope it will turn into a galvanizing force among true Muslims to reawaken the modern and progressive way of life that Islam provides . Ameen.

Najeeb Ansari , najeebansari@go.com

I am really impressed by your website, specifically the "Community Roundup", However I found the web site completely silent on the topics of how the communal BJP Governments are slowly trying to destroy the already weak identity and economic condition of Muslims in India, and how they are gaining success. You would be doing a yeomen service to Muslims if you start reporting the atrocities being perpetrated by the Sangh Parivar in connivance with the police and local admisnitrations.

Guljan Kohi on e-mail

My son Navaz Baig aged 19 years is suffering from chronic renal failure and is on Dialysis, which should continue till renal transplantation is done. I seek the help of fellow bretheren to help me to meet the expenses of nearly Rs.10,000 every month.

Readers may send their contributions to Hussain Alam, I.V. Box No. 105, Palmgrove Road, Victoria Layout, Bangalore:560 047. Hussain Alam, Bangalore

I am a student of Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. One of my Hindu friends, who is a student of the Bachelor of Design course with me, has a project about designing an exhibition on 'science and religion'. He requested me to make him available some literature on Islam and science. I want to put a request through your paper that I shall be very grateful to people who could send me some very relevant stuff regarding the subject especially concerning the verses in the Holy Quran which have deep scientific meaning.

Tahsin Ali, tahsin@rediffmail.com 6th Semester, Mechanical Engineering, IIT Guwahati, North Guwahati-781 031, Ph.: 91-361-690763