Malegaon at Crossroads

Malegaon bomb blasts 2006: The scene outside the Bada Qabristan

In his famous novel Jimmy the Terrorist, Omair Ahmed brilliantly portrays Muslim alienation in the fictional town of Mozammabad in Uttar Pradesh. The protagonist of the novel Jamaal, also referred to as Jimmy, grows up in the shadow of mosque demolition, curfews and the rise of religious intolerance. In the end Jimmy stabs a police inspector and is beaten to death. The last words he utters are, “My name is Jimmy the terrorist.” The gripping portrayal of Mozammabad can be a story of any town with a sizeable Muslim population. Mozammabad can be easily replaced with Azamgarh or Malegaon.


Like Mozammabad, a deep sense of alienation and mistrust runs through the psyche of Malegaon. Listening to fiery speeches of emotive orators amidst jeering crowd on Friday night in Malegaon created a thought that crossed my mind: Was there any Jimmy in the audience? One can easily call this question ‘provocative’ but yet it would be foolhardy to dismiss this hypothesis with a shrug. A Jamaal can easily be a Janardhan.

As India marches ahead on the world map, it cannot overlook the broader theme at the heart of this debate, which is alienation and a sense of victimhood irrespective of religion. The ordinary Muslim of Malegaon has every reason to feel like Jimmy though he is yet to fall into the dangerous trap of stabbing the inspector. That is not to suggest that there have not been any of the same violent manifestation. The burning of a police van after 2006 blasts and clashes with police after 2008 blast are two examples in the making of Malegaon’s Jimmy. These episodes are a defining moment in drawing a distinction between Jimmy as himself and Jimmy as the terrorist.

The 2006 Malegaon blasts are a watershed in the history of Indian Muslims. The trend of targeting mosques and Muslim localities originated like a sparkle in Nanded, Parbhani and Jalna in 2003 and the sparkle turned into fire when it reached Malegaon, Mecca Masjid, Ajmer and Samjhauta Express. The screaming voices of Indian Muslims to investigative these blasts from all possible angles were lost in wilderness and it came back like an echo at Mahabaleshwar’s Arthur point. Then all of a sudden the 2008 blast took place. It was the honesty and integrity of a brave officer that lead an investigation to turn the tables. There is a gap of five years between 2003 and 2008. The political voice of Indian Muslims is so weak that it took five years to travel from bylanes of Malegaon to power corridors of Delhi. The political Muslim dispensation is still living an age of defeat; they have yet to come out of slump of 1857.

The reinvestigation of 2006 Malegaon blasts will be a litmus test for Central Bureau of Investigation. It remains to be seen which path CBI chooses to tread. Its battered image can get a fresh coat of paint if it applies the rule of common sense. It will not be unfair to suggest that Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur knew about the 2006 blasts. She visited former RSS pracharak Sunil Joshi’s house on December 30, 2007, the night after he was murdered by his “own” men in and took away a briefcase without telling the family members. The family was unaware of Joshi’s death and nobody questioned Sadhvi since she was a “regular” visitor. Sadhvi told investigators that the motorcycle used for the Malegaon blast was the one she sold to Joshi. Aseemanand’s confession is a masterstroke in the sense that the main-accused person, Sunil Joshi, was murdered under mysterious circumstances. Both Sadhvi and Aseemanand seem to suggest that Sunil Joshi was the main player in 2006 and 2008 blast. It will be an uphill task for CBI to connect dots with a dead man. Which court in the world has successfully prosecuted a dead man?

With Swami Aseemanand’s confession the mood in Malegaon seems to be celebratory. The same mood prevailed when the inquiry into the 2006 blasts was mischievously handed to CBI after the filing of chargesheet. The same mood prevailed when approver Abrar Ahmed turned hostile. The same mood prevailed when CBI told the Bombay High Court that it has not found anything incriminating against the nine accused. This vicious cycle of justice seems to be as evasive as a mirage of barren desert. At each episode, the key players involved in the struggle of justice have enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame, but nothing has happened. Will Jan. 28, 2011, the date of hearing for bail, turn out to be an extension of this vicious cycle?

Media is the mirror of society. It returns to Malegaon only when there is some ‘development’ in the bomb blast case. One cannot blame the media for this trend because news-hunt is its job. Omair Ahmed sarcastically describes the role of media members in covering Mozammabad this way, “Look at them, how they gather, descending like kites upon a fresh kill.” In doing so, media has greatly affected the collective behaviour of Malegaon: leaders only appear on scene when there is any ‘development.’ There is no persistent attempt for justice. The air-conditioned office of a chief minister or a home minister (be it RR Patil or Chidambaram) is not the ideal place to seek justice in a democracy. The days of Mughal Empire are long over! In a democratic setup, justice is sought in court of law. One understands the importance of building political ‘pressure’ but this exercise is always performed discreetly not in front of camera. No Kashmiri went to meet the home minister when SAR Geelani was wrongly convicted in the 2001 Parliament attack case. Instead they turned to famous lawyer Ram Jethmalani who successfully fought Geelani’s case free of cost, despite strong opposition from the right-wing quarters.

The mad race to take ‘credit’ is a shameful act while the innocent accused are still anguished in jail and their families going through an agonizing experience. No civilized society will tolerate petty politics over the lives of the innocents. The only boy worthy of any credit is Abdul Kaleem of Hyderabad, if Aseemanand’s confession is genuine.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a sincere man and he comes from the Sikh minority. He understands the anger, despair and helplessness of the minority. The general feeling in Malegaon can be summed up in the words of Noor-ul-Huda’s wife, Samira Bano, who told Tehelka magazine, “I would only tell Allah about my misery. I don’t have any faith in the media or in the courts.” One hopes that Manmohan Singh understands her voice is the voice of Malegaon.

Meanwhile, Jimmy can take a break as Swami Aseemanand has taken his place.

Sunday Inquilab, January 23, 2011

Whispers have become Words

Swami Aseemanand: The Man behind five bomb blasts (Pic Courtesy: Tehelka)

Whispers have become words. Murmurs have taken form of sentences. Private conversations and personal convictions are no longer confined within the four walls of a decrepit Muslim household. A quiet sign language has been replaced by a wild scream. The guilt-soaked eyes have got new sparkle of hope and redemption. The Indian Muslim has finally got the guilt-free-pass handed by a ‘devout’ Hindu priest Swami Aseemanand of Dangs, Gujarat.

 

Aseemanand’s judicial confession – that he and his Hindutva men were responsible for five major bomb blasts – has opened Pandora’s Box. The bees of the box have stung so many men in Khakhi. One confession has destroyed the credibility of countless police officers. It is safe to assume that Rajwardhan, the then Rural SP of Nasik, did not sleep properly on Friday night. He weaved a dangerous fictional tale in order to implicate 11 innocent Muslims in Malegaon’s 2006 blasts. It is equally safe to assume that the conscience of former ATS chief KP Raghuvanshi must be cursing himself. It was Raghuvanshi who proudly displayed sketches of two suspects who bought new cycles. How conveniently he forgot the fact that the sketches don’t match with the bearded Muslims languishing in jail! How conveniently he forgot the fact that Shabbir Masiullah, one of the accused, was already in Mumbai police custody since many months before the blasts! How conveniently he forgot the fact that Noorul-Huda, the accused number one, was under close police watch since many years! 

Aseemanand’s confession has brought open the divide within the CBI. The confession is an indictment CBI as well. CBI blindly followed the footprints of KP Raghuvanshi when it filed a supplementary chargesheet in Malegaon 2006 blasts repeating the lies woven by ATS. How conveniently CBI relied on ATS theory that Zahid, the Imam of Phoolsavangi, planted bomb when he was leading Friday prayers hundreds of miles away!  It is altogether a different matter that Aseemanand was arrested by CBI! Therefore it can be safely assumed that there are two kinds of CBI; one highly communal and the other secular. Does CBI stand for Communal Bureau of Investigation?

Harish Gupta, the then Hyderabad Joint Commissioner of Police, took inspiration from KP Raghuvanshi when he falsely implicated 19 Muslims in Mecca Masjid blast case.

The role of RSS has come on spotlight after Aseemanand’s confession. Ram Madhav, RSS spokesman, has said that confession was given under “duress”. He should know that it’s a judicial confession recorded as per the guidelines laid down in Section 164 of Criminal Procedure Code which says that confessions recorded before a magistrate are legally admissible evidence. Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab had given confession under the same section. It is very difficult to retract the confession given under this section. If one retracts confession then it is quite possible that perjury charges will be slapped on him. Retired Bombay High Court judge Justice Hosbet Suresh is of the opinion that the accused can retract his statement. In a recent interview Justice Suresh remarked, “Even if the prosecution relies on it, the magistrate who recorded the confession is summoned and he will give evidence in the court. The magistrate can be cross-examined”.

The communal and biased role of investigating agencies must be fully examined by Prime Minister Manmoham Singh. There is an urgent need for a legislation which will hold our investigating agencies accountable for their misdeeds. Delivering the Fourth R.N. Kao Memorial Lecture on January 19, 2010 organised by the Research and Intelligence Wing (RAW), Vice-President Hamid Ansari had called for greater “oversight and accountability” in the operations of the country’s intelligence agencies. He had suggested setting up of a standing committee of Parliament on intelligence. He passionately argued that just like other democracies like the United States and the United Kingdom, the “concerned agencies should make public their mission statement, outlining periodically their strategic intent, vision, mission, core values and their goals”. It is high time to implement the suggestion of Hamid Ansari. 

Similarly we need to have a mechanism in place whose job is to keep watch that no innocent is falsely accused on terror charges. 32 Muslims have been wrongly imprisoned on terror charges. Four years of incarceration has ruined their lives; their families had literally given up the hope that they will get justice. It remains to be seen how the Indian government is going to right the wrongs done by law-enforcing agencies. Will the offending police officers be booked under the same stringent laws which were abused by them? This will be the biggest test of Indian democracy.   

Indian Muslim’s quest for inclusion in new India will remain a dream unless the guilty police officers are punished. The average Indian Muslim is still trapped between two keywords: Justice and survival.  

Can Indian politicians learn from Aseemanand’s judicial confession?  2010 was a year of loot and plunder. 2011 began on a happy note if Aseemanand’s “penance” is true.

Sunday Inquilab, January 9, 2011 

Omar Khalidi: An Icon says Goodbye

Omar Khalidi addressing April 2010 workshop at MIT (Pic: TwoCircles.net)

The fallen leaves outside the magnificent building of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) will not rustle with the step of a man who walked inside the famous university each morning with a purpose. The infinite corridor of MIT will feel the emptiness and void left behind a scholar whose works overshadow the unending corridor. The books of massive MIT library have lost their best friend; an intellectual who was not merely a librarian but a book-lover as well. The sudden demise of Dr. Omar Khalidi in a train accident in Boston on November 29 was a severe blow to Indian Muslims in India and United States. The best way to honour him would be to constitute a chair in his name at Osmania University or Aligarh Muslim University or Jamia Millia Islamia. The chair should should promote the kind of research work Dr. Khalidi had been doing for the past 30 years.  

I first heard the name of Omar Khalidi in 2006 when he wrote an article in Hindustan Times passionately arguing that Sachar Committee should do a consensus of minorities in armed forces. The demand was indeed provocative but Dr. Khalidi never shied away from taking a firm stand by substantiating his point of view with solid facts. Persistence finally paid off and his demand was quietly accepted by the Sachar Committee though no official till date has acknowledged this! Dr. Khalidi proved the age-old proverb that pen is mightier than the sword. From then on, I have read almost all articles written by him. To me, Dr. Khalidi signified the power of pen. Sittings 12,000 kms away in MIT office, his flawless yet simple prose had the potential to cause unrest in Prime Minister’s minority agenda.

When I was introduced to him via email on ninth of April, 2009, he was working on the second edition of his pathbreaking book ‘Khakhi and Ethnic Violence in India’. Without any customary exchange and flattery, he directly asked a question:  

“I understand from a Mumbai-based activist (takes a leading activist’s name) that she and another journalist in Nanded obtained from Maharashtra government the statistics about Muslims in Maharashtra police. Do you anything about this matter? The activist was going to send me that document but did not - she said she will send the document in November last year (2008) but nothing happened. She did not disclose the name of the journalist. I am revising ‘Khakhi and Ethnic Violence’ and can use the document if you are able to procure it.”

I pursued this matter for two months to get the report but the activist never cooperated. At no point in my email exchange with Omar Khalidi, he lost his cool at such unprofessionalism on the part of the activist. He took this denial with a pinch of salt. In the last email on this subject, he retorted to Hyderabadi sarcasm. He wrote, “Have you spoken to masruf logan (busy people) as we say in Hyderabad sharif? Let me know if you find out anything from them.”

In his career spanning over 30 years, Dr. Khalidi was always the target of Hindutva brigade. In April 2010, he organised a workshop on a theme which rattled the ranks of Sangh Parivar. The workshop was titled ‘Terrorism and Group Violence - Challenges to Secularism and Rule of Law in India’. There was a sustained campaign to call off the workshop but the higher authorities of MIT had faith in Dr. Khalidi. The workshop was successful but Dr. Khalidi was branded “anti-Hindu” and “soft Jihadi”. 

I discovered the humility of Dr. Khalidi when I first met him on November 13, 2010 in Cambridge. Accompanied by his family, Dr. Khalidi had come to listen to me on the subject of Malegaon. He was fascinated by history of Malegaon. He sat on my left like a commoner. When I broached the topic of his book ‘Khakhi and Ethnic Violence’ thinking that he would talk about the activist, he said, “Send me an email, I will ask the publisher to despatch you a copy of the revised edition.” Here was a man with no ill-will and malice against anybody. He was a walking embodiment of dictum of Dr. Abdul Haq, “Baat kum aur kaam zyada.”

For 16 days, I didn’t send him any email. On the 17th day, Allah took away a leading light from us.

Sunday Inquilab, December 5, 2010

US Media on President Obama's India Visit

US President Obama with Indian Pime Minister Manmohan Singh

New Orleans, Louisiana: There is a famous line in American lexicon: When the President fails at home, he travels abroad to succeed! As President Obama starts his 10-day Asian tour starting with India just after his party lost majority in the House of Representatives, the saying still rings true for most Americans. 

Unlike Indian media which has gone euphoric on President Obama's visit, the US media tends to view Obama's India visit as a "routine Presidential obligation" and there is no front-page sensationalism and hype. Only a small segment of media has came out against his visit to India. Here are some of the key issues raised by American media about President Obama's India visit:

Indo-Pak Relations and Afghanistan:

New York Times in its November 5 edition says that President Obama will not push India "hard" on the issue of Pakistan though senior American military commanders strongly believe India must disavow from an "obscure military doctrine" which they believe is fuelling tension between India and Pakistan thus affecting American war efforts in Afghanistan. The doctrine is officially known as "Cold Start" which means a plan to deploy new ground forces that could strike inside Pakistan quickly in the event of a terrorist attack or conflict. India has always denied the very idea of a "Cold Start". New York Times has termed this issue as "victory for India" since President Obama may not touch on this issue when he meets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday. The newspaper also narrates the Indian point-of-view that both the countries should focus on broader issues including "commercial ties, military sales, climate change and regional security". And that US must stop looking at India from the lens of Pakistan and the war in Afghanistan. 

Miami Herald quotes Richard Armitage, the deputy secretary of state under President George W. Bush, thatIndians' frustration about the United States in connection with the 26/11 attacks had been receding but the recent Headly developments gave them a new life. CNN says that terror battle will likely be the top Obama agenda in India.

False reports in Indian Press:

American media has slammed the reports in a section of Indian Press that US government would be spending approximately 200 million dollars (Rs. 900 crores)  per day on President Obama's India visit! New York Timesblogger Michael D. Shear has termed this report as "false". Writing on White House blog, Dan Pfeiffer, the communications director, called the story as “a long trip from reality” and said the rumour so far overstates the amount actually to be spent that “it’s not even close to being true.” The story which originated from India has found some takers in pro-Republican American press. Fox News host Glenn Beck calculated the total 10-day cost of Obama's Asia tour as just “$2 billion"! Pentagon has termed this figure as "comical". One US website Fact Check says that the per day figure of 200 million dollars would be higher than the daily cost of entire Afghanistan war!

Military assistance to Pakistan:

Voice of America has raised Indian concerns about US policies particularly its billions of dollars in military assistance to Pakistan. It quotes Lalit Mansingh, a former foreign secretary who says, "If it is used for fighting terrorism, we have no complaint. If its is for using arms to fight India, we have a real problem." It must be noted that Obama administration has pledged to increase its military aid to Pakistan to $2 billion per year to help the country fight terrorism.  Voice of America also says that delicate subjects like violence between security forces and separatists in Kashmir will remain off the table.

Economy and Job Creation:

A large section of American Press has highlighted that creating jobs and bolstering US economy would be the topmost agenda of President Obama. This assumption is rooted in Obama's statement just before leaving for India. He said, "One of the keys to creating jobs is to open markets to American goods made by American workers. Our prosperity depends not just on consuming things, but also on being the maker of things." He also said he wants to double American exports by 2016. Washington Post said that President Obama has left for Asia tour "preaching jobs and open market". The newspaper asked whether India is a "neglected power". It says that the value of US goods exported to India has quadrupled to $17 billion annually over the past 7 years. It said, "Indian officials want Obama, who will address India's Parliament in New Delhi, to take the next step by expanding military-to-military relationships, removing business barriers such as the increase in US visa fees." USA Today says that Obama's agenda in Asia will be the same as it is in America: job creation.

"Unnecessary Trip" to India:

Conservative television host Glenn Beck has come down heavily on Obama's visit to India terming it "unnecessary". In a programme on Fox News he provocatively said, "The President has blocked off 800 hotel rooms. Do we still - do even know if he's travelling with 3, 000 people? Do we know if that's true?" He also said that Obama is visiting Mumbai just in time for Diwali, the festival of lights. "I don't know if that's why he is going, you know? I don't know if that's why we are paying all of this money, for lights," he said. He also drew parallels between 9/11 and 26/11. "He'll also be talking to survivor of the Mumbai attacks. I personally think he could probably spend less money and talk to the 9/11, you know, family victims here."

Inquilab, November 8, 2010

Mosque Ruling Angers India Muslims

Tight security in Ayodhya (Pic Courtesy: Reuters)

MUMBAI – A court ruling over the site of a demolished mosque that largely favored the majority Hindus has angered India’s Muslims, raising fears of a new bout of ethnic tension in the Asian country.

 “The judgment is inextricably confusing because it is not a straight two-to-one judgment,” Syed Shahabuddin, President of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM), told OnIslam.net on Saturday, October 2.

 “There are in fact three judgments and they go on shifting their verdict on vital issues. Therefore essentially the judgment does not settle or resolve the issues.”

 A court in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday ruled that the site of the Babri mosque to be divided between the Hindus and Muslims.

The 2-1 majority verdict gave Muslims one-third of the land, while two-thirds were given to two Hindu groups.

“The judgment is extra-legal based on myths and legends, ‘faith’ and superstitions, and not on the evidence on record,” said Shahabuddin.

“The judgment ignores the fact that the Supreme Court order of 1994 treated the disputed site as one entity and did not envisage any division,” he said.

Thousands of Indian Muslims rallied Friday after the weekly prayers to denounce the mosque verdict.

Despite the anger, the Muslim reaction was measured with no violent protests reported.

The 16th century-mosque was demolished by Hindu mobs in 1992.

More than 2,000 people were killed in ensuing ethnic violence between Hindus and Muslims over the mosque demolition.

Muslims want the ancient mosque to be rebuilt, while Hindus want the lands to build a temple.

Extra-legal

Muslim leaders and political analysts lamented that the verdict lacked legal grounds and largely favored the majority Hindus.

“First Hindus installed idols in Babri Masjid in 1949, and then they demolished the Masjid in 1992. What is the fault of Indian Muslims,” Dr. Rehan Ansari, a political commentator, told OnIslam.net.

“Nobody asked for the one-third share in the disputed site yet the court has ordered trifurcation of the land.”

Navaid Hamid, member of the National Integration Council, was also critical.

“I am crying for my future generations, what they would respond when they will be teased that they have demolished a temple and an Indian court proved that they were guilty,” he said.

“Indian Muslims need to seriously think of surrendering all rights in Ayodhya and announce that they would not accept any land of piece as given by court because they think that this country would be run on astha (belief) rather than judicial rationale.”

Muslim leaders warned that the ruling risks to fuel sectarian tension in the country, vowing to appeal against the verdict.

“It (verdict) will only mean a mini-Masjid and a mini-Temple next to each other giving rise to constant friction,” Shahabuddin said.

“The Muslim community is dissatisfied and shocked by the judgment and is determined to exercise its right of appeal to the Supreme Court with a view to reverse the judicial stand from the mythological to the legal.

“The Muslim community is ready to accept the final judicial verdict of the Supreme Court as it is committed to the Constitution and the rule of law. It does not see any scope for negotiations among the parties until the final judicial verdict establishes the rights and status of parties concerned,” he said.

Muslims make up 13 percent of India’s 1.1 billion population, while Hindus account for 80 percent.

OnIslam.net October 2, 2010 

Note: This story which I wrote for Egyptian website OnIslam.net has been badly edited thus omitting some of the positive comments by members of Muslim community. 

‘Schools are like maintenance workshops’

                     Abu Saleh Anis Luqman Nadwi

On a damp summer night of 1976, an 11-year old boy walks inside a tiny classroom of Madrasa Faizul Uloom located in a narrow lane behind Islampura’s Juni Masjid. An Arabic class led by the late Maulana Mafuzurrahman is in progress where the students are in their late 40s, 50s and even 60s! Escorted and asked by his father, the boy joins the night class and becomes the “youngest” and the “brightest” student in no time! 23 years later, the “boy” becomes the first and the only Indian approved by United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Education to teach Arabic and Islamic studies! The boy’s name was Anis Ahmed.

How Anis Ahmed became Maulana Abu Saleh Anis Luqman Nadwi is an inspirational story of sheer obsession with Arabic. All these years, the soft-spoken Islamic scholar-turned-teacher has dangled between “obsession” and “madness”. He took pride when people labelled him “mad” in 1980s; for him the word MAD was an acronym which stood for ‘Make A Difference’!

After passing standard 7 from a Municipal Urdu school, Maulana was enrolled by his father Luqman in Malegaon’s Madrasa Baitul Uloom. It was the late Maulana Mafuzurrahman who persuaded Luqman that Anis must join full-time madrasa. After securing two degrees of “Alimiyyah”, first from Baitul Uloom and second from Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow, Maulana taught Arabic, literature and Islamic sciences in Malegaon. He also designed and taught a crash course on Modern Standard Arabic for young Muslims, school teachers, doctors, engineers and businessmen in Malegaon, Mumbai, Delhi and Abu Dhabi.

A student of renowned Islamic scholar Syed Abul Hasan Ali Miyan Nadwi, Maulana has closely worked with renowned Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiddudin Khan for seven years as a full-time research assistant and translator at Delhi-based Islamic Centre for Research and Da’wah. “I have critically revised/thoroughly rechecked/minutely edited almost every single page ever penned by Maulana Wahiddudin Khan”, he told Inquilab from Abu Dhabi.

He has translated Wahiddudin Khan’s Tazkirul Qur’an into Arabic, revised and edited the famous translation and commentary of Qur’an by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. He was also on the editorial board of the Encyclopaedia of the Qur’an.

In 1996, Maulana shifted to Abu Dhabi and joined Islamia English School as a senior teacher. He was simultaneously assigned the job of school’s PRO (Public Relation Officer) in view of excellent command over Arabic language and effective negotiation skills.

In 1999, Maulana became the first Indian to get Ministry of Education’s licence to teach Arabic which, as per the existing bylaws, is granted exclusively for the native Arabs nationals who have to pass a number of extremely tough written and oral tests. He had challenged Ministry officials to exceptionally allow him to appear for the exam. To the surprise of officials, he passed the exam with the highest marks ever! This breakthrough remained a “secret” for three years because Maulana was not keen to “publicise” it. In 2002, Ministry of Education organised a programme for the Arab teachers to launch a nationwide campaign for raising the standards of teaching Arabic. He delivered the keynote address of the programme which was attended by 500 Arabic teachers. It was at this programme that Government Inspectors of Arabic language narrated the tale of how Anis Luqman had challenged them!

Maulana has translated not less than 8,000 pages from English and Urdu into Arabic or vice versa. “As a matter of routine, every month I translate no fewer than 150 – 200 pages consisting of Ministerial Circulars, official letters, documents, welcome addresses, etc. from Arabic into English and vice-versa”, he said.

Maulana became “passionate” about learning Arabic at a much later stage in life after passing out from Baitul Uloom and Darul Uloom Nadwa. His ‘mastery’ in Arabic is a “byproduct” of his “voracious reading” of Arabic books and his “madly” attempt during 20s to revolutionize traditional Madrasa education starting with an unprecedented experiment of teaching Arabic to non-Madrasa people without any textbook! “I consider it a ‘byproduct’ because to get mastery over any language had never been my aim”, he said.

Maulana’s obsession with Arabic can be gauged from the fact that from mid 1983 he stopped reading Urdu except few books! He used to converse in Arabic at home. “Since then on I started unconsciously speaking a language which may be called as’Anglo-Arabic Urdu’; that is Urdu in Arabised accent ‘loaded’ with Arabic and English phraseology”, he said. In the meantime, Maulana’s ‘command’ over Arabic unconsciously improved but he didn’t realise that his spoken or written Arabic is good according to the Arab scholastic standards until a compliment by Dr. Abdul Halim Owais, a renowned Egyptian thinker and widely read author in mid 1987. After hearing Maulana and reading some of his translated pieces, Dr. Abdul Halim was impressed. He asked Maulana for how long he has been studying in Egypt or Saudi Arabia. Upon realisation that Maulana has not spent a single day in both the countries yet, he was stunned and said, “Wow, you write and speak Arabic much better than some of those who teach there in the Arab universities!”

Maulana has always taken an alternate stand in matters of education. “Education is generally defined as ‘answering the questions’ but I would prefer to define it as ‘questioning the answers’!” he said.

Maulana considers himself as a “natural-born teacher”. His teaching style contradicts traditional methodology and is extremely popular among the students. He says that traditional teaching hardly constitutes 10% of real teaching.

“Teaching is essentially a mind-activating activity which can be exercised between two or more young or old persons. Text books, charts, writing board, lesson plans, e-devices and other ‘teaching stuff’ are useful but not indispensable tools for this ‘mind-activating activity’”, he said.

Maulana is a harsh-critic of traditional as well as modern education and schools run by Muslims. “Education, theoretically, is supposed to be an ongoing process of ‘behaviour modification’. But, practically, education has caused throughout the generations more ‘behaviour distortion’ than positive ‘behaviour modification’”, he said.

Maulana is known to sum up his lectures in the form of 5 to 10 keywords. For instance, QE=EBUC (i.e. Quality Education is equal to Expected Behaviour Under Unexpected Circumstances/Mutawaqqa kirdar ghayr mutawaqqa halat mein).

Maulana counters the long-held view that school is a place where “the destiny of a nation is shaped.” He claims that school, at best can be likened to a “maintenance workshop” where students are either “well-maintained” or at worst would even be “spoilt and mutilated.”

Apart from this, Maulana has been closely working to help Indian Diaspora living in United Arab Emirates. He has voluntarily handled a number of tough labour disputes involving Indian workers. Indian Embassy often requests him to appear for legal disputes concerning immigration, release of passports from Labour Ministry etc. During the 2007 Amnesty period, Maulana facilitated release of thousands of Indian passports’ from Ministry of Labour. In recognition of voluntary services, he was awarded an Appreciation certificate and a Memento by the then Indian ambassador Talmiz Ahmed.

Maulana says that with the rapid commercialisation of schools, his concept of teaching, though theoretically much appreciated, would hardly get general acceptance.

“It is, therefore, most likely that within next few years I will have to quit teaching as a ‘profession’ and devote my time and energy to Dawah and research.”

Inquilab, September 11, 2010

How Cordoba House became “Ground Zero Mosque”?

The proposed Cordoba House near Ground Zero

G.K. Chesterton, English author and mystery novelist once wrote, “Journalism largely consists of saying ‘Lord Jones is dead’ to people who never knew that Lord Jones was alive! Seven decades later, Chesterton’s words still stand true. Journalism is synonymous with truth but these days media neither tells full truth nor complete lie. Media employs a pendulum that prefers to swing in the space between the full truth and the complete lie. It is in this context, we must zero on the so-called ongoing “Ground Zero Mosque” debate.    

Media barons and editors transact with their readers in the currency of words. Words can be loose as well as loaded. Loose words can convert an issue into a non-issue. Loaded words act like a burning matchstick on dry grass. Therefore, the word “Iraqi insurgent” or “enemy combatant” is example of the loose words which have been heavily used by American media in Iraq war. On the contrary, “Jihadist” or “Muslim fanatic” is the example of loaded words which have been employed by a section of American press. The word “Cordoba House” will fall in the category of loose word while “Ground Zero Mosque” consists of loaded words.  

So at what point proposed “Cordoba House” became “Ground Zero Mosque”?

Cordoba House is two long blocks away in north from the World Trade Center site. The five-storey building housed Burlington Coat Factory till September 11, 2001. The factory building was lying vacant since then until a group of Muslims led by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf bought it in July 2009. The factory building is being used for Friday prayer.  New York Times was the first newspaper that ran a front-page feature on December 9, 2009 on the proposed Islamic centre but it never used the term “Ground Zero Mosque.” The front-page report did not attract any attention. On December 21, 2009, Daisy Khan, wife of Imam Abdul Rauf was interviewed by conservative media personality Laura Ingraham on Fox TV. The interview was cordial and Ingraham seemed to support the Cordoba Project. It was on this programme that the misnomer “Ground Zero Mosque” was used onscreen for the very first time. The term may have been used unconsciously on the programme but there was no controversy immediately after that. In fact, according to a search on Nexis newspaper archive, there was not a single news article on the mosque for next five and half months!  

On May 6, 2010, New York City community board committee unanimously voted in favour of the Cordoba House. On the same day, anti-Islam blogger Pamela Geller wrote against the Cordoba House terming it as “monster mosque”. It is precisely at this point that a proposed 13-storey proposed Islamic cultural centre, which, in addition to a prayer room, will include a basketball court, restaurant, swimming pool and 9/11 memorial, was just reduced to a “mosque”! Geller went further to plant a lie that the “mosque” was being built on the site of World Trade Center! “What better way to mark your territory than to plant a giant mosque on the still-barren land of the World Trade Center?” she wrote on her Atlas Shrugs blog. “This is Islamic domination and expansionism. The location is no accident. Just as Al-Aqsa was built on top of the Temple in Jerusalem.” 

On the same day, Rupert Murdoch owned New York Post ran a story which deliberately identified Cordoba House as “WTC Mosque.” News agency Associated Press (AP) ran a story on May 7 quoting relatives of 9/11 victims with differing opinions on the “mosque”. On the same day, Geller’s group Stop Islamization of America (SIOA), launched a campaign “Stop the 911 Mosque!” She posted the names and contact information for New York mayor and members of the community board, encouraging people to write. Uninformed, gullible Americans and anti-Muslims from all across the world wrote to the board without verifying the details that there is no mosque being built on the site of the terrorists attack! 

On May 8, 2010, Geller and Robert Spencer, a known-Muslim-hater and associate director of SIOA, announced first protest against the “911 Mosque” to be held on May 29. One May 10, New York Post columnist Andrea Peyser becomes the first journalist-victim of Geller campaign. She openly wrote against the “mosque” saying that “there are better places to put a mosque.” On May 13, she devoted an entire article to Cordoba House provocatively titled “Mosque Madness at Ground Zero”. The article played an important role in raising and shaping the debate in the sense that it was the first article to be published in a newspaper which portrayed the Cordoba project as inherently wrong and suspect. Peyser quoted Geller thus giving credence to an agony aunt! (Geller once suggested that Malcolm X was Obama’s real father!)  

Thus within a month, Cordoba House, unnecessarily became controversial. It began with anti-Islam blogger Pamela Geller. Andrea Peyser peddled it into conservative media. Mainstream media lapped it up further. A serious newspaper like The Wall Street Journal used the erroneous term “Ground Zero Mosque” in its headline several times. Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York, termed the mosque as “desecration”. Politicians like Sarah Palin, Peter King,   Newt Gingrich and Tim Pawlenty followed suit. 

Today, the atmosphere has become so much charged and heated in America that according to CNN poll 7 in 10 Americans say that they are against the Cordoba Project. By joining the words “Mosque” and “Ground Zero”, peddlers of hate have succeeded in creating fear in American hearts. To many Americans, “mosque” is still a dangerous place. “Ground Zero” is another dangerous word. Two meanings from the American Heritage dictionary would suffice. Ground Zero means;  a) Area where an atomic bomb is detonated, b) A center of explosive change. 

It is also true that many Americans including Mayor Bloomberg of New York have spoken in favour of Cordoba House. But men like Bloomberg seem to be in minority. There is another mosque in Manhattan, near WTC and Pentagon, another terrorist attack site, has a prayer room. Why have not Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer spoken against these two “mosques” in the ongoing debate?

Americans aren’t dumb but an average American is more ignorant than an Indian. According to a recent poll one in five Americans believes Barack Obama is a Muslim, even though he isn’t! A quarter of those who believe he is a Muslim also claimed he talks about his faith too much! Where are they getting their information? Sixty per cent said they learned it from the media!

America needs to have a mass public awareness campaign against the likes of Gellers and Spencers and misleading media. Barack Hussein Obama must make a distinction between “full truth” and “complete lie.”

Till then Pamela Geller will laugh that her wildest dream has crossed the Atlantic.

The Sunday Inquilab, August 29, 2010

Indian Dates Ready for Ramadan

“Ramadan is the most fruitful month for the business of dates,” Shaikh told OnIslam.net.

MALEGAON – Zaheer Shaikh, a dates’ retailer is a busy man. He sits in the middle of dates showcased in small glass cubicles of his Arabic Dates Center in this small town of Maharashtra state.

A flurry of potential buyers throngs the center to get a taste of season’s biggest fruit draw: dates. With the holy month of Ramadan on the doorstep, dates sell like hotcakes.

“Dates are the lifeblood of Ramadan,” Shaikh told OnIslam.net.

“Since the Ramadan fasts are usually broken with dates, there is no Ramadan without dates.”

In Ramadan, adult Muslims, save the sick and those traveling, abstain from food, drink, smoking and sex between dawn and sunset.

Most dedicate their time during the holy month to become closer to Allah through self-restraint, good deeds and prayer.

Fast-breaking with dates is the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and therefore given prominence in Indian subcontinent especially in Ramadan.

Abu Osama, an accountant, believes that since breaking the fast with dates is Sunnah it is an act of virtue during Ramadan.

“I am going to buy the dates tomorrow,” he told OnIslam.

“I enjoy dates when mixed with watermelon. It tastes delicious.”

Booming

Shaikh, the dates’ retailer, has been busy preparing for this season.

“We have stocked all kinds of dates for the holy month,” he explains.

“Ramadan is the most fruitful month for the business of dates.”

His father Najmuddin, a former mayor of the town and the biggest dealer as well as retailer, notes that date-sale skyrockets during Ramadan.

“In Ramadan alone, 40 tons (equal to 40000 kgs) dates are imported in Malegaon alone from different Arab countries,” he told OnIslam.net.

He compares that to minimal date-sale in normal days. “In Ramadan, date sells ten times more.”

With Ramadan on the doorstep, even street vendors have put up temporary stalls which do quick business.

“Dates are the most sold out fruit in Ramadan. It makes business sense to sell dates,” Imran Ahmed, a street vendor on Malegaon’s Kidwai road, told OnIslam.

Ahmed sells fruits like bananas and watermelon in usual days but switches to dates in Ramadan.

He earns up to 1000 rupees now and hopes that his earning will go up as Ramadan starts.

“I rush to date shops to fill my cart. The big shop owners always cooperate with us though we are competitors.”

Malegaon’s dealers offer almost all types of dates including popular Mabroom, Ajwah and Anbarah.

Prices of dates range from 25 rupees to 300 rupees per kilogram.

This, according to Abu Osama, is a double blessing.

“Dates are cheaper as compared to other fruits and therefore even poor Muslims can afford it,” he explains.

“The wide range of variety offers convenient choices. From poor to rich, everybody can afford dates depending upon one’s economic condition.”

OnIslam.net August 11, 2010

Kashmir Diary-I

Shikaras on Dal Lake

From the sky Kashmir looks serene. Snow-clad peaks of Pir Panjal range emerge in sight. For a moment, it looks like that some brainy child has erected ice-toys by splattering snow in his snow-covered apple orchard! Kashmir can be an illusion for perceptive thinkers. One enters into hibernation looking at the marvellous mountain-range. The serenity of Kashmir gets a break as the plane touches the tarmac of Srinagar International Airport with a bang. After a violent sprint, pilot applies brakes and the plane comes to a screeching halt. Its 11.15am and the outside temperature is 30 degree; a bright and sunny day. Gun-trotting CRPF men guard the entrance of the terminal but there is no security check.  Kashmir seems to be an integral part of India for an incoming tourist…

The car slowly drove out of Srinagar airport. We drove past soldiers, bunkers, loops of barbed wire, armoured vehicles, school children both boys and girls stand waiting for school bus, and pedestrians walking slowly as if time has come to a standstill. There is an air of suspicion on the street. Suspicion and Kashmir go hand in hand. Kashmir is India’s most suspicious state. Big Urdu hoardings and signboards instantly create an impression that one is in Pakistan! Shahrukh Khan smiles from a Dish TV ad beautifully done in Urdu. Tata sheets and Airtel ads are every where in Urdu. Kashmir is India’s only state where Urdu has become the language of commerce.

The new city – which lies very close to the airport – is an architectural wonder. On both sides of a long artery, red brick houses covered with tin-sheets sit squarely. This part of the city is known as ‘new city’ but it resembles like British countryside! The other two portions of the city are called ‘Old city’ and ‘Civil Lines’.

After half an hour’s drive, we reached our destination Dal Lake where accommodation is on a houseboat. Houseboats are peculiar to Srinagar and offer the most memorable accommodation. At least there are 1000 houseboats moored on the banks of river Jehlum, Dal and Nagin lakes. Boulevard road runs next to the Dal Lake. The road in many ways is Kashmir’s marine drive or far better than that. It starts at Tourist Chowk and makes a circular angle leading to Hazratbal mosque.

A Shikara ride over Dal Lake is the most spectacular adventure in Srinagar. Away from the clutter and clang of city life, we step onto a beautifully decorated Shikara for a smooth 2-hour ride over the still waters of the Dal. A thick layer of silence engulfs the Dal. The depth of silence can acquire frightening proportions for the weak-hearted. Dal is the place where one is with oneself. One can converse with nature without uttering a word! Silence is the only form of communication over a tranquil Dal lake. Floating flowers and plants on Dal are called floating garden. The shimmer of floating garden against the Lake water creates an aura of gratification and eternal bliss. The lake is 6 km long and 3km wide. In winter, Dal is frozen and children play cricket on it! In the middle of the lake there is an island. There are four princely chinar trees on the island; it’s popularly known as char chinar. There is a beautiful garden under the shadow of four chinar trees.

Srinagar is also famous for Mughal gardens which were beautifully built and maintained by Mughal emperors. Nishat Bagh is the biggest Mughal garden and lies at the east side of Boulevard road overlooking Dal lake. One can see the citadel of Emperor Akbar known as Hari Parvat on the west side of the Dal Lake. It is in ruins now and under the control of Army. Nishat is constructed stepwise and divided in 10 parts. The water channel flows from centre of the garden. There are so many fountains, fruits of garden and flowers. Chinar, cypris and lush green grass creates a soothing atmosphere.

Shalimar Bagh lies on north side of Nishat. It was constructed in 1616 by Emperor Jahangir for his wife Noor Jahan. The garden served as a meeting point for the two. The garden has four terraces, rising one above the other. A canal runs through in the middle of the garden. There is a small hut-like palace in the middle of the garden where Emperor Jahangir used to sit with Noor Jahan.

Chashme-Shahi is a small tastefully-laid garden with terraces. A cold water spring runs through in the centre. The water of spring is said to cure many diseases. One will forget the taste of mineral water after drinking the spring water. A road upside leads to Pari Mahal. Pari Mahal is situated on a hillock overlooking the beautiful Dal lake. The terraced arched garden was built by Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in mid-seventeenth century. In the upper most terrace, there are ruins of two structures resembling a baradari and a reservoir. In the middle of second terrace is a large tank. The façade of the retaining wall is ornamented with a series of twenty one arches built in descending order. The third terrace has the main entrance. On either side of it are a series of specious rooms. The fourth terrace has the remains of the tank. The fifth terrace has an archade retaining wall with pigeon holes. The sixth terrace has a rectangular tank in the middle and octagonal bastions at its ends. Fragments of earthen water pipes are still to be seen in the structure.

Pari Mahal and Chasme-Shahi are located in highly sensitive and VIP area. It was by sheer chance that I spotted Omar Abdullah descending from a helicopter with his family. As I zoomed the lens of my camera on the helicopter from the top terrace of Pari Mahal, a gun-trotting CRPF jawan stood next to me making sure that young Abdullah family is safe. Omar came out of the helicopter with his Sikh wife Payal and son Zahir. It seemed that Omar was returning from a holiday as Kashmir was in turmoil.

A memorable meeting with legendary journalist M.J. Akbar in Lalit Grand Palace, former Palace of Raja Gulab Singh, will always be etched in memory. M.J. Akbar argued that two irreligious men Nehru and Jinnah were responsible for partition of India while two deeply religious leaders Gandhi and Maulana Azad never accepted partition and therefore were sidelined after 1947. In the lawn of the Palace, there is a 110-year old historical chinar tree under which Gandhi sat with Maharaja Gulab Singh in June 1947, just two months before the partition.

Shankaracharya temple was built in 220 BC on a hillock overlooking Dal Lake. It offers the panoramic view of Dal Lake and Srinagar. The legend has it that the temple was built on Takhte-Sulemani. Archeological Survey of India confirms it!  My driver insists that there existed a mosque before the temple.

On the left bank of Dal Lake, the imposing dome of Hazratbal Mosque makes its presence felt. It may not be as grand as the Dome of Rock in Jerusalem but it can certainly be viewed from a distance. The mosque is considered holiest shrine as it preserves Moi-e-Muqqadas (the sacred hair) of Prophet Muhammad. The history of holy relic requires another article but suffice it to note that it was Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb who helped to restore it. There is a huge hand-written Qur’an from Aurangzeb era inside the mosque.

In a narrow lane outside the Hazratbal Shrine, Gulzar Ahmed sells sweets. A poster of Pakistani cricket team adorns the filthy wall behind him. Kashmiri patriotism has changed in the last six decades. The deep sense of alienation and betrayal has resulted in pictorial protest and patriotism.  Not far from Gulzar Ahmed’s sweet shop, Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah, the lion of Kashmir, rests on the banks of a tranquil Dal. A lone gun man guards the empty and deserted marble mausoleum of Kashmir’s greatest contemporary leader. Sheikh Abdullah was betrayed by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru but he did not lose hope. Gulzar Ahmed needs to visit the grave of Sheikh Abdullah to understand his message.