December 15, 2012, 1:15 am
The Biggest Educational Event in IndiaDate: 15th and 16th December 2012 Time: 10AM to 6PMVenue: Saboo Siddique Engineering College Campus, Byculla, Mumbai
IMO News Service
"The Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) is proud to announce the onset of “Career Fest – The Next Step”. It is a two-day career fest aimed at providing guidance and exposure to students. This will help them elevate, enrich themselves with Education and better career prospects thereby bringing prosperity to the country. We hope to ameliorate their prospects in social, political and economic fields," said Mohd. Shahanshah Ansari, a prominent member of AMP.
The fest, currently in its fifth year, is an initiative by AMP in collaboration with Leap India Foundation and All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA). This year the fest is more exciting. Being the 5th Year, this time lots of new programs and an extended event spread across entire week are being held. The separate workshops and lectures have been organized for the Students, Teachers and Parents in the prominent colleges of the city divided in different zones. An Essay Writing Competition on National Level for School Students College Students, Teachers and Open Category had also been organized.
![]()
AMP President, Aamir Idrisi, while elaborating on the need for such events said, “We want the Career Fest to be a one-stop shop for all education needs with Seminar on Latest Topics, Participation of Professional Counsellors and guidance from Experienced Professionals providing directions on various career options, information on various government schemes through workshops and interactive discussions.” Many schools which had participated in the fest in previous years have expressed their wish to send more students this year as it has helped them greatly in choosing a vocation and getting proper guidance towards it. The unique event brings together students and professionals from different fields in an environment where they can help and assist each other.
Various dignitaries to participate in the Career Fest include Milind Deora (Union Minister of State for Communication & IT and Shipping, Govt of India); Dr. Waqar Azmi OBE (Chairman & Managing Partner at Waterhouse Consulting Group, United Kingdom, Ex - EU Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue at European Parliament , Ex - Government's Chief Talent & Diversity Adviser at Cabinet Office, UK , Governor , Birmingham City University); Ms. Shamina Shafique, Member, National Commission for Women; Mr. Amin Patel, Mr. Madhu Chavan, Mr. Nawab Malik and Mr. Jitendar Ahwad - all MLAs in state assemby; state government ministers, MPs, bureaucrats, educationists, and others. Along with these guest representatives of many prominent Organizations, Social and Community Leaders, Educationalists, Academicians and Working Professionals are also attending the program.
Highlights of Career Fest 2012
The Biggest Educational Event in IndiaMore then 20000 VisitorsMore then 125 High Profile SpeakersMore then 250 Professionals to Guide StudentsParticipation from more than 150 Schools of the CityHigh Profile and Influential Guests of National StatureFree Aptitude TestLectures by Industry ExpertsProfessional Counselors for GuidanceGuidance from Experienced Industry ProfessionalsSpecial Workshops on various Career OptionsReputed Educational InstitutesScholarship AssistanceFree Education Kit to SSC StudentsCareer Chart ExhibitionQuiz ProgramEducational Drama and more ...
For detials, Contact:
Syed Najeeb-Ur-Rahman : +91-8898865550Mohd Shahanshah Ansari: +91-9738560514Abrar Sayyad: +91-9860603447Rubina Firoz: +91-9819965958
↧
December 15, 2012, 1:23 am
By Abdul Hafiz Lakhani
Ahmedabad: Campaigning for the second phase of the Gujarat state assembly elections, slated for Monday, ended on Saturday evening. According to the Election Commission, campaigning for 95 assembly constituencies, which go to polls on December 17, ended at 5.00pm, 48 hours before the end of voting.
Seventeen assembly constituencies in Ahmedabad, 13 in Vadodara and five in Gandhinagar are among the seats in the fray in the second phase. Polling for nine seats in Banaskantha, seven seats each in Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Panchmahals, Anand and Kheda, six each in Kutch and Dahod, as well as four seats in Patan will also take place on Monday.
The most important thing in second phase of voting due to take place in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Mehsana and Sabakantha districts is that the voters will execercise their franchise reminiscing the highest number of violent incidents during 2002 riots that took place in these districts. Obviously, the Muslim voters who had to bear the brunt are all set to vote massively against BJP and this could in turn will prove to be quite decisive for the final outcome.
In earlier riots the major victims of violence were poor Muslims. Since Gujarat carnage the class divide of victims has been abolished and now even if one is as affluent person with reach, like Ahsan Jafri, he can also be the victim of violence. That’s the logic of communal violence today. Accordingly, majority of Muslims may evolve a uniform policy of voting for a candidate, who can defeat BJP. This was sometimes contemplated and exercised in practices.
The noted Islamic scholar, the liberal face of Indian Islam, Asghar Ali Engineer, points out that though the Bohra Muslims and their religious leader Dai, has good links with Modi for business reasons, still most Bohras will not vote for Modi due to the larger picture on political scene.
Maulana Vastanvi, who had earlier said that Muslims are doing better in Gujarat, has also said that Muslims should not vote for Modi.
The Muslim community recalls that the human rights activist Dr. J.S. Bandookwala had asked Modi to atone for his role in Gujarat violence and the Muslims community will forget the carnage and will move on. But that expression of remorse never came.
The core question dodging the Muslim community is that they have been effectively relegated to the status of second class citizenship in Gujarat. It is a part of their daily experience.
Politically marginalized, economically pushed back and facing the step motherly treatment from state, it is unlikely that Muslims can even think of voting for Modi.
While celebrations are already afoot for Modi’s victory, it’s unlikely that he can have a cake walk in Gujarat this time as apart from M factor the whole deprivation of dalits, Adivsis and other poorer sections of community are too deep to be won over by the rhetoric of Vibrant Gujarat.
Chief minister Narendra Modi, who is contesting from Maninagar, is among the 820 candidates who will vie for a seat in the second phase of elections. Their fate will be decided by an estimated 1.99 crore voters.Shewta Bhatt, wife of sanjiv Bhatt is aginast Modi in maninagar. After the record turnout of more than 70 percent in the first phase of elections, it is widely believed that polling will be very high even in the second phase on Monday. Political parties did their best to woo voters before campaigning ends.
For the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), chief minister Narendra Modi addressed as many as 53 public meetings using the 3D hologram technology, and seven other meetings in person in various constituencies of north and central Gujarat. Saffron party leaders Arun Jaitley, Purushottam Rupala and Smriti Irani, also addressed public meetings today.
Actor and former union minister, Vinod Khanna as well as actor Paresh Raval also campaigned for the BJP during the day. The party has also roped cast members of TV serial Taarak Mehta Ko Oolta Chashma to woo voters.
[Abdul Hafiz Lakhaniis a senior Journalist based at Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He is associated with IndianMuslimObserver.com as Bureau Chief (Gujarat). He can be reached at lakhani63@yahoo.com or on his cell 09228746770]
↧
↧
December 18, 2012, 9:22 pm
All 57 Islamic countries will have to adhere to the set standards or lose certification
By Deena Kamel Yousef
Dubai: The Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (Esma) kicked off work on unifying standards for halal foods and cosmetics. The standardisation will be applied in 57 Islamic countries within the next three years, a senior government official told Gulf News.
After the endorsement by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the halal standards will be applied to food sold to Muslims living in non-Muslim countries, said Mohammad Saleh Badri, director-general of Esma. OIC is the second largest inter-governmental organisation after the United Nations and it comprises all 57 Islamic countries.
These new standards would result in reducing the time and cost of halal certification by 30 to 50 per cent, he said on the sidelines of the Halal Food Middle East exhibition in Sharjah yesterday. “The industry will love this idea because now they are showing everyone how they do their halal procedures, that itself is a cost. If there’s one certified scheme, it will be accepted everywhere.”
Esma’s unified standards will be made mandatory and any violations will result in revoking the halal certification, Badri said.
Developing a global halal standardisation system has long been debated among Islamic countries and called for by the industry but there has been little consensus on how to do it. Currently, different countries have their own requirements and systems of standardisation, certification and compliance.
Esma aims to “harmonise” these standards, Badri said.
Esma is now working on a scheme on how to certify halal products and unifying the procedure for certification with one set of standards. It will establish committees, including key representatives from major halal product importing and exporting countries, and propose specific standards. If approved, then it will develop a unified process for certification.The UAE was appointed Chair of the technical committee for Halal food and cosmetics standards set up by the OIC during a recent meeting in Turkey.
Guidelines
The Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (Esma) is planning to issue guidelines for halal certification bodies in the UAE within the next six months, said Mohammad Saleh Badri, director-general of Esma.
“It will be compulsory for those who want to be a halal certification body,” he said.After the guidelines are issued, the certification bodies will be monitored and, if found compliant with standards, accredited.
Esma is also working on producing a unified stamp or mark for halal products entering the UAE that can also be introduced to the GCC, Badri said.
“It’s a mark that will show that the product has gone through a standard certification process,” he said.
(Courtesy: Gulf News)
↧
December 18, 2012, 9:30 pm
By Kaleem Kawaja
Last Friday it was a day from hell in the small, lily white town of New Town, nestled in the beautiful valley in western Connecticut state. This town is just 30 miles west of the other better known town of Danbury, on US Route 84 that runs east to west through several northeastern US states. I am very familiar with the area as for four years I used to drive through this valley to take my daughter to her college in Massachussetts from my home about 400 miles to the south.
This gentle mountaneous valley of rolling hills is a most beautiful geographical part of northeastern US. Several high tech industries are located in the towns in this area. This area is affluent, clean, free of congestion and pretty shops, restsurants and houses.
But in this heaven like place in America an evil took root in the mind of a 20 year old young man, a psychologically deranged loner. He took several guns that his mother, who was living alone kept in the house, and went on a killing rampage against innocent people. After killing his mother he went to the nearby elementary school and shot dead 20 children, none of them older than 7 years of age and 6 of their teachers, all of them white. Then as police arrived at the school he killed himself dead. Thus was pure evil and hell on earth in a location that looks like heaven.
This tragedy has broken the heart and mind of America and has shocked America's consicence and forced it to examine their own ethos. It is a time of great sadness for the entire humanity. But it should make America that is becoming increasingly God-less, and where defying God's basic guidance to mankind is violated by many every single day.
For decades now American troops have attacked far away lands annihilating villages and towns and rampaging innocent civilians; and then giving explanations that do not make sense. From Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan to western Pakitan a large number of inncocent civilans, children, women, old men have perished with the oslaught of the drones and "smart bombs" and "Agent Orange", often when they were asleep in the night; Israel's annihilation of innocent Palestinians for 50 years has been defended.
God is sending a message to those in America who think that their vast superority in military technology and weaponry and their smart science and technology systems can militarily conquer everything and everyone.
They should remember that in the past vastly superior militaries/technology of the Aad people, Pharohs, Romans, Genghis Khan et al also over ran everyone. But then as they became overtly sure of their might and technology, and no one could match them, evil from within their ranks imploded them and they were destroyed. Majority of Americans are good people and do not believe in wronging anyone let alone the poor civilians of Vietnam or Iraq or Afghanistan. But a few are becoming too arrogant.
This is time for the powerful and affluent Americans as a nation to think that it is God's law that "What goes arond, comes around". America is the world's greatest nation, not only scientifically, militarily advanced but also maximum collection of gifted and talented people. In the last 100 years they have built a great nation. They should now listen to God's signs that are coming up everywhere in this glorious land every few months in the form of insane killings perpetrated by their own upper class white people. The answer lies in reflecting seriously and finding a way out. God will help them remove this curse and scourge if they listen and learn and change the direction to the straight path. God's greatest characteristic is mercy and benevolance.
[Kaleem Kawajais a community activist based at Washington DC. He can be contacted at: kaleemkawaja@gmail.com]
↧
December 18, 2012, 9:36 pm
By Abdul Hafiz Lakhani
Ahmedabad: Though much-hyped Gujarat election has been over on December 17, 2012 with heavy turnout but late reports which are pouring tells the wooes of Muslim voters in many areas of Ahmedabad, and Godhra and Baroda as Hundred of Muslims voters could not vote despite having their voter cards as their name are not in electroal rolls.
"I don’t have money, property, assets, job or even peace – I only have my voting right. But even that has been taken away by the government. They have not included my name in the voting list, but my Khwaja Garib Navaz is with Congress and I know it will win.” These are the words of Memunabanu Saiyed, a voter from Jikar Hasam ni Chali in Naroda-Patia area, which falls in the Thakkarnagar constituency. She is among the scores of residents whose names were missing from the electoral list on Monday.
According to residents, over 40% of voters in the area faced a similar situation. The residents openly accuse chief minister Narendra Modi, ruling BJP and the Election Commission of removing their names from the list so that they do not cast their votes in favour of the Congress.
Most Muslims in the area were seen crying and screaming when they found their names missing from the voters’ list. Many women cursed the government for depriving them of their right to vote. The frustration was writ large on Saiyed’s face. “After this, don’t blame Muslims for being involved in criminal activities,” she warned. “What will Muslims do if even their most fundamental right is snatched by the government,” Saiyed asked.
According to Mohammad Safiq, a community leader, this is the only locality in the entire area where so many names are missing from the electoral list. “All the electors have been living here for last 50 years or ever since they were born. No one has migrated from here, then how can their names go missing,” he said, adding that it is not possible without active political intervention.
Missing names was not the only issue here. Many cards carried incorrect names, wrong photographs or serial numbers that did not match with the voters’ list.
Most of the residents of Naroda Patia were busy searching for their names in the list throughout the day.
These voters, largely from Juhapura that falls under Vejalpur constituency, and from other parts of the city, say they have voted last time and displayed their voter identity cards. They are perplexed as to how a large chunk of voters have been missing from the voters’ list even though they have not changed residence.
Ismail Chopda (left) and others of Akbar Towers in Juhapura with their ID cardsResidents of Akbar Tower, Meenal Society, Mecca Nagar, Nal Sarovar, Heaven Park, Royal Nawab Avenue, Royal Avenue, Sankalit Nagar, Rahil Apartment, Chhaprawala Society, Unit apartment, Gyaspur Bhada and other areas tha fall under Juhapura have complained of their names missing from the list.
In some cases, members of a family, and in other cases, names of entire families were found missing. Mohammad Tarif who lives in E ward (Juhapura) said, “In our locality, names of many people did not figure in the voting list. When we went to vote, we were told that our names were not there. So we could not vote. We tried to call up the Collector’s office repeatedly, but failed to get through.”
Social worker Noor Jahan Diwan from Juhapura alleged, “A huge number of people from Juhapura and Vejalpur could not vote as their names were missing from the list. Most of these missing voters had voted in the last elections. What is worse is that none of the authorities were ready to listen.”
Around 70 people of Shreejee Bungalows on Science City road who could not cast their vote strongly proteted.
The Juhapura residents had also organised a protest rally at Ektanagar. One of the protestors, Habib Madan, 56, said, “When the election list was being prepared, the teachers and Booth Level Officer (BLOs) were told to go to different areas and prepare the list. However, due to their carelessness many names have not been added to the list. Action must be taken against these persons.”
According to the collector’s office, district election officers had carried out revision of electoral rolls between January and November this year, by visiting houses thrice to update the list. Alternative arrangements were also made for those who missed out on the registrations by setting up registration centres in every constituency.
There was also a provision to send SMS or get oneself registered online. In Bapunagar area, members of the Patni community could not exercise their franchise as their names were missing from the list. They had their ID cards, but were not allowed to vote as their names were missing.
Suresh Patel, wife’s names were not there in list. Ramanbhai Patni, 38, resident of Chandulal ni Chal said, “We had election cards but our names were missing from the voters’ list. So we were disallowed from voting. Around 100 voters from seven chawls – Navak Sabani Chal, Kanji Jalu ni Chal. Chandulal ni Chal, Magistrate ni Chal, Naval Seth ni Chal, could not cast their vote due to this problem.”
In Dariapur, Sayyed Ismail Noor Ahmed and his family were disappointed when they got up early and went to vote. Noor Ahmed said, “I, along with my wife Saeeda, sister-in-law Zahida, and others went to the booth with our voting cards, but could not vote as our names were not in the list.”
Abdul Rehman Mirza’s family too had to return without casting their vote as they faced the same problem. Even families living in the area of Gujarat Pradesh Congress President Arjun Modhwadia found their names missing from the voters’ list. Mallika Wadhwani and Anand Wadhwani who live at Sterling Park could not vote.
Mallika said, “In the last elections, we had voted at a polling booth in Maharaj Agrasen School. However, when we went to vote this time, we were told that our names were missing, so technically we could not vote. Senior Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia too lives in the same society as ours, so we tried to sort out the problem with election officials present there. But were told to contact collectorate officials as they were helpless. We have been living here for the past 30 years, paying all our taxes, so why should such a predicament be meted out to us.”
[Abdul Hafiz Lakhaniis a senior Journalist based at Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He is associated with IndianMuslimObserver.com as Bureau Chief (Gujarat). He can be reached at lakhani63@yahoo.com or on his cell 09228746770]
↧
↧
December 20, 2012, 9:21 pm
By Rushdi Siddiqui
When a person, company or ‘movement’ hit their glass ceiling of growth, then its time to go back to the future and review, reassess, and respond or ‘retire’.
At the recently concluded 19th World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC), I spoke on ‘Global Strategies for Global Markets.’ For this niche market to have mainstream acceptance, its about the ‘4Ps.’
Lets start with two questions:
Today, Islamic finance is a domestic phenomenon, what is the value proposition once the novelty has worn out?
Should Islamic finance look at start up ‘consumer’ companies in Muslim countries that have become global brands and leaders, like Emirates airline.
Players
Today, Islamic finance led by dedicated Islamic banks, like Dubai Islamic Bank, and/or windows and subsidiaries of conventional banks, like HSBC Amanah?
To be an international (not global) player with meaningful presence requires size, and Kuwait Finance House (KFH) and Al Rajhi are ‘mega-banks’ with some cross border presence. But, we still have conversations about an Islamic mega bank.
To get to the magical size of, say, $1-10 billion capitalisation, it will happen via acquisitions, as organically, Islamic banks have yet to meet expectations. One might even say destructive competition exists in selected markets that are Islamically over-banked. The regulator has to walk the fine line between encouraging competition and ensuring profitable growth of Islamic banks.
Furthermore, Islamic banks generally do not have brand recognition beyond their borders, as local deposit taking community is aware of the home country banks, especially ‘Islamic.’
Products
Islamic finance needs to move from (fee generating) product pushing to providing holistic solutions in an enabling environment. The first step is undertaking primary market studies to understand demand to flush out the scope of the target market, retail and/or wholesale.
[It should be noted that the only deposit taking Islamic bank in the UK, Islamic Bank of Britain, established in 2004, required a financial rescue package. Thus, broad assumptions that Muslims want Islamic finance is oversimplified.]
The enabling environment entails, be it a Muslim or non-Muslim country, is not only about awareness and education, but also ‘Shariah, Tax, Accounting, Regulation and Standardisation (a minimal level),’ or STARS. The immediate question becomes what country has the most robust Islamic finance infrastructure and how much of it is exportable?
The answer is Malaysia, as its secret entails the 5Cs: commitment (from 1983), continuity (successive governments leading it), coordination (amongst the stakeholders), community (growing) and contribution (responsibilities) combined with lack of complacency. Thus, Muslim and non-Muslim countries wanting to be an Islamic finance hub (to tap the petro liquidity surplus) need to have an enabling environment ‘plus plus’ before the product conversation.
Promotion
Today, the promotion of Islamic finance comes from conferences, seminars, media (print and on-line), stakeholders, and so on. There is also negative publicity by the anti-Shariah movement in selected non-Muslim countries equating the niche market to financing terrorism. The concept of brand building and brand image needs to be visited if this niche movement is to have mainstream application. For example, ask major public relation firms about Islamic finance, and, oftentimes, their response is the institutions view branding as a cost and not an investment in their future.
For example, we are still have comments like, ‘Islamic finance is only for Muslims’ and, many Muslims, ask questions like ‘what’s the difference to conventional finance?’
To become global, brand building is a must for recall, reach and invoking value proposition. If the objective is mainstream application, then its time to rebrand Islamic finance, and call it for what is stands for: participation finance/banking!
Pricing
Today’s Islamic banks, takaful operators, and investment funds are small, hence, economies of scale efficiencies associated with size do not yet exist. Does this mean there is a cost of being a Muslim (CoBM), as, say, financing costs are higher for consumer products or sukuk?
If there is a CoBM, then the cross sell of Islamic finance, notwithstanding ethical value alignment, becomes a challenge, correct? Now, will an Islamic mega-bank provide the cost savings economies of scale benefits that get passed on to customers, hence, Islamic finance becomes conventionally efficient?
Thus, a link between size and pricing?
Conclusion
Once the novelty of Islamic finance wears off, and, its happen, it must deliver the often talked about value proposition beyond its friendly shores.
The proposition is capital with a human face, and to move forward, one has to reconnect with the 4Ps substance over the me2 form.
Financial SWAT team for SWOT analysis!
[The writer is Global Head of Islamic Finance & OIC Countries for Thomson Reuters.]
(Courtesy: Khaleej Times)
↧
December 20, 2012, 9:26 pm
IMO News Service
Aligarh: The Teaching Training Programme for Medical Faculty Members from Iraq organized by the UGC Academic Staff College, Aligarh Muslim University concluded. The one-month long course was organized at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and 10 Iraqi doctors from Baghdad, Tikrit and Wassat received training in disciplines like Microbiology, Pathology, Community Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Radiology. Faculty members with relevant specializations were introduced to advanced techniques such as laparoscopy, coloposcopy and research with electron microscope. 43 eminent resource persons from 12 Departments of Studies took sessions in classrooms and laboratories.
Presiding over the valedictory function as chief guest, AMU Vice Chancellor, Lt. Gen (Retd.) Zameer Uddin Shah said he was happy on the organization of such a useful course for Iraqi faculty members. He said he looked forward to AMU becoming an International Training Organisation.
Professor A. R. Kidwai, Director, UGC Academic Staff College said that J.N. Medical College is one of the shining jewels of the AMU where a suitably designed course could meet the expectations of all the trainees. He expressed gratitude to all the resource persons of the JNMC for making the programme successful.
Course Director Professor Ashraf Malik, Principal, JNMC welcomed the guests and appreciated the collaborative effort of the JNMC and Academic Staff College towards achieving international acclaim. He said that the training schedule was tailor made for each course participant according to their individual academic requirements.
The Guest of Honour, Dr. Thamir Mohammad Al Mahdi, Embassy of Iraq, New Delhi congratulated the participants and said that bilateral cultural relations between the Republic of Iraq and Aligarh Muslim University were very valuable.
Course participants, Dr. Sameera Abdullah Hussain, Dr. Ezeddeen Fakhreddeen Bahauddeen and Dr. Azhar Abdul Fattah gave feedback opinions appreciating the course was useful for them and they were moved by the warmth and simplicity of Indian people. They were thankful for a wholesome experience during their stay that included visits to various centers, museums, historical monuments and biodiversity parks. Course Coordinator Professor Seema Hakim, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, JNMC facilitated the distribution of certificates. Professor M. H. Beg, Dean, Faculty of Medicine moved the vote of thanks and Dr. Faiza Abbasi, ASC faculty conducted the programme.
↧
December 20, 2012, 9:32 pm
By Pervez Bari
Bhopal: India’s first Kamadhenu cow sanctuary will start from this month at village Salriya in Susener tahsil of Shajapur district in the central state Madhya Pradesh.
Large-scale arrangements will be made to conserve and augment animals of Indian bovine species in the sanctuary keeping in view respect and honour commanded by cow in India since ancient times. Kamadhenu cow sanctuary is about 200 kilometers away from Bhopal and about 114 kilometers form Ujjain. The sanctuary adjoins Jhalawar district of Rajasthan in the north, Rajgarh district in north-east, Sehore in east, Dewas in south and Ujjain, Ratlam and Mandsaur district in the west.
Adequate arrangements have been made in the sanctuary for manufacture of insecticides from cow dung and urine, development of meadows, housing and feeding of cattle found stray and confiscated by the police and free grazing of cows. Natural and suitable environment will also be created for animals of bovine species.
![]()
The estimated cost of the sanctuary in 472.63 hectare area will be over Rs.1.50 crore. This amount will be spent in the first phase on infrastructure development of the sanctuary. Various works have been undertaken in the sanctuary in the year 2011-12. In the first phase, shades, fodder godowns, water tanks, wells, pump houses, sump well, pipeline, office building etc. will be constructed for housing about 5,000 bovine animals. In future, one thousand shades will be constructed every year for housing bovine animals.
In the sanctuary, a meadow will be developed in 60,000 hectare area each year. Development of meadow and fodder production will be carried out in phases. In the second phase, important programmes like improving breed of bovine animals and manufacture of medicines from cow dung and urine will be started. Works pertaining to generation of energy from alternative sources like biogas will also be carried in the same phase. Trees having long life and attracting birds will be planted. Ghee will also be made from cow milk here in the same phase.
In the third phase, about 34 species of indigenous bovine animals will be conserved in the sanctuary. Organic manure and medicines will be manufactured from cow dung and urine. Training will also be imparted for effective cow breeding, development of meadow etc. in this phase.
[Pervez Bariis a senior Journalist based at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. He is associated with IndianMuslimObserver.com as Bureau Chief (Madhya Pradesh). He can be contacted at pervezbari@eth.net]
↧
December 20, 2012, 9:35 pm
IMO News Service
New Delhi: The Human Welfare Foundation (HWF) became a proud recepient of a national award and has been honored for its remarkable work in the field of education. The award is a joint venture of Chamber of Education, New Delhi, and Calicut University, Kerala.
Dr M Abdul Salam, Vice Chancellor of University of Calicut presented the award to Prof KA Siddique Hasan, General Secretary of Human Welfare Foundation in a program held at University.
The award has been given for the extraordinary work done by the Human Welfare Foundation in the educational promotion at national level under Vision 2016 project. The HWF has helped in establishing 44 schools, slum schools, hostels, organized awards for academic excellence, distributed scholarships, organized education awareness campaigns, helped in getting government scholarships for the needy since the last 5 year have across north India.
↧
↧
December 20, 2012, 9:43 pm
By Abdul Hafiz Lakhani
Ahmedabad: Gujarat, the most talked about state in recent time after infamous 2002 riots, has once again elected Narendra Modi as the Chief Minister of this political epicenter of the country. In the final tally, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) bagged 115 seats (It got 117 seats in 2007) and the Congress Party got 61 seats in the 182-member legislative assembly.
However, Modi's popularity on the national stage remains uncertain with his reputation tarnished by allegations over links to deadly Hindu-Muslim riots in his home state in 2002.
Modi’s victory in Gujarat 2012 elections was a forgone conclusion. The simple reason being that he succeeded in getting away with impunity after having thousands of innocent Muslims massacred under his regime. Devoid of any concrete and punishing action, Narendra Modi naturally became more powerful and largely succeeded in cowering down and tormenting Muslims into submission and compromise, and finally winning the elections, as has happened in the aftermath of 2002 riots.
Though Modi has never openly declared his ambition to be prime minister, with victory for third consecutive term, he will be increasingly seen as angling to lead the BJP into the 2014 national elections -- with the ruling Congress Party being considerably weakened by slowing growth and numerous corruption scandals. But many in the BJP itself are wary of Modi, fearing that he remains a hate figure for Muslims and secularists following the 2002 riots.
Even as it celebrated its victory in Gujarat, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was divided house on whether chief minister Narendra Modi was a prime ministerial candidate. An interesting aspect emerging in the forthcoming Gujarat assembly is the decimation of the Congress' state leadership, but overall acceptance of the party.
State Congress chief Arjun Modhwadia, legislature party leader Shaktisinh Gohil and even Siddharth Patel lost badly to the BJP. Though Shankersinh Vaghela won with a low margin. Consequently, the state assembly's opposition is beginning to look 'RSS powered'.
In Gujarat, every election contested by Modi in the last decade has been on communal lines, including the 2012 assembly elections. And, every time Modi has painted Muslims as the enemy to fear. In 2002, it was an unapologetic Hindutva wave. In 2007, the poll plank apparently changed to development in the initial stages but after the ‘maut ka saudagar’ comment — the BJP projected it as the Congress’ attempt to criticize the encounter killing of a Muslim gangster— it was the Hindutva wave all the way.
This time there had been no such ‘wave’. However, from Modi’s saffron attire that had been a constant ever since he began campaigning to the latest advert softly asserting ‘we won’t apologise’ (apparently, for 2002), the Hindutva message is never far away. Earlier, the reference to Ahmed ‘Miyan’ Patel and the allegation that the Congress was keeping secret the decision to make Patel the CM if the party wins, were all part of the same saffron message. Modi had not repeated these messages in every rally, but this task was transferred to BJP foot soldiers who were expected to reach out to the party’s loyal vote-bank and instill in it the fear of a Muslim chief minister.
Another strategy was to paint anybody who challenges Modi’s development claims as ‘anti-Gujarat’ or ‘anti-national’ (including Keshubhai Patel) and the ever so subtle blowing of the conch of the myths in every advert.
The not-so-subtle messages had always been there – not wearing the symbolic Muslim head cap on the Sadbhavana stage and not fielding a single Muslim candidate in any of the 182 assembly seats — yet analysts have been intent on giving Modi the benefit of the doubt.
The chief minister’s latest salvo is the raking up of the non-existent Sir Creek issue. “Why is the UPA hiding its agreement with Pakistan to hand over to it the Indian land of Sir Creek in Kutch?” Modi has said.
A simplistic version of this unsubstantiated allegation had been spread aggressively by BJP’s foot soldiers among lower middle classes which have never heard of Sir Creek earlier. Their message is: “Congress is hand in glove with Pakistan and giving away to it a portion of Gujarat’s land.” Interestingly, Sir Creek entered the lexicon of the 2012 elections after campaigning for Phase I had concluded.
The subtle messages intended to evoke fear ahead of the elections are: “Congress is hiding something; reason to be worried. Pakistan is the enemy to fear.” When the timing of this letter is questioned, Modi replies: ‘Just because it is election time, should I stand by and not raise national issues?’ Emotion aimed at evoking nationalism. In the early stages of campaigning, the BJP campaign line was: ‘Sau no saath, sau no vikas’, meaning ‘inclusion and development of all’. But as soon as the poll bugle was sounded, this line was replaced with jibes about ‘Ahmed Miyan Patel’.
Hours before the first phase of polling, BJP’s feedback was that there was no ‘tempo’ in the people. The aggressive awareness campaign by the Election Commission meant the voter turnout would be higher but they could not gauge what was going on in people’s minds.
To drive the point home emerged the ‘Sir Creek issue’, later effectively combined with Pakistan interior minister Rehman Malik’s comment obliquely equating Mumbai 26/11 attacks with Babri Masjid demolition. (Malik later retracted his comment.)
In Gujarat, the BJP was headed for a win in 115 seats, just short of the 117 it won in 2007. The Congress appeared to have improved its tally marginally from 59 last times to 61 this time. Former BJP chief minister Keshubhai Patel's Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) was left with two seats, including his own.
In the hill state of Himachal Pradesh, the BJP's Prem Kumar Dhumal government prepared to exit office for the Congress that was poised to comfortably win 36 seats in the 68-member assembly.
The BJP, which had got 41 seats in 2007, was down to 26.
One all perhaps, but it was not really even stevens, in public perception at least. The win in Gujarat, which sends 26 MPs to the Lok Sabha against Himachal Pradesh's four, dominated the political space.
The drums rolled outside the BJP office in Ahmedabad as the trends came in and Modi prepared for a third straight term as chief minister, with speculation mounting over whether he would be the BJP's man for prime minister in 2014.
Modi, who has ruled Gujarat since 2001, did not immediately come out to address his jubilant supporters.
But even before the results were clear, he sent out a message on Twitter: "No need of looking behind, FORWARD! We want infinite energy, infinite courage, infinite patience..."
"Aaj ka CM, 2014 ka PM!" shouted his supporters as if on cue. Triumphant at the important win, BJP leaders were exultant but fought shy of responding to that most asked question.
"(The Gujarat election) is not about PM candidate but about who wins in Gujarat," BJP leader Balbir Punj said. "Let us savour this moment."
However, Rajya Sabha MP Smriti Irani said frankly that Modi, 62, would be her candidate for the country's top post on the strength of his governance in Gujarat.
The Congress, which in complete contrast to the BJP, had put forward no one leader as its chief ministerial candidate and had in fact consciously steered clear of bringing up the minority polarisation in the state, took solace in the margin of wins.
Terming the Congress the real winner, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said the Congress message had attracted more voters.
The BJP win, he said, was expected. "The government there, the bureaucracy there has a stranglehold over the system. That is the general perception. It is important that the kind of sweeping victory that was predicted is not there. The fact is that the BJP has been contained below the number it had last time," he told a television reporter.
"We are a democracy, it can't be I, me and mine," the minister said, in a reference to Modi's style of governance.
The Congress welcomed the "thumping victory" in Himachal Pradesh.
"We are very confident of forming a government," Congress veteran and former chief minister Virbhadra Singh said jubilantly as celebrations went on outside the party headquarters in Shimla with supporters bursting firecrackers.
Dhumal, in his home constituency Hamirpur, accepted defeat and congratulated the Congress.BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Chandan Mitra added that the Congress had "won fair and square" in Himachal and the BJP would have to think where its strategy failed.
Anti-incumbency is a maligned term. In both Himachal and Gujarat, BJP faced anti-incumbency. It couldn't handle it in Himachal, but was able to contain it in Gujarat. Anti-incumbency doesn't work only against a present CM or a present ruling party, but also against a sitting MLA.
What's the broad Gujarat picture? Of 182 seats, 50 were almost "safe" seats for Congress and Congress got a vote share of 41%. In Gujarat, both BJP and Congress have increased their vote shares by 1%, at the expense of "others". That sets a cap of 132 for BJP and containment should be viewed in that context, not against unrealistic expectations of 150 seats.
Voting often occurs along lines of caste, ethnicity and religion. Barring seats dominated by Patels and impact of GPP, with exception of North Gujarat, there is no evidence (from numbers already available) of caste/ethnicity/religion over-riding development/governance considerations, not even in Saurashtra. But for either, BJP would have done better.
A two-third majority, a vote share of 50% and a third term is no mean achievement. Though Muslims represent a far lower population share in Gujarat than nationally, this is also true of seats where Muslim votes matter. Nor is it the case that rural/urban differentiation makes sense. BJP's vote share in rural Gujarat has been 49%. When development is interpreted as roads, electricity and water, rural/urban differences break down, driving education, health and efficient public expenditure (read governance) in these elections.
[Abdul Hafiz Lakhaniis a senior Journalist based at Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He is associated with IndianMuslimObserver.com as Bureau Chief (Gujarat). He can be reached at lakhani63@yahoo.com or on his cell 09228746770]
↧
December 20, 2012, 9:50 pm
By Hem Raj Jain
Modi’s victory in Gujarat 2012 elections was a forgone conclusion for the simple reason that when some body can get-away with impunity after getting thousands of innocent Muslims massacred then naturally he will get more powerful and will win the elections also, as has been happening since 2002.
Modi and other responsible for this 2002 massacre could get-away for the simple reason that Muslims could not file the proper court cases. The social, political, media and religious leaders of Muslims also did not help the Muslim victims of this massacre to file these court cases properly. Even Chairperson of National Minority Commission (who is enjoying all the government power and facilities in the name of Muslims) does not do any thing about getting justice for these Muslim victims of 2002 massacre, as is evident from the following.
Even highly popularized victim like Tanveer Zafri (son of killed MP Sh. Ehsan Zafri) also did not file court cases by saying that they are afraid of Modi (as told to me by Hafiz Lakhani who gave me the phone number of Tanveer Zafri and enquired from Zafri that why is he not filing Court case in Gujarat High Court, as suggested by Hem Raj Jain and concurred by Justice Santosh Hegde, the retired Judge of Supreme Court).
Even now if Muslims file proper court case in Gujarat High Court, as given below, then Modi etc will go to jail.
I still remember when I was living in Delhi, I had met Aslam Bhure Khan at his residence in Daryaganj and asked him that why is he not filing an application in Supreme Court for the restoration of status-quo-ante of Babri Masjid ? He replied that he is afraid that it will lead to the massacre (Katle-aam) of Muslims in India. I told him - "because you did not file this application hence massacre of Muslims took place in 2002 in Gujarat, because criminal elements of Hindutva forces got emboldened knowing that they can do any thing and can get-away too".
I am only worried that this compromise of Muslims and their leaders of various fields with the perpetrators of 2002 massacre may not further embolden these criminals to inflict another massacre on hapless victims any where in India in future.
I am also surprised that what type of Muslims these people are who are followers of Islam (the only religion on this earth which expects its followers not be afraid of any body including the temporal authorities) and still tolerate such injustice, demoralization and humiliation.
But whether Muslims community in India and their social, political, media and religious leaders want this justice to be done (to the victims of 2002 Gujarat massacre of thousands of innocent Muslims) or not is a million Dollar question.
[Hem Raj Jainis a prominent human rights and civil rights activist. He can be contacted at jainhemraj59@gmail.com]
↧
December 23, 2012, 10:05 am
Islamic Banking and Finance Institute Malaysia (IBFIM) Chief Executive Officer Datuk Dr Adnan Alias said Malaysia‘needs 35,000 Islamic finance talents by 2030 to cope with the rapid growth of the industry’.
Business Times of Malaysia reports that IBFIM aims to maintain supplying an annual average of 30 per cent of Malaysia's Islamic Finance industry workforce. Speaking at the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MoA) signed on 10 December withBinary University of Management and Entrepreneurship, Adnan said, "We are looking at universities that have strong entrepreneurship development. After this, we are thinking of Universiti Teknologi Mara and Universiti Malaysia Kelantan,"
Under the five-year MoA, IBFIM will supply 16 syllabuses and instructors of Islamic wealth management to Binary University and the latter would impart entrepreneurial skills through the courses offered.
At its inaugural certification ceremony on 8 December, some 300 certified holders were honoured in various programmes in IBFIM including Islamic Financial Planning, Certified Credit Professional – Islamic and Associate Qualification in Islamic Finance. In addition, seven outstanding certified holders who excelled in the examinations received special ‘highest achiever awards’.
IBFIM also presented the "Islamic Finance Talent Development Champion Awards," to RHB Bank, Malayan Banking, Malaysia Building Society and Public Bank.
(Courtesy: Global Islamic Finance Magazine)
↧
December 23, 2012, 10:11 am
By Sum Choi
Muslims travelling to Macau are now able to enjoy genuine Muslim food as the “Taste of India” became the first local restaurant in the city to receive the Halal Certification. The Certification guarantees that all the food - as well as the transportation and preparations - are all strictly in line with Islamic Law.
Taste of India, situated in the Fisherman’s Wharf in Avenida Dr. Sun Yat Sen near the Outer Ferry Terminal, yesterday formally announced they have successfully obtained the certificate, after three years of preparation to meet all the meticulous requirements imposed on every procedure, from purchasing to cooking and serving according to Islamic custom.
Ms. Bela Fernandes, Manager of “Taste of India”, told MDT the certificate has a great deal of significance: “In the past the Muslims travelling here have many problems in finding a restaurant that strictly complies with Islamic standards. So many of them can only eat vegetables and fruits, because they don’t know where to find Halal food.”
“Halal” is an Arabic word meaning “lawful” or “permissible,” and applies to food and drink, alongside other matters of daily life. Muslims must ensure that all foods, particularly processed foods, pharmaceuticals, and non-food items like cosmetics, are also Halal, so the procedures required for Halal authentication and certification are long and complicated: “All the food we are serving are certified [as Halal food] and we’re doing the best we can do in Macau. We are the first restaurant to receive the Halal certificate after three years of efforts and serving of cuisines in this field,” said Ms. Fernandes.
Processed food products often contain animal by-products or other ingredients that are not permissible for Muslims to eat. Halal foods are foods that Muslims are allowed to eat under Islamic dietary guidelines. The criteria specify both what foods are allowed, and how the food must be prepared. The foods addressed are mostly types of meat/animal tissue. It is a well-known fact that Muslims don’t eat pork or drink alcohol, but lesser known is the fact that although chicken or beef is Halal, the regions’ followers also do not eat any animal that has been strangled, beaten to death, and nor do they consume or use any by-products made of such animals. To qualify for the Halal Certificate, the restaurants in question have to meet all conditions in the processing, transportation, preparing and serving procedures.
Indian restaurants have a great deal of experience in preparing Halal food due to the country’s large Muslim population. The Taste of India also introduced local elements to their restaurant: “In addition to Indian Halal, we are doing ‘Portuguese Halal,’ and our chefs are very experienced in the preparation of Muslim food - we don’t handle pork or other things not allowed by Islamic Law.”
As Macau develops into an international travel destination and leisure hub, an increase in the number of visitors from Muslim countries is expected in Macau, in addition to the substantial number of foreign workers. Many of these workers are of Islamic origin. As a result, a restaurant that specializes in Halal food has a reasonable chance of success in Macau.
“It’s not easy to find a restaurant with proper Muslim food in Macau,” said Arkun, a tourist in his twenties from Indonesia, who was visiting the city with three of his friends, “not to mention a Halal certified restaurant, so it’s good news for Muslim visitors.” He told MDT that before they found The Taste of India, they would have to keep on stressing that they were Muslims and reminding waiters not to serve dishes containing pork or its by-products when visiting local restaurants.
(Courtesy: Macau Daily Times)
↧
↧
December 23, 2012, 10:16 am
A study conducted by Pew has revealed that Islam is 2nd largest religion in world. The study has revealed that 23 per cent of world population is Muslims and Islam has the lowest median age as half of the Muslims are 23-year-old or younger.
Islamabad: A study conducted by Washington-based Pew Research Center’s Forum has revealed that 23 per cent of world population is Muslims and Islam has the lowest median age as half of the Muslims are 23-year-old or younger, compared to 28 for the whole world population.
The Pew study on “Religion and Public Life” in 230 countries and territories has estimated that there are 5.8 billion religiously affiliated adults and children around the globe, representing 84% of the 2010 world population of 6.9 billion.
The study based on analysis of more than 2,500 censuses, surveys and population registers – revealed that 2.2 billion Christians (32% of the world’s population), 1.6 billion Muslims (23%), 1 billion Hindus (15%), nearly 500 million Buddhists (7%) and 14 million Jews (0.2%) around the world as of 2010.
According to the study Muslims number 1.6 billion. “The overwhelming majority (87-90%) of Muslims are Sunnis and about 10-13% are Shia Muslims”.
The Pew research reveals that Muslims are concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region, where six-in-ten (62%) of all Muslims reside. “Many Muslims also live in the Middle East and North Africa (20%) and sub-Saharan Africa (16%). The remainder of the world’s Muslim population is in Europe (3%), North America (less than 1%) and Latin America and the Caribbean (also less than 1%).”
“Although a majority of world’s Muslims live in Asia and the Pacific, only about one-in-four people (24%) in that region are Muslims. By contrast, the Middle East-North Africa region has an overwhelmingly Muslim population (93%), but they represent only about 20% of the world’s Muslims. Muslims also make up about three-in-ten people in sub-Saharan Africa, 6% of those who live in Europe, 1% of North Americans, and less than 1% of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean,” it said.
Muslims make up majority of population in 49 countries
The study said the 10 countries with the largest number of Muslims are home to fully two-thirds (66%) of all Muslims. The largest share lives in Indonesia (13%), followed by India (11%), Pakistan (11%), Bangladesh (8%), Nigeria (5%), Egypt (5%), Iran (5%), Turkey (5%), Algeria (2%) and Morocco (2%).
It further said that Muslims make up a majority of the population in 49 countries. Nearly three-quarters of all Muslims (73%) live in these countries. “Although Muslims are a minority in India (14% of the total population), India nonetheless has one of the largest Muslim populations in the world (in raw numbers).”
Median Age
According to Pew study, Muslims are younger (median age of 23) than the overall global population (median age of 28). “Among the five regions for which data are available, Muslims are youngest in sub-Saharan Africa (median age of 17), followed by the Middle East and North Africa (23), Asia and the Pacific (24), North America (26) and Europe (32).”
“Muslims are younger than the general population in each of the major regions for which data are available: North America (Muslims 26 years; general population 37 years), Europe (32 vs. 40), Asia and the Pacific (24 v s. 29), sub-Saharan Africa (17 vs. 18) and the Middle East and North Africa (2 3 vs. 24),” it further revealed.
(Courtesy: National Turk)
↧
December 23, 2012, 10:22 am
Bangkok: A leadership academy for Muslim women launched at Government House yesterday (December 11, 2012) is aimed at preparing women to take on more prominent roles in the troubled region.
The academy was developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra presided over its launch yesterday.
UNDP resident representative Luc Stevens said the programme supports empowering Muslim women in 14 southern provinces.
Women chosen for the programme would be taught in workshops run by the UN, with three to five women drawn from each province.
He hopes to achieve two goals under the three-year project.
"We want to help them become stronger actors in general affairs and empower them in leadership, not only in the political field but business management as well," Mr Stevens said.Mirantee Maerah, 51, a designated leader from Narathiwat, said the women were already working to support their families and communities but they are in need of further support and understanding.
This project as well as the government's women fund should help boost their confidence, she said.
Nusana Pakdee, 40, a member of a team from Ranong, said she believed the project would benefit women leaders in the deep South.
"Women in the upper South are engaged with mainstream socio-economic development but those in the deep South do not have as many opportunities and abilities," Ms Nusana said.Ms Yingluck said the academy project would complement the government's policy of empowering women.
Of about 7,000 political positions in villages and towns across Thailand, women hold just 4%.In parliament, women make up just 16% of the membership, although they represent more than half of Thailand's population. There is only one Muslim female MP.
Women hold just a small fraction of executive positions in local, village and tambon administrations as well, the UNDP said.
(Courtesy: Bangkok Post)
↧
December 23, 2012, 10:31 am
By Dr. Abdul Ruff
Dictatorial America has done enough to terrorize the whole world by successfully engineering fake Sept-11 and has top priority foreign policy to make every nation, big, medium and small as well as terrocracy and autocracy, to realize that without USA they all would be doomed. Not even Russia and China think they can be safe without the “almighty” USA.
That is essence of post-Sept-11 hoax US foreign policy being pursued till today with backing from NATO terror syndicate members and pro-US l allies and the trend might not change in the near future.
US presidents and other important leaders enjoy paid holidays, world tours and terror operations in Islamic world. Taking what promised to be a very brief Christmas break from the ongoing struggle to avoid the "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and spending cuts, US President Barack Obama relaxed with his family at a beach retreat in Hawaii.
Before leaving for paid holidays “retreat”, President B Obama has begun reshaping his cabinet for his second term in White House by nominating Massachusetts senator John Kerry, 69, former unsuccessful Democratic presidential candidate in 2004 and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to succeed Hillary Clinton as his next secretary of state. The president will also have to name a new defence secretary to replace Leon Panetta, and a new director of the CIA to take over from David Petraeus, who quit last month after admitting an affair.
Kerry‘s nomination comes after the US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, withdrew from consideration last week. Republicans had fiercely criticised her role in the aftermath of the deadly attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, in September. Kerry's nomination is unlikely to face opposition from Republicans, who had threatened to oppose Ms Rice, despite the president's strong defense of her actions over 11 September Libya.
Himself disillusioned with cold attitude towards him by the world at large, however, Obama said Kerry's "entire life" prepared him for the role, and praised him for the "respect and confidence" he has earned from world leaders. He said Kerry would be swiftly confirmed in the Senate.Congress was to return to Washington next week and Obama has pledged to work with lawmakers to strike a deal to avoid the economic shock from tax and spending measures set to take effect on January 1 if a deal can't be reached, which many economists say could push the US economy back into recession.
Kerry becomes Obama's first new cabinet nomination since he won a second term in November Mrs Clinton, who is still recuperating from a stomach virus and concussion, was not present for the announcement. Madam Clinton said Kerry was an "excellent choice" of head for the state department. "He will be able to sustain and extend America's global leadership," she said.
Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran, lost a close presidential election to George W Bush Jr in 2004 and had been a contender for the state department in 2008, before Mrs Clinton was chosen. Kerry is well-steeped in the details of world affairs and diplomacy as he has been the Obama administration's unofficial envoy to various hotspots, from Pakistan to Afghanistan. Kerry is known to be the quintessential American diplomat. His father was in the Foreign Service. Kerry has lived abroad and speaks French. He can sit for hours sipping tea with world leaders. But it's often hard to tell where he stands on the issues.
Once confirmed, Kerry will face the problem of ongoing Syrian unrest and continuing concern over Iran's legitimate nuclear program.
President Obama as part of retreat, is expected to indulge in some of his favourite pastimes on the island where he was born and raised: golf, an expedition for the local treat "shave ice," and an evening out with family and friends. He hit the links at the nearby Marine Corps base under sunny skies on Saturday afternoon.
Let him enjoy life!
Who can boldly answer: Can John Kerry steer USA out of terror operations in Mideast?
[Dr. Abdul Ruffis Specialist on State Terrorism; Chancellor-Founder of Center for International Affairs (CIA); Independent Analyst; Chronicler of Foreign occupations & Freedom movements (Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Xinjiang, Chechnya, etc.). He is also former university Teacher. He can be contacted at abdulruff_jnu@yahoo.com]
↧
December 23, 2012, 10:39 am
By Andrew North
Mumbai and Delhi: Habiba Ismail Khan can't forget the day her eldest son ventured out to get food and water.
Their Mumbai slum had been overcome by communal rioting, sparked by the destruction of the Babri Mosque by Hindu hardliners in faraway Ayodhya.
This week marks the 20th anniversary of that event, one of the biggest tests since independence of India's secular ideals.
After days trapped inside, the sounds and smells of killing around them, he made a dash for supplies.
"He was 18, the only earner," says Habiba. "My heart cries for him every day."Caught by a Hindu mob he never had a chance.
No headway
He was one of nearly 600 Muslims killed in the Mumbai riots, the bulk of the victims. At least 275 Hindus died too.
But far from being spontaneous, a government commission later concluded much of the violence was an organised pogrom by Hindu extremists.
Two decades later, Muslims remain a marginalised minority - although minority seems the wrong word for a group that numbers nearly 180 million, making India the third largest Muslim nation in the world after Indonesia and next-door Pakistan.
Yet while its neighbour is in constant turmoil because of Islamic extremism, it's striking how little it has emerged in India.
"Fundamentalism has not taken root here," says Vikram Sood, the former head of India's foreign intelligence service.
While there have been bombings claimed by indigenous groups such as the Indian Mujahideen, they have been few and far between and there is no sign it has significant support.
The biggest attacks in India involving Muslims have had clear evidence of Pakistani involvement.
Despite having 10% of the world's Muslims to recruit from, al-Qaeda has made no headway here.
And no Indian Muslim has gone to fight in Afghanistan with the Taliban. "Or even Kashmir," adds Sood.
Yet the provocations have continued - with hundreds more Muslims dying in the 2002 Gujarat riots, when there was again clear evidence of Hindu extremists orchestrating the killing.
After the death last month of Bal Thackeray, the leader of a right-wing Hindu party accused of a central role in the 1992 Mumbai riots, Habiba was bracing herself for a repeat.
Little hope
"Things can go wrong any time. We are just counting the days."
One thing has changed though in Jogeshwari - a sprawling slum area with lanes so narrow residents often have to walk single file.
Mixed areas have largely disappeared and there is now a clear division between Muslim and Hindu neighbourhoods. A road marks the "border" between what Hindus call "Little Pakistan'"and their side, Hindustan, or India.
People in the Muslim part of Jogeshwari see little hope of their lives improving.
"Only Hindus get good jobs, in banks or government," complains Habiba's neighbour Marzina, who moved into a cramped two-room house with her family after the riots for safety.
The figures back her up - showing Muslims bumping along the bottom with Hindu untouchable castes and tribal groups in income, employment, literacy and access to education.
While they make up 14-15% of the population, they hold barely 4% of government jobs and they are far more likely than other groups to be in informal employment, running street stalls or the like.
Some Muslims are doing well: Indian movie stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan.
But they don't emphasise their heritage.
Another big industry name with Muslim origins, film-maker Mahesh Bhatt, believes it helped him that his mother covered them up.
She was Muslim but says she gave him a Hindu name to prevent his identity from becoming "an albatross".
He now uses his movie fame as a platform to speak out for Muslim causes.
India pretends to be more secular and inclusive than it is, he maintains.
"Why does India celebrate a black man in the White House?" he demands when we meet at his Mumbai office.
"I'll celebrate only when we have a Muslim in the prime minister's chair in India."
'Another world'
To critics, Bhatt is a habitual controversialist with a gift for a headline.
But he is unusual in speaking up at all for India's Muslims. Unlike Hindus, they have no national political party representing them.
There is a stronger tendency to keep quiet and work with the system.
"We can't go and live in another world," says Dr Mohammed Khatkhatay who runs a charity providing education and training in Mumbai's slums, mostly to Muslims.
In some ways, this is just common sense. However many there are, Muslims are still a minority. "If I pierce someone's eye," says Dr Khatkhatay, "the result will be the whole of our community goes blind."
It's much harder for any cohesive Islamic identity - let alone militant ideology - to gain ground in India's huge and diverse society - where Muslims share little except their faith.
So a Muslim from Kerala in the south who may be descended from seafarers has more in common with Hindus or Christians in the state than he does with Muslims from Uttar Pradesh in the north.
The widespread adherence to more moderate, inclusive Sufi Islamic teachings have also helped stall the emergence of militancy.
The government also has a tighter hold on madrassas or religious schools, which in Pakistan have become a bedrock of recruits for the Taliban and others.
Looking across their borders to its majority-Muslim neighbours, Indian Muslims have concluded they are better off here, argues Najeeb Jung, Vice Chancellor of Delhi's Jamia Millia University."The big watershed was 1971," he says, when Bangladesh broke away from Pakistan. "If ever there was a romance with Pakistan, it was over then."
Dr Jung is less gloomy about Muslims here, believing "they are faring as well or as badly as everyone else".
But therein lies the danger. The economy has sagged badly in the past year with no sign yet it has bottomed out.
"If we get the economy going again," says Vikram Sood, "all these issues will wither away. If it doesn't happen, they will multiply, disproportionately."
(Courtesy: BBC)
↧
↧
December 23, 2012, 10:45 am
By Sabir Nazar
Two great personalities, Abdus Salam’s death anniversary and Dilip Kumars’ birthday were commemorated recently in Pakistan. This was followed by the remembrance of the fall of Dhaka for us and Independence Day for Bangladesh. Abdus Salam’s anniversary went by unceremoniously, while Dilip Kumar’s birthday was enthusiastically celebrated. Dilip Kumar’s 90th birthday was seen as a noteworthy event and the date was monumental enough to take up formidable space in the newspapers. The total number of likes for these two columns was a colossal 4 likes and 3 tweets. Of the two different personalities, one chose self-exile and the other opted to remain in India. We take pride in producing artists, only when they have made a name for their artistic expression or scientific achievements outside the country.
Muslim actors, painters, poets, scientists, musicians, writers are successful in India. The examples of Dilip Kumar, Bollywood Khan actors, M.F. Hussain, Raza, Ghulam Rasool, Kaifi Azmi, Sahir Ludhianvi, A.R. Rehman, Rafi, Mehdi Hassan, Shakir Hussain, Mehboob Khan and ex-president Abdul Kalam are testimony to the prominence of Muslims across the border. Muslims excel in cultural, artistic and scientific fields in a country where they are in a minority. Talented Muslims tend to flourish outside the countries where they are a majority.
![]()
The mystique of Lahore in India is still present because of pre partition image of Lahore. It was here where the first modern Indian artist, Amrita Sher Gill and Abdur Rehman Chughtai lived and were family friends. As Safdir Mir noted, Amrita Sher Gill looked for her artistic inspiration in modern Indian rural peasants, while Chughtai traced his artistic roots to the central Asian tradition of miniatures. Two modern Urdu poets, Iqbal and Faiz were products of the British era and were under attack from the Muslim clergy. One died before partition and the other was either incarcerated in Pakistan or lived in exile. Even a religious scholar like Abul Ala Maudoodi was a product of the British Raj. If he had written, ‘Khilafat aur Malokiat’ today, he would have lived in exile like his follower Javed Ahmad Ghamdi.
In Pakistan, sharia and not culture defines the identity of the country. Culture is looked at suspiciously as a vehicle of separate identity against the common identity of Muslims. By eliminating different cultural identities, sharia is considered as binding us into a single Muslim identity. The sharia enforced black veil is preferred over the culturally diverse head gears like shawls, chadders, dupattas and scarves.
After partition we deliberately tried to forge a singular identity based on religion and suppressed the different identities of Bengalis, Pashtuns, Balochis, Sindhis and Punjabis. We tried to impose a single identity on the culturally rich Bengal, the land of Tagore and artists of the caliber of Zainulabidin. This only resulted in losing the eastern wing of Pakistan. Here, we tried to kill culture by banning films, music and dance during Zia’s era. Later basant, classical dance, singing and dhol performances at sufi shrines (Shah Jamal) were obliterated, instead we had attacks on the Christian population, bomb blasts at Data Sahib’s and Baba Farid shrines to further decimate Pakistani culture. In India, BJP came to power for their appeal to a single identity of Hindutwa, we saw attacks on Indian Picasso, M.F. Husain, who later died in self-exile.
Similarly, the first Pakistani Nobel Prize Laureate Abdus Salam had to live in self-exile. Even religious scholars like Fazl-ur-Rehman and Daood Rahbar were forced to flee the country. Recently, Javed Ahmad Ghamdi fled the country and is now living in self-exile in Indonesia. The two greatest novelists of modern Urdu literature, Abdullah Hussain (udas naslain) are living in England, Quratulain Hyder (Aag ka darya) Ustad Bare Ghulamali Khan, Sahir Ludhianvi decided to move back to India. Writer and political activist Sajjad Zaheer was extradited to India and film Director Zia Sarhadi settled permanently in England. Saadat Hassan Manto and Saghar Siddique opted to stay in Pakistan and thus, face court trials and die in their early 40s. Zia Moyauddin and NaheedSiddiqui stayed outside Pakistan for most of their creative life. Recently, Adnan Sami decided to settle permanently in India. The first Pakistani pop singer, Nazia Hassan lived in England and shot to fame when she joined forces with Bollywood. Recently, we see new successful writers who are writing in English for international readers like Mohsin Hamid, Mohammad Hanif and Ali Farooq Qureshi. They are the brave souls who have moved to Pakistan, like Saghir and Manto. Lets see how Pakistan treats them.
(Courtesy: Dawn)
↧
December 23, 2012, 10:48 am
By Deeptiman Tiwary
New Delhi: Counter-terror agencies may be looking into fund flowing into Sikh and Muslim institutions and NGOs engaged in welfare activities of minorities on the suspicion of money from some of these being diverted into terrorism, but a government data shows that NGOs related to these communities get the least funding from abroad.
Contrary to popular perception, Christian NGOs receive maximum foreign funding. While Christian NGOs have received over Rs 10,000 crore, Muslim institutions have got around Rs 300 crore, and Sikh NGOs accepted even smaller funding at around Rs 22 crore.
With inputs of funds from various terror organizations based across the border or their affiliates in West Asia flowing into several Muslim NGOs, madarsas or other institutions, Indian agencies have kept a constant scrutiny of funding in minority institutions.
National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently lodged an FIR alleging that foreign funding was flowing into certain NGOs ostensibly working for the welfare of 1984 anti-Sikh riots and the victims of the Operation Blue Star but to fund the activities and revive Babbar Khalsa International and Khalistan Zindabad Force.
Government data, however, shows these minority institutions hardly get any foreign funding.The home ministry data detailing contributions made under Foreign Contributions (Regulation) Act (FCRA) to various minority institutions and NGOs between 2008-09 and 2010-11 shows that Muslim and Sikh NGOs have earned even lesser than those run by Buddhists.
The data shows in the past three years, Christian NGOs have received Rs 10,617 crore as foreign funding, while the coffers of Buddhist institutions have been fattened by Rs 504 crore. In comparison, Muslim NGOs have got Rs 337 crore and Sikh NGOs received Rs 23 crore.
Christians also have the maximum number of NGOs and institutions in India, pegged at over 4,700, receiving foreign funding. Muslims come second with close to 250 NGOs, and Buddhist NGOs are estimated to be around 100. Sikhs have the least number of such registered institutions at only 14.
The FCRA provides for NGOs to receive foreign funds after registration or prior permission. Every application of NGOs for registration or granting prior permission is decided with inputs from the security agencies. These NGOs have to also submit annual reports with government which are duly scrutinized.
Recently, the government had also put NGOs engaged in anti-nuclear plant struggle in Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu, under scanner for receiving foreign funding.
(Courtesy: The Times of India)
↧
December 23, 2012, 10:54 am
A diocesan NGO in Bongaigaon is behind the initiative. In July residents were hit by floods and sectarian violence. Church and Caritas are working together to bring peace to the two communities.
Bongaigaon: The Bongaigaon Gana Seva Society (BGSS), a diocesan NGO that works with Caritas, has organised a Christmas tea to bridge the gap between the Bodo community and Muslims in Assam. In recent months, violent sectarian conflict has claimed 90 lives, and forced another 400,000 from their homes. Devastating floods in July displaced a million.
"In the past few months, the Church and local government have helped people with food, mosquito nets and medical drugs, BGSS director Fr David Napoleon told AsiaNews. "The central government has provided some housing. We in the diocese have helped almost 2,200 families. In general, life is back to normal. Children are going to school and people have gone back to work."
However, the sectarian problem between tribal Bodo and Muslim settlers remains, especially "in refugee camps, where people from both communities can be found."
In order to reconcile the two groups, the BGSS has launched a number of initiatives to bring together Muslim and tribal leaders.
"So far, we have held eight meetings and four peace missions to raise awareness among people about the issue," Fr Napoleon added. "We visited all 42 schools in the area, and have talked to children about the importance of peace."
Next Sunday, the NGO will organise two Christmas meetings at its headquarters, one with Bodo leaders and one with Muslim leaders.
At the end, participants are invited to a tea to discuss together the situation of the two communities and the possibilities of living together peacefully.
(Courtesy: AsiaNews.it)
↧
