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Nawada riots: Worried Nitish Kumar can't claim Bihar a communal violence-free state

August 20, 2013, 10:39 pm
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Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is a worried man these days. He can no longer claim a communal violence-free state as one of the achievements of his nearly eight-year rule.

This follows Hindu-Muslim clashes in Nawada town last week and early this week that claimed two lives and left nearly a dozen people injured, leading to the imposition of curfew.

This was evident when he appealed to the people at the state-level Independence Day function Thursday to maintain "communal harmony". He also expressed his serious concern over the clashes in Nawada, 150 km from Patna, which erupted Friday after an altercation over the menu between a group of kanwarias (Hindu pilgrims) and a Muslim group at a roadside eatery.

Till last month, Nitish Kumar used to take pride in the fact that Bihar remained free from communal tension and no riots had taken place during his tenure. It was one of the USPs of his government along with improved law and order, development and high growth rate.

Nitish Kumar, without naming any political party, has said that the clashes in Nawada and earlier in Bettiah in West Champaran, Khagaria and other places were a result of attempts to defame and distabilise his government.

The violence, he maintained, was a sensitive issue and charges and counter-charges should be avoided.

"Why is it that communal clashes suddenly occurred only after JD-U dumped the (coalition partner) BJP (on June 16)? The state had remained free from communal clashes since November 2005 till June this year. It is a matter that has raised eyebrows," said JD-U spokesperson Neeraj Kumar, who is considered close to Nitish Kumar.

Social activist Naiyar Fatmi said that Nitish Kumar's problems lay in the fact that after the JD-U's alliance with the BJP split, the state has witnessed at least 16 communal clashes, including the Nawada violence.

"Nitish Kumar and his government are bound to be in trouble if they fail to check this. Communal clashes not only give the state a bad name, they also erode the JD-U social support base at a time when Lok Sabha polls are due next year and state assembly polls in 2015," Fatmi pointed out.

Left activist Anish Ankur said that never since the 1989 Bhagalpur riots was the atmosphere as vitiated as now. Even at the time of the Babri Masjid's demolition in 1992, people, cutting across community lines, were confident that the state government would not allow the violence to go out of hand.

"The threat and fear of communal incidents is on the rise among the people, particularly the minority community. The Nitish Kumar government has to be alert and must act tough against troublemakers and those conspiring to provoke communal riots," Anish added. Muslims constitute 16.5 percent of Bihar's 105 million population.

Taking serious notice of what happened in Nawada, Nitish Kumar immediately directed top police officers to use full force to contain the situation. It resulted in the situation soon improving and curfew has been relaxed since Wednesday.

He said the state government was keeping a close watch on developments in Nawada and Bettiah and that the police would find out if it was a pre-planned attempt to create social tension or not.

Officials suspect that two local leaders, involved in illegal stone quarrying in the district, were inciting "communal hatred" as part of business rivalry, a police officer said, adding that the National Security Act would be invoked for preventive detentions and swift action against troublemakers.

Nitish Kumar seems to have got over the immediate crisis for now but will surely be keeping his fingers crossed that there are no major flare-ups ahead of the parliamentary and assembly polls.

(Courtesy: India Today)
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Dawood safe under ISI cover, says Tunda

August 20, 2013, 10:44 pm
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New Delhi: Abdul Karim Tunda, one of India’s most wanted terrorists who has been arrested, has told his interrogators he was in constant touch with Pakistan’s ISI and worked closely with it and also met leaders of several anti-India outfits during his stay in that country.

A top Delhi police official while stating this on Sunday said that 70-year-old Tunda claimed during his interrogation that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim whom he met in Karachi several times stays in a safe house in Pakistan’s port city and is guarded by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency.

“He (Tunda) claims that Dawood first called him to meet in 2010. He says that the underworld don stays in a safe house in Karachi and is guarded by ISI. His movements is restricted and monitored by the intelligence agency,” the official said.

During his stay in Pakistan, Tunda told the police he had been in touch with organisations like ISI, LeT, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Indian Mujahiddin (IM) and Babbar Khalsa and had been meeting people like Hafiz Saeed, Maulana Masood Azhar, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, Dawood Ibrahim and several others wanted by India.

Calling the scope of his interrogation a ‘vast canvas’, the official said that Tunda, an expert bomb maker, is a bigger catch then Abu Jundal, a key Mumbai attack handler, for security agencies because of his intensive networks across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

“He has met the leaders of almost all anti-India organizations and even their small operatives. Tunda was constantly in touch with ISI and has worked with them closely,” the official said.

Tunda had an excellent network of operatives through which he sent men and material into India, the official said, adding he has been sending explosives and Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) in India.

"Walking encyclopedia of LeT"

From an expert bomb maker to a small time shopkeeper selling perfumes near Muridkee in Pakistan, Abdul Karim Tunda has claimed that top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander and Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi calls the shots in the terror outfit.

A composed 70-year-old Tunda, whom the security agencies term as a walking encyclopedia of LeT’s pan-India operations, spoke about his differences with Lakhvi during police investigations and gave instances how this cropped up in several discussions, official sources said in New Delhi.

Tunda, a close aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and one of India’s most wanted terrorists, was arrested on Friday after being on the run in several countries for 19 years.

Despite being one of the founders of LeT’s pan-India operations, Tunda’s remorse is that he could not scale the terror outfit’s hierarchy as he was termed as a spent force once he arrived in Pakistan from Bangladesh in early 2000.

He claimed that he had not been included in LeT’s “bleed India” policy strategy leaving him, his three wives which included a teen-aged Bangladeshi girl and six children virtually on the streets.

In order to earn a livelihood, Tunda, who had helped in indoctrinating many youths from India for terror activities, was given a two-storeyed house bang opposite to Markaz ul Jamaat-ul-Dawah in Muridkee of Sheikhpura district of Punjab where he used to sell perfumes.

Tunda’s fundamentalist outlook had its roots after he witnessed the 1985 riots in Mominpura area of Nagpur in Maharashtra, sources said, adding it is believed that after this incident he had started working towards preaching youths to wage war against the government.

Born in a lower middle-class family at Delhi, Tunda moved to Pilkhuwa, near the town of Ghaziabad, in his teens and later shifted to Mumbai, where he set up a business dyeing textiles after his job as a ‘Hakeem’ in the 80s failed to take off in Ghaziabad.
After his initial association with Tanzim Islahul Muslimeen (TIM), or Organisation for the Improvement of Muslims, Tunda told his investigators that he started following the belief of the Jamaat Ahl-e-Hadis’, an ideology being followed by LeT.

After fleeing to Bangladesh, Tunda married an 18-year-old girl when he was at the age of 56.

While his interrogation continues by a joint team of police and central security agencies, the sources said that he would be grilled about his meeting with Aamir Reza, founder of Indian Mujahideen and other Lashker operatives who had met him while he was in Muridkee.

(Courtesy: The Hindu)
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Sharjah Halal Expo provides players more opportunities in US$1.8 Billion Islamic industry

August 22, 2013, 9:44 pm
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Kuala Lumpur: The Second Halal Middle East Exhibition & Congress to be held at the Expo Centre Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Dec 16 to 18 will provide better opportunities for regional players in the US$1.8 billion Islamic finance industry.

Expo Centre Sharjah Director-General Saif Mohammed al Midfa said that the Islamic finance industry has undergone rapid growth in recent years, but it remained an untapped market across many asset classes and geographies.

"We need to redefine our strategies to capitalise on these opportunities. Industry support to this second exhibition and congress will go a long way in creating awareness and planning innovative products to achieve that objective," he said in a statement issued by Expo Centre Sharjah.

According to a research by Ernst & Young global Islamic assets held by commercial banks stood at US$1.3 billion in 2011, but the industry's forecast growth of some 40 per cent over two years will see this figure rise to US$1.8 billion in 2013.

However, industry experts pointed out that the global Islamic finance industry is not growing at its true potential as Syariah-complaint assets account for less than two per cent of conventional equivalents, providing ample room for growth.

Industry observers also pointed out that with the debt crisis deepening in the West, investors are increasingly looking to move away from a speculative financial system, where "Islamic finance's fundamental tenets have helped boost its image as a safe haven."

The event is being organised under the patronage of Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, supported by one of the leading Islamic financial institutions in the region, Emirates Islamic Bank (EIB), which will be a key partner in highlighting halal finance opportunities for participants.

The second edition will see the Halal Congress offering a gathering point for food producers, exporters, importers, dealers as well as experts on halal markets and standard.

It will be a comprehensive sourcing point for all halal products, from food to pharmaceuticals and insurance to tourism.

(Courtesy: Bernama)
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RBI allows non-bank Islamic finance firm

August 22, 2013, 9:53 pm
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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed a firm in Kerala to operate as a non-banking financial company (NBFC) that follows Islamic principles - a small step towards developing sharia-compliant finance in the country.

An estimated 177 million Muslims in India, the largest Muslim minority population in the world, are unable to use Islamic banks because laws covering the sector require banking to be based on interest, which is forbidden in Islam.

But some companies, especially in Kerala which has a large Muslim population and an overseas diaspora of workers who remit money back from the Gulf, are nevertheless trying to develop Islamic financial products outside the banking sector.

Cheraman Financial Services, based in Kochi, plans to offer leasing and equity-finance products under Islamic principles. It said it had obtained approval to operate from the RBI and would follow the Islamic ban on interest; it will not take deposits from customers.

"We propose to roll out the products by the end of August," a spokesman for Cheraman, formerly known as Al Barakah Financial Services, told Reuters.

He did not elaborate on the design of the products. Instead of interest, Islamic finance uses structures such as asset buy-backs and agency agreements to provide returns to investors.

The RBI did not respond to a request for comment on Cheraman's case. But its decision appears to open the door to the possibility of more NBFCs offering Islamic non-interest products in future, even though full-fledged Islamic banks are expected to remain banned.

RBI governor Duvvuri Subbarao, who will step down in September, has said Islamic banking is not possible in the country but sharia-compliant products could be delivered through alternative means.

Legal challenge

Last year, the RBI directed Kochi-based Alternative Investments and Credits Ltd (AICL) to stop its non-interest NBFC business almost a decade after the firm was launched. This prompted an ongoing legal challenge by AICL.

"The grant of an NBFC licence should have an impact on the AICL proceedings and there are good chances that the matter may get settled soon," said Suprio Bose, Mumbai-based lawyer at Juris Corp, a law firm which previously represented AICL.

"The event reflects a significant and welcome change in RBI's attitude towards sharia-based NBFCs and sets a precedent for others to follow suit."

However, many analysts think that unless and until full-fledged Islamic banks are permitted in India, an Islamic finance sector will find it hard to develop.

"I don't think there is going to be a rush for NBFC applications. RBI's attitude towards the sharia-compliance concept is yet to be tested," said Shariq Nisar, director of research and operations at Mumbai-based Taqwaa Advisory and Shariah Investment Solutions.

Running a sharia-compliant financial institution under Indian regulations is still difficult and other firms are likely to stay on the sidelines pending the success of existing schemes before deciding to join in, he added.

Islamic equity and venture capital products have attracted little demand in India and NBFCs could face the same fate, said Mr Nisar.

"NBFC business overall has been declining over the years."

The RBI issued guidelines for NBFCs in June, cracking down on debt issuance by an industry that relies heavily on capital markets to fund its business but has faced less regulatory oversight than banks.

According to central bank data, credit extended to NBFCs increased by 1.9 per cent from a year earlier in June, compared with an increase of 43.9 per cent in June last year. There are over 12,000 registered NBFCs in India.

A handful of politicians have been lobbying for years to start Islamic banking in India, but they have met strong opposition from bureaucrats in the finance ministry and banking circles. Some politicians, especially from the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, say they fear Islamic banking could be used by militants and might strengthen the hold of clergy over India's Muslim community.

(Courtesy: NDTV Profit)
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Risalat Holding company to take active part in Euro-Asia Expo 2013 international trade fair

August 22, 2013, 10:03 pm
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IMO News Service

The Risalat Holding company led by Hizbula Asuyev, the Director of the "Risalat Kadry" held a meeting with the Organizing Committee of International Trade Fair EURO-ASIA EXPO 2013 on August 19. The meeting was also attended by Irshat Yunusov, Executive Director of Non-commercial partnership “National Association of Halal industry” (NP “NASIH”) and Marat Nizamov, Chairman of Halal Standardization Committee.

Opportunities and prospects of cooperation between Tatarstan and Dagestan in the field of Halal industry were discussed during the meeting.

Representatives of Risalat Holding are interested in Halal production promotion on the market of Tatarstan. They are going to take part in EUROASIA EXPO 2013 allowing them to present production and services from the Republic of Dagestan at Trade Fair and to find new sales markets.

Irshat Yunusov said that strengthening of relationships between Tatarstan and Dagestan in a segment of Halal is a priority task; in turn NASIH can act as the general platform for development of the bilateral relations in this field between two regions.

Tatarstan and Dagestan unite common interests, and first of all in development of Halal production, noted Marat Nizamov. The important direction of cooperation between regions is development of mechanisms of production and services certification.

The Organizing Committee of EURO-ASIA EXPO 2013 hopes that cooperation between Republics of Tatarstan and Dagestan will promote Halal industry development on Russian and international market.
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DC Designers launch campaign to honor Muslim Women professionals

August 22, 2013, 10:13 pm
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Zeena invites women to celebrate their achievements and faith

Washington: Zeena, one of the nation's leading clothing lines for Muslim women, announced today the launch of its online campaign, "Live Your Dreams," to honor the many positive contributions American Muslim women make to society across the country every day.

Hosted on Zeena's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zeena/), the campaign invites Muslim women professionals to share their stories and submit photos of themselves at work in their modest Zeena clothing. The aim of the campaign is to showcase diverse and empowered Muslim women who are succeeding in their careers while staying true to the values of their faith.

"The Zeena brand is built on the belief that women can be both fashionable and modest," said Amany Jondy, co-owner of Zeena. "We know there are many in society who still do not associate Muslim women with being successful, especially those who choose to wear the headscarf or modest clothing. The goal of this campaign is to challenge those stereotypes by inviting Muslim women to take part in a conversation that redefines what empowerment looks like."

Zeena will reward each of the top three most inspiring submissions with a $50 gift card to Zeena on Labor Day weekend. The winners will be announced in Washington, D.C., at the annual Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) convention — a convention that brings together tens of thousands of Muslims from around the nation and is considered to be one of the largest gatherings of Muslims in North America.

Since its launch in 2011, Zeena has also empowered many Muslim women to play sports and swim with their fashionable but modest sportswear and swimwear (see: www.simplyzeena.com).

Zeena, LLC is one of the leading U.S. fashion brands for Muslim women. Zeena makes demure clothing for women all over the world. The company's name means "natural beauty," and its exclusively designed clothing enhances the natural beauty that every woman possesses. Zeena's first line of elegant, modern designs launched in the spring of 2011, with new product launches every season since.

(Courtesy: DigitalJournal.com)
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Rise of Islamic Fundamentalism 'Major Concern' for Catholic Church

August 22, 2013, 10:24 pm
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By Melanie Batley and Kathleen Walter

The Catholic Church has become increasingly troubled by the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in the Middle East as evidenced from the violence in recent days perpetrated against Christians in Egypt, according to a leading Catholic source.

In an interview with Newsmax TV, Father James Mulford, publisher of Zenit News Agency, the largest Catholic news outlet in the world, said the violence has become "a major concern" for the church which has always tried to promote religious freedom and democratic values.

"It's a major concern and Pope Francis and the Catholic Church always has been in favor of religious freedom," said Mulford, who is based in Rome and recently followed the Pope on his World Youth Day trip to Brazil.

He made a point of highlighting recent comments by Catholic Coptic Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak, who said there were no real divisions between Christians and Muslims in Egypt, and summarized the position that the violence and destruction of churches is being carried out by "fanatical groups" based on a perception that they represent the West.

At the same time, he said, the Church does not seek to support any particular political regime or crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood, the group widely seen as instigating the violence against Egyptian Christians.

"The Catholic Church and I would say the Christians in general, they're not behind a regime. They'll never come out and say, we're in favor. They're in favor of freedom, they're in favor of democracy, they're in favor of human rights. That's what the church and the Christians are always going to speak out of. Not condemning one particular group or not backing another," he said.

In the wide-ranging interview, Mulford also reflected on the style of Pope Francis' 5-month reign so far, and his approach to a number of social issues.

"The people in the Vatican that I know, my friends that work there, they're saying that he has an open ear . . . That's one of the reasons he doesn't live in the Apostolic Palace like many of the popes before him," he said. "He has breakfast, lunch and dinner with hundreds of people and literally anyone can come up to him and have his ear and say something to him. He's very open to that."

He added that Francis had also been quite clear during his speeches at World Youth Day about encouraging young people to "shake things up" in the Church, to get active and to put pressure on Catholic leaders to become more responsive instead of "naval gazing."

"[It] was very clear in Rio de Janeiro with the young people, and he knew that there was an international audience listening to him, that let's clean up our own house, the things that we need to change, whatever's needed to change, but especially let's not forget that we were called to be witnesses to the world of Jesus Christ."

Mulford also said that while the media has compared Francis to a rock star because of the magnitude of enthusiasm he receives at public appearances, the label is inaccurate because he is less concerned about promoting himself and more interested in being a man of the people.

"The big difference is when you have a rock star, that person, whether it be a man or a woman, they're the center of attention. It's more to promote themselves, it's a self-promotion, whereas the pope went to Brazil not to promote his image, not to stand out and to be the center of attention," Mulford said. "On the contrary, he went there to visit the Brazilians and he said in many of his talks, he said, I came to visit you."

He added, "He's not a rock star and he doesn't pretend to be one."

Mulford also reflected on comments the pope made last month about not judging gay clergy, which became the subject of controversy as people questioned whether he was shifting the Church's position on homosexuality.

"He said we should live and judge people with compassion. There's no change in Catholic doctrine in that sense. The Catholic Church has always had an outreach for every category of human existence that you could imagine and the pope continued that," he said. "[The pope] said [in Rio], let's not forget that Christ was also compassionate and that we should be compassionate with everyone."

Regarding the recent opposition of American Catholic bishops to the Obama administration's contraceptive coverage mandate in Obamacare, Mulford said it was not the policy of the pope to weigh in on individual policies.

"It has never been the role of the Catholic Church throughout history to weigh in on individual laws or mandates unless you're talking about something that would be to promote communism or Marxism or something that would be to eradicate the basic democratic principles," he said.

"There are lawmakers, there are members of the church, whether they be clergy, whether they be bishops, cardinals, and also laypeople who are fighting that fight. It's not something that Pope Francis is going to intervene directly and give his personal opinion."

He added, "If you are a Christian, if you are a Catholic, if you're someone who upholds liberty, then become active. That is the message of Pope Francis."

(Courtesy: Newsmax)
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What is RSS?

August 22, 2013, 10:37 pm
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By Madhu Limaye

I entered in political life in 1937. I was quite young then but as I had passed my matriculation examination at a relatively early age, I also entered college quite early. Quite active in Pune in those days were the RSS and the Savarkarites (followers of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar) on the one hand and nationalist, socialist and leftist political organisations on the other. On May 1, 1937 we took out a march to observe May Day. The marchers were attacked by the RSS and Savarkarites when, among others, the well-known revolutionary Senapati Bapat and our socialist leader, SM Joshi, were injured. We have had serious differences with these Hindutva organisations ever since.

Our first difference with the RSS was over the issue of nationalism. We believed that every citizen had equal rights in the Indian nation. But the RSS and the Savarkarites came up with their notion of Hindu Rashtra. Mohammad Ali Jinnah too was a victim of a similar world view. He believed that India was made up of two nations, the Muslim nation and the Hindu nation. Savarkar too said the same thing.

The other major difference between us was that we dreamt of the birth of a democratic republic while the RSS claimed that democracy was a western concept that was not appropriate for India . In those days members of the RSS were full of praise for Adolf Hitler. Guruji (Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar) was not only the sarsanghchalak (head) of the RSS; he was its ideological guru as well.

There is amazing similarity between the thoughts of Guruji and the Nazis. One of Guruji’s books, we or Our Nationhood Defined, ran into several editions, its fourth edition having been published in 1947. At one point in the book, Guruji says, “The non-Hindu people in Hindustan must adopt the Hindu culture and language, must learn to respect and hold in reverence Hindu religion, must entertain no ideas but those of the glorification of the Hindu race and culture i.e. they must not only give up their attitude of intolerance and ungratefulness towards this land and its age-old traditions but must also cultivate the positive attitude of love and devotion instead – in a word, they must cease to be foreigners, or may stay in the country wholly subordinated to the Hindu nation, claiming nothing, deserving no privileges, far less any preferential treatment – not even citizen’s rights.”


In other words, Guruji wanted to see millions of Indians treated as non-citizens. He wanted all their citizenship rights taken away. Incidentally, these ideas of his were not newly formulated. From the time we were in college (in the mid-1930s), members of the RSS were inclined to follow Hitlerian ideals. In their view, Muslims and Christians in India deserved to be treated the same way that Hitler treated Jews in Germany .

The extent of Guruji’s sympathies for the views of the Nazi Party is evident from the following passage from ‘we or Our Nationhood Defined: “To keep up the purity of the race and its culture, Germany shocked the world by her purging the country of the Semitic races – the Jews. Race pride at its highest has been manifested here. Germany has also shown how well- nigh impossible it is for races and cultures having differences going to the root, to be assimilated into one united whole, a good lesson for us in Hindustan to learn and profit by” (We or Our Nationhood Defined, 1947, p. 42).

You might say that this is an old book, of a time when India was in the throes of the struggle for independence. But then there is his second book, Bunch of Thoughts. I cite below an example from this “popular publication” which was brought out in November 1966. In this book, while discussing India ’s internal security problem, Guruji identifies three internal dangers. One is Muslims, the second Christians and the third Communists. In Guruji’s view, every Indian Muslim, every Christian and every Communist is a danger to the nation’s security. Such is his ideology.

Our second major difference with Guruji and the RSS has to do with the caste question. They are supporters of the caste system while a socialist like me is its greatest enemy. I consider myself to be the biggest enemy of Brahmanism and the caste system. I am of the firm view that there can be no economic and social equality in India until the caste system and the inequalities based on it are demolished.

But Guruji says, “Another unique feature of our society was the varna vyavastha (caste system, the former occupation-based classification of society) which is today vilified as jati pratha (a rigid caste system).” He adds, “Society was conceived of in the image of an all-powerful god, of four aspects, who was to be worshipped by different people in their own ways as determined by their different capabilities. The Brahmin was considered great because he was the purveyor of knowledge. The Kshatriya was considered equally great because he destroyed the enemies. The Vaishya was no less important than others because through agriculture and commerce he fulfilled a social need. The Sudra too was important for he served society through his workmanship.” Here it is very shrewdly being asserted that through his workmanship the Sudra is fulfilling an important social need. But Chanakya’s Arthashastra, from which Guruji takes his inspiration, clearly states that it is the religious duty of the Sudras to serve the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas and the Vaishyas. In a clever subterfuge, Guruji replaces service of the upper castes with “service of society”.

The fourth issue on which we differ is that of language. We are in favour of promoting the languages of the people. All regional languages, after all, are indigenous. But what does Guruji have to say on this? Guruji says that for now Hindi should be made the common language for all while the ultimate objective should be to make Sanskrit the national language. He says in his Bunch of Thoughts, “For convenience, Hindi should be given primacy as our link language until such time as Sanskrit is adopted as our national language.” Thus Hindi is merely for convenience, the ultimate link language is to be Sanskrit.

We have had differences over this right from the start. Like Mahatma Gandhi and Lokmanya Tilak, we too have always been in favour of the regional languages. We do not wish to impose Hindi on anyone. We would like to see Tamil as the prevalent language in Tamil Nadu, Telugu in Andhra Pradesh, Marathi in Maharashtra and Bengali in West Bengal. If the non-Hindi speaking states wish to adopt English, it should be up to them. We have no differences with them on this. But Sanskrit is the language of a handful of people, the language of a particular caste. Making Sanskrit the national language means the supremacy of a handful of people over others, something we definitely do not want.

Fifth, the national movement for independence had accepted the idea of a federal state. In a confederation, the centre would definitely have certain powers on specific matters but all others would be a subject matter for the states. But following partition, in a bid to strengthen the centre, the Constitution stipulated a concurrent list. As per this list, several subjects were made concurrent, subjects over which both the centre and the states have equal jurisdiction. What was originally meant to be under the domain of different states was included in the concurrent list only to strengthen the centre. Thus the federal state came into existence.

But the RSS and its chief ideologue, Guru Golwalkar, have been consistently opposed to this basic constitutional provision. These people ridicule the very concept of ‘a union of states’ and maintain that this Constitution, which envisages a confederation of states, should be abolished. Guruji says in his Bunch of Thoughts,“The Constitution must be reviewed and the idea of a unitary state should be written into the new Constitution.” Guruji wants a unitary or, in other words, a centralised state. He says that this system of states should be done away with. What he wants is one nation, one state, one legislature and one executive. In other words, he wants to abolish state legislatures and state ministries. That means they wish to see the rule of the stick. If they were to capture power, they would doubtless bring into existence a centralised state.

Another issue was the tricolour, the flag chosen by the national movement. Hundreds of Indians sacrificed their lives, thousands bore the brunt of lathis for the honour and glory of our chosen national flag. But surprisingly, the RSS has never accepted the tricolour as the national flag. It always swore by the saffron flag, asserting that the saffron flag has been the flag of Hindu Rashtra since time immemorial.

Just as Guruji rejected the concept of a federal state, similarly, he had no faith in a democratic system. He was of the firm view that democracy is a concept imported from the West and the system of parliamentary democracy did not jell with Indian thought and Indian civilization. As for socialism, that for him was a totally alien idea. He repeatedly said that all isms, including socialism and democracy, were alien ideas which should be rejected, that Indian society should be founded on Indian culture. Speaking for ourselves, we believe in parliamentary democracy, in socialism, and we aspire to establish
socialism consistent with Gandhian principles in India through peaceful means.

While we were engaged in a struggle against the Congress party’s autocratic rule, our leader, Dr Rammanohar Lohia, was of the opinion that we should join hands with all opposition forces to save the nation and dislodge from power the Congress party which was responsible for our humiliation at the hands of the Chinese. I had lengthy discussions with Doctor Lohia on the issue. This debate went on for two years. I kept insisting throughout that we cannot have any alliance with the RSS and the Jan Sangh. Ultimately, Doctor Sahib asked me, “Do you accept my leadership or not?” I replied, “Yes, I do.” He said it wasn’t necessary for us to agree on every issue or for him to have to convince me on every issue. Let there be an issue or two on which we disagreed. And since he was only thinking of a political alliance to defeat a major enemy, I should cooperate with him, let his idea be given a “trial”. Perhaps he would be proven right, he said, perhaps I would. I remained convinced however that a clash between the RSS and the Lohiaite ideologies was inevitable.

It is a fact that we formed an alliance with these people (RSS and Jan Sangh) when Mrs. Indira Gandhi imposed the emergency, increasingly resorted to dictatorial methods, started promoting Sanjay Gandhi and the Maruti scandal surfaced. Lok Nayak Jaiprakashji believed that if the opposition did not unite under the banner of a single party it would be impossible to defeat Mrs. Gandhi and dictatorship. Choudhary Charan Singh was also of the view that we should come together and form a united party. While we were in jail, we were all asked to give our opinions on the need to form such a party and contest elections. I recall sending a message that in my view we must contest elections. Millions of people would participate in elections. Elections are a dynamic process. As the electoral tempo builds up, the shackles of emergency are bound to snap and people are bound to exercise their democratic right. Therefore, I stressed, we must participate in elections.

Since Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narain and other leaders were of the view that without coming together under the banner of one party we could not succeed, we (socialists) too gave it our consent. But I would like to stress that the understanding that was arrived at was between political parties – the Jan Sangh, the Socialist Party, the Congress (O), the Bharatiya Lok Dal (BLD) and some dissident Congress factions. We did not come to any arrangement with the RSS, nor did we accept any of its demands. What is more, through a letter by Manubhai Patel that was circulated among all of us in jail we learnt that on July 7, 1976 Choudhary Charan Singh had raised the issue of a possible clash of interests because of dual membership when members of the RSS also became members of the new party. In response, the then acting general secretary of the Jan Sangh, Om Prakash Tyagi had said that the proposed party should feel free to formulate whatever membership criteria it wanted. He even said that since the RSS, having faced many constraints had been dissolved anyway, the question of RSS membership did not arise.

Later, when the constitution of the proposed Janata Party was being drawn up, the subcommittee appointed to draft the constitution proposed that members of any organisation whose aims, policies and programmes were in conflict with the aims, policies and programmes of the Janata Party should not be given membership to the new party. Given the self-evident meaning of such a membership criterion, there was no question of anyone opposing it.
However, it is significant that the sole opposition to this came from Sunder Singh Bhandari (Jan Sangh). At a meeting convened in December 1976 to thrash out issues, reference was made to a letter written by Atal Bihari Vajpayee on behalf of the Jan Sangh and the RSS, stating that a section of leaders of the proposed party had agreed that the RSS issue could not be raised in connection with membership of the Janata Party. But several leaders told me that no such assurances were given because the RSS was nowhere in the picture at the time when the idea of a merger of opposition political parties was mooted. I want to clarify that I was in prison at the time and even if there was some secret understanding, I had no part in it.

I can categorically assert that the election manifesto of the Janata Party did not in any way reflect the concerns of the RSS. In fact, each point in the manifesto was clearly spelt out. Is it not a fact that the manifesto of the Janata Party spoke of a socialist society based on secular, democratic and Gandhian principles and in which there was no mention of Hindu Rashtra? The manifesto also assured the minorities equal citizenship rights and vowed to safeguard their rights. In contrast, Guruji wanted to deny equal citizenship rights to the minorities and wanted them to be subservient subjects in a Hindu Rashtra. The Janata Party was committed to decentralisation while Guruji was a hardcore proponent of centralisation. He wanted to abolish separate states, abolish state legislatures and ministries while the Janata Party emphasized the need for greater decentralisation. In other words, the Janata Party had no desire to snatch away the autonomy of states. The manifesto spoke of socialism, social justice and equality. Did the manifesto state that it upholds the caste system? Did it maintain that the Sudras’ duty was to devote their life in the service of others? On the contrary, the manifesto not only promised that the backward castes would have full opportunity to progress, it pledged special policies for them: 25-33 per cent reservation for them in government jobs.

Yes, it is true that members of the RSS did not genuinely accept the provisions of the party’s election manifesto. It was my contention and I had once even complained in writing to Kushabhau Thakre that during discussions you people (RSS, Jan Sangh) very readily agree on matters that you at heart totally disagree with. That is why your motives are suspect. I wrote this letter to him a long time ago and I have always had doubts about the RSS. I have had these doubts since Doctor Sahib’s time (Dr Rammanohar Lohia died in 1967). But despite this, the fact remains that to fight dictatorship we entered into a political alliance with them.

Since it was Lok Nayak Jaiprakashji’s desire that all parties should merge for a united opposition to dictatorship and since the party manifesto did not make any compromises, I consented to our coming together. At the same time, I would like to say that from the beginning I was very clear in my mind that to emerge as a unified and a credible body the Janata Party would have to do two things. One, the RSS would have to change its ideology and accept the ideal of a secular democratic state. Two, the various organisations that are part of the sangh parivar, such as the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and the Vidyarthi Parishad, would have to dissolve themselves and merge with the secular-minded trade union and student wings of the Janata Party. I was very clear about this from the beginning and as the Janata Party had given me the responsibility to manage the affairs of its trade union and student wings, it was my consistent attempt throughout to ensure that the Vidyarthi Parishad and the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh ended their separate existence.

But these people started insisting on their autonomy. In fact, these organisations always function on the dictates of Nagpur (RSS headquarters), they believe in the one leader principle. Take, for example, Guruji himself. Guruji maintained that they create a mind-set which is totally disciplined and where people accept whatever they tell them. This organisation operates on a single principle: one leader. They do not believe in democracy, they have no faith in discussions and debate. They have no economic policy. For example, in his ‘Bunch of Thoughts’, Guruji expressed unhappiness over the abolition of the zamindari system in India . Guruji was deeply saddened, deeply disturbed by the abolition of the zamindari system. But he felt no compassion for the poor.

I told members of the RSS that you must abandon your ideal of organising Hindus alone and find a place for people of all religions within your organisation, that you must merge your different class-based organisations with those of the Janata Party. They responded by saying that this could not be done so soon, that there were very many difficulties involved but they did want to change, bit by bit. They continued to give such evasive replies.

From their behaviour I concluded that they had no intention of changing. Especially after the assembly elections of June 1977, when they managed to gain power in four states and one union territory, after which they began to think that with this newly acquired clout they had no need to change. Now that they had already captured four states, they would gradually also gain control of other states and finally even the centre. The leaders of other political parties in the Janata Party were older leaders who would not live long; and they would ensure that no younger (non-RSS, non-Jan Sangh) leader emerged at the top.

As is evident from the pages of the Organiser and Panchjanya (RSS mouthpieces in English and Hindi), they have not spared a single Janata Party leader who is not from their parivar. I, of course, was their special favourite, the target of special attention. They probably devoted more column space to abusing me than they did even for Mrs. Indira Gandhi.

For a protracted period I persisted in dialogue with these people. I recall an occasion when Balasaheb Deoras (later RSS sarsanghchalak) visited me at my residence in Mumbai. Subsequently, I met him once again after the 1971 polls. I also had discussions with Madhavrao Mule once before the emergency. On the fourth occasion, I met Balasaheb Deoras and Madhavrao Mule together in May 1977. So no one can claim that I made no attempt to talk to them. But I finally reached the conclusion that they have closed minds in which no new idea can germinate.

On the contrary, the RSS specialises in casting young minds in a particular mould from a very young age. The first thing they do is ‘freeze’ the minds of children and of youth, making them impervious.

After this they are rendered incapable of responding to other ideas.

Still, I tried. On one occasion I convened a meeting of all trade union leaders. The representatives of all constituents of the Janata Party attended but the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh boycotted the meeting.

Not just that, they hurled abuses at me for no apparent reason. Similar efforts were made with the Vidyarthi Parishad and the Yuva Morcha but despite all attempts at a merger, they held aloof. This is only because of the RSS’ desire to function as a “super party”.

Their aim is not only to enter into every aspect of people’s life but also to control it. In an article written for The Indian Express around that time, George Fernandes used the example of Dattopant Thengdi to make the same point. Thengdi responded by saying that the RSS intended to have all of society under its sway, it would leave no aspect of a person’s life untouched, it would establish its hegemony in every department of life. Thengdi, of course, was saying nothing new. Similar views have been repeatedly asserted by Guruji in his We or Our Nationhood Defined, as also in Bunch of Thoughts. No totalitarian organisation allows any space for freedom, its tentacles reach everywhere: art, music, economy, culture. This is the essence of any fascist organisation.

The fact is that the RSS wanted to capture the Janata Party and through it to take control of the state apparatus. For this they simultaneously dangled the carrot of the prime minister’s chair before several Janata Party leaders. On the one hand, they went on assuring Morarji Desai to the end that he was their choice for prime minister. Every now and then they would promise Choudhary Charan Singh that they would support his claim to be prime minister. Concurrently, they kept giving similar assurances to Chandra Shekhar, Jagjivan Ram and George Fernandes. Not once did they dare to make me a similar offer. When I once jokingly mentioned this to Vajpayee, he quipped, “Why you, Nanaji (Deshmukh) has never made me such a promise either. They want neither you nor me as prime minister.” Anyway, they never made any such suggestion to me, knowing only too well that I would not deny others their due nor would I allow others to deny mine. Perhaps they think, you can’t fool this man so what’s the point of promising him anything – it will only make him (Limaye) even more cautious.

What these people (the RSS) do on the odd occasion is however of little importance. Has the RSS ever said that they have abandoned Guruji’s way of thinking? Only Atalji says that we should all accept the principles of composite nationalism, democracy, socialism, social justice, etc because we cannot move forward without them in today’s world. But Atalji is the only one who says this. I do not trust the other sanghis. These people pleaded for pardon while in prison, Balasaheb Deoras congratulated Indira Gandhi when the Supreme Court ruled in her favour in the Raj Narain case. So I have no faith in the utterances of these people. I am of the firm belief that I could only have trusted these people (erstwhile Jan Sangh leaders in the Janata Party) if they had ousted RSS leaders from the party, expelled them from the working committee, placed restrictions on RSS activities and, in particular, expelled people like Nanaji Deshmukh, Sunder Singh Bhandari and company from the party.

(Translated by Javed Anand.)

[May 1st (2012) marks the 35th anniversary of the foundation of the Janata Party and also the 90th birth anniversary of senior socialist leader, the late Madhu Limaye. The above piece, penned by Madhu Limaye soon after the split in the Janata Party, was published by the Hindi weekly, Ravivar, in 1979. Though dated, many of the issues he raises in the article are relevant even today.]

(Courtesy: IPSBU)
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Quran Burning: A proper response to an inflammatory act

August 22, 2013, 10:44 pm
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By Tariq A. Al-Maeena

Remember the contentious Pastor Terry Jones out of Florida, who rose to fame back in 2010 with his controversial declaration of burning a copy of the Qur’an, an act that was surely meant to inflame passions within Muslims the world over?

Well guess what? He is now planning something on a much bigger scale. On Sept. 11, 2013, the pastor and his disciples will carry out an “International Burning of 2,998 Qur’ans” to “send Islam a very clear warning.”

The 2,998 figure is meant to signify the number of people who died during the World Trade Center (WTC) attacks.

In a message he said: “On September 11, 2013, to remember those who were murdered by radical Islam, and to send Islam a very clear warning that they will not get their foothold in the American Constitution as they have done in Europe, we will be holding an International Burning. The radical hand of Islam shows itself with violence against anyone who dares to stand up and speak the truth. … We will not be silent.”

This time around an American and his associate have decided to counter the pastor’s intended inflammatory actions with a carefully executed response that smacks of ‘turning the other cheek.’

Mike Ghouse, a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work and social settings is spearheading a move to meet the pastor’s response head-on with a worthy response. Mike, who is zealous toward building a cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day is planning “to respond to Pastor Terry Jones' planned burning of 2,998 copies of Qur’an on September 11, 2013 in positive terms.”

In a press release, Mike and his associate Mirza Beg speaking for the organization (www.worldmuslimcongress.com) said: “Our response — we will reclaim the standard of behavior practiced by the Prophet concerning “scurrilous and hostile criticism of the Qur’an. It was "To overcome evil with good is good, and to resist evil by evil is evil." It is also strongly enjoined in the Qur’an in the same verse 41:34, “Good and evil deeds are not equal. Repel evil with what is better; then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend.”

“God willing Muslims will follow the divine guidance and pray for the restoration of Goodwill, and on that day many Muslim organizations will go on a “blood drive” to save lives and serve humanity with kindness.”

“We invite fellow Americans of all faiths, races, and ethnicities to join us to rededicate the pledge, “One nation under God”, and to build a cohesive America where no American has to live in apprehension, discomfort or fear of fellow Americans. This event is a substitute for our 10th Annual Unity Day Celebration (www.UnitydayUSA.com) held in Dallas, but now it will be at Mulberry, Florida.

“Unwittingly Pastor Jones has done us a favor by invigorating us by his decision to burn nearly 3,000 copies Qur’an on September 11, 2013. Obviously he is not satisfied by the notoriety he garnered by burning one Qur'an last year.

“As Muslims and citizens we honor the free speech guaranteed in our constitution. We have no intentions to criticize, condemn or oppose Pastor Terry Jones' freedom of expression. Instead, we will be donating blood and praying for goodness to permeate in our society.

“We plan to follow Jesus Christ (pbuh), a revered prophet in Islam as well as Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) — that of mitigating the conflicts and nurturing good will for the common good of the society.

“We hope, this event and the message will remind Muslims elsewhere in the world as well, that violence is not the way. Muslims, who react violently to senseless provocation, should realize that, violence causes more violence, and besmirches the name of the religion that we hold so dear. We believe that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was a mercy to the mankind, and we ought to practice what we believe and preach. We must not insult Islam by the negative reactions of a few.

“We can only hope it will bring about a change in the attitude of the followers of Pastor Jones, and in the behavior of those Muslims who reacted violently the last time the Pastor sought notoriety — We hope this small step towards a bridge to peaceful coexistence would propel us towards building a cohesive society.

“Like most Americans a majority of Muslims quietly go about their own business, but it is time to speak up and take positive action instead of negative reaction. May this message of peace and goodwill reverberate and reach many shores.

“Lastly, we appreciate the Citizens of Mulberry, Florida, Honorable Mayor George Hatch, City Commissioners, police and fire chiefs for handing this situation very well. This will add a ‘feather of peace’ in the city’s reputation. We hope Mulberry will be a catalyst in showing the way in handling conflict with dignity and peace.

“We thank the media for giving value to the work towards peace rather than conflict.”

Thank you for your commitment towards a peaceful solution, Mike. It is the media who should thank you for your commendable cause.

[Tariq Al-Maeenacan be reached at talmaeena@aol.com and followed @talmaeena]

(Courtesy: Saudi Gazette)
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Gujarat CM Narendra Modi comparing speech with Prime Minister's address on Independence Day sets dangerous political trend in India

August 22, 2013, 10:51 pm
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By Abdul Hafiz Lakhani

Ahmedabad: On 15th August, the day on which India was celebrating its 66th independence anniversary, saw an unseemly war of words unleashed by Narendra Modi who wants to become Prime Minister by hook or crook. He tried to defame India's current Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his speech. This is the for the first time in India that a Chief Minister of a state tried to compare his speech delivered on the same say with that of the country's Prime Minister thus setting a dangerous political trend in the country.

Where Manmohan Singh delivered his speech in a flat monotone, replete with soporific homilies, the Gujarat chief minister was all fire and brimstone. His was the kind of speech, full of rhetorical flourishes tugging at patriotic heart-strings, which would score high on the social network sites, which constitute a large part of his political base.

In contrast, the prime minister couldn't but have fared poorly among the excitable netizens because neither his dhobi list of official claims nor his unassertive body language can be deemed inspirational.

To be fair, his disadvantages have always been known. Not only is he a poor speaker who makes no eye contact with the audience but he is also burdened with a litany of governmental failures - inflation, economic slump and trouble on the border.

Evidently, it would have taken an exceptionally effective orator to be able to rise above these pitfalls and hold the audience in thrall. Otherwise, the reaction of the average person will be that promises such as that of feeding the underprivileged or eradicating corruption have been made before with little effect.

From this standpoint, Modi was on a stronger wicket. He could make promises without having to carry the burden of fulfilment. He may have also had a point in his claims on Gujarat, and these have been backed by his electoral successes. But the jury is still out on whether the Gujarat model of development and, even more, his authoritarian style of governance, are suitable for the whole country.

It is in this context that the prime minister's warning against the purveyors of sectarianism is relevant. If this comment was virtually the only occasion when Manmohan Singh deviated from outlining his government's "achievements" to make a political point, Modi's was almost entirely a political speech. It was suitable for an election rally, but not for an occasion to celebrate Independence Day.

His targets were predictable - the dynasty and the prime minister's supposed subservience to it - and chest-thumping jingoism, with Italy being roped in for criticism for killing "our fishermen" along with the customary sabre-rattling against Pakistan and China.

Surprisingly, there was an acknowledgement by Modi of the need for the prime minister to observe diplomatic niceties when referring to Pakistan. At the same time, he felt that Manmohan Singh's observations would not boost the morale of the Indian soldiers.

However, even if sections in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are pleased with a highly effective election speech, it is doubtful if everyone in the party will be amused by the way the chief minister continues to push himself forward as a prime ministerial candidate.

Modi's decision, therefore, to pit himself as a "shadow" PM, and call upon the country to compare his speech with the prime minister's, is clearly another attempt to force the BJP to nominate him. It doesn't take much foresight to see that if the chief minister can use such bulldozing tactics against his own party, no one can anticipate what he may do if he rises to a higher position.

It is worth noting that the BJP's "mentor" L.K. Advani has deflated Modi's prime ministerial pretensions by greeting Manmohan Singh on the day, and the Shiv Sena has said that the prime minister can be criticized for 364 days in a year, but not on Independence Day. It was a telling commentary on Modi that even the rabble-rousing Shiv Sena sounded more responsible than the BJP's poster boy.

This is one aspect which can make one see the supposed face-off between the prime minister and the chief minister in a different light. Where the former came through as a sober, if colourless, politician who admitted the existing difficulties by saying that the period of slow growth would not last, Modi was full of sly digs as at the claims of Congressmen that meals were available for the poor for Rs.5 or Rs.12 although these statements were subsequently withdrawn.

For once, however, Modi acknowledged the contributions of other chief ministers, including presumably those of the Congress, to Gujarat's development. Perhaps he was trying to nullify Advani's charge that a chief minister like Shivraj Singh Chauhan had better claims for praise since he had lifted an under-developed province like Madhya Pradesh to be among the top few of the developed states while Gujarat was already a front-runner when Modi came to power.

However, Modi's attempt to draw a distinction between what President Pranab Mukherjee said about Pakistan and Manmohan Singh's comments ignores the fact that the president does not express his personal views; he speaks for the government on policy issues. As such, his speech - on occasions such as Independence Day - is vetted by the cabinet. To claim, therefore, that the prime minister is "softer" in his attitude than the president is incorrect.

Apart from his supporters in the cyber world, therefore, it is doubtful if Modi greatly impressed large sections of the others.

Given the uncertain political future, neither Manmohan Singh nor Modi can be sure about being the next PM. While the former is hobbled by his administration's "ethical and governance deficits", as finance minister P. Chidambaram once said, Modi is yet to live down the spectre of the 2002 riots, as the latest US comment on the denial of visa to him shows. The face-off, therefore, was more theatre than reality.

[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]
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Home Ministry to provide legal assistance to jailed Muslim youth

August 22, 2013, 10:58 pm
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New Delhi: Amid demand for expeditious trial of terror cases involving Muslim youth, the Home Ministry is contemplating providing legal assistance to those jailed in connection with such cases.

The move comes after the Centre set up 39 special courts across the country to take up terror cases registered by National Investigation Agency (NIA), in which most of the accused were Muslims.

"There is a genuine concern that some of the jailed Muslim youth could be innocent. So, we are considering the option of providing legal assistance to them to get a fair trial," a senior Home Ministry official told PTI.

Early this year, Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan had expressed his concern to Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde over "wrong arrests" of Muslim youth in different parts of the country in terror-related cases.

Apprising the Home Minister the apprehensions expressed by various Muslim bodies that the "draconian" provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act can be misused against minorities, Khan had proposed setting up of special courts to ensure speedy trial of all terror cases.

Fully backing the Minority Affairs Minister's suggestion, Shinde wrote back to him saying, "You have my assurance that this will happen."

Proving legal assistance to incarcerated Muslim youth could be termed as UPA government's another step to allay the apprehensions of the minorities and also to provide fair justice, sources said.

(Courtesy: India Today)
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Muslim world leaders laud ‘OIC Educational Exchange Programme’

August 25, 2013, 11:57 am
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Islamabad: Leaders of the OIC Member States at 12th Islamic Summit Conference lauded the Educational Exchange Programme launched by the OIC General Secretariat which is enriching the education experience of students as well as faculty. During the conference held in Cairo in February, they have called upon all Member States to actively support and participate in this programme.

The ‘OIC Educational Exchange Programme: Solidarity through Academia in the Muslim World’ is drawing increasing interest and participation from Member States and their public and private sector universities, said a news release issued here. A significant number of students from the OIC Member States is currently benefiting from the higher education scholarships offered under the Programme by high ranking universities in various Member States and many more offers are in the pipeline.

The OIC Educational Exchange Programme is based on the recognition of the central role of knowledge, higher education, research and science and technology in the advancement of the Muslim world. Accordingly, the OIC Secretary General has particularly focused on the promotion of cooperation between the OIC countries in these fields.

The Educational Exchange Programme derives its inspiration from the OIC Ten Year Programme of Action which was adopted in Makkah in 2005. The Ten Year Programme of Action articulates a new strategic vision for the OIC and has served as a roadmap to reform and expand the activities and programmes of the organization to become more relevant to the contemporary challenges facing the Member States.

The Programme, which aims at developing greater cooperation and linkages in academia i.e. learning, teaching and research, deals with the post-graduate, masters, doctoral, research levels and include i exchange of students, faculty members and researchers for short durations (6-10 weeks) between interested institutions of higher education in the Member States. Various elements of the Programme include scholarships, faculty exchange, distance learning, research projects, and specialized courses meeting the specific requirements of Member States.

Further details about the Educational Exchange Programme and currently available higher education scholarships as well as opportunities for faculty exchange are available at the OIC website www.oic-oci.org. Member States should encourage their relevant institutions and media to widely publicize the opportunities available under the Programme for the benefit of their students, teaching staff and researchers.

Networking and linkages between educational and research institutions can yield tremendous benefits in terms of sharing of expertise and experience, pooling of resources and research collaboration. Eighteen universities from the OIC Member States are now included in the top 500 World University Rankings Supplement of the QS for 2012.

These universities can pair up with other universities in the OIC Member States for exchange of experience and expertise. The ongoing cooperation between the four OIC universities (IUT-Bangladesh, IIUM-Malaysia, IUIU-Uganda and lUN-Nigeria) can serve as a model for cooperation between other universities in the Islamic world.

Besides other form of cooperation, the OIC document entitled ‘Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): A Guide for Assessment and Quality Enhancement for Universities in the Islamic World’ can serve as a guide for universities for achieving academic excellence.

Besides enriching the educational experience of the students as well as faculty and encouraging exchange of knowledge and ideas among them, the Programme can play a positive role towards promoting solidarity and fostering understanding and tolerance, among the Member States. Hence the Programme incorporates Islamic solidarity both as a means as well as an end and directly contributes towards furthering one of the fundamental objectives of the OIC Charter.

(Courtesy: Pakistan Observer)
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World Islamic Retail Banking Conference set for 26-27 November in Dubai

August 25, 2013, 12:01 pm
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IMO News Service

The conference "brings forth the opportunity to grasp and brainstorm market trends and insights, in-depth dialogues from global and local practitioners and phenomenal networking opportunities with key policy makers, Islamic scholars, global Islamic retail bankers and business decision makers," said a media statement.

The 5th World Islamic Retail Banking Conference (26 - 27 November 2013, Shangri- La Hotel, Dubai - UAE), "brings forth the opportunity to grasp and brainstorm market trends and insights, in-depth dialogues from global and local practitioners and phenomenal networking opportunities with key policy makers, Islamic scholars, global Islamic retail bankers and business decision makers," said a media statement."ADCB Islamic Banking is the Strategic Partner for this conference, and through their knowledge sharing presentations will enlighten the audience about the Islamic banking practices adopted by them," the release continued.

"Akif.M.Shaikh, SVP - Head of Products & Segment Banking - Personal Banking Group at Al Hilal Bankwill enlighten the audience about the truth behind wealth management. Moments of Truth is a business model designed to fully understand the client experience, define its service proposition and increase its success in business development. It is based on the fundamental belief that a service business performance is based upon its countless interactions with its clients. It's an ideal tool for institutions which aim to deliver an exceptional affluent proposition. Al Hilal Bank is one of the Gold Sponsors for this conference.

"With the advancement of technology in banking proceeding, Islamic banking procedures are in dire need to adopt and adapt to technological methodologies. Ismail Ali, Director of Banking Marketing and Global Operations at ITS, will focus on Islamic banking trends, competitive landscape and technology as an enabler in his presentation entitled "Harnessing Technology to pave Islamic Banking Road". However with use and dependency on technology, challenges related to information technology are inevitable. TamÁs Erni, Managing Partner at LOXON Solutions Ltd, will address issues pertaining to IT Risks in his presentation. ITS and LOXON Solutions are also Gold Sponsors of WIRBC 2013.

"Presentation from Veripark Gulf, the Premium Silver Sponsor of this conference will be conducted by the Engagement Director, Gaith Halabi. Halabi, in his presentation titled The Innovative Direct Selling for Banking (VeriTouch DSA), will elaborate on its new technique which determines fast capture of customer information of the customer, check eligibility and provide the best terms using products calculator.

According to Moinuddin Malim, Chief Executive Officer at Mashreq Al Islami - "The future of Islamic retail banking will be driven by service quality, turnaround time and simplified documentation as price and service charges will no longer be the only factor. " Mashreq Al Islami is the Silver Sponsor of this conference that will also witness knowledge-sharing presentation from Tooran Asif - Head of Personal Banking at Mashreq.

"Adastra Business Consulting (Bronze Sponsor), is a boutique consultancy which focuses on business model optimization especially in the fields of risk management, sales and marketing for banks, consumer finance, telco operators and insurance companies. Jiri Zivnustka, Partner of the company will address the audience elaborating on the need of developing customized operating models in Islamic banking environment.

"This forum will witness presenters and industry experts from Al Baraka Banking Group, Standard Chartered Saadiq Berhad, Mashreq Al Islami, Noor Islamic Bank, Dubai Islamic Bank, Islamic Bank of Britain, Meezan Bank Ltd., Syarikat Takaful Malaysia Berhad, Bursa Malaysia, Bahrain Islamic Bank BSC, Sohar Islamic - Bank Sohar, Bank Nizwa, Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam, Islamic International Arab Bank, Islamic Banking, Bank Alfalah Limited and many more," the release concluded.
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Islamic Banks could be the answer to America's over-reliance on Credit and Risk

August 25, 2013, 12:11 pm
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By Christopher Harress

If second quarter results are anything to go by, America’s banks are recovering nicely. Most made respectable gains and have improved investor and public confidence in America. However, many people who advocate for changes in the banking system feel that just recovering from the financial crisis is simply not enough, and that serious changes must be made to avoid future banking meltdowns.

Put simply, the Great Recession was caused in part by banks that advanced credit to people who could not actually afford the repayments on their homes, which led to a housing bubble that eventually burst. Beneath the surface, the problems were toxic mortgages; financial firms acting recklessly and taking on too much risk; and a mix of excessive borrowing and risk by households and Wall Street that put the financial system on a collision course with concurrent systemic breaches in accountability and ethics at all levels, according to a report by the Federal Reserve.

However, nearly five years later, banks are still paying huge fines, and they are still subject to criminal and civil investigations from government agencies, so it’s hard to see what has actually changed in America’s banking system.

But don’t worry, there is an alternative.

Islamic banking is a growing option in America as various Islamic banks pop up across the country to service those who wish to preserve Shari’aa law or those who just want to use an Islamic bank. They welcome all customers, and there are some very interesting features that could make you consider turning to an Islamic institution before you take out that next loan.

The underlying principles of Islamic banking are fairness and shared responsibility. Traditional banks will lend you money if you’re creditworthy, with little concern about the actual thing in which you intend to invest. A house, for example, can either be a successful or unsuccessful investment, but when it loses value, you still owe the bank the same amount of money you borrowed in the first place, plus interest. Islamic banks, on the other hand, have more stringent rules and won’t help you invest in something they don’t consider affordable or a good investment for them. And that’s the key to these banks: the risk is shared.

This culture of shared responsibility and willingness to change the banking world for good has been a goal of Dr. Yahia Abdul-Rahman’s for 45 years.

Abdul-Rahman is currently the CEO of LARIBA, an Islamic-centric financial institution that offers interest-free banking, or as he calls it, RF banking, meaning Riba Finance or responsible finance.

For Lariba, every transaction is an investment that uses the lease-to-purchase model.

“We get the address of the house and ask for three live-market document estimates of how much would this house rent for if you were buying it as an investment, and the customer's finance officer does the same,” Abdul-Rahman said. “Then we use a proprietary model to calculate the rate of return on the investment using the rent estimates. If the rate of return on investment is higher than what the shareholders and investors of the house are expecting, then this makes it a very good investment, and we tell our customer that they’ve found a home that makes economic sense and we are going to invest with them and we’re going finance it.”

However, if the financial models show that the borrower is making a bad investment, the bank will tell them that it’s a bad economic decision and it will not invest with them.

The beauty of the model, says Abdul-Rahman, is that the bank will share the responsibility in the event of losses, so the borrower is not burdened with all of the bad debt if the house should lose value. For example, if you own 50 percent of a house valued at $100,000 and the bank owns the other 50 percent, but then suddenly the house loses 20 percent of its value, you will both lose $10,000 on your investment rather than you losing $20,000 and still owing the bank the original loan and interest. However, the strict rules in place and financial models mean that the bank rarely makes bad investments. The idea for the consumer is that they will slowly buy their house from the bank over an agreed-upon period of time at an agreed-upon price without paying any interest. On the downside for the borrower, however, is that the banks get a share of the profit, based, again, on the rentable value of the house before the borrower sells it.

If you’re in the housing business to make maximum profit and you’ve spotted what you think is a bargain, then this model may not be for you, but if you’re like the millions of people who lost money in the housing crash, this may be a much better and less risky model to consider that can get you on the property market with just a 5 percent deposit.

In addition, the bank will not be on your deed for the house, so if a worst-case-scenario happens to the bank, which seems to happen a lot to small banks in America these days, you don’t need to concern yourself or worry about what’s going to happen to the banks' partial ownership of your house. It's still your house and no one can force you to sell it.

The underlying message is that the borrower is in a partnership with the bank, so there are no hidden fees, and the consumer can buy the bank's share of their home at any moment without any penalty fees.

Abdul-Rahman came to the United States from Cairo, Egypt, in 1968 with $17 in his pocket, a fitting start to life in America for someone who likens himself to the protagonist of "It’s a Wonderful Life," which tells the story of a banker with a good heart who always tries to do the right thing for the community.

Abdul-Rahman started Lariba in 1987 but quickly expanded and bought the Bank of Whittier in California in 1998, which was, and remains, a small bank that only has two branches. It has been run with what Abdul-Rahman calls the American RF, which he says allows people to go out and participate in the "American dream" without over-indulging and renting money by paying interest through the abuse of  "charge cards" -- credit cards and loans.

This approach has largely worked for Whittier and Lariba. As dozens of small banks failed during the financial crisis, Whittier spotted it early. In 2006, he began advising its underwriters to be extremely cautious and tight in its standards.

Islamic bank also offer Islamic bank accounts.

“We look at every demand account or checking account as a trust around our neck," Abdul-Rahman said. "We cannot use it in lending, it’s a trust. That’s why you’ll find 15 to 20 percent of our cash in the Federal Reserve, because these funds are entrusted in our hands by the checking account holders."

(Courtesy: International Business Times)
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Ethica launches Master Class series to teach AAOIFI's Islamic Finance standards

August 25, 2013, 12:16 pm
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Ethica Institute of Islamic Finance in Dubai, the certification and career advancement institute, announces the launch of an online master class series to teach AAOIFI's Islamic finance standards. The series is limited to only 30 seats.

IMO News Service

Dubai: Ethica Institute of Islamic Finance in Dubai, the certification and career advancement institute, announces the launch of a new online master class series to teach AAOIFI's Islamic finance standards. The highly exclusive launch is limited to only 30 seats. AAOIFI is the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions and the de facto standard in 90% of the world's Islamic finance jurisdictions.

Ethica's spokesperson said, "Professionals want practical knowledge, not theory. Learning AAOIFI standards from a practitioner who has years of experience of actually working inside an Islamic financial institution gives one an immense advantage over untrained and uncertified peers. Competition for the fewer jobs available in the current Islamic finance market means that we are seeing more professionals turn to institutes for practical knowledge, certification, and career advancement." The Dubai-based institute's clients include large institutions like Mashreq Bank which trained 1,000 employees using Ethica, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, and La Trobe University.

Only 30 individuals will be permitted to enter into the launch of this highly exclusive master class series. "We want online attendees to have a highly interactive relationship with the trainer. Spots are limited to only 30. We begin with the essential standards and work our way through to ancillary topics." Ethica's online CIFE, or Certified Islamic Finance Executive, program covers the core Islamic finance products in less than 4 months while the Ethica master class series on AAOIFI is an ongoing program which goes into greater detail for those who want to go beyond the basics. Space is limited to only 30 spots for this master class on a first-come, first-served basis. Reserve your spot by sending an email to masterclass@ethicainstitute.com.

For details, Contact:

Ethica Institute of Islamic Finance
Sameer Hasan
info@ethicainstitute.com
9714 455 8690
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From Muslims in America, a novel protest against Quran burning

August 25, 2013, 12:21 pm
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Washington: In an effort to overturn the image of Muslims as fire-breathing, sword-slashing conquerors and avengers, a Muslim group in America will resort to a pacific response to the provocative burning of the Quran by a fundamentalist Christian evangelist.

Pastor Terry Jones, the notorious Christian extremist who riled Muslims across the world with his inflammatory burning of the quran in 2011, has upped the ante by threatening to burn 3000 copies of the Quran on September 11, the anniversary of the terrorist attack on America that killed nearly 3,000 people. But instead of getting provoked, the so-called " World Muslim Congress" in the US said it will "reclaim the standard of behavior practiced by the prophet concerning scurrilous and hostile criticism of the Quran."

It cited a quranic verse that says, "To overcome evil with good is good, and to resist evil by evil is evil," and said it is also strongly enjoined in the Quran in the same verse 41:34 that "Good and evil deeds are not equal. Repel evil with what is better; then you will see that one who was once your enemy has become your dearest friend."

The Texas-based outfit said many Muslim organizations across America will go on a "blood drive" to save lives and serve humanity with kindness on the same day pastor Jones has said he will burn the copes of the Quran.

"As Muslims and citizens we honor the free speech guaranteed in our constitution. We have no intentions to criticize, condemn or oppose pastor Terry Jones' freedom of expression. Instead, we will be donating blood and praying for goodness to permeate in our society," said Mike Ghouse, an Indian-American Muslim community leader who has been promoting inter-faith harmony in the US for several years.

Ghouse said the organization hoped that the blood drive event and the message will remind Muslims elsewhere in the world that violence is not the way. "Muslims, who react violently to senseless provocation, should realize that, violence causes more violence, and besmirches the name of the religion that we hold so dear. We believe that Prophet Muhammad was a mercy to the mankind, and we ought to practice what we believe and preach. We must not insult Islam by the negative reactions of a few," a statement from the organization said.

Jones's Quran burning capers have caused universal revulsion, including in the United States, and also led to sporadic episodes of reactive violence in some countries. US government officials, from the federal, state, and local levels, have repeatedly condemned his antics.

"It's regrettable that a pastor in Gainesville, Florida with a church of no more than fifty people can make this outrageous and distressful, disgraceful plan and get, you know, the world's attention," former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said when Jones first announced his provocative move in 2010.

But Jones has kept at it despite universal condemnation, including promoting a movie called the "Innocence of Muslims" that vilified Islam and conjuring up September 11 as "International Judge Muhammed Day." Although dismissed as a wingnut in the US, he still gets enough attention to rile up some Islamic extremists.

(Courtesy: The Times of India)
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Muslim American group plans provocation on 9/11

August 25, 2013, 12:26 pm
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A Muslim group in the U.S. caused a media firestorm after announcing it plans to hold a mass protest march on September 11.

By Elad Benari

The 12th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks is coming up, and a Muslim group in the United States caused an uproar over the weekend when it announced a “million man march” to take place on the anniversary of the horrible attacks.

The American Muslim Political Action Committee caused a media firestorm in the United States over the weekend after announcing it plans to hold a mass protest march in Washington D.C. on September 11, reported the Israel Hayom daily.

In a statement posted on its website, the group said it is planning to stage a "million-Muslim march" on the 12th anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on American soil, adding it is demanding that Muslim-Americans' "civil rights be protected by our government" and that "laws be enacted to protect [their] First Amendment [rights]."

The group further urged President Barack Obama to "fulfill his promise from his first campaign for presidency of a transparent government” and is “asking for the release of the 9/11 commission report to the American people," reported Israel Hayom.

"We American Muslims reject violence and terrorism, and defend the constitutional rights of all Americans. Every year on September 11, beginning in 2013, we will be marching in Washington, D.C., as we build toward our goal of bringing one million American Muslims to march in our nation’s capital," the statement declared.

"On 9.11.01 our country was forever changed by the horrific events in New York. The entire country was victimized by the acts done on that day. Muslim and non-Muslim alike were traumatized, but we as Muslims continue 12 years later to be victimized by being made the villains. To this day every media outlet and anti-Islamic organization has committed slanderous and libel statements against us as Muslims and our religion of Islam. Yet our government either sits idly by and does nothing to protect our freedoms, or it exacerbates the problem with its constant war on terrorism in Islamic countries, congressional hearings on Islam in America, and its changes to the NDAA [National Defense Authorization Act] law," the statement by the group claims.

"It is time for Muslim and non-Muslim Americans to join together to defend our Constitution," the group said.

The protest will condemn "FBI traps" and the "illegal tapping and surveilling of Muslim Americans," as well as "media propaganda making the word terrorist synonymous with Muslim," Isa Hodge, one of the march's organizers told U.S. News and World Report.

The harsh criticism leveled at the organization following its decision to hold the march on 9/11 initially prompted it to changed the event's name to "Million American March against Fear," Fox News reported, but the name did little to gain much traction and the group had apparently reverted back to its original title.

Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, president of the Islamic Forum for Democracy, was quoted by Fox News as saying that the American Muslim Political Action Committee was a "problematic group … trying to exploit 9/11. They're basically a bunch of 'truthers' who think that America is to blame for everything."

The Anti-Defamation League, Jasser said, has identified some of the leaders of the march as "being virulent anti-Semites who think 9/11 was a conspiracy theory."

According to Russian news network RT, the group hopes to repeat the success of the 1995 Million Man March, in which an estimated 1.5-2 million protesters stood up for African-American civil rights to "convey to the world a vastly different picture of the black male."

Last year on September 11, the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, took place. Christopher Stephens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans were killed in that attack.

The United States Justice Department recently filed sealed criminal charges against a number of suspects in the attack in Benghazi.

One of those charged is Ahmed Abu Khattalah, founder of Libya's Islamist militia Ansar al-Sharia.

Abu Khattalah was seen at the compound when it was overrun, according to intelligence officials. In interviews with reporters, Abu Khattalah has admitted being at the scene but denied involvement in the attack.

Meanwhile, a U.S.-born jihadi and Al Qaeda spokesperson has called on Muslims to attack U.S. diplomats, and appealed to wealthy Al Qaeda sympathizers to provide financial incentives for such attacks.

Adam Gadahn, who is himself the subject of a $1 million bounty by the U.S. government and believed to be hiding in Pakistan, made the call in a 39-minute recording posted on an Islamist forum, and translated by the SITE counter-terrorism monitoring group.

(Courtesy: Arutz Sheva 7)
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Palestinian Islamic Bank pioneers sign-language banking

August 25, 2013, 12:32 pm
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By Hana Salah

Since the Gaza Strip branch of the Palestine Islamic Bank launched a service in June to provide direct transactions via sign language, it has become easier for people with special needs to bank without a mediator.

Amina Ziyara, who suffers from a hearing impairment and works at the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children, previously had to have a friend interpret for her at the bank whenever she wanted to withdraw or deposit money, or even to receive her monthly salary. This situation has changed, however. The Palestine Islamic Bank now offers a service for people with special needs and has trained its staff to use sign language in their direct dealings with the disabled without needing a mediator to interpret for them.

In the same context, Amina expressed her gratitude for the service that will enable her to directly deal with the bank's employees.

A Palestinian first

The direct sign language banking service launched by the Palestine Islamic Bank is the first of its kind in the Palestinian territories, according to bank officials.

Aziz Hammad, manager of the bank’s Gaza branch, told Al-Monitor, “We have trained more than 50 of the bank's employees on the use of sign language, and all our branches in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip can now operate in it.”

“This service will make it easier for people with disabilities to deal with the banks, giving them access to the operations carried out by ordinary people.” He explained that people with disabilities will be able to withdraw loans and make internal and external transfers upon their direct request.

In addition to this service, the bank issued a CD that translates banking terms into sign language in a bid to increase banking awareness among the disabled. The bank intends to launch a new service for people with visual disabilities right after Eid al-Fitr.

With this new service, blind people will deal with Braille printers that allow them to deposit and withdraw money and open accounts.

Astounding statistics

Ihab al-Madhoun, a sign language interpreter at Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children, told Al-Monitor, “Many deaf people have expressed their happiness that sign language services have been adopted by the banks,” adding, “We support and welcome the idea that goes hand in hand with our goal of deploying sign language in all public and private facilities of the community.”

Madhoun is also in charge of spreading knowledge of sign language among Gaza Strip associations. He added that about 50% of the society’s staff deal with various Palestinian banks. The Palestine Islamic Bank, however, was the only bank to adopt the service.

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the number of disabled people in the Palestinian territories totaled about 113,000 in 2011. In the Gaza Strip, this amounted to 39,877 individuals, which is 2.6% of the population, 21,000 males and 18,000 females, according to the census of disabled people in the Gaza Strip in 2012.

The number of people with special needs aged 18 and above is 27,750, while the number of individuals under 18 with disabilities amounted to about 12,096 in the Gaza Strip. People with special needs in the Gaza Strip are divided into five major types: visual, physical, hearing, memory and concentration, and slow learning.

Calls to expand service

The director general of the General Union of People With Disability in the Gaza Strip, Awni Matar, stressed to Al-Monitor the need to expand the application of the service in all Palestinian banks operating in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

“Using this language in banks is a sign of progress, but the fact remains that people with disabilities carry out financial transactions outside of banks as well. Thus, there is a need for more efforts to deploy sign language in Palestinian society,” he said.

Matar noted that the proportion of disabled people to the total population in Palestine is the highest across the Middle East, if not the world, amounting to 7% of the total population. This is due to repeat Israeli attacks against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, as well as genetic factors caused by the high proportion of marriages within the same family, Matar added.

Spreading the idea

Khaled al-Bohaisi, an economic researcher and professor of banking studies at the Islamic University of Gaza, expects other Palestinian banks to make haste in introducing this service based on the principle of competition.

“Banking is a competitive market in which banks rush to offer better services to all segments of the society,” he told Al-Monitor, pointing out that there are no provisions that deal with the transactions of people with special needs in the Banking Act related to the founding conditions of the Palestinian Monetary Authority (PMA).

But officials in the Palestinian Islamic Bank clarified that the bank is equipped to receive people with special needs, according to the licensing terms for banks set out by the PMA. Al-Monitor tried to reach the PMA concerning its role in facilitating banking operations for people with special needs and the possibility of applying the service in other banks, but its staff refrained from commenting on the subject.

It should be noted that the PMA takes on the role of the central bank by protecting the banking business. It does not, however, practice the power of using monetary and fiscal policies, as per the Paris Protocol, which is an economic supplement to the Oslo Agreement.

[Hana Salahis a Palestinian financial journalist based in Gaza, and has previously worked with Palestinian newspapers and Turkey's Anadolu News Agency.]

(Courtesy: Al-Monitor)
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Hispanic Muslims: Why are Catholic Hispanic Americans converting to Islam?

August 25, 2013, 12:38 pm
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By Susmita Baral

Islam is most commonly associated with the Middle East and the Arab world, but the simple truth is that 85 percent of the world's Muslims are non-Arab. Current estimates suggest that one-fourth of the world's population is Muslim (roughly 2.6 billion). When looking at the countries with the largest Muslim populations, most are from the Eastern World: Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Nigeria, Ian, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, China, Syria and Russia. But the prevalence of Islam doesn't just lie in the Eastern world, as new reports are suggesting that Hispanics are converting to Islam.

The Hispanic community is one that has strong roots in Catholicism, but yet BBC reports that the U.S. Census finds that Latino Muslims number between 100,000 and 200,000. BBC reporter Katy Watson spoke with Yousef, a half Colombian and half Ecuadorian. "I was very, I guess ignorant," said Yousef. "And I think what I saw enraged me -- I saw people falling from the towers. In the end, I hated Muslims. My hatred was diminished, it was extinguished really, my learning about Islam. My project I was given to learn about Islam in college. And once I did that, I made the decision to come to the faith."

In fact, in Union City in New Jersey, where more than 80 percent of the population is Hispanic, mosques and Islamic religious centers are popping up. One local mosque has a 30 percent Latino population and classes are held in Spanish to help converts learn more about the Qur'an. "We are a minority within a minority, growing very rapidly," says Nahila, a Mexican convert who works at an outreach center. "I think they're looking for that niche." Nahila goes on to explain that the hardest part of converting for a Latino is the feeling that they are leaving their family.

CNN reports that a 2011 survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 2.75 million Muslims live in the United States and in 2008, four percent of America's Muslims identified themselves as Latinos. The vast majority of the Latino Muslim community were found in major cities, such as Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago and the Bronx. As for why Latinos are converting, the reasons are across the board ranging from marrying into the faith, disatisfaction in their birth faith, exposure to the religion during prison or attending interfaith events. One common factor found; however, is that most of the converts switch faiths in adulthood. 

(Courtesy: Latin Times)
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Innovative Pakistani mosque takes on sectarianism

August 25, 2013, 12:45 pm
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By Sebastian Abbot and Zarar Khan

Islamabad: In a country where sectarian violence is spiking, Zahid Iqbal is playing an innovative role in trying to bring peace to Pakistan's competing Islamic sects by simply not taking sides.

His mosque in the capital Islamabad markets itself as "sect free" and is open to everyone. Despite pressure, Iqbal has refused to follow convention and define the mosque as Sunni, Shiite or any of the other subgroups that divide Islam, sometimes violently.

"We don't belong with any sect of Islam," said Iqbal, a real estate businessman in his 30s who also serves as the mosque's president. "We only belong to Islam."

Much of the sectarian violence that Pakistan has experienced in recent years has been attacks by radical Sunni militants on minority Shiites they consider heretics. There were 77 such attacks between January 2012 and June 2013 that killed 635 Shiites and wounded 834 others, according to a recent report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

The schism between the Sunni and Shiite Muslims traces back to the early days of Islam and arguments over successors to Prophet Muhammad. But over time, the divide between the Sunni, which represent about 85 percent of the world's Muslims, and Shiite has taken an increasingly bloody turn across Pakistan and the greater Middle East.

There has also been occasional conflict between different strains of Sunni Islam in Pakistan, such as Wahabbi, Barelvi and Deobandi.

Iqbal said he thought the conflict between Islamic sects was based on ignorance and invited everyone to come to his mosque, including Christians and Jews, to learn "the reality of Islam." A large sign on the side of his mosque says it is "open to all Muslims irrespective of their sect."

The businessman collected nearly $300,000 to build his mosque, which first opened in 2010 but is still a work in progress. There are piles of red bricks and cinderblocks in the courtyard, and wooden polls hold up a shaky looking brick archway that marks the mosque's entrance.

Iqbal said he had difficulty registering the mosque with the government because authorities told him it must be affiliated with a specific Islamic sect. Amir Ali Ahmed, who heads the department that registers mosques in Islamabad, said there was no such requirement. However, he suggested a low-level employee could have pushed the issue since it's relatively unusual for a mosque not to identify itself with a sect.

"We would encourage someone to say they aren't attached to any sect," Ahmed said.

Iqbal said he also encountered difficulty when a rival imam and his students seized the property before the mosque was built, a common problem in a country where land is often taken by force. He managed to resolve the conflict by calling the housing society that donated him the property.

The businessman has faced persistent pressure from rival religious leaders to link the mosque to their sect, but always has refused, he said.

"I'm not afraid of them," Iqbal said. "I believe my life is in God's hands, not in the hands of others."

There are at least three other mosques in Islamabad that aren't affiliated with a specific sect, Iqbal said. But he touted his facility in Islamabad's Sector E-11 as the only full-fledged Islamic center that also included a separate section for women and a library filled with books about various religions. Some of the more surprising titles included "Angels, Jinns and Satans" and "Sanctity of Circumcision in Bible."

More than 200 men and young boys filed into the mosque on Friday for prayers, lining up on rugs under whirling ceiling fans that sought to beat back the oppressive heat and humidity.

The imam, Mohammed Yasin Rashid, delivered his weekly sermon over a microphone headset that looked like something a call center employee would use. Rashid spoke of the importance of religious harmony.

"The best people are those who promote harmony and treat people well despite their affiliation," Rashid said.

But he did take a dig at Christians and Jews, saying they became cursed when they started worshipping prophets instead of a single God.

Most of the worshippers who attended the service said they come to the mosque because it is close to their home, not because of its sect-free stance. But they tended to support the message, saying Pakistan needed less conflict between the different sects.
"There are a few fundamentalists who brainwash the people," said Aftab Malik, a surgeon who was building a home nearby. "We do not believe in sects. Sunnis and Shiites are all one because they both believe in one God."

(Courtesy: Times-Standard)
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