The Rise of the Mullahs in the US … And Indonesia

The Rise of the Mullahs in the US … And Indonesia

by Julia Suryakusuma

Columnist Julia Suryakusuma expresses her thoughts in these words, “He also claims that babies conceived as a result of rape are “a gift from God” and wouldn’t allow his daughter to have an abortion if she was raped. He says he’s against abortion because he believes in the sanctity of life — but, like most true-blue conservatives, he also supports capital punishment. Go figure.

For Santorum, contraception is also a sin because it’s a “license to do things in a sexual realm that are counter to how things are supposed to be.” Supposed to be … according to whom? Go figure again.

On gay marriage, he says, “In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever … included homosexuality… It’s not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever ...” Hello? Man on dog? He’s equating homosexuality with bestiality? I see...

http://newageislam.com/current-affairs/julia-suryakusuma/the-rise-of-the-mullahs-in-the-us-%E2%80%A6-and-indonesia/d/6802

Sindh and Balochistan: Self-inflicted Wounds

Sindh and Balochistan: Self-inflicted Wounds

by Shahzad Raza

Columnist Shahzad Raza writes, “Because of blood that was spilled 1400 years ago, the history of Islam is marred with the killing of thousands of Muslims over sectarian differences.

Sectarianism in Pakistan is a dynamic phenomenon, and it always finds new battlegrounds, new recruits and new targets. The spectre now haunts urban Sindh and Balochistan.

Starving Iran Will Not Free It

Starving Iran Will Not Free It

by Hooman Majd

Columnist Hooman Majd goes in to history and shows the way of bringing Iran to its feet by making it starve for the necessities of life. He writes, ‘There's an old saying, attributed to the British Foreign Office in colonial days: "Keep the Persians hungry, and the Arabs fat." For the British -- then the stewards of Persian destiny -- that was the formula for maintaining calm; it still is for Saudi Arabian leaders, who simply distribute large amounts of cash to their citizens at the first sign of unrest at their doorstep.

But in the case of Iran, neither America nor Britain seems to be observing the old dictum. Keeping the Persians hungry was a guarantee that they wouldn't rise up against their masters. Today, the fervent wish of the West appears to be that they do exactly that. Except that the West is doing everything in its power to keep the Iranians hungry -- even hungrier than they might ordinarily be under the corrupt and incompetent administration of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.”

http://newageislam.com/default.aspx?ID=&Page=4

How to Fund an American Police State: Real Money for an Imaginary War

How to Fund an American Police State: Real Money for an Imaginary War

by Stephan Salisbury

Columnist Stephan Salisbury proves how US is making real money for an imaginary war against terror. He writes, “The ubiquitous fantasy of “homeland security,” pushed hard by the federal government in the wake of 9/11, has been widely embraced by the public. It has also excited intense weapons- and techno-envy among police departments and municipalities vying for the latest in armor and spy equipment.

In such a world, deadly gadgetry is just a grant request away, so why shouldn’t the 14,000 at-risk souls in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, have a closed-circuit-digital-camera-and-monitor system (cost: $180,000, courtesy of the Homeland Security Department) identical to the one up and running in New York’s Times Square?

So much money has gone into armoring and arming local law-enforcement since 9/11 that the federal government could have rebuilt post-Katrina New Orleans five times over and had enough money left in the kitty to provide job training and housing for every one of the record 41,000-plus homeless people in New York City. It could have added in the growing population of 15,000 homeless in Philadelphia, my hometown, and still have had money to spare. Add disintegrating Detroit, Newark, and Camden to the list. Throw in some crumbling bridges and roads, too.”

Pakistan: What Law and Whose Rule?

Pakistan: What Law and Whose Rule?

by Iqbal Jafar

Columnist Iqbal Jafar describes the lawlessness prevailed in Pakistan. No one is listening to anyone there hence there is no rule whatsoever. He writes, “A QUESTION has been waiting to be asked for a long time, but hasn’t yet been formulated. Let me try: why do our collective thought processes work in such devious ways that twisted logic, perverse defence of patently criminal acts and misplaced sympathy for the guilty, find easy accommodation in our legal and moral universe?

This is not an idle question in a society where vocal support for, or partisan silence over, suicide bombing, faith-based murder, massive corruption, open defiance of the law, or even making fun of the superior courts is not uncommon.

Two factors could be at the root of this moral and legal disorder. First, the lingering colonial mindset where defiance of the laws of the state is not only permissible but even laudable, and free of social stigma Second, the different laws, values and practices of pre-Muslim, Muslim, and of the modern origin, that have coalesced into a mishmash of hybrid morality.”

The Challenges Facing Tunisia

The Challenges Facing Tunisia

by Tariq Ramadan

Columnist Tariq Ramadan gives a detail of the challenges Tunisians are facing and are expected to face in future. He writes, “Tunisia’s responsibility, and especially

that of its political and intellectual elites, is enormous. All the protagonists of the nation’s social, cultural, economic and political life must work to overcome useless and counterproductive polarization, and to find solutions to domestic, regional and international problems. The political system must be reformed, and the judiciary—and the independence of magistrates—restored. Pride of place must be given to the fight against corruption, cronyism and insecurity. Tunisia has discovered its endemic poverty and a failed and discriminatory school system. The newly elected representatives must make it their priority, and go beyond pitting Arabization against instruction in French. Language instruction should be oriented toward mastering several instead of imposing an exclusivist policy in the name of an inward-turning and reductive approach to Tunisia’s cultural and linguistic identity. On both the regional and international level, Tunisia must find new partners in today’s multi-polar world. “

Do I have the Right to Remain Ahmadi?

Do I have the Right to Remain Ahmadi?

by Faheem Younus

Columnist Faheem Younus asks, “Do I have the Right to Remain Ahmadi?” The Ahmadis are facing everyday life threat and have been announced non-Muslims in Pakistan. The columnist writes, “Is it not true that the right to remain silent assumes a right to free speech in the first place? Something the Ahmadis have been long deprived of?

Unlike the Miranda rights, this ‘right’ to silence is by definition, self-incriminating. Try to voice your opinion as an Ahmadi and you may land in jail under section 295-B/C of Pakistan’s penal code offers pending a three year imprisonment simply for exercising your right to free speech. Try voicing dissent, and you may end up in a graveyard. Even after death, the mullah menace has the right to white wash Quranic verses like ‘God is gracious, ever merciful’ from an Ahmadi’s tombstones.

Consequently, hundreds and thousands of Pakistani Ahmadis, including myself, have tearfully migrated to other countries, but not without sustaining one final jab; the passport application. It requires 97% of Pakistan’s Muslim population to complete a declaration stating that not only do they consider all Ahmadis as ‘non-Muslims’ but they also declare the founder of Ahmadiyya Community to be an ‘impostor’.”

Ahmadis and Shias- Run for Your Life

Ahmadis and Shias- Run for Your Life

by Pervez Hoodbhoy

Columnist Pervez Hoodbhoy describes how Shias and Ahmadis are facing threat to their lives in Pakistan. He writes, “Eighteen bloodied bodies, shot Gestapo-style, lay by the roadside. Men in army uniforms had stopped four buses bound from Rawalpindi to Gilgit, demanding that all 117 persons on board alight. Those with Shia sounding names on their national identification cards were separated out. Minutes later it was all over; the earlier massacres of Hazara Shias in Mastung and Quetta had been repeated.

Having just learned of the fresh killings, I relayed the news on to colleagues and students at the cafeteria table. Some looked glumly at their plates but, a minute or two later, normal cheerful chatter resumed. What to do? With so many killings, taking things too seriously can be bad for one’s mental health.

In Pakistan one’s religious faith, or lack of one, has become sufficient to warrant execution and murder. The killers do their job fearlessly and frequently. The 17th century philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal, once observed that “men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it for religious conviction”.”

Irresistible Appeal of Urdu and the Bilingual Pakistan

Irresistible Appeal of Urdu and the Bilingual Pakistan

by Aakar Patel

Columnist Aakar Patel writes how irresistible Urdu language is for him and as to how much does he like it. In his words, “In India, Hindustani in the Devanagari script became the national language. But far too many of India’s states were distant from Hindi and so it wasn’t really enforceable and so our regional languages have thrived. This has meant that the common medium of communication for urban Indians has remained English alone. In Pakistan, Urdu has permeated and flourished since Partition.

There is one last thing that makes Urdu appealing. It is our language and can better express our emotions than English. Wielding it correctly, as so many Pakistanis do, makes the listener proud of our shared culture.

Perhaps, unfortunately for Pakistan, the only nation that can really appreciate this lovely quality of theirs is not China or America, but India.”

Gilgit-Baltistan: Murder most Foul

Gilgit-Baltistan: Murder most Foul

by Ambreen Agha

Columnist Ambreen Agha scripts her well researched facts and figures in connection with the prevailing situation in Gilgit-Baltistan. She writes:

The Shias and Sunnis have always peacefully coexisted in Gilgit-Baltistan. Even today they do not consciously take up fights with each other, unless pushed. The history of violence here is old. It goes back to the days when Pakistan established a fake autonomy over us. It is since the last 40 years that our lives have been plagued by the ever present Pakistan military here.”

Spokesman of a Gilgit-Baltistan nationalist organization, on condition of anonymity, in an interview to SAIR, March 2, 2012

At least 18 Shias from Gilgit-Baltistan were killed on February 28, 2012, by armed assailants in military uniforms on the Karakoram Highway in the Kohistan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while they were returning in a convoy from a pilgrimage to Iran. According to the Police, the assailants flagged down four buses, boarded them, and asked the passengers whether they were Shia or Sunni. They then asked the Shias to step out of the buses and checked their identity cards before pumping bullets into them. All those killed were men, while the eight injured included women and children.

The Relationship between the Muslim Religious Self and the Religious Other

Interfaith Dialogue

The Relationship between the Muslim Religious Self and the Religious Other

by Dr. Adis Duderija, New Age Islam

Dr. Adis Duderija, columnist New Age Islam writes, while explaining Islam’s relationship with other religions, “Several general points need to be considered in attempting to understand, from a religious perspective, the concept of the identity of Self and Other as understood during the Prophet’s time in light of the Qur’an and the Prophet’s embodiment of it.

“In Muhammad’s first two years at Medina the Jews were the most dangerous critics of his claim to be a prophet, and the religious fervour of his followers, on which so much depended, was liable to be greatly reduced unless Jewish criticisms could be silenced or rendered impotent . . . . In so far as the Jews changed their attitude and ceased to be actively hostile, they were unmolested. . . .

This is well attested to by the Qur’an itself. This context-dependency of the scriptures toward the view of the (religious) Other lead Waardenburg to assert that “Looking back at the interaction of the new Islamic religious movement with the existing religious communities, we are struck by the importance of socio-political factors.”

A Closer Look at Claims of ‘Persecution’ Of Christians in Kashmir

Interfaith Dialogue

A Closer Look at Claims of ‘Persecution’ Of Christians in Kashmir

by Yusuf Jameel

Yusuf Jameel disagrees with the media reports that Christians are fleeing from Kashmir.

He writes, “Lately there have been many media reports of Christians fleeing Kashmir, but such reports are inaccurate and fail to tell the entire story.

Such stories fail to mention that thousands of Kashmiri families relocate to various places, such as Jammu, the winter capital of the Himalayan state, and New Delhi, ahead of peak winter season to escape harsh weather back home. With the start of winter vacations at schools and other educational institutions in December and spreading from two to three months, many other people — including students and their parents – also tag along. It is naive to call such emigrations “forcible expulsions” as many of the people will be returning to the Kashmir Valley as the weather improves and the winter vacations for schools and colleges are ending.

That said, purporting the situation as being persecuted continues to happen among some sections of Christians, primarily evangelical Christian activists, and given the above mentioned background could be tantamount to being a false statement. Some of these Christian may find it difficult to work among the local Muslims after openly being accused of luring the members of the majority Muslim community, mainly the youth, into Christianity by offering them “riches’ – a charge that is vehemently denied by the Christians. In such a vein, one Christian news portal reported last week, “The church is still there, but at this point, it seems as if Christian activity has been driven completely underground and has been severely curtailed.”

Again, such claims do not tell the entire story.”

Kashmir Conflict and Chinese Design In the Region

Current affairs

Kashmir Conflict and Chinese Design In the Region

by Jamil Maqsood

The Chairman of United Kashmir People’s National Party Sardar Shaukat Ali Kashmiri describes Kashmir and its exploitation by Pakistan in his speech at Human Rights Council in UN Geneva by saying, “

Dear friends, ladies and Gentlemen, First of all I welcome all of you here to encourage us and give us your support in peaceful endeavour for the rights of our people and for the cause of unification of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The State was divided due to tribal and military intervention of Pakistan in 1947, despite the fact that Maharajah of Kashmir had signed a standstill agreement with Pakistan. It was the violation of our boundaries drawn in 1846, under treaty of Amritsar. It was unfortunate that since its inception Pakistan has taken the position of intervention in to neighboring countries and the target was princely state of Kashmir. Later Pakistan also violated UNCIP resolutions and stipulations imposed by the truce agreement. Pakistan has failed to comply with the UN resolutions and disrespected local leadership and created proxies to rule that region under its administration.”

Tunisia: Women Try to Assert Independence

Islam, Women and Feminism

Tunisia: Women Try to Assert Independence

by Sarah Mersch

Sarah Mersch describes women’s role in the struggle of Tuninisia’s struggle and explains how they are afraid of being sidelined in the formation of government. She writes, “"We want to keep moving forward and not make a U-turn." - Activists fear Tunisia's new government might try to roll back the rights of women

But with the moderate Islamic Ennahda movement having won 40 percent of the vote in the 2011 elections, some women now fear that the government may try to compel them to adhere to certain practices, traditional and otherwise.

"I don't want anyone to force me to do anything," Salma, a young translator from Tunis stated. "If I decide some day to wear a headscarf, or even a burqa, no one has the right to tell me yes on no." The same, she added, applied to drinking alcohol or having a boyfriend.

The Ennahda-led government has repeatedly assured the public that it will not try to roll back the rights of women. But skeptics fear that words are one thing, and actions another.”

Gujarat: Some Thoughts with Pauses

Islam and Politics

Gujarat: Some Thoughts with Pauses

by Rafat Nayeem Quadri

Rafat Nayeem Quadri is Editor, BILKUL

In fact Muslim donors and doers took it as an opportunity to drag Muslims to the mosques rather than teaching them or allowing them to take a pause and understand what was going wrong and where. Muslims have division in the name of castes, sub-castes …functions rituals, condemnation of each other has only and sharply multipled in Muslim areas and population. …

Hindi Section

क्या इस्लाम विकास (इवोल्युशन) के अध्ययन से भी मना करता है?

by नेदाल गोसूम (अनुवाद- न्यु एज इस्लाम)

Nidhal Guessoum, Professor, Physics and Astronomy, American University of Sharjah, UAE

मुसलमानों को हर जगह सभी नए विचारों के लिए अपने मन को खोलना चाहिए। वो अपने अक़ीदे (विश्वास) और नज़रिए (दृष्टिकोण) के बारे में पुरऐत्माद (आत्मविश्वास) होंगे कि वो जदीदियत (आधुनिकता) के विभिन्न पहलुओं से निपटने में मजबूत है, बेशक, नया दृष्टिकोण विश्वास और विश्व दृष्टिकोण को तरो ताज़ा करने मदद कर सकता है। इस्लाम न सिर्फ विकास (इवोल्युशन) या किसी भी अन्य दृष्टिकोण की पढ़ाई करने से मना नहीं करता है बल्कि नए इल्म का खैरमक़दम (स्वागत) करता है और उसके साथ निष्पक्ष रुख रखता है। ...

http://newageislam.com/hindi-section/नेदाल-गोसूम-(अनुवाद--न्यु-एज-इस्लाम)/क्या-इस्लाम-विकास-(इवोल्युशन)-के-अध्ययन-से-भी-मना-करता-है?/d/6782

خان عبدالغفار خان: پاکستان کے ایک بھلا دئے گئے قائد

Urdu Section

خان عبدالغفار خان: پاکستان کے ایک بھلا دئے گئے قائد

by یعقوب خان بنگش (ترجمہ نیو ایج اسلام

Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan

اسلامی فلسفہ، سماجی اصلاح اور سیاسی غور و فکر میں اہم تعاون کرنے کے باوجود غفار خان پاکستانی تحریروں میں کھو جانے والی شخصیت ہے۔ پاکستان کی ترقی میں ان کی انقلابی خیالات کا دم گھٹ گیا، صرف اس لئے کہ وہ ایسی تحریروں میں 'فٹ' نہیں بیٹھتے تھے اور مسلم لیگ کی لائن سے کسی بھی انحراف کی اجازت نہیں تھی۔

The Rise of Violent Sectarianism

Islam and Sectarianism

The Rise of Violent Sectarianism

by Raza Rumi

Columnist Raza Rumi, while describing violent sectarianism in Pakistan writes, “Denominational differences are not new to Islam, just as they are not to other religions. However, the history of sectarian violence in Pakistan is a phenomenon that, while drawing on old differences of faith, has unfolded in a modern context. The recent rise in sectarian killings, for instance, is a continuation of the trends already gathering pace in Pakistani society from the 1980s. They indicate the growing retreat or failure of state and law enforcement agencies against the expanding power of militant groups that deploy guerrilla tactics to achieve their goals. Sectarianism in its contemporary manifestation, therefore, cannot be delinked from the larger growth of Pakistan-based terror groups and their alliance with the global Jihadist project negotiated by the loose conglomerate known as Al Qaeda.”

How Islamic Are These Islamists?

Radical Islamism and Jihad

How Islamic Are These Islamists?

by M Ghazali Khan

Columnist M Ghazali Khan accuses Anjem Choudary of spreading Islamophobia all over the world. He writes, “No amount of hostile and adverse publicity in the media is enough for Anjem Choudary. He has mastered the skills of successfully feeding the Islamophobic and hungry media looking for sensational stories. So, having grabbed newspaper headlines in the UK and the US, interviewed on TV channels, in prime shows, by senior and renowned journalists, now he has turned his attention to India.”

Bangladesh and Balochistan: History Rises from the Ashes

The War within Islam

Bangladesh and Balochistan: History Rises from the Ashes

by Aasim Sajjad Akhtar

Aasim Sajjad Akhtar sees similarities between Balochistan and Bangladesh and says Pakistan has taken just the rout it had viz a viz Bangladesh which divided the nation. He writes, “State-sponsored ignorance of Bengalis and Bangla was commonplace back then, just as a startling lack of knowledge and concern is evident amongst far too many of us about the Baloch people and their genius today. Bangla was derided by Pakistani rulers as a language ‘contaminated’ by non-Muslim influences; today the Baloch people are regularly and insultingly referred to as ‘Balochi’.

Highly educated and otherwise informed Pakistanis continue to believe that Balochistan is a ‘tribal’ society and that the current insurgency is fomented by (CIA, RAW and Mossad-backed, anti-Pakistan) Sardars. In fact, as even Sardar Ataullah Mengal has admitted, a large number of insurgents hail from expressly non-tribal backgrounds and have no love lost for the prototypical Sardar.

Unfortunately there is still much resistance within this country to the recognition and acceptance of the multiplicity of nations that constitute Pakistan.”

धार्मिक उग्रवाद के घेरे में पाकिस्तानधार्मिक उग्रवाद के घेरे में पाकिस्तान

Hindi Section

धार्मिक उग्रवाद के घेरे में पाकिस्तान

by एम. ख़ान (अनुवाद- न्यु एज इस्लाम)

पाकिस्तान की त्रासदी सिर्फ यही नहीं है कि आतंकवादी संगठनों ने हर तरफ से इस देश को घेर रखा है बल्कि सबसे बड़ी समस्या ये है कि सामाजिक स्तर पर धार्मिक कट्टरता कुछ इस तरह फैल चुकी है कि पाकिस्तानी समाज से रवादारी (सहिष्णुता) का तत्व गायब ही होता जा रहा है। इसका लाज़मी नतीजा ये सामने आ रहा है कि अराजकता इतनी बढ़ गई है कि मानो इस देश में अराजकता ही मूल कानून बनकर रह गया है। …

http://newageislam.com/hindi-section/एम.-ख़ान-(अनुवाद--न्यु-एज-इस्लाम)/धार्मिक-उग्रवाद-के-घेरे-में-पाकिस्तान/d/6774

Are We Ready For Spiritual Democracy?

Spiritual Meditations

Are We Ready For Spiritual Democracy?

by Kancha Ilaiah

Kancha Ilaiah writes, “Once the spiritual system transformed from the totemic worship stage and moved on to become a largely organised priesthood in the spiritual realm and monarchy in the political realm, what laid the foundation for authoritarianism in the entire socio-spiritual and political domain was spiritual dynasticism, casteism and authoritarianism. The masses, for the most part of human history, feared spiritual authority more than political authority.”

کیا اسلام ارتقاء کے مطالعہ سے بھی منع کرتا ہے؟

Urdu Section

کیا اسلام ارتقاء کے مطالعہ سے بھی منع کرتا ہے؟

by نضال گوسوم (ترجمہ۔ نیو ایج اسلام)

اس طرح آج کی مسلم ثقافت میں ارتقاء کا انکار تو مغرب میں مسلم اقلیتوں سمیت دنیا کے کئی حصوں میں لفظی اور بنیاد پرست تصور کے غلبے کی عکاسی کرتا ہے۔ اور ہارون یحیی اور دوسروں کی مہم نقصان دہ ہے اور مسلمانوں کے لئے یہ عام طور پر چاہے سائنس یا جدیدیت کے حوالے سے، اچھا شگون نہیں ہے۔

Art of Survival

The War within Islam

Art of Survival

by Najam Sethi

Columnist Najam Sethi talks how political parties in Pakistan have survived various onslaughts and now it seems as if they will stay till the end of this parliamentary term. He writes, “The PPP government of President Asif Zardari seems to have weathered the storm generated some months ago by disgruntled or hostile elements in the army, judiciary, media and opposition. Indeed, it now looks as though it will drag itself to the finishing line of the next general elections by year's end through cunning strategy and sheer force of will. Consider.

It was a stroke of cunning genius to woo Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan back to the party's fold and then throw him into the ring to buy time and space in which to sail through the Senate elections and fortify the PPP in the upper house of parliament. This is a political milestone whose message has gone out loud and clear. The PPP will not just be able to cobble an absolute majority in the Senate, it will also consolidate its hold over the chairmanship of the house, which is a heartbeat away from the Presidency.”

What Maulana Azad Proposed for Undivided India in 1946 is What Pakistan Needs in 2012

Islam and Politics

What Maulana Azad Proposed for Undivided India in 1946 is What Pakistan Needs in 2012

by Haider Nizamani

Haider Nizamani, the columnist writes how much far sightedness and political and social intellect did Maulana Abul Kalam Azad possessed. He had said that for a modern state religion is no guarantee for success. Haider Nizamani writes, “Azad was a firm believer in unity in diversity but the unwavering nationalist was let down by key Congress leaders in the run-up to Partition, a disappointment he did not divulge during his lifetime but that he instructed be incorporated in the posthumous edition of his book India Wins Freedom. His assessment of the personal and political characteristics of the domineering figures of the 1940s helps us understand not just the high politics of Partition but also the resultant bitterness that afflicted Azad until his death.

Has Gujarat Tackled its Dark Past?

Islam and Politics

Has Gujarat Tackled its Dark Past?

by Ranjona Banerji

Columnist Ranjona Banerji writes, “Is it time to forgive and forget what happened in Gujarat 10 years ago? Is a decade enough to heal all the wounds, wipe all the tears, bury all the pain, dissipate all the rage and decide that punishment and retribution are ungracious sentiments in a state which is booming economically and is upheld as poster child of industrial growth? Is money even better than kindness or regret or generosity or compassion at removing all signs of suffering?

Or maybe, when you forgot to accept your past, it is likely to come back and haunt you again and again. And that, surely, is a terribly price to pay.”

Why the US is Helping Unleash Both Salafi and Shia Terrorism on the West

Islam and the West

Why the US is Helping Unleash Both Salafi and Shia Terrorism on the West

by Prem Shankar Jha

Political analyst and columnist Prem Shankar Jha writes, “Unfortunately, the Arab Spring hasn't turned out quite the way the West had hoped, for in every country, the secular democratic elements have been swamped by an Islamist upsurge. Faced with a possibility that these governments could turn out to be far more anti-West and anti-Israel than their predecessors, the West has turned to the orthodox Wahabi establishment of Saudi Arabia and the Sunni sheikhs of the UAE to keep the Muslim brotherhood and more extreme Salafi factions in check. But these regimes too have been feeling the cold winds of the Arab Spring and have hastened to find ways of diverting them elsewhere. They have done so by reviving a far older conflict — between Sunni and Shia Islam, between Arabs and Persians.”

इस्लामी शिक्षाओं पर मुल्ला लोगों का एकाधिकार नहीं है

Hindi Section

इस्लामी शिक्षाओं पर मुल्ला लोगों का एकाधिकार नहीं है

by जावेद आनंद (अनुवाद- न्यु एज इस्लाम)

Javed Anand, General Secretary, Muslims for Secular Democracy

शायद उम्मत को उलेमा हज़रात के ज़रिए वज़ाहत किया जाना चाहिए कि क्यों वो नबी सल्लल्लाहू अलैहि वसल्लम के पैग़ाम के सीधे खिलाफवर्ज़ी में इल्म को खानों में बांटते हैं और खुद को मुसलमानों और उनके मोकद्दस सहीफों के बीच में रुकावट, न कि सहूलत फराहम करने वाले के तौर पर रखते हैं। वज़ाहत चाहे जल्द दस्तेयाब होने वाली है या नहीं लेकिन एक बात तो तय है: इस्लामी तालिमात पर मुल्ला लोगों के एकाधिकार पर हिंदुस्तान और पूरी मुस्लिम दुनिया में तेजी से सवाल उठाए जा रहे हैं। ...

Islamophobia: An Atheist, a Muslim and a Judge: What Really Happened?

Muslims and Islamophobia

Islamophobia: An Atheist, a Muslim and a Judge: What Really Happened?

by Cathy Young

A Muslim assaults an atheist for mocking Mohammed, and a Muslim judge dismisses the charges and berates the victim -- and it all happens here in America. Yet there is something inherently disturbing about a public official chastising a citizen for engaging in constitutionally protected expression, however obnoxious. It is especially troubling when it's a matter of criticizing or even lampooning religion, an area in which free speech has so often been trampled. …

مذہبی انتہاپسندی کے حصار میں پاکستان

Urdu Section

مذہبی انتہاپسندی کے حصار میں پاکستان

by ایم خان

پاکستان کا المیہ صرف یہی نہیں ہے کہ دہشت گرد تنظیموں نے ہر طرف سےاس ملک کو گھیر رکھا ہے بلکہ سب سے بڑا مسئلہ یہ ہے کہ سماجی سطح پر مذہبی انتہا پسندی کچھ اس طور پر پھیل چکی ہے کہ پاکستانی معاشرے سےرواداری کا عنصر غائب ہی ہوتا جارہا ہے۔ اس کا لازمی نتیجہ یہ سامنے آرہا ہے کے لاقانونیت اتنی بڑھ گئی ہے کہ گویا اس ملک میں لاقانونیت ہی اصل قانون بن کر رہ گئی ہے۔

طلاق کی صورت میں وزن کے برابر ’سونا

Urdu Section

طلاق کی صورت میں وزن کے برابر ’سونا

by بی بی سی اردو

In Iran the tradition and practice is that the husband who divorces his wife has to pay her a compensation equivalent to gold coins equal the current body of the wife. On average house-wives in IRAN weigh 57 kgs. Many husbands have landed in jail due to non-payment of this amount. ...

Saudi Arabia is Ripe for Revolution

The War within Islam

Saudi Arabia is Ripe for Revolution

by Saad Al-Faqih

Arab world rea
Dr. Saad al-Faqih is the head of the Movement for

Saad Al-Faqih writes, “Staggeringly corrupt and repressed, Saudi Arabia is ripe for revolution. But reformers are hesitant. “Let us strangle the last king with the guts of the last priest,” the philosopher Denis Diderot said. The same phrase is now widely repeated across Arabia — or Saudi Arabia, as it is currently named under the dynastic autocracy. It is only a matter of time before the revolutions that have swept the Arab world reach the Saudi Kingdom.” “Even the heir to the throne, Prince Nayef, is regarded with so little reverence that there are calls from within the country to bring him to trial. One activist wrote an open letter to Nayef saying protests would erupt after the departure of the current king (who is 90). Meanwhile official religious scholars are being rejected in favour of independent ones because the religious establishment is seen as a partner in corruption.

The balance of factors in Arabia is clearly tipping in the direction of change. Change of such a scale is usually triggered either by an expected event — such as the death of the King — or an unexpected incident — as was the case with Bouazizi, whose self-immolation sparked Tunisia's revolt. Two weeks ago, a tribe in Taif, near Mecca, prevented the security forces enforcing a royal order confiscating their land.”

Saudi Arabia Is Hardly Ripe For Revolution: But Why?

The War within Islam

Saudi Arabia Is Hardly Ripe For Revolution: But Why?

by Nawaf Obaid

Columnist Nawaf Obaid says, “Unlike many of the regional governments currently facing unrest, the kingdom has a strong record of fiscal responsibility. Although there are some cultural similarities between Saudi Arabia and some of the states that are currently experiencing unrest, the dissimilarities are more important.” Restrictions against freedom of expression have been loosened, and vibrant debates and government criticism are now common in the local press (as was seen in the recent coverage of the disastrous Jeddah floods and the government's initial inept response). Further, the military has drastically expanded its recruitment scope to include eligible young men and women from across all regions for the armed forces, security services, and National Guard. As a result of these opening and unifying factors, there has been an increase in public expressions of supratribal Saudi nationalism among the people, something unseen in the country until recently.”

Letter from Haripur jail, Pakistan

Books and Documents

Letter from Haripur jail, Pakistan

by Zubeida Mustafa

Zubeida Mustafa’s article is the story of Sohail Fida a prisoner in Haripur jail of Pakistan. Sohail Fida who had been falsely indicted in the charges of murder and was made to confess through torture when he was only 18 fought with the circumstances and he even wrote a book, “Soul Unshackled” when in prison. The author further writes, “What makes this story special is not so much Sohail’s success in his exams as his extraordinary response to his adverse circumstances from April 2000 onwards. As he put it in his letter, “People say you are what your surroundings make you … but I would say your surroundings are how you see them”. Sohail went further and changed his circumstances.”

اسلامی تعلیمات پرملا لوگوں کی اجارہ داری نہیں ہے

Urdu Section

اسلامی تعلیمات پرملا لوگوں کی اجارہ داری نہیں ہے

by جاوید آنند ( ترجمہ۔ نیو ایج اسلام

Javed Anand, General Secretary, Muslims for Secular Democracyکچھ ایسی باتیں ہیں جنہیں علماء پیروکاروں کو نہیں سکھاتے ہیں۔ آپ کیا کرتے ہیں جب کسی آرکیٹکٹ کے ذریعہ بنائی گئی حویلی اناً فا ناً میں منہدم ہو جائے؟ آپ اس ڈاکٹر کے ساتھ کیا کریں گے جو مریضوں کو ٹھیک کرنے سے زیادہ کو مار دیتا ہے؟ اور تب کیا کرتے ہیں جب علماء آپ کو بتاتے ہیں کہ طلاق ثلاثیٰ کا عمل ‘سماجی طور پر سخت نا پسندیدہ ہے، لیکن علم دین کے رو سےصحيح ہے؟ 'شاید کہیں اور رجوع کرتے ہوں گے؟

इस्लाम में ख़िदमते ख़ल्क़ (परोपकार)

Hindi Section

इस्लाम में ख़िदमते ख़ल्क़ (परोपकार)

by सैयद एमादुद्दीन असद (अनुवाद- न्यु एज इस्लाम)

Syed Imad-ud-Din Asad, Director, School of Law and Policy, UMT, Lahore

लेकिन, पश्चिम में बहुत से लोगों का मानना ​​है कि ख़िदमते ख़ल्क़ (परोपकार) एक ऐसी अवघारणा है जिसके इस्लाम के साथ जुड़े होने की संभावना नहीं हैं। एहसान, दया, करुणा, सखावत, इंसान दोस्ती के बजाय, आम पश्चिमी लोग इस्लाम को हिंसा, आतंकवाद, असहिष्णुता, अलोकतांत्रिक सामाजिक व्यवहार, महिलाओं के उत्पीड़न आदि जैसी विशेषताओं वाला बताने की कोशिश करते हैं। इस संगीन गलतफहमी के दो कारण हैः उनकी कुरान और रसूलुल्लाह (स.अ.व.) की परंपराओं से लाइल्मी और कुछ मुसलमानों का गैर जिम्मेदाराना रवैय्या है। ...

http://newageislam.com/hindi-section/सैयद-एमादुद्दीन-असद-(अनुवाद--न्यु-एज-इस्लाम)/इस्लाम-में-ख़िदमते-ख़ल्क़-(परोपकार)/d/6757

Balochistan: A Festering Wound in Pakistan

The War within Islam

Balochistan: A Festering Wound in Pakistan

by Anita Joshua

Columnist Anita Joshua writes, “A lot of media outlets are compelled to opt for a blackout of news from the conflict-stricken province because of pressure from the ‘higher authorities' who cite the ‘sensitivity' of the conflict vis-à-vis the national security paradigm as a serious concern,”…. No one is truly interested in Balochistan among the rulers. The politicians can't fix it and the soldiers can only worsen it.

God: Just a Call Away

Islam and Spiritualism

God: Just a Call Away

by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Columnist and Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan proves through various Quranic Ayahs as to how close God is with us. He mentions Quranic Ayahs like “When anyone asks you about Me, say that I am near. I respond to the call of one who calls, whenever he calls to Me." (2:186) the writer further says, “I am a great believer in God. I can recall many instances when I have found myself in a state of helplessness. Then I prayed and asked God for His help and, invariably, I realised that God Almighty was with me. He solved my problem, and turned around the situation in my favour.”

Personality Cult or DUALISM of Muslims

Islamic Society

Personality Cult or DUALISM of Muslims

by Rashid Samnakay, New Age Islam

Rashid Samnakay, New Age Islam columnist writes, “lslam is strictly Unitarianism that is a system based on oneness of god-head; hence it should have been ‘Religion’ instead of Islam. We use “religion” as a generic term for all Church based faith-systems and so juxtapose religion with ‘Islam’ too!

Wrongly also because in the ad-Deen of Islam –an Arabic word for the Universal Code of values- given in’ those’ Divine Code-Books – zaalikal kitab--that inspired many a past messengers, named an unnamed in Quran who it says were sent to every nation, without giving their number, and were given the same message as Quran. However the Bible gives the number as 144000 and Musnad Hadis as 124000! Strange though, as Muhammad came five centuries later, and so the figures should be reversed.”

Why do Muslims love Conspiracy Theories?

Islam and the West

Why do Muslims love Conspiracy Theories?

by Raza Habib Raja

Raza Habib Raja writes, “What happened in Swat is a classic example of how denial fuelled by the conspiracy theories ends up supporting the militants. Today the Muslim world is plagued by this conspiracy theory-mindset. Although conspiracy theories are prevalent everywhere but the extent to which these dominate the Muslim world is mind boggling and as the above example shows, can lead to catastrophic results” while describing Muslim’s love for conspiracies.

Islamic Sharia Laws

Sharia For India?

by Aiman Reyaz, New Age Islam

Aiman Reyaz, columnist New Age Islam is of the opinion that many in India may also not knowing as to who Sheikh Anjem Choudhary the founder of radical Islamist group ‘Islam4UK”. The writer is shocked to know that there is going to be agitations and ‘sit-ins” for Sharia in India as well. The writer says, “They claim that the problem of Kashmir, Babri mosque, riots in Gujarat, slums of Mumbai, drugs, alcohol etc will be solved once Shariah is imposed on India. They intend to give non-Muslims a zimmi (second-class, though “protected”) status. “Some of the many problems that a united Indian sub-continent will resolve are the troubles in Kashmir, the problem of Babri mosque, the discrimination in Gujarat, the inner cities slums as in Mumbai, exploitation and widespread bribery, the presence of foreign forces (as in Afghanistan), public idolatry, the inhuman caste system, drugs, alcohol, promiscuity and pornography, the use of men and women's gender for monetary gain, usury, gambling, the boom and bust of the capitalist economic model etc.. Moreover all non-Muslims will be given the Zimmi status where their life and wealth will be protected in return for obeying the divine law of the land who will never be asked to be part of the Muslim armies whose job it will be to expand the frontiers of the Islamic State (into China, Indonesia, Malaysia etc...) and protect it from its enemies. They want to expand their wings around the neighbouring countries of India like China, Indonesia, and Malaysia etc.”

Balochistan: The ‘clink, clink’ Reverberates

Islam and Politics

Balochistan: The ‘clink, clink’ Reverberates

by Hashim bin Rashid

So writes, columnist Hashim bin Rashid, “The lesson of Balochistan always was: blood spilt is thicker than blood flowing. This was indeed why Nawab Akbar Bugti’s killing in an army operation bestowed the legacy of a martyr on him and spurred insurgency. Baloch blood was being spilled with no one brave enough to speak of it. Balochistan is the thaw no one in Pakistan wishes to admit as much as discuss – or solve” while making his point through various incidents taking place in Balochistan since 1947.

Gujarat 2002: The Battle Against Forgetting

War on Terror

Gujarat 2002: The Battle Against Forgetting

by Farah Naqvi

Columnist Farah Naqvi says to accepts Gujarat 2002 as something ‘in the past’ would threaten the meaning of our present and will endanger our future. She describes various incidents and notes down many talks she had with the affected people. She stresses upon the mentality of the small children who would have now grown up and were unable to understand what carnage and rape is. They have been witness to the happenings which they did not even understand. She writes, “They know words no child should have to learn.

Balatkar (Rape) they know this word. Mein bataoon didi? (Shall I tell you?), volunteers a nine year old. Balatkar ka matlab jab aurat ko nanga karte hain aur phir use jala dete hain” (Rape is when a woman is stripped naked and then burnt). And then she looks fixedly at the floor. Only a child can tell it like it is. For this is what happened again and again in Naroda Patiya women were stripped, raped and burnt. (The Survivors Speak, fact-finding by a women's panel, April 16, 2002. P. 13)”

War on Terror

Ten Years of Gujarat Carnage 2002

by Asghar Ali Engineer

Asghar Ali Engineer an Islamic scholar and columnist describe Gujarat carnage 2002 as the most heinous crime supported by an elected government in India.

He writes, “The fascist force’s in India find it easy to misuse religion for bringing fascism which BJP almost succeeded in Gujarat in bringing and referring to it as Hindutva laboratory. It is highly necessary to fight Hindutva in India through strengthening secularism and secular forces.”

The writer talks of a concerted effort by all concerned to bring normalcy in the country by advising, “A concerted educational campaign for secular awareness needs to be built up warning people of danger of Hindutva and Hindutva fascism. Our educational system needs to be thoroughly secularized. Spread of fascism in the form of communalism is far more dangerous than communal violence”

Past Present: Mughals and the Religious Movements

Islamic Society

Past Present: Mughals and the Religious Movements

by Mubarak Ali

Columnist Mubarak Ali praises the way the Mughals took up their religious movement and how they run their administration with a touch of pluralism.

The writer says, Hindus were inducted in the state structure and integrated socially and culturally on equal basis with the rest. Akbar also brought Iranians to his court for them being very good administrators having interest in literature. Akbar also indianised the Mughal culture by adopting Indian customs, traditional festivas and celebrations.

From the Desk of Editor

Should these 'Islamist' loonies be allowed to roam the streets or sent to a mental asylum? Sultan Shahin asks New Age Islam readers

by Sultan Shahin

Editor New Age Islam, Sultan Shahin asks the readers to watch the embedded video and to decide on their own as to what is right and what is wrong and whether such ‘Islamist’ loonies should be allowed to roam the streets as they are doing.

http://www.newageislam.com/from-the-desk-of-editor/sultan-shahin/should-these--islamist--loonies-be-allowed-to-roam-the-streets-or-sent-to-a-mental-asylum?-sultan-shahin-asks-new-age-islam-readers/d/6740

Hindi Section

सल्फ़ी नज़रिया क्या है?

by डॉ. अदिस दुदरीजा, ( अनुवादः न्यु एज इस्लाम )

Dr. Adis Duderija, New Age Islam, Islamic Studies, University of Melbourne

इस्लामी रवायत में सल्फ़ी नज़रिया के विचार में कई पहलू हैं। इसमें से एक का संबंध इस्लामी रवायत की तशरीह के मुस्तनद (प्रामाणिक) तरीकए-कार (प्रक्रिया) को समझने के मुज़मरात से है। दूसरे तत्व का संबंध पैगम्बर मोहम्मद (स.अ.व.) के सहाबा के सामाजिक- राजनीतिक अव्यवस्था के बीच भूमिका के बारे में सुन्नी सियासी नज़रिए से है जो प्रारंभिक इस्लाम की विशेषता को बताता है। तीसरे पहलू का संबंध इतिहास और समय की प्रकृति पर एक विशेष दृष्टिकोण के आधार पर इस्लामी रवायात के तसव्वुर (विचार) से है। ...

http://newageislam.com/hindi-section/डॉ.-अदिस-दुदरीजा,-(-अनुवादः-न्यु-एज-इस्लाम-)/सल्फ़ी-नज़रिया-क्या-है?/d/6749