Tuesday, May 5, 2020

COVID-19: Breaking the Lockdown, Defeating the Coup, Averting Extinction



By Robert J. Burrowes, New Age Islam

05 May 2020

Using its fora such as the World Economic Forum – see ‘Strategic Intelligence’ – and its agents (particularly the World Health Organization, the pharmaceutical industry, governments, the medical industry and corporate media) the global elite continues to tighten its grip on the human population, bombarding us with COVID-19 propaganda to heighten people’s fear while introducing new and/or extending existing restrictions to conceal the many measures being taken to execute their ongoing coup against humanity. See ‘The Elite’s COVID-19 Coup Against a Terrified Humanity: Resisting Powerfully’. 


Simultaneously, the lengthy list of honest health professionals explaining the truth about COVID-19’s threat to our health – ‘the lethality of Covid19 is between 0.1% and 0.37%, which is in the range of a severe influenza (flu)’ – and the modest measures that should have been taken, and might still be taken, to deal with it are given no exposure in the ‘occupied’ public space controlled by the corporate media. See, for example, ‘A Swiss Doctor on Covid-19’, ‘Global Covid-19 Case Fatality Rates’, ‘12 Experts Questioning the Coronavirus Panic’, ‘Swedish expert: why lockdowns are the wrong policy’, ‘Censored Doc Doubles Down’ and ‘Top Italian Researcher Reveals the Global Fraud of COVID-19’.


And those analysts describing the ongoing encroachments on our rights, freedoms, political participation and economic security (with the adverse impacts on the latter now imminently threatening the death of millions of people in the global south due to the collapse in the global economy), and what we can do about these encroachments, are similarly excluded. After all, the corporate media serves its master, the global elite, not those who consume its propaganda presented as ‘news’. See, for example, ‘COVID-19 Civic Freedom Tracker’, ‘Coronavirus – The Aftermath. A Coming Mega-Depression…’, ‘Video: COVID-19: Closing Down the Economy Is Not the Solution’, ‘The COVID-19 “Economic Holocaust”… Bankrupting the Nation. “The Shut-In Economy”’ and ‘WFP chief warns of “hunger pandemic” as Global Food Crises Report launched’.


Among the elite measures taken, the lockdowns have been the most damaging with far-reaching adverse psychological, social, political and economic consequences including rapid rises in the incidence of anxiety, depression, alcoholism, violence against children and women in the home, unemployment, poverty and many thousands more deaths, not from COVID-19, than would have otherwise occurred. For thoughtful consideration of the issues in relation to the Lockdowns that questions the official narrative and response, and explains the excess death rate precipitated among vulnerable people that they are causing, see ‘Coronavirus Lockdown and What You Are Not Being Told – Part 1’, ‘Coronavirus Lockdown and What You Are Not Being Told – Part 2’ and ‘LOKIN-20: The Lockdown Regime Causes Increasing Health Concerns’.


More importantly, the lockdowns have provided exceptional ‘cover’ to conceal the many measures being taken to advance the elite coup, which I have summarized previously – see ‘The Elite’s COVID-19 Coup Against a Terrified Humanity: Resisting Powerfully’ and ‘The Psychology of the COVID-19 Coup: The Elite, their Victims and those who Resist’ – and for which the evidence simply continues to accumulate. See, for example, ‘Criminal Big-Pharma Put in Charge of Covid-19 “Vaccine”’, ‘PM says COVIDSafe app is Australia’s “ticket” to ending virus rules’ and ‘Coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe released by Government to halt spread of COVID-19 in Australia’.


In addition, the lockdowns have interrupted a vast range of ongoing nonviolent resistance campaigns directed at tackling one or more aspects of the interrelated threats to human survival. See ‘Human Extinction Now Imminent and Inevitable? A Report on the State of Planet Earth’.


Tragically, too, these threats have been inadvertently exacerbated by COVID-19. But it is not the virus itself that has exacerbated the threat. It has been the ill-advised responses to COVID-19 that have resulted in a sudden and dramatic reduction in industrial activity. As Professor Guy McPherson explains in his just-published peer-reviewed paper ‘Will COVID-19 Trigger Extinction of All Life on Earth?’:


Coincident with industrial activity adding to greenhouse gases that warm the planet, industrial activity simultaneously cools the planet by adding aerosols to the atmosphere. These aerosols block incoming sunlight, thereby keeping cool our pale blue dot. Reducing industrial activity by as little as 35 percent is expected to cause a global-average temperature rise of 1 degree Celsius within a few weeks, according to research on the aerosol masking effect…. The ongoing reduction in industrial activity as a result of COVID-19 almost certainly leads to loss of habitat for human animals, hence putting us on the fast track to human extinction.


Responding Powerfully


Given this triple-fronted assault – the lockdowns (and associated measures), the coup and the sudden and dramatic reduction of industrial activity coupled with the interruption of activist campaigns to address the imminent threats to human survival – let me now identify how people are increasingly resisting and how we can make this resistance more strategically effective, with any outcome subject to one enormous proviso.


Whether or not we have enough time is now certainly beyond our control.


One response has been to gather the evidence of what is happening in relation to COVID-19 and to present this in various (mainstream and progressive) news fora so that the evidence can be more widely shared, even if sometimes these articles and videos are removed by the elite’s censoring agents such as Youtube. For just one example of this, see ‘Censored Doc Doubles Down’.


Another response has been to compile some of the carefully researched evidence of what form an appropriate response to COVID-19 should take and to present this to governments. See the UK Free People Alliance’s ‘An open letter to the Prime Minister’.


A third response has been to take nonviolent action to resist the lockdown and act out some of those rights and freedoms – such as the rights to freedom of assembly and movement – that we previously took for granted.


While there has already been considerable nonviolent resistance to some COVID-19 measures taken by governments, particularly in relation to the national lockdowns – see ‘Protesting the Lockdowns is Getting Going – #endthelockdown’, ‘Lockdown Protest in North Carolina Called “non-essential activity” by Raleigh Police’ in which it is recorded that the ‘ReopenNC’s Facebook group is now approaching 40,000 members’ and ‘Protest or Silence of the Lambs – Protest Update for May 2, 2020’ – many of these actions have been categorized and documented by Professor Erica Chenoweth and her colleagues. See ‘The global pandemic has spawned new forms of activism – and they’re flourishing’, ‘Methods of Dissent & Collective Action Under COVID – A Crowdsourced List’ and ‘Collective Action & Dissent under COVID’.


While I am fully supportive of these efforts to resist, I would like to enhance them by adding three related dimensions for consideration by those activists planning what to do.


First, when tactical choices are made, I would focus them on undermining the elite coup, not just features of it, such as ‘social distancing’ or the lockdowns. At its most basic, this can be achieved by using tactical choices that mobilize people to act initially, as is happening, but then inviting them to consider taking further, more focused, action as well. This is important because existing actions will have little impact on key underlying measures, such as those to advance the fourth industrial revolution – see, for example, ‘Meet The Companies Poised To Build The Kushner-Backed “Coronavirus Surveillance System”’ and ‘Techno-Tyranny: How The US National Security State Is Using Coronavirus To Fulfill An Orwellian Vision’ – being taken by the elite.


Second, I would choose/design tactics that have strategic impact, that is, they fundamentally and permanently alter, in our favor, the power relationship between the elite and us.


Third, I would choose/design tactics that also have strategic impact on the greatest threats to human survival, including the collapsing biodiversity on Earth, the threat of nuclear war, the climate catastrophe and the deployment of 5G. Given the incredibly short timeframe in which we are now working to avert human extinction, even if we trust that we have more time than Professor McPherson and his colleagues suggest, while people are mobilizing it is important to use this opportunity to give them the chance to perceive the ‘big picture’ of what is taking place – beyond lockdowns and other measures seemingly being used to tackle COVID-19 – and to act powerfully in response.


To that end, I have identified the appropriate political purpose – obviously ‘To defend humanity against a political/military coup conducted by the global elite’ – and set out a basic list of 26 strategic goals for achieving this purpose (which will also play a vital role in tackling key threats to human survival). The first eleven of these strategic goals are as follows:


(1) To cause people and groups all around the world to join the resistance strategy by wearing a global symbol of human solidarity, such as an image of several people of different genders/races/religions/abilities/classes holding hands.


(2) To cause people and groups all around the world to join the resistance strategy by boycotting all corporate media outlets (television, radio, newspapers, Google, Facebook, Twitter…) and by seeking news from progressive news outlets committed to telling the truth.


(3) To cause people and groups all around the world to join the resistance strategy by withdrawing all funds from the corporate banks that are supporting the coup and to deposit their money in local community banks or credit unions.


(4) To cause people and groups all around the world to join the resistance strategy by boycotting the medical and pharmaceutical industries – including by conscientiously refusing to submit to vaccination – and by seeking health advice and treatment from natural therapists. (If you are unfamiliar with the different philosophies underpinning these approaches, and hence why many natural therapies are so much more effective, there is a straightforward explanation here: ‘Pasteur vs. Bechamp: An Alternative View of Infectious Disease’.)


(5) To cause people and groups all around the world to join the resistance strategy by boycotting corporate supermarkets and by supporting small and family businesses, and local markets.


(6) To cause people and groups all around the world to join the resistance strategy by participating in other locally relevant nonviolent action(s)/campaign(s) and/or constructive program activities. For this item and many subsequent, see the list of possible nonviolent actions in the document ‘198 Tactics of Nonviolent Action’.


(7) To cause the workers [in trade unions or labor organizations T1, T2, T…] all around the world to join the resistance strategy by participating in locally relevant nonviolent action(s)/campaign(s) and/or constructive program activities. For example, this might include withdrawing labor from an elite-controlled bank, media, pharmaceutical or other corporation operating in your country.


(8) To cause the small farmers and farmworkers [in organizations F1, F2, F…] all around the world to join the resistance strategy by participating in locally relevant nonviolent action(s)/campaign(s) and/or constructive program activities. For example, this might include distributing farm produce through (existing or created) grassroots networks to small and family businesses as well as local markets rather than through corporate supply chains.


(9) To cause the indigenous peoples [in organizations IP1,IP2, IP…] all around the world to join the resistance strategy by participating in locally relevant nonviolent action(s)/campaign(s) and/or constructive program activities. For example, this might include utilizing indigenous knowledge to improve local self-reliance in food production and in other ways.


(10) To cause the soldiers and military police [in army units AU1, AU2, AU… and MP1, MP2, MP…], wherever stationed around the world, to refuse to obey orders from the global elite and its agents to arrest, assault, torture and shoot nonviolent activists and the other citizens of [your country].


(11) To cause the police [in police units P1, P2, P…], wherever stationed around the world, to refuse to obey orders from the global elite and its agents to arrest, assault, torture and shoot nonviolent activists and the other citizens of [your country].


You can read all 26 of the ‘Strategic goals for defeating a political/military coup conducted by the global elite against humanity’ by scrolling down the page at ‘Strategic Aims’.


Remaining pages on the website fully explain the twelve components of the strategy, as illustrated by the Nonviolent Strategy Wheel, as well as articles and videos explaining all of the vital points of strategy and tactics, such as those to help you understand ‘Nonviolent Action: Why and How it Works’ and how to prepare, frame and conduct any nonviolent action to minimize the risk of violent repression. See ‘Nonviolent Action: Minimizing the Risk of Violent Repression’.


Importantly, too, as more people become aware of the deeper strands of what is taking place, such as the more intrusive surveillance that is already occurring under the guise of keeping us ‘safe’ from COVID-19 – see, for example, ‘PM says COVIDSafe app is Australia’s “ticket” to ending virus rules’ and ‘Coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe released by Government to halt spread of COVID-19 in Australia’ – the energy to break the lockdowns and resist the coup will gather pace. As I have previously outlined, using a locally relevant focus, or perhaps several, for which many people would traditionally be together – a cultural or sporting event, a community activity such as working to establish a community garden to increase local self-reliance, a birthday celebration and/or a return to work – we can mobilize people to collectively resist.


Equally importantly however, as I mentioned above, given the pressing (and, possibly, now uncontainable) threat of human extinction but also because becoming more self-reliant is vital to our ongoing capacity to resist elite encroachments on our rights, freedom and economic security, consider accelerated participation in ‘The Flame Tree Project to Save Life on Earth’. This project also explains how to take full advantage of non-monetary forms of community where goods and services are exchanged directly, without money as a medium of exchange. Money only has value in certain types of economy and these types of economy must be superseded if humans are to survive.


In addition, for those nonviolent activists concerned about tackling the climate and/or other threats to human survival – including those in relation to the environment and war – you can read about nonviolent strategy, including strategic goals to focus your campaigns, from here: Strategic Aims.


Or, if you want something simpler, consider committing to:


The Earth Pledge


Out of love for the Earth and all of its creatures, and my respect for their needs, from this day onwards I pledge that:


1. I will listen deeply to children. See ‘Nisteling: The Art of Deep Listening’.
2. I will not travel by plane
3. I will not travel by car
4. I will not eat meat and fish
5. I will only eat organically/biodynamically grown food
6. I will minimize the amount of fresh water I use, including by minimizing my ownership and use of electronic devices
7. I will not buy rainforest timber
8. I will not buy or use single-use plastic, such as bags, bottles, containers, cups and straws
9. I will not use banks, superannuation (pension) funds or insurance companies that provide any service to corporations involved in fossil fuels, nuclear power and/or weapons
10. I will not accept employment from, or invest in, any organization that supports or participates in the exploitation of fellow human beings or profits from killing and/or destruction of the biosphere
11. I will not get news from the corporate media (mainstream newspapers, television, radio, Google, Facebook, Twitter…)
12. I will make the effort to learn a skill, such as food gardening or sewing, that makes me more self-reliant
13. I will gently encourage my family and friends to consider signing this pledge.


Conclusion


Humanity has reached the most critical point in its history. Using COVID-19 as ‘cover’, the global elite is conducting a coup to take vastly greater control of our lives.


However, because the global elite is insane, it cannot perceive, in any meaningful way, the extent of the damage it is inflicting on us but also the Earth (which, of course, has equally profound consequences for them). See ‘The Global Elite is Insane Revisited’ and, for more detail, ‘Why Violence?’ and ‘Fearless Psychology and Fearful Psychology: Principles and Practice’.


It has done this, at phenomenal cost – in lost rights, freedoms and economic security – to people all over the world. And it has done it precisely at the time when humanity faces the gravest series of interrelated threats to its survival which will drive us to extinction, absent a powerful response (and possibly even with one), very soon now.


Perhaps, as some highly respected commentators have suggested, the coup has been conducted now because the elite expects to survive on a heavily degraded but substantially depopulated Earth. See, for example, ‘Bill Gates talks about “vaccines to reduce population”’ and ‘Coronavirus – The Aftermath. A Coming Mega-Depression…’.


As Peter Koenig reports it: ‘Population reduction is among the goals of the elite within the WEF, the Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Morgans – and a few more. The objective: fewer people (a small elite) can live longer and better with the reduced and limited resources Mother Earth is generously offering.’ See ‘The Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic: The Real Danger is “Agenda ID2020”’.


However, if those scientists who are concerned about the diminished aerosol masking effect caused by the global industrial shutdown are right, the coup is also triggering a rapid increase in global temperature (which, among other adverse outcomes, will accelerate the release of methane from the Arctic) and even the elite will have no habitable Earth on which to survive.


The fight for human survival has entered its final stage.


Robert J. Burrowes has a lifetime commitment to understanding and ending human violence. He has done extensive research since 1966 in an effort to understand why human beings are violent and has been a nonviolent activist since 1981. He is the author of ‘Why Violence?’ His email address is flametree@riseup.net and his website is here.



Sunday, May 3, 2020

New Age Islam Group of Scholars Refute Obscurantist Pakistani Mullah Mufti Muneeb’s Fatwa Declaring Land Transactions and Muamalat With Hindus To Be Forbidden in Kashmir





By New Age Islam Group of Scholars
4 May 2020

An obscurantist, fundamentalist Mullah from Pakistan, Mufti Muneebur Rahman, of Darul Ifta Jamia Nayimia Karachi has issued a fatwa, clearly under the influence of Pakistan’s Deep State, that makes every Muslim hang his head in shame. Is this Islam, one feels like asking, in the way a grief-stricken Muslim mother asked on 16 December 2014 in Peshawar, after the Taliban massacred 149 small children and teachers in a Pakistani Army school. This despicable cleric, speaking in the manner of many of his predecessors who historically served the interests of their despotic rulers, says: “it is not permissible for the Muslims of Kashmir to sell or rent out their property to non-Muslims.” This goes completely against our understanding of Islamic precepts. From a very clear, unambiguous Islamic perspective, Kashmiri Muslims are allowed to engage in Muamalat and transactions of all kind, as they have done for hundreds of years.

It must be understood that for hundreds of years several religious communities have lived together harmoniously in Kashmir in the spirit of what they call Kashmiriyat, that is Kashmir’s composite culture, that continued to prevail after the advent of Islam, particularly because of its Sufi flavour. As before, Kashmiri Muslims should feel no religious restriction in selling out their land to non-Muslims for house construction or trade, if they so desire, as long as it is not specifically intended to harm Muslims or Islam. One cannot question someone’s intent and believe he intends to harm Muslims and Islam merely on the basis of one’s own prejudices.

Muamalat literally means ‘transactions’ or ‘dealings. As a subject of Islamic jurisprudence, Muamalat discusses rulings governing trade and commercial transactions. Muamalat is a social relationship consisting of numerous economic and non-economic activities. In general, all economic activities are permissible as long as they do not transgress the tenets of Islam.

Mufti Muneeb's Fatwa seems to be inspired by the Fatwa issued by the Palestinian Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Hussein forbidding sale of land to the Jews of Israel. The case of Palestine vis-a-vis Israel is entirely different from the case of Kashmir vis-a-vis India. Palestine and Israel are two political entities at loggerheads with each other and both consider each other enemy territory. Jammu and Kashmir and India are not two different political entities or countries but J&K is a state, now a union territory, within India and is entitled to all the constitutional rights and safeguards.

The princely State of Jammu & Kashmir joined India when Maharaja Hari Singh, its erstwhile ruler, signed the document of accession with India on 26 October 1949 under the pressure of a murderous and brutal Pakistani tribal invasion which his small army was not able to deal with. It had a special status guaranteed by the Indian Constitution according to which it had some privileges. The Special Status was revoked on 5 August 2019 bringing the state at par with other states of India. It has been a state within India since 1947 and all the Chief ministers of this state have been Muslims. The Muslims of the state have been entitled to all the religious and political rights enshrined in the Constitution for all the citizens of India.

The revocation of the Special Status guaranteed to it under the Article 370 does not mean it has lost equality before the Constitution but that it has now become more equal in the eyes of Constitution. It no longer has any special status or rights. All the laws of the land will also apply to the citizens of the state or the union territory as well. It means that now not only Hindus of the rest of India but Muslims and people belonging to other religious communities will have the right to buy and sell property, right to job, business and residence in the state as they have similar rights in other states.

As for Mufti Muneebur Rahman’s Fatwa against the sale and purchase of land between Muslims of Kashmir and Hindus of the rest of India, it is totally based on the theory of "Enemy territory". From the point of view of Mufti Muneeb India is an enemy territory for the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir and the Hindus of India are the enemies of Islam. Thus, the fatwa is based on a faulty perception not supported by the Quran and Hadith. Mufti Muneeb believes that Jammu and Kashmir is IOK (India-occupied Kashmir) and Muslims of J&K are Pakistani, India is an enemy territory and Hindus of India are enemies of Islam and Muslims. This point of view is inaccurate and flawed not only from a political but also an Islamic point of view. Quran and Hadith do not consider all non-Muslims enemies of Islam. It approves of good treatment of and social and economic relations with polytheists, Jews and Christians in times of peace. It only permits Muslims to fight those who fight them. The Quran says:
"Allah does not forbid you as regards those who did not fight you on account of faith, and did not expel you from your homes, that you do good to them and deal justly with them. Surely, Allah loves those who maintain justice."(Al Mumtahanah, 60: 8).
Mufti Muneeb himself quotes some Hadiths that permit Muslims to have business relations with polytheists. Thus, he contradicts the basis of his own fatwa by saying that all the Hindus of India are enemies of Muslims and so they should not have business relations with them.

The fatwa is the result of a paranoid mindset that the land of Kashmiri Muslims will be forcefully acquired by Hindus of the rest of India and Hindus will be brought to Kashmir and be made to settle here to turn the Muslim majority into a minority. The fact is that, the Law does not force them to sell their land to outsiders. They can sell their land not only to Hindus but also to the Muslims of the rest of India. In the same way, the Sikhs, Pandits and Christians of the state can also sell or lease out their land to anyone from outside. Any paranoia on the part of Muslims will be completely unwarranted.
In fact, the Kashmiris can exploit this ease in restrictions to their own benefit. They can lease out their land to investors and business houses to collaborate in business and industrial projects. This will only bring about economic and industrial development in the state. Until now, they remained in a ghetto in the name of their cultural identity and their centuries old traditions. The broadmindedness inherent in Kasshmiriyat of yore has gradually dissipated and a narrow vision of Kashmiriyat has been sought to be developed in the last few decades. This cultural ghettoism has done not only Kashmiris but many other communities in India, Pakistan and African countries huge harm and has been a great impediment to their economic and political development. With their limited economic resources, the Kashmiris could not develop economically, industrially politically. They basked in their hollow pride while Pakistan and their Islamist stooges in Kashmir exploited their youth and their Islamic identity to push them in the mire of terrorism and sold them the hollow and unrealistic dream of Nizam-e-Mustafa or Islamic Khilfat in the Valley. They did not have any road map for the economic upliftment of Kashmiri people with the help of rights and opportunities provided to them by the Indian Constitution.

For more than 60 years, the Kashmiris had Special Status but they could not benefit from this. On the contrary, the Special status only pushed them in a state of inertia. While the Muslims of other states of India, despite living as a minority, competed with other communities in every field and prospered economically, educationally and politically, the Kashmiris remained content with the thought that no one can disturb their peace.

The Muslims of the rest of India did not consider Hindus their enemies because they had not driven them from their homes. Lack of competition put the Kashmiris in a state of lethargy.

The new equal status has given the Kashmiris the opportunity to open up and to engage in collaboration with the wealthy and resourceful people and institutions, both Muslim and non-Muslim in the field of education, industry and business. The Kashmiris have land and people in the rest of India have wealth and expertise. Together, they can bring about a positive change in the state and in their lives.

As for selling land to Hindus, the Shariah discourages Muslims to sell land to any one leave aside selling land to Hindus. There is a Hadith to this effect:
"Ibn-e-Majah (2482) narrated that Hudhayfa ibn-al-Ymaan said:The Messenger of Allah pbuh said, "Whoever sells a house and does not put its price into something similar will not be blessed there in."
This Hadith does not say that Muslims should not sell their house or land to a particular community. It is only saying that when you sell your land, do not squander the proceeds on frivolous pursuits, instead use it for similarly gainful investment as buying land or doing business.

The government sometimes acquires the land of common Indian people for government projects like roads, railway lines, etc at market prices. Such land acquisition happens across the length and breadth of India. It should not be looked at from a communal angle if it is done in J&K.

Since, J&K is also inhabited by Pandits, Sikhs and Christians, under the new constitutional provisions, they can do business transactions and sale-purchase of land with investors from outside. It would be wise for Muslims too to use this opportunity for their own economic development. If they still remained in the ghetto, other communities will move forward and they will continue to lag behind. The Kashmiris should shrug off their cultural lethargy and wake up to new opportunities and challenges. They should not look at their problems from the point of view of Pakistani propagandists like Mufti Muneebur Rahman.

The Constitution of India guarantees equal rights, honour and opportunities to the people of Kashmir and so India cannot be considered "Enemy territory" for Kashmiri people and the Hindus of India do not consider Kashmiri Muslims their enemies. They in fact, stand by them in their demand for justice, equality and fair treatment. Therefore, the Kashmiri Muslims can collaborate with the Hindus and Muslims of rest of India in any productive endeavour.

Kashmiris had rejected the two-nation theory right in the beginning of this discourse and decided to join secular India. The Bangladeshis rejected the pernicious two-nation theory later, after accepting it at first and experiencing life within Pakistan as East Pakistan. Today, practically all ethnic minorities of Pakistan, Baloch, Sindhis, Pashtoon and Mohajir are restive and would love to be out of the union with Pakistan. They are engaged in a mighty struggle.  Their spirit is unflinching, despite having lost thousands to Pakistani bullets and continuing persecution. No surprise that Mufti Muneebur Rahman has nothing to say about their struggle. His aim is the same as that of the Pakistani Deep State. After having failed to capture Kashmir militarily, it is seeking to sow seeds of division in India by misguiding the simple Kashmir Muslim through absurd fatwas that contradict the basic tenets of Islam, well-known verses of Quran and narrations of Hadith, teaching pluralism and co-existence.  
Kashmir has been part of India before and after the special status of Kashmir was revoked through the amendment of the Article 370 on the 5th of August 2019. India has lifted restrictions on the Indian citizens on getting domicile or getting job or purchasing property in Jammu and Kashmir in order to make laws equal for all Indians. As being a part of India, Kashmir was enjoying a special status which has now been abrogated. From Islamic perspective, the revocation of the special status can’t be termed a condition to declare muamalat with Hindus forbidden nor can it be preconceived that the Hindus want to harm the Kashmiris through purchasing their land and turning them into a minority. In any case, Muslims live as a minority throughout the country with varying degrees of population ratio. Therefore, the recent fatwa issued by Mufti Muneeb of Pakistan in which he has declared muamalat forbidden with Hindus as it will harm Islam and Muslims, is just pernicious propaganda inspired by the Pakistani Establishment’s old agenda of acquiring Kashmiri territory. 

The Muamalat, as per the Islamic jurists, is permissible with all Muslims and non-Muslims. Just as the non-Kashmiri Indian Muslims live in peaceful coexistence and do muamalat with their non-Muslim citizens, so the Kashmiri Muslims too can develop this relationship with Hindus in terms of selling, buying or doing any sort of transactions.

In his book “Al-Mahajjah al-Mu’taminah fi Ayat al-Mumtahinah, (The Safe haven: in the verse of Mumtahinah)”, an Indian Hanafi Jurist Ala Hazrat Imam Ahmad Raza writes:
“It is permissible to conduct transactions and have dealings with anyone, … The Dhimmi (the term used for non-Muslim subjects of an Islamic State in the past) is similar to a Muslim in all such dealings. “They shall have the same rights and obligations as us”- (لهم ما لنا وعليهم ما علينا). It is permissible to conduct transactions even with non-Dhimmis. Transactions like buying and selling, leasing and renting, giving and accepting gifts (upon the condition that these gifts are permitted by the Shariah); and to purchase anything from them, when such goods are of benefit for Muslims; ….
"So also, it is permitted to employ them to do things that are not contrary to the Shariah; and to accept employment of non-Muslims in permissible activities that are not humiliating [to Muslims]; so also, is hiring them and getting hired by them. It is permissible to give them gifts as goodwill (Maslehat-e-Shariah) … and to accept their gifts as long as such gifts do not contravene or criticise Islam. … So also, [it is allowed] to have contracts with them, and have covenants with them to a certain extent and when such a permissible covenant is made, it is obligatory to fulfil it and it is forbidden to betray or renege from such promises.” (Al-Mahajjah al-Mu’taminah fi Ayat al-Mumtahinah, -The Safe haven: in the verse of Mumtahinah by Imam Ahmad Raza)

 The jurists have declared only the kind of Muamalat to be forbidden in which it is intended to harm Islam and Muslims. Such Muamalat which harm Muslims and Islam is indiscriminately prohibited not only with non-Muslims but also with Muslims. 

Imam Ahmad Raza says, “The mere human relations (mujarrad muamalat) are permissible with every disbeliever except apostates, with the condition that there is no support for disbelief or disobedience, or harm to Islam or Sharia, otherwise such Muamalat are forbidden with the Muslims as well, not to speak of the disbelievers”
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And do not help one another in sin and oppression.” (Quran 5:2)
In this verse, Allah Almighty has absolutely prohibited aid and assistance in sins and aggressions. Sins and aggressions may be committed by Muslims or non-Muslims, and if such is the case, then it is not permitted to support any sin or aggression, whether it is perpetrated by Muslims or non-Muslims.

 However, Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman has used this verse only to forbid transactions of selling land and property to non-Kashmiri Hindus, with the supposed idea that if Kashmiri Muslims sell their land to Hindus, this will harm the Muslims and Islam. This is simply a supposed idea in line with the Pakistani politics to sow dissensions between the Kashmiris and the rest of India, which is their own country. The question is that there are many cases of sins and oppression in Pakistan but Mufti Muneeb has not issued a fatwa to boycott transactions with oppressors and sinners? Dozens of oppressive issues are there in Pakistan in which Mufti Muneeb is silent. Moreover, he even does not bother to publicly declare such cases to be forbidden and the criminals to be boycotted. The first thing he should be doing if he is a real Islamic scholar is to put the Pakistan security forces in the category of “Zalimoon,” as their vile oppression of minority ethnic groups is well known and well-documented. Through his fatwa he appears to be only concerned about the Kashmiris as his interference into the Kashmir issues will benefit Pakistani Deep State.

Mufti Munebur Rahman approaches the issue of Kashmir as a great believer in Islamic brotherhood.  If that is the case, what about issuing a fatwa forbidding Pakistani government having any transactions with China or Mayamar. Are Uighurs of Xinkiang in China and Rohingyas of Mayanmar not Muslim? Or is there any doubt about the persecution and suffering they are undergoing for years?

The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is part of India where Muslims live in majority and have all fundamental rights equal to other Indian Muslims. If any youngsters in Kashmir commit terrorism against Indian forces or interests, this is not only a violation of Indian laws but also a serious violation of Islamic laws. Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman should first issue a fatwa against this sin and aggression which is working to brainwash the Kashmiris to rebel against India. Another thing for Mufti Muneeb to note is that just as Muslims in any part of India are permitted to buy or sell their land and property, so the Muslims in Kashmir too can do their transactions and Muamalat with Hindus or any non-Muslims and this is as much Islamic as in any other parts of India.

Mufti Muneeb himself has said, “In general circumstances, unlike with the apostates, sale and purchase and other financial transactions with the Jews, Christians and other non-Muslims is permitted by Shariah” quoting a number of evidences from Islamic sources. But in the second part of Fatwa in which he proposes his supposed idea that the muamalat in Kashmir with Hindus will harm Muslims is based on mere supposition and has no basis in ground-reality.

With these arguments, Mufti Muneeb’s fatwa is easily refutable. It should be set aside as the trash it is. Its motives are not far to see. Many such muftis in the past have bent Islamic precepts following orders from their despotic rulers either out of greed or fearing the authority. These have become precedents and cause grievous injury to the evolution of Muslim thought.

As for the Muslims in India and its Kashmir region, God Almighty is the Protector and therefore Muslims should not worry about any harm coming from any worldly source. They can and should engage in muamalat with Hindus and other non-Muslims without an iota of doubt in their minds. If based on mutual benefit, such transactions do not amount to supporting sin and aggression, the only thing prohibited in Quran (5:2), and thus, as we have seen above, there is no violation of Islamic precepts whatsoever.
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Saturday, May 2, 2020

Reformist Islamic Scholar Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, Calls for Ijtihad and Practically Indulges in It

By Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander, New Age Islam
02 May 2020
 










Reformist Islamic Scholar JavedGhamidi
Hayaat e Ghamidi :Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Ki IlmiAurTahreekiZindagi Ka TareekhiMutala
(The Life of Ghamidi: A historical exposition of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi’s scholarly life and contribution to Revivalist Movement)
Author: Shah Imran Hasan
Publisher: Rahbar Book Service, New Delhi, India
Pages: 160 Price: Rs 160

Islamic Revivalist Movements particularly Jamaat e Islami (JeI) witnessed many phases in South Asia. In different countries it adopted different methodologies to achieve its goal of establishing the Islamic state. It’s founding ideologue Mawlana Abul Ala Mawdudi (1903-1979) was an influential scholar, writer and political activist whose legacy and works are still open for debate. The party he founded in 1941, JeI has the privilege of being a well networked and hierarchal grassroot level party not only in terms of its membership and presence, but in terms of attracting scholarly stalwarts to its narrative.

Most of the contemporary scholars of south asia at one point of time have been associated with JeI. Many of these former members today are leading critics of JeI. Javed Ahmad Ghamidi is one such contemporary Muslim scholar and a leading critique of JeI narrative. He is a much sought-after speaker and regularly appears on various television networks and is invited to lecture in different parts of the world. He has carved a niche for himself and his thoughts by offering various new interpretations of Islam. It is what Ijtihaad stands for, but most Muslim scholars shriek away from this duty. JavedGhamidi is very brave to set his foot in this forbidden territory and is paying the price for his views.

JavedGhamidi is not a prolific writer, though he has hundreds of recorded hours of his speeches. He has written few books on Islam offering his interpretation and completed the exegesis of Quran in five volumes titled Al Bayan. The current book under review by a young writer Shah Imran Hasan offers an introduction to the life, scholarly acumen, organizational affiliation and associates of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi with brevity.

Ghamidi is introduced as a scholar who is continuously striving for Ijtihad in the current times. The reader is exposed about the early life of Ghamidi, how during his student days his penchant for books, engagement with diverse and difficult themes indicated about his future scholarly life. His meeting with Maulana Amin Ahsan Islahi, a stalwart scholar of Quranic studies whose exegesis Tadabbur Ul Quran opened new paradigms of understanding the Holy text is an important turn in his life. In 1973 he came under his tutelage, thus began his life long intellectual journey. In 1983, Ghamidi established Al Mawrid Institute, that now has branches and chapters in different parts of the world. The institute established two important journals Ishraq (Urdu) published since 1987 and Renaissance (English) 1990 in which writings of Ghamidi and other scholars are regularly published.

Before coming under the influence and tutelage of Islahi, Ghamidi was associated with Jamaat e Islami and MawlanaMawdudi. So, he has been influenced by both these scholars, though later on he disassociated with Mawdudi and JeI. Hasan has divided the book in four broad themes. He has very well established the influences that shaped the personality of Ghamidi. He deliberates about his efforts in the field of Islamic Revivalism. Further it is pertinent to mention that Ghamidi is a leading critique of the philosophy of Islamic mysticism. He traces its roots to every other ideology except Islam. Most of his critique is recorded in the form of his speeches and writings.

What distinguishes Ghamidi from other scholars of Islam is his courage to maintain unique and different stance on various issues. His call is for Ijtihad and he practically indulges in it. Ghamidi traces the history of how the gates of creative thinking, interpretation and analysis of texts was closed and now is opposed by Ulama. Now after the elapse of few centuries the juristic rulings, opinions of Ulama and contextual interpretation of Islam has assumed sanctified status and sacredness. To question them is tantamount to blasphemy and for undertaking this important task, Ghamidi had to pay with the attacks and even martyrdom of some of his colleagues like Dr Farooq Khan. So he was coerced to migrate from Pakistan due to the threats by violent and extremist elements, who intend to impose their sectarian and divisive interpretation of Islam through the barrel of gun as they have lost the argument. Despite these threats Ghamidi is continuing with his scholarly mission and contributing to Islam through Ijtihad.

One of the important contributions of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi to the Islamic Revivalist movement is that on the pattern of JeI, Al Mawrid institute is supporting and producing scholars of Islam. They have a good number of scholars who mostly comprise of Ghamidi’s students and now are his associates and they all work on different themes of Islam. They are writing books, conducting classes, answering questions and coming up with new interpretation of Islam that certainly is the need of the hour.

Overall, the book is a nice attempt by Hasan to document the life and scholarly achievements and contribution of Ghamidi and his other associates. It offers an introduction to the work undertaken by Ghamidi and his institute and at best can qualify for a hagiography. But it leaves a lot of scope for the other writers, historians and serious scholars for exploration. Still this attempt cannot be discounted despite its flaws as it offers the readers an introduction to the works of an important contemporary scholar of Islam. Hasan deserves our appreciation and compliments for bringing out this work. 

An occasional columnist for NewAgeIslam.com, M.H.A.Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir


Friday, May 1, 2020

Quranic Discourse About Women Is Rights Based but This Privilege Has Been Snatched Away from Them Over the Centuries Due to The Patriarchal Interpretation of Islam

By Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander, New Age Islam
01 May 2020



Teri ZaatSey Hai SilsileySaarey (Each Relation Originates from Your Personality)
Compiler: Saleem Mansur Khalid
Publisher: Manshurat Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi, India
Year of Publication: 2019
Pages: 219 Price: Rs 200

The discourse on women rights in Islam is a contested one. For traditionalists the scope of women’s activities is confined just to her home and hearth. Child rearing, raising them, taking care of home are the priorities. The economic activities of women and working outside her home are curtailed in this discourse. For this economic freedom, women have to surrender few rights and a narrative mired with patriarchy emerges. In the other discourse women are economic creatures who need to provide for themselves and families. Both these discourses emerged over the course of time and each one of them has its merits and flaws. In our contemporary era, the gender relations have witnessed a shift so has the family life.

Family is the basic unit of society and Islam also stresses strongly on maintaining family ties. Quran time and again emphasis on being good to ones parents. Related to it is the husband and wife relationship that Quran describes as the basis of every other relationship. But over the course of time, the husband-wife relationships have been rendered more legal and an undercurrent of power struggle has undermined the love and respect it is expected to command. Globalization, Liberalization and Crony capitalism has rendered each soul to struggle economically. Gone are the days when one family member will earn and feed whole family. The inflation, rising standard of living and keeping abreast with the changing fashion trends and technology has compelled every person to be an economic animal.

The present book under review is a compilation of various writings by different authors each revolving around women and their role in establishing a successful married and family life. These writings have been compiled by an important historian of Islamic orientation Prof. Salim Mansur Khalid. In his introduction, Prof. Salim emphasizes that the onus of responsibility for making and breaking a home lies with a woman. It can be a contested claim, but Islamic spirit certainly lays down huge responsibility on women, particularly as mothers. It also rewards them as mothers. Muslim children are supposed to obey their parents and never shriek them off, even if they reach a ripe age. The Quranic discourse about women is rights based and for men it is duty based, but this privilege has been snatched away from them over the centuries due to the patriarchal interpretation of Islam.

These discourses and narratives do not form the core argument of the book, but time and again women particularly as wives are espoused to bear with patience every hardship that she may encounter at her in laws home. She has to selflessly sacrifice for the greater good of the family, bear with the harsh temperament of her husband and take care of her children as it is a divine responsibility. The essays attempt to reengineer and rewire her to adjust in her new home, where father and mother in law are a reality and she certainly needs to win them over. The biggest sacrifice that women undertake is shifting to her husband’s home. It is something that has become so normal that the element of sacrifice is not being associated with it. So a daughter in law is supposed to cater to the needs of each family member not to win over her husband only. She can demand a new house from her husband but better is to live and exist with father and mother in law. Also pragmatically speaking it is quite difficulty for most husbands in south asia to provide a separate house for the wife. Also speaking ill about in laws is not encouraged and any difficulty has to be overcome patiently.

Turning ones back to the responsibilities after marriage is an important aspect of the book. In our current era no person is ready to shoulder responsibilities. The modern-day capitalistic economics has rendered people hedonistically ambitious. They have dreams, desires and destinations that they intend to realize. So, none is ready to sacrifice or devote time and energy for the other. A marriage demands it, surrendering few rights and demands for the other. In a strictly patriarchal society, a woman will never accept a husband whom earns less than her or is educationally not even with her. So this economic empowerment of women has given rise to other problems, leading to strife in marriages. On the other hand working women are facing numerous problems as many times it becomes difficult for them to balance between personal and professional demands.

Meanwhile the man, as a husband and son are also struggling to strike a balance and many times becomes victim between the antagonistic demands and expectations of wife and mother.  Further if the marriage is not leading to the birth of a child then it creates a ruckus among the couple and their families. But when the woman is pregnant, taking care of the child and taking care of its needs, is akin to be involved in Jihad (P-58). Then naming the child can become a bone of contention, so a consensus among both families should be reached. Then various constructive steps should be taken to raise the child in a free environment that will lead to his/her holistic development.

Also, women have a great role in helping their husbands become religious. They should also be attending to the chores at home as well as fulfilling their religious chores. Overall, the book is a nice read and delineates the responsibilities of a woman as enshrined in religion. But at the same time most essays overlook the responsibilities of man and particularly husband. The onus of all responsibility has been made around the woman, but a husband has been obliged to fulfil more duties and responsibilities towards the family and particularly the wife. This emphasis on the central role of husband should not be discounted, particularly when it comes to domestic chores and raising children because capitalism has now rendered both genders as economic creatures. So if a wife is earning, a husband too needs to attend to the responsibilities of home. Only then the disasters that we are witnessing happening to the institution of marriage will be curtailed, otherwise the family structure and its prospectus look quite bleak in future.

An occasional columnist for NewAgeIslam.com, M.H.A.Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir