Nuh-Gurugram Communal Violence Has No Precedence In Independent India

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 7 August 2023 The Rise Of Hindutva Politics Is Behind The Riots Main Points: 1. Pre-Independence communal violence has raised its ugly head in Newat. 2. Communal polarisation in Mewat is a recent phenomenon. 3. The communal tensions rose only after 2021. ------ Shops that were damaged after communal clashes in Nuh, Haryana | ANI ----- The communal violence that rocked first Nuh and then Gurugram in Haryana is the fall out of the rise of Hindutva politics in the last two years. Though the High Court has stayed the demolition of the houses of the accused, the government has not been able to reign in anti-social elements. The killing of Nasir and Junaid allegedly by the gang of Monu Manesar and the government's lackadaisical approach to dealing with the case has only contributed to the communal polarisation. Gurugram which had become an industrial hub has been caught in the communal violence incited by the forces which do not care for the country's economic problems and its deteriorating image in the global community. The Muslims and Hindus of Mewat have been living peacefully since Independence. Cultural harmony is important factor that has cemented this bond. Even in the height of the violence, the local Hindus and Muslims have displayed unity and harmony and have reiterated their vow to live peacefully and harmoniously. Mr Praveen Swami has delved deep into the Hindu Muslim relationship since the 1930s and the role of Tablighi Jamat and Arya Samaj in the communal polarisation in Mewat before Independence. But after Independence, Mewat gradually returned to peace and harmony between the two communities. This continued till 2021 when violence on religious ground was almost non-existent. It was only in the 2022 that cow vigilantism caused anxiety among the Muslims. The killing of Nasir and Junaid by the cow vigilantes was a major tragedy that threatened the peace and harmony of the region. As of now, the two communities have shown their resolve to fight the communal politics. It remains to be seen how the government reigns in the divisive forces. ----- Gurugram’s Is A Hard-Won Economic Gain. But Nuh Violence Shows It’s Imploding By Praveen Swami 06 August, 2023 An elephant lurched down the Grand Trunk Road through Gurugram, the occupants firing at their victims from the armoured howdah mounted on its back. From nearby rooftops, villagers fought off the assault by using mortar forged from the rear axle-casing of cars. “There were swords and spears by the thousand,” Superintendent of Police William Pearce recalled, “and even some homemade Sten guns.” “Every village started a gunpowder factory.” Erased from our memory by high-rise buildings and malls, Gurugram, and the Mewat region that sprawled to its south, imploded into a macabre carnival of killing during Partition. “Whole villages were razed; scores of mosques desecrated; thousands killed or forced on pain of death to convert to Hinduism”, historian Ian Copland writes, “and many more thousands were forced to flee.” For months afterwards, scholar Yasmin Khan records, corpses from Gurgaon washed up in the irrigation canal in Mathura. Each of those bodies told the story of how communal politics set fire to a largely peaceful region, turning it into a stage for one of the largest ethnic-cleaning campaigns in recorded history. The story warns us that the incendiary politics that led to Gurugram—an icon of India’s economic ambitions—could easily set off larger fires, with serious consequences for the entire country. An unquiet peace Even though Haryana has earned a reputation for enabling the growth of violent Hindu-nationalist gangs, the state has long had an excellent record of ensuring tensions do not spiral into killings. In 2015, the first full year of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s time in office, National Crime Records Bureau data states that Haryana had no murders attributed to religious reasons. The number remained the same in 2020, the year Delhi saw 53. Then, in 2021, there was just a single communalism-related killing. These low numbers are remarkable because of a context of endemic violence: Haryana registered 3.8 murders per 100,000 population in 2021, the highest across states and Union territories after Jharkhand. Likely, the low level of communal killing is an outcome of firm police action. Haryana registered 40 cases for religious and communal rioting in 2021, the fourth-highest among states and Union territories. The state, notably, registered 2,253 cases of all kinds of rioting that year, or 7.6 per 100,000 population, the highest across states and Union territories. The neighbouring Mewat belt regions of Alwar and Bharatpur have also been relatively peaceful. Ten people, all Muslims, were killed in Bharatpur—nine at the hands of police—after communal violence broke out in 2011. Even though lynchings of Muslims have been reported in Mewat for years, they have not exploded into generalised communal rioting. From the history of 1947, though, we know how little it takes to ignite warfare in fractured societies. Large populations of Meo Muslims had coexisted with Hindus across Mewat for centuries, historian Shail Mayaram has written, often sharing religious and cultural practices. Like the region’s Jats, the Meos had repeatedly rebelled against the authority of Delhi. Early in the twentieth century, though, the Arya Samaj movement and the Tablighi Jama’at had initiated competing proselytising movements across the region, hardening the frontiers of Hindu and Muslim consciousness—setting the stage for Partition. The Maharajas versus the Raj Evidence of the strains in Mewat began to emerge as early as 1932 when a Muslim procession led by the Anjuman-i-Khadim-ul-Islam clashed with Dalits headed to inaugurate a new caste temple. Three people were killed, and large numbers of Meo fled across the borders of the state of Alwar into then Gurgaon, part of British Imperial Punjab. Later that year, tax officers were beaten by a mob of Meo in Tijara. The Maharaja of Alwar responded by burning down the village. Alwar’s harsh response sparked off an insurrection: Meo villages erected fortifications, cut off roads, and began raising funds to purchase weapons. The British, fearing the consequences of Hindu-Muslim warfare across India, agreed to helped Alwar. There were, however, terms: the houses of Alwar and Bharatpur were forced to hand power to British administrators. Even though Imperial administration brought some level of development to the region, the communal problem continued. In 1937, Muharram processions refused to accept police-decreed routes. In one case, Muslims insisted on marching past a disused mosque which had been converted into a Bhairon temple, with official permission. Hindu groups also fanned the flames, insisting on holding a Bhairon fair during Muharram. Fanatical in their personal caste and religious observances, the new reagents of Alwar and Bharatpur cultivated ties to the Hindutva movement in an effort to expand their power, and push back against imperial domination. Educated at an élite boarding school in England, just eleven years old when he became king, Maharaja Brijendra Singh of Bharatpur was possessed of arrogance matched only by his indolence. “I must have committed some very slight sin in my previous incarnation,” Copeland records him saying, “for instead of remaining a God I have been sent back a Maharaja.” The Maharaja “treated his subordinates like an oversized prep-school bully and had indiscreet homosexual affairs with members of the household infantry.” Francis Wylie, a senior colonial civil servant, described Tej Singh of Alwar as “petty-minded, greedy both for money and power and a prig.” The opinion was shared, across the political chasm, by to-be Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who believed Tej Singh was a “paranoiac.” As imperial authority waned in the 1940s, the British drew back—and the rulers of Alwar and Bharatpur made their faith a tool to seize back power. The Final Act Former Congress chief minister of the central provinces, and Hindu Mahsabha Leader Narayan Khare arrived in Alwar early in the summer of 1947, to direct the final act of this tragedy. Since 1946, British intelligence had been warning that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was holding military training camps across Alwar and Bharatpur, with the patronage of the Maharajas. Leaders of the Muslim League had also made an appearance, arguing for a Meo state which would ally with Pakistan. Like cow-protection vigilantes operating in Mewat today, the militia operating under the flags of the Hindu Mahasabha and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh appear to have attracted significant numbers of lumpenised youth, using their new-found power to loot and rape. Khare’s memoirs suggest that the massacres began with a series of small communal skirmishes, which escalated into fighting between Alwar state forces and the Meo. Later, Mayaram’s interviews with survivors show, state forces engaged in large-scale massacres of Muslims. In other cases, Meo were spared in return for embracing Hinduism. From census data gathered by Copeland, it is clear an epic ethnic cleansing took place: Alwar’s Muslim population, which had been 26.2 per cent in 1941 and 19.2 per cent of Bharatpur, dropped after the pogroms, conversions and flight, to 6 per cent in both states. Tens of thousands of survivors limped across the border into British India, beginning the long and dangerous journey to Bahawalpur in Pakistan. Tens of thousands more congregated in what was then the Punjab district of Gurgaon, and its Muslim-majority town of Nuh. Large numbers of Nuh families are descendants of the survivors of the 1947 carnage. Khare would be investigated by the British Imperial States Ministry for his role in ordering Alwar forces to engage in genocide, and ordering the destruction of mosques. The allegations against him, followed by claims of his involvement in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Neither allegation was proved, and the investigation into the Partition violence went nowhere. Later, in 1952, Khare was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bharatpur. For his part, Maharaja Brijendra Singh was also elected to the Lok Sabha, as an independent candidate. Tej Singh of Alwar retired to his palace in Delhi, Alwar House, in 1948, and was rarely seen in public thereafter. The Maharajas never got the Hindu state they hoped for, nor wielded significant power in independent India. Among the greatest achievements of the states which have governed the Mewat region was healing the wounds of 1947 and ensuring that tensions did not flare into large-scale violence. The prosperity of the Gurugram-Delhi belt, as well as the emergence of towns like Behror and Bharatpur as industrial hubs, can be traced to this hard-won stability. That triumph is now in peril. ----- Praveen Swami is National Security Editor, ThePrint. He tweets @praveenswami. Views are personal. (Edited by Anurag Chaubey) Source: Gurugram’s Is A Hard-Won Economic Gain. But Nuh Violence Shows It’s Imploding URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-politics/nuh-gurugram-communal-violence-independent-india/d/130403 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Mewat Recalls Mahatma's Visit in 1947 as Violence Grips Mewat in 2023 Again

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 7 August 2023 Mahatma Gandhi Had Consoled People Of Mewat Main Points: 1. Mahatma visited Mewat to dissuade Muslims from migrating to Pakistan. 2.Chaudhary Yasin Khan had invited him. 2. Meo Muslims had abandoned their plan to leave India in Mahatma's request. ----- Mahatma Gandhi. Photo: Unknown/Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain ----- Mewat has witnessed communal violence since last week. Some people including a imam of a mosque have been killed. The violence erupted during a Yatra taken out by Hindus. This Yatra was taken out in Nuh every year but never before it turned violent. This time the rise of Hindutva politics was behind the communal conflagration. Many villagers, mostly Muslims have fled to save their lives. But unfortunately, no political leader has visited to console the villagers and to do something to ring back peace. But on 19 December 1947, amid the communal violence, Mahatma Gandhi had visited Mewat to appeal to the dissuade Meo Muslims from leaving India and migrating to Pakistan. They were leaving India because of attacks on them in Alwar and Bharatpur. On Ch. Yasin Khan's invitation, Mahatma Gandhi had visited Mewat's Jesarah village and stayed there for a week in severe cold. He appealed to the Muslims not to leave India because India was their homeland. Mewat's Muslims were moved by Gandhiji's appeal and abandoned their plans to leave India. Vivek Shukla, in his article laments the fact that in the current situation no important political leader has visited the riot affected Gurugram and Nuh. ------ With Mewat in Flames, Remembering Gandhiji’s Visit to the Region in 1947 By Vivek Shukla 7 August 2023 It was a shivering cold morning in Delhi on December 19, 1947. Cold winds were blowing and there was no trace of the sun. The mood in Delhi was sombre, as many parts of the capital like Karol Bagh, Pahar Ganj and Shahdara were in flames due to unabated communal violence despite the untiring efforts of Mahatma Gandhi. Since his arrival at Shahdara Railway station on September 9, 1947 from Calcutta – after controlling the riots there – he was again visiting the riot-torn areas. That morning, Gandhi was at the Birla House at Tees January Marg. He was ready to visit Gurugaon’s Jesarah village, around 55 kilometres from Delhi. He had been asked to visit the region by respected Meo leader Ch. Yasin Khan. A member of the Punjab assembly and the Unionist Party, Khan met Gandhiji on September 20, 1947 at Birla House and told him that hundreds of Muslims from the Mewat region were planning to leave for Pakistan because of the violence they faced in Alwar and Bharatpur. After hearing this plea, Gandhi told Khan that he would visit Mewat soon. On December 19, 1947, his programme was conveyed to Khan and others. They made elaborate arrangements for Gandhi’s address at Jesarah village panchayat ground. Gandhi reached there before 12:30 pm. It would have taken around two hours to reach there, as roads beyond Dhaula Kuan were pathetic during those days. He was accompanied by Gopi Chand Bhargava, the chief minister of Punjab, and a couple of others from Delhi. According to a report in The Harijan on December 28, 1947, Gandhiji told the packed Jesarah panchayat ground, “My voice was not so powerful as it once used to be. There was a time when whatever I said was acted upon. If I had the original power, not a single Muslim should have found it necessary to migrate to Pakistan from India or a single Hindu or Sikh to leave his home in Pakistan and seek asylum in the Indian Union.” The capacity crowd was listening to his address with full attention. Gandhi added that “the murder, arson, loot, abductions, forcible conversation were really barbaric.” He was referring to gory incidents that rocked the country after India’s partition. Naturally, he was very sad about the state of affairs and sounded helpless. A 17-year-old boy was also there at Jesarah panchayat ground with his father and other family members. He later became Maulana Jameel Iliyasi and established the mosque on the capital’s Kasturba Gandhi Marg. Years later, his eyes become moist recalling Gandhi’s historic visit to Mewat. He believes that Mewat would remain indebted to the Mahatma for giving a helping hand when it was facing a great deal of trouble. The ground where Gandhi spoke. Photo: Special arrangement ----- The Harijan further reports that Gandhi said, “I would feel happy if my words could bring some consolation to you in the distress.” Referring to the Meo refugees, who had been driven out of Alwar and Bhartapur states, Gandhi remarked that he looked forward to the day when all enmities would be forgotten and hatred buried underground and all those who had driven away from their hearths and homes would return to them and resume their evocations in perfect security and peace as before. Finally, he told all those planning to move to Pakistan to shun their decision. “India belongs to you and you belong to India.” And Meos did not disappoint him. They decided to stay in Gandhi’s India rather than move to Jinnah’s Pakistan. And at the end of his address, Gandhi remarked, “I am told Meos were almost like criminal tribes. If the statement was correct, it called for an all out effort on their part to reform them.” Surely, only a brave man like Gandhiji could have made this statement to them. After his address at Jesarah, he spent some time with Meo leaders at Khan’s home and had his vegetarian lunch there. As the cold conditions were becoming severe, the dhoti-clad Gandhi left for Delhi to attend his multi-faith prayer meeting. There too, he discussed the Jesarah trip. Cut to now: No leader worth his salt has visited Mewat after the riots and destruction that have erupted there recently. Meanwhile, a school in the name of Gandhiji exists in Jesarah. Some village elders assemble there every year on December 19 to commemorate Gandhi’s visit. ---- Vivek Shukla is a journalist. Source: With Mewat in Flames, Remembering Gandhiji’s Visit to the Region in 1947 URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-politics/mewat-mahatma-gandhi-1947-violence/d/130406 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Anti-Muslim Hysteria Fast Peaking To A Crescendo As A Railway Policeman Kills Three Men On A Train

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 5 August 2023 The Attack Was Clearly A Lone Wolf Attack By A Terrorist Main Points: 1. The attacker killed a scheduled caste Hindu and three Muslims. 2. The attacks were apparently his reaction to a political debate with his senior. 3. Chetan Singh was radicalised by Hindutva hate campaign. 4. He mentioned media channels as his inspiration. 5. Passengers may avoid travelling in trains after this incident. ------ Citizens hold placards during a silent protest " Not in My Name " against the targeted lynching, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Credit: PTI/Shahbaz Khan ------ For the last few years Islamophobia in India has seen a fast and dangerous rise. Mob lynching, violence during Shobha Yatras (religious processions by Hindus), a new trend among Hindus as a reaction to the rise of Juloos-e-Mohammadi by Muslims have become more recurrent. Every religious procession (Shobha Yatra) more or less results in a communal clash. Since Yatras comprise participants from outside, the resident Muslims bear the brunt of the police and the administration. They are arrested for taking part in the violence and booked under various section of the law. Nowadays, they are not only booked by rioting but also their houses are demolished by with the help of bulldozers. Since the participants in the Shobha Yatra are outsiders, they are not identified and go scot free. This has also been the pattern of government action against the rioters in Haryana. But apart from this organised violence against Muslims in India, there is a new trend of communal violence against India. The slaughter of three Muslim by an armed railway policeman on a train near Mumbai is indicative of a new trend of hate and violence against unarmed, innocent and unsuspecting Muslims. The policeman named Chetan Singh openly announced his ideological affiliation to the Hindutva ideology which preaches hate and violence against Muslims, Christians and other minorities. He also.mentions the Indian media channels as his inspiration and the source of information about how Indian Muslims operate or from where they get instructions. The scene of Hindu passengers chanting Hanuman Chalisa to disturb the Namaz of a co-passenger on a train by general Hindus demonstrates how the Hindu society has been radicalised. They are filled with hate of Muslims thanks to the round the clock hate campaign run by the media channels. It was not very long ago that a procession with the national flag was taken out in support of the rapists of 8 year old Kathua girl and the Hindu lawyer had got gang rape threats for fighting the victim's case. This shows what degree of moral degradation the majority Indian society has sunk in. Now a crime, no matter how heinous it may be, is not considered a crime against Muslims, Dalits and Christians. Apart from violence, immoral acts by Indians on airplanes like urinating on women passengers have become normal. To what degree this malady of Hindutva ideology has affected and influenced the thought process of even the highly educated class of India can be gauged from the fact that a few days ago, a judge of Kolkata High Court, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, while hearing a petition filed by a woman against illegal construction by the local goons, said to the authorities of Kolkata Municipal Corporation that the Mamata government should hire a bulldozer from the government of Yogi Adityanath of Uttar Pradesh. Though he made this remark in jest, it raises an alarm over the rising criminal mentality among the Indian intelligentsia. The bulldozer has been used to illegally demolish the houses of accused in crimes not related to property disputes. In Madhya Pradesh, the house of a Muslim was reportedly demolished with bulldozer for allegedly spitting on a Hindu procession, though there was no evidence of the reported crime. In Khargone, the houses of Muslims, including the house of a widow was demolished for allegedly pelting stones at a Shobha Yatra. If a judge of a High court glorifies this illegal practice of bulldozed justice, what hope is left for minorities in India. A few years ago, a radicalised Muslim youth of Bangladesh had admitted that he was influenced and inspired by Zakir Naik 's ideology on his Television channel. His channel was banned and cases were registered against Zakir Naik. Here Chetan Singh announces in a loud voice that he is inspired by the Indian media channels and two political leaders, he is presented as unstable. Shouldn't the media channels be banned for radicalising Hindu youth? Two years ago, the youth belonging to a particular Hindutva brigade surrounded a Muslim girl Muskan Khan and chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' to which she chanted Allah o Akbar. This has turned the Indian society into a virtual battleground of communal ideologies which, if allowed to continue, may well turn into a civil war. Apoorvanand, in his article, has expressed same apprehensions over the growing Islamophobia in India. He is more worried over the fact that now the general Hindus nurture hatred of Muslims and do not hesitate to demonstrate their hate in public. If a Muslim arranges Namaz for the Muslims of his neighbourhood in his private land, the neighbourhood Hindus object to it. Now this hatred has not remained limited to the members of religious organisations. Now even children of Hindu families talk of shooting Muslims on trains. This has compelled many Muslims to avoid jour ey by train. But how long will they take other means of transport. If the hate keeps rising, someday some one may shoot Muslims on board a bus. The most unfortunate part of this development, Apoorvanand laments, is that neither the government apparatus nor the middle class intelligentsia has shown any concern. The reason is that they think that this is all happening against them; it's all happening against Muslims and Christians of the country. But they forget that when moral degradation becomes a psychological disease, it does not differentiate among people, It turns backwards. The example of Pakistan is before us. Muslim women are raped by Muslims; Muslim protesters are molested and raped in jails; Muslims are slaughtered by Muslims on political, sectarian and ethnic grounds. In India, Dalit women are raped and paraded naked by upper caste Hindus. Dalit boys are killed by upper caste Hindu teachers for drinking water from pitchers meant only for upper caste teachers. Examples galore. Therefore, if this campaign of hate and violence is not halted, it will not only harm minorities, but also damage the Hindu society and culture in the long run. ----- Muslim Life in India Has Become Dangerously Uncertain By Apoorvanand 03/AUG/2023 The news of a police constable shooting his senior, a Hindu from the ST community and then proceeding to shoot three others, all visibly Muslims in a moving train is scarier than the news of a mob attack. We do not yet know what was the trigger for this police officer to go on a shooting spree. Is it a coincidence that all three murdered by him after he killed his senior, a Hindu, happen to be Muslims and could be identified as Muslims from their ‘clothes’? Did their appearance betray them and trigger the policeman? How do we explain his angry and cold sermon to those whom he had killed to vote for Modi and Yogi? Can we see a connection between the identity of his targets and his apparent loyalty to Modi and Yogi? In normal times, such questions will be asked and we would expect those who have the skill and resources to investigate such crimes to find the motives behind them. In normal times and normal societies too, such murders take place. Or, we can even say that there is in fact no normal. Abnormalities abound in overtly normal situations. But we can hope to get the right answer to the questions after such horror in those societies. Can we say the same about India, our land? We know the answer. Were such a crime to happen in a country like the USA, which is the desired destination of many Indians, or in any other country in the West, the head of the state would appear on TV and make a public statement. Especially when the murderer invokes his name as a cover for his crime. The head of state would have denounced it and distanced herself from the murderer. But here in India, neither the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh nor the Prime Minister of India have stirred. What should we conclude from their silence? That the rulers do not feel responsible for the action of one of their people or do not feel accountable to those whom they are supposed to protect? No remorse even for that? They do not deserve even a word of condolence? Should not the railway minister apologise to those killed by his man? What should be the response from the chief of the Railway Protection Force, whose man has committed four murders? His act has now created a feeling of insecurity among all railway passengers. Would not the sight of a policeman with a firearm make travellers uneasy and fearful? Would they not lose their sleep when they see armed police personnel sitting in their coach? After all, the seniors of the constable accepted that he was a man of unstable nature. Despite that, they entrusted him with the job of looking after the security of the passengers. How responsible have they been? Do they have no sense of repentance? Why do we see no expression of it? A sleeper coach of the Indian Railways. Photo: Draconian Rain/Flickr CC BY NC 2.0 ------ Should not the state have shown that it feels accountable by announcing extraordinary compensation for the lives lost due to its carelessness, if we accept the claims of the officials that the murderer was mentally unstable? Should not the railway officials have the courtesy, at the minimum, to accompany the dead to their families? The absence of remorse, shame, or repentance in the state apparatus should worry us. For the murdered passengers, the police officer was the State. He was not a private citizen. He had the power of violence. Which was used against unarmed, non-violent, unsuspecting citizens he was supposed to protect. The State has to take responsibility. Respected news platforms have censured his words of allegiance to the BJP leaders. They are digging into his past to establish that a psychiatric disorder and not politics should be held responsible for the murders. Why did they edit out the uncomfortable part of the story, which exposes the political ideology behind the slaughter? Can we say that the constable tried to cover up the murder of his senior by killing three Muslims? Because now, murdering Muslims is seen as normal in India. It is perfectly normal for Hindus to get offended by a Muslim’s very appearance. How do we explain that persons with no criminal history get provoked by visible Muslim-ness? Just before the circulation of the video of these murders, we watched another video in which a Muslim man is surrounded by Hindus. We are informed that he was silently offering Namaz. The sight of a Muslim performing Namaz provoked the Hindus so much that they opened their mobiles and read aloud Hanuman Chalisa from their devices, in responding to his Namaz! One can say that these two incidents are not related. But we know they are. The Namaz, a Muslim act, or the beard or cap or burqa, can now trigger perfectly normal Hindus of a loving nature. It must be the fault of the Muslims who provoke non-violent, ever tolerant Hindus to resort to what they would never do normally: hate and violence. It was again a coincidence that the news of these murders came with more news of violence from the Mewat region of Haryana. A VHP procession was stopped by a group of Muslims and pelted with stones. The procession was not religious. It was taken out after violent anti-Muslim announcements by the organisers. It was also announced that Monu Manesar, who is the main accused in the murders of two Muslim youths Nasir and Junaid a couple of months ago, would be part of the procession. It was meant to anger Muslims. A man who openly announces his desire to eliminate Muslims, who is a murder accused, who is wanted by the Rajasthan police, was to participate, which is nothing but open humiliation of Muslims. Why was this procession allowed? Why is a person accused of the murder of two Muslims allowed to hide in the open by the Haryana government? Why has it not handed him over to the Rajasthan police? Would people committing violence against Muslims not be considered criminals anymore? All these incidents are related. The murder of Muslims in the train would not have been possible if Monu Manesar was apprehended and brought to justice. It would not have happened if the Prime Minister had not asked Hindus to identify those who oppose the government by their clothes. It would not have happened if the killers of Mohsin Sheikh were not let off by the courts with the explanation that it was his appearance which invited the attack on him. What does this attack do to us? Who is affected by it? Definitely Muslims who have already been feeling that public spaces are not safe for them. Now, even in crowded spaces like a moving train, they would feel more vulnerable. They have to keep guessing who among the co-passengers would get provoked by what. What caution do they have to exercise to remain safe? I recall a note written by a Muslim woman three to four years ago. Travelling on a train, a child asked her husband if he was a Muslim. When he said, yes, the child said that he should be shot. The Muslim woman wrote that after that they almost gave up travelling by train. It was costly for them but they changed their mode of travel. This incident has shown two things: Muslim life in India has become dangerously uncertain and Hindus have been radicalised to such an extent that now you do not need organised violence. Violence against Muslims and Christians has become part of Hindu life. People would object to the generalisation but is it not a fact now? Hindu society will have to reverse this trend to save itself. It is the most urgent task it cannot ignore or delay. ----- Source: Muslim Life in India Has Become Dangerously Uncertain URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-politics/anti-muslim-hysteria-railway-policeman/d/130389 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Maulvi Nigar, Lynched For Blasphemy, Found Innocent; False Blasphemy Accusation Persists In Pakistan, With Clerics Sharing Equal Blame

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 5 August 2023 The Holy Qur'an Commands Muslims To Have A Proper Investigation, But Emotional Muslims Often Ignore This Instruction Main Points 1. Blasphemy charges in Pakistan are often falsely reported for personal gain, affecting the emotions of ordinary people. 2. Pakistan faces a dire situation with miscreants and fake clerics inciting hostility and evading chaos. 3. Islamic Shari'ah prohibits torturing or falsely accusing someone of blasphemy; Pakistani mob disobeys rules, while clerics are also responsible for the widespread practice. ------- Maulvi Nigar Alam ----- Maulvi Nigar Alam, who was accused of blasphemy and lynched, has recently been found innocent. At a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) event on May 8 at Sawal Dher, Mardan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, he spoke in favour of a local PTI representative. The Maulvi, who was covered in a turban and had a long beard, said a few words out of the blue that led to the accusation of blasphemy and decided his fate. A short while afterwards, Maulvi Nigar was beaten to death by the mob. On social media, the video of the incident went viral. This incident was unlike past blasphemy cases because it involved a person who appeared to be religious and who said something that the masses perceived as blasphemous. A Jirga in the area decided on Wednesday, a few months after the incident, that Nigar's lynching was unlawful and in violation of Islamic law and that his family should be granted Diyat. Targets of 104 cases included Sawaldhir residents; some of them were detained, while others were released on bond. The guilty parties will pay Rs4.5 million in blood money (Diyat) to help the children of Maulvi Nigar Alam, the Jirga decided on Wednesday. The family did keep Rs3.5 million nevertheless, and they also handed Rs1 million to the Jirga. The Jirga members stressed that Nigar should have been turned over to the police rather than tortured while also accepting his culpability. The victim's family personally pardoned the accused after the conviction was unanimous. Local Qazi Maulana Idris highlighted the need to stop engaging in disruptive provocations going forward. Ali Gohar, the brother of the deceased, commended the Jirga leaders for their efforts in restoring order and demonstrating Maulvi Nigar Alam's innocence. What a piece of cake it is to declare Maulvi Nigar Alam, who was murdered in Mardan for "blasphemy," innocent. The scholars of the Jirga contended that the victim's charge of blasphemy was unfounded. JUI (F) Maulvi Irfanullah, a political rival of the deceased who also incited violence, levelled this charge. Maulvi Irfanullah has subsequently made amends by giving money to the relatives of the dead, nevertheless. Innocence Declared: Maulvi Nigar Alam’s Case Resolved in Jirga/ Photo: Tribal News Network ----- Most blasphemy charges in Pakistan are falsely reported and done so for personal gain. In these situations, the emotions of regular people are manipulated. Given that the accusers are mostly Muslims, it is considered that the assertion is true. They make it difficult for the accused to survive because they assume the accuser is guilty. The Holy Qur'an makes it clear that you must properly investigate any report that you receive, but emotional Muslims choose not to heed these instructions. Amjad Abbas, a Pakistani civilian, claims that he recalls clerics frequently referring to Asia Maryam as "cursed" during a National Unilateral Council meeting. He questioned why she was cursed. They claimed that she had blasphemed. He then questioned them, "Have you heard the words of blasphemy yourself?" They rejected it. “How can you confidently say that to her”, he said to them. The Maulvi whose incendiary remarks led to the murder of former governor Salman Taseer afterwards filed an affidavit claiming to have no connection to the matter. Currently, Maulvi Irfanullah, who incited the mob to lynch Maulvi Nagar, has apologized to the deceased's heirs by paying lakhs of rupees. The sentimental religious fanatics who believe the accusation to be real ought to consider using their God-given intelligence and refusing to accept any accusation without investigation and merely at the clerics' suggestion. They should not be incited by the so-called Maulvis. The situation in Pakistan is quite bad because there are a lot of miscreants and fake clerics who incite religious and sectarian hostility and then escape the crowded streets when things go wrong. The controversial blasphemy law in Pakistan carries the death penalty for blasphemy. Despite the fact that the majority of these claims are widely believed to be untrue, there have nonetheless been countless cases of people being killed by angry people as a result of these accusations. According to a number of national and international human rights organisations, many people use the accusation of blasphemy to settle interpersonal conflicts and disagreements, and the country's minorities are likewise intimidated by this law. Islamic Shari'ah forbids torturing someone or falsely accusing them of blasphemy. However, the Pakistani mob has nothing to do with this restriction and disobeys the fundamental rules of Islamic justice. Due to their failure to raise awareness of this issue, clergy share equal blame for this widespread practise. URL: https://newageislam.com/the-war-within-islam/maulvi-nigar-lynched-blasphemy-pakistan-clerics/d/130388 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

"A Religiously Surcharged And Over-Sensitive Society Is Its Own Enemy"

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 5 August 2023 A lecturer at Poona's Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, Ashok Sopan Dhole, was arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Hindu gods during a lecture to Class 12 students. The incident came to light when a video of Dhole allegedly making objectionable comments about Hindu, Muslim, and Christian gods went viral on social media. Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the right-wing student organisation, expressed their anger after viewing the video, prompting the president of Pune Hindutva Organisation, Ravindra Dilip Padval, to file a police complaint. The teacher didn't say anything derogatory or objectionable about the deities of Hinduism. I saw the video clip in which he just said that the god was one, though we called him by different names. He narrated a story of a drowning man, who called many (Hindu) gods to save him. As we say in English, too many cooks spoil the broth, none came to his rescue and he drowned, whereas a Muslim and Christian were saved because they believed in Allah and god and didn't call any other deities for help. Should one be arrested for such a simple narration? Of late, Hindus have become too militant and bellicose. Now everything is umbrageous to them. Even an oblique reference to their truckload of gods can land you in prison." A religiously surcharged and over-sensitive society is its own enemy," said Dr Radhakrishnan, one of the greatest scholars of Hinduism and Eastern Religions. He was the Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at Oxford. Once at Oxford, the great professor was teaching Charvaka Darshan, one of the six schools of Indian philosophy which is completely atheistic in nature. A brilliant student asked him, "Professor, do you believe in this atheistic school?" Dr Radhakrishnan said, " Yes, while teaching an atheistic faith, I also become an atheist and when I teach theistic schools, I become a believer." This is the level of classroom discussion between a world class teacher and his equally gifted students at one of the finest universities in the world. And here in a Hindu India, 17/18-yr-old useless students are making videos of their teacher, who's not indulging in anything hanky-panky, and circulating them. So many Hindu outfits and their unemployed fanatic members are ready to be offended and they look for such opportunities to steal a few moments of publicity. The poor lecturer did nothing wrong, but in these religiously surcharged times and climes, the very words god and religion have become red rags to a bull. At the moment, Indians are chloroformed by god and religion and they shall remain in this slumberous state until they're violently shaken and stirred like a soda water bottle. ---- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/religiously-sensitive-society-enemy/d/130387 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Muslim Women: Pathways to Activism

By Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam 5 August 2023 Muslim Khwateen Activism Ki Raheen By Dr. Mohiuddin Ghazi Publisher: Central Maktaba Islami Publishers, New Delhi Pages: 168 Price: 150 rupees ------ Every community must involve its entire population in order to advance because women make up half of the human population. If half the population is unemployed, development cannot take place in that area, and women today are active participants in a variety of areas. It is necessary to direct them in the appropriate way. They ought to be educated about the possible fields of employment. The book "Muslim Khawaateen Activism Ki Raheen" by Dr. Mohiuddin Ghazi is an important development in this area. Syed Saadatullah Hussaini's foreword to the book is quite in-depth. He says, “Women have played their roles admirably over the magnificent eras of Islamic history. Muslim women are valued in every sector now because of the considerable efforts made in recent years by Islamic movements to restore their role in various nations of the world. The status of women in Muslim countries and Islamic communities is currently rapidly changing across the globe. In addition to playing an active social and inspiring role, women are rising forward to take on helpful services in many different spheres of life. In some areas, this number is also raising concerns. This trend is occasionally thought to run counter to several widely held notions and cultural norms about women and their place in society. In light of this, it is crucial to clarify an accurate and impartial Islamic viewpoint... Islam views women as contributing members of society rather than being segregated from it... In relation to women's social activities, this book makes an effective attempt to draw connections between the distant past, recent past, present, and future. I'm hoping that this book will be very helpful in spreading the true message of Islam among women and will offer real-world advice to women who are aware of their obligations in the present.” The book under review is organised into 9 chapters. In this book, the eminent author directly addresses women, which is contrary to the common style and for good reason. Additionally, he has equipped them with the guidelines, directions, and a strong sense of inspiration and drive to keep travelling down these paths. The author highlights the peaceful nature of Islam and fair-minded Islamic feminism, overcoming outdated ideas and highlighting the middle path of Islam between Western civilization trends and the radical notions which are mistakenly linked to Islam. For someone to perform any meaningful work, their personality needs to grow. He can better serve the faith as he matures as a person. In the first chapter of the book, the author told the female characters about the potential areas for personality development. The author emphasizes the importance of wives supporting husbands during challenging circumstances and highlights some women who excelled independently. The Qur'an mentions numerous righteous women who performed heroic acts on their own, often on their own. Queen Saba's decision to embrace Islam led to the nation adopting Islam. The wife of the pharaoh displayed bravery in facing his cruelties. Hazrat Musa's mother successfully dropped her baby into the water, while the sister of Hazrat Musa conducted a challenging operation at the pharaoh's palace. Hazrat Maryam's mother dedicated her unborn child to Allah. Hazrat Maryam alone faced the sufferings of her people with patience. (peace be upon all of them) The author advises women to develop as many abilities as they can in areas where they can demonstrate a desire for worship. This includes the ability to write and speak. According to the author, women should pursue their own professional advancement. In the second chapter, the author emphasizes that knowledge applies to both men and women. Women have historically had an advantage in this field, but things aren't much better now. So, it is crucial for women to advance in sciences. Statistics show that in the 7th and 8th centuries Hijri, hundreds of women were experts in hadith. Women taught many eminent hadith scholars, including Imam Ibn Hajar. The author provides historical examples, introduces Shahda Bint Abu Nasr, and takes the reader on a tour of Hazrat Ayesha Siddiqa's educational institution. The third chapter, "Home, Family, and Neighbourhood," stresses the significance of a Muslim woman's primary vocation being caring for her home, followed by her family and her neighbourhood. The author recounts how Hazrat Asma's personality was balanced while concentrating on a few aspects of her life. She attended the Prophet's educational and training events, making use of them to raise her children in the best possible ways, but she also used to be in charge of all household responsibilities as well as those outside the house. Under the heading "Great Wives of Great Husbands," he has listed a number of noteworthy women from the recent past. The author also emphasizes recognizing the value of our neighbours and maintaining a positive outlook on life, emphasizing appropriate behaviour towards them. The breadth of social work has significantly expanded, as have the opportunities for it, in the modern era. Muslim women must act independently in the area of social service under this circumstance. In the fourth chapter, "Advance in the Field of social service," the author encourages women to engage in a variety of professions. He provided examples to demonstrate how women have historically set excellent examples in the legal area, influenced the government, and received financial support. The best instances of women performing social work are shown in the article. The author also highlights Indian women's significant roles in social service in the sub-chapter on "Tradition of Social Service Among Indian Women." The author advised the women that their efforts to raise social consciousness can be more successful in the fifth chapter of the book, "How Can You Reform Society." He has provided numerous examples of this. The author also outlines what we should do in this regard at the same time. Islam has liberated women from having to handle finances. There is a misperception that women may not need to experience financial hardships in such situations. There is no question that a woman's primary sphere of influence is her home, but that does not imply they do not actively contribute to society's advancement. The role of wealth generation has grown in modern times. Men must take the initiative in this, but women must also participate. In the sixth chapter of "You are the Trustee of your wealth," the author discusses women's livelihood and their roles in modern society. He shares three instances from the Blessed Sirat: Hazrat Khadija, the best businesswoman, Hazrat Zainab bint Jahsh, the most competent, and Hazrat Ayesha, the wealth-distributor [may Allah be pleased with them]. Modern civilization's mixed society presents numerous challenges for women, but there are also options for work-from-home careers available to them. The author has also offered his viewpoint on the matter. Additionally, the author provided 8 insightful career pieces of advice. The author discusses the shifting political climate in the seventh chapter, "Recognise your political power," where every vote counts. He has advised women to understand their political clout. He provided first-century instances to illustrate how women participated in politics during the Islamic Golden Age. The author emphasises the necessity for Muslim women to fulfil their role in writing: “Women who are engaged and effective in society can contribute favourably to politics. They have a lot more opportunities now that the country's political system has been established. All women have the same rights as men, including the ability to vote and run for office. Many seats are also reserved for women alone, and only women are allowed to run for those positions. As in the past, fashion has changed, and instead of imitating men, women now freely utilise their right to vote.” (p. 129) In the book's eighth chapter, "Don't be left behind in the Support of Religion," women are given advice on how to stand up for Islam at a pivotal time. In addition to using Hazrat Khaula as an example of the past, he informs the reader of the contribution Zainab al-Ghazali has made to the cause of Islam. He outlines nine necessary steps in this chapter. What attitude does the Holy Qur'an have towards women? The author demonstrates this in the ninth chapter, "Muslim Women in the Holy Qur'an." The Holy Qur'an is remarkable for its portrayal of a Muslim lady as a powerful figure, despite being viewed as weak in society. The Muslim woman bravely confronts situations, organizes risky campaigns, and remains active and steadfast in Allah's cause, much like believing men. She is active and steadfast in their cause, sometimes without the help of men and sometimes in the face of opposition. The ideal situation is where believing men and believing women are prominent in their mutual cooperation for religious reasons. This 168-page book explores contemporary issues, neglecting the focus on theology and jurisprudence. The book should be widely read and discussed in congregations, with the author effectively expressing his points. ------ Kaniz Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a regular columnist for New Age Islam. URL: https://newageislam.com/books-documents/muslim-women-pathways-activism/d/130386 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Islamic Calendar Celebrates Hijrat (Migration) As A Turning Point In The History Of Islam: Indeed, The Quran Advises Muslims To Migrate From A Disturbed Land

By New Age Islam Staff Writer 4 August 2023 1. Migration played an important role in the history of mankind. 2. All of humanity is said to have migrated from Africa and populated different parts of the world. 3. Prophet Noah migrated with his community. 1. 3.The Aryans migrated from Central Asia to Europe and South Asia. ------ The Islamic calendar starts with Hijra and it was marked as the beginning of Islamic calendar The Hijra took place during the month of Muharram and so the Islamic year starts from Muharram, the most sacred and eventful month. The Islamic calendar was introduced during the caliphate of Hadhrat Umar when a dispute occurred between two people and the day of transaction between them could not be ascertained. Hadhrat Umar had consultations with his companions including Hadhrat Ali r.a. and all agreed on Hijra as the beginning of the Islamic calendar. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: When And How Did Hijrah Announce The Start Of The Islamic Calendar Year? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Hijra or the migration of the prophet pbuh and his companions to Madina was an important event in the history of Islam. In Madina, the Muslims acquired a distinct identity as a religious community. The migration was a major turning point in the lives of Muslims as they found a way forward and new avenues of progress and development. The date of the birth of the prophet or the date of his prophethood was not as important to the Muslims as the date of Hijra because Islam had developed in the Muslims a sense of collective achievement. Migration was a collective step towards forming a community based on Islamic ideals. Hijra calendar was not introduced by Hadhrat Umar arbitrarily but with the consultation with his companions. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: When Did The Islamic Hijri Calendar Begin? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ Why Do We Count The Age Of Islam From The Beginning Of The Hijrah And Not From The Beginning Of The Revelation And The Call? 29-07-2012 Question 176819 My question is I have noticed when a non Muslim asks about the age Islam after prophet hood we as Muslims answer only with the years after Hijrah, my question is why do we always leave out the first 13 years of prophet hood before Hijrah. I know the year of Hijrah was a great year yet we all know that prophet hood started 13 years before this so when answering why don’t we mention this like now we are 1433 AH yet when answering why don’t we say Islam after prophet hood is 1446 adding the 13 years before the period. insha allah you can explain why we dont add the first 13 years into our answer. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Islamic Solar Calendar: Eclipsed by Politics and Ideology ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Biography of the Prophet Answer Praise be to Allah. No doubt the years that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spent in Makkah before the Hijrah (migration to Madinah), when he was calling people to the path of his Lord, enduring persecution and patiently putting up with the annoyance and accusations of the foolish, could be considered as part of the age of Islam; indeed they are among the greatest years of Islam because during this time the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was relying completely upon his Lord, thinking positively of Him, and patiently bearing persecution for His sake. This is something that no wise person would doubt and no one would deny it at all, whether he is Muslim or otherwise. But the reason why the people adopted the Hijri calendar as a means of defining the year in which a particular event took place, which is something that people need to do, is that this date is the one that the Sahaaba unanimously agreed to take as the beginning of their calendar. This decision was made at the time of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), because it is the actual date of the founding of the Islamic state, when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and migrated and settled in Madinah, and the people gathered around him and supported him, and he built the mosque, and other events that followed the Hijrah. So the features of the Islamic state began to develop and it took on a clear form geographically, socially, militarily and politically. Before that the Muslims did not have a state or any political system to unite them. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: The Jewish Calendar ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The Sahaaba (may Allah be pleased with them) reached a unanimous decision in 16 AH – or, it was said, 17 AH or 18 AH – during ‘Umar’s caliphate, to make the Islamic calendar begin with the year in which the Hijrah occurred. That was because a case was referred to Ameer al-Mu’mineen ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning a contract that one man had with another, saying that what he owed him became due in Sha’aban. ‘Umar said; Which Sha’aban? The Sha’aban of this year we are in now or of last year or of next year? Then he summoned the Sahaaba and consulted them about adopting a calendar from which they could determine when debts became due and the like. Someone suggested adopting the Persian calendar, but he did not like that. Someone else suggested adopting the Byzantine calendar, but he did not like that. Others suggested dating it from the birth of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), or from the beginning of his mission, or from his migration (Hijrah) or from his death. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Awwal Muharram (First Day of Islamic Calendar) — A Day of Celebration ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was inclined to choose the date of the Hijrah because it is known when it occurred, and they agreed with him. The point is that they made the beginning of the Islamic calendar the year of the Hijrah, and they made the first month of the Islamic year Muharram, as was narrated from them. This is the view of the majority of imams, so that people could conduct their business on that basis, with no confusion. See: al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah, 3/251-253 Al-Bukhari narrated in his Saheeh (3934) that Sahl ibn Sa‘d said: They did not start the calendar from the beginning of the Prophet’s mission or from his death; they only started it from the time of his arrival in Madinah. Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The incidents that are connected to the life of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and that could have been taken as the start of the calendar are four: his birth, the start of his mission, his migration (Hijrah) and his death. They thought it was best to start the calendar from the Hijrah, because in the case of his birth and the start of his mission, there would be uncertainty with regard to the exact year. As for the time of his death, they chose not to use it because remembering it would renew their grief. So there was no choice left except the Hijrah. And they chose to regard Muharram as the first month of the year rather than Rabee‘ al-Awwal because the plan to migrate started to take shape in Muharram. The oath of allegiance (Bay‘Ah) – that was the precursor to the Hijrah – had taken place during Dhu’l-Hijjah, and the first new moon after the oath of allegiance and the decision to migrate was that of Muharram. So it was appropriate to make it the first month of the year. This is the best explanation I have come across as to why the year starts with Muharram. Al-Haakim narrated that Sa‘eed ibn al-Musayyab said: ‘Umar assembled the people and asked them what the first day of the calendar should be. ‘Ali said: (It should start) from the day when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) migrated and left the land of shirk. So ‘Umar did that. End quote. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Reflections on Hijrah and the Muslim Calendar ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The one who says that the age of Islam started with the Hijrah is referring to the calendar and what the people agreed upon of creating a system so that people could know the dates of events and define the times of contracts, the dates of visits by delegations, and the like. This is something on which the people agreed during the caliphate of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and it has remained so up until the present day. The start of this calendar marks, as ‘Umar intended, the establishment of the (Islamic) state, which only began with the Hijrah. As for the beginning of Islam itself and people’s awareness of it, we do not need to point out that this took place before that time. Indeed the meaning of the word Islam in general includes the religion that Allah approved for His slaves and with which He sent His Prophets and Messengers. But this is not what we are discussing here. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Awwal Muharram (First Day of Islamic Calendar) — A Day of Celebration ---------------------------------------------------------------------- We do not believe that anyone could imagine that Islam only began with the Hijrah and ignore the years of da‘wah during which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and those who were with him in Makkah strove to establish the faith. No one would say this. And Allah knows best. ------ Source: Why Do We Count The Age Of Islam From The Beginning Of The Hijrah And Not From The Beginning Of The Revelation And The Call? URL: https://newageislam.com/debating-islam/islamic-calendar-hijrat-migration-quran-muslims-migrate/d/130379 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Hazrat Amir Khusrau: The Custodian of Ancient Indian Civilization

By Dr. Hafeezur Rehman 4 August 2023 Translated from Urdu by Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam The Khusrau Foundation Promotes National Unity, Dispels Misconceptions, And Raises Awareness Main Points 1. India's fraternity and harmony are evident in social justice, human rights, and culture. 2. Hazrat Amir Khusrau, a renowned mystic, poet, and Sufi, influenced ancient Indian civilization and promoted peace, harmony, and tolerance. 3. The Khusrau Foundation promotes love, tolerance, balance, and moderation in India through writing, speeches, and books. 4. The Khusrau Foundation explores Urdu's role in promoting religious collaboration and diverse social classes in India. ------ Hazrat Amir Khusrau -------- In India, you can see how important and necessary fraternity and harmony are everywhere you turn. Numerous preachers of peace, harmony, brotherhood and security have lived in this country. Each of them showed their love for the country and underlined the significance of social justice and human rights, depending on their position and level of expertise. One of them is Hazrat Amir Khusrau, who popularised Indian culture and civilization via his writings and messages. The founder of India's Ganga Jamuni Civilization, Hazrat Amir Khusrau, has been referred to as such for this reason. Hazrat Amir Khusrau (1253–1325) is notable in history as a well-known mystic, poet, and Sufi. He is revered as the guardian of ancient Indian civilization, promoting peace, harmony and tolerance among people of many faiths, cultures, and languages. Even after all these years, Hazrat Amir Khusrau remains the most significant and well-known figure in Indian history. His importance is still felt today and will be felt in the years to come. The "Khusrau Foundation" was established two years ago by a number of the nation's most prominent and influential individuals with the intention of spreading Hazrat Amir Khusrau's message of national love and harmony. Its main objective is to spread Amir Khusrau's principles among Indian citizens through writing, speeches, and books. In order to promote Amir Khusrau's enduring legacy of love, tolerance, balance, and moderation to India and its people as well as to spread the notion of peace and harmony across the country, the Khusrau Foundation was established. India's ideals, traditions, and spirituality can only be preserved when ties between people of various castes, religions, and languages are strengthened. For a multicultural nation like India, Hazrat Amir Khusrau's writings and speeches convey a message of spiritual enlightenment and social integrity that has to be shared with every Indian today. The Khusrau Foundation has a number of goals and purposes, but eradicating the misconceptions that have been fostered in Indian society and the resulting confusion and hostility is its top concern. It is urgently necessary to spread awareness of Amir Khusrau's messages in light of the current chaotic situation and shifting social norms. The Khusrau Foundation is devoted to advancing national unity. Its goals include educating people about Islam accurately, dispelling myths and ideas based on false information, fostering intergroup harmony, tolerance, and understanding in a pluralistic society, using media and other platforms for these purposes, and producing high-calibre literature in Urdu, Hindi, and other languages to keep the Indian people united and promote mutual love, humanitarianism, rule of law, unity, and sympathy among various societal groups. The Khusrau Foundation has published approximately a dozen books so far with the same goals. In addition to books being published in Urdu and Hindi over the past two years, many events have been held across the nation to discuss important topics affecting the community and the nation, including book release programmes, national seminars, conferences, and cultural events. Soon, the organisation will publish more publications of similar kinds. Among the books that have been released thus far are Dr. Zafar Daraq Qasmi's "Hindustan Ki Shari' Hasiyat [Sharia Status of India]," Dr. Ezra Naqvi's "Mere Watan Ke Logon [People of My Country]," and Dr. Umair Manzar's "Hindustan Urdu Shayari Ke Hawaale Se [India Regarding Urdu Poetry]." Other books that will soon be published include "Dara Shikoh, Ek Sufi Prince" by Mufti Mushtaq Tujjarvi and "Study of Hindu Dharma by Muslim Scholars" by Dr. Zafar Dark Qasmi. Along with this, numerous books have also been released in Hindi. A few of them are worth mentioning, like Dr. Asif Umar's "Part of Muslim Writers in Hindi Literature" and "Aatma Vartant," which is the biography of the renowned Mujahid-e-Azadi Sheikh Ul-Hind Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madani. With a focus on the contribution Muslims made to the development of India and Indian languages, the Khusrau Foundation's purpose is to investigate how Urdu may aid in the promotion of other religious concepts. Sincere affection and collaboration amongst diverse social classes should also be promoted in conformity with Islamic values. We are starting this fantastic voyage inspired by Hazrat Amir Khusrau's views since India is the origin of a multi-religious, multi-cultural, and multilingual civilization. Our goal is to build a society and a future where harmony and understanding are the norm. The Muslim World League Secretary General, Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval addressed prominent figures in the nation during a programme hosted by Khusrau Foundation at the India Islamic Cultural Centre on July 11. This event added significantly to the chain of book publishing, seminars, symposiums, and conferences. Al-Issa is a well-known expert on moderate Islam and an Islamic scholar. He has been actively working to advance interreligious understanding and world peace. He is a well-known reformer, scholar, and religious figure in Saudi Arabia. Al-Issa served in the Saudi Cabinet as Minister of Justice prior to being named Secretary General of the Muslim World League in 2016. Al-Issa has worked to fortify alliances and links between various communities, faiths, and countries in his capacity as Secretary General of the Muslim World League, a significant non-governmental organisation that represents Muslims worldwide. Al-Isa is a well-known scholar, reformer, and expert on a variety of subjects, including youth, women, and world peace. He recently oversaw interfaith engagement at the UN. He holds a PhD in Comparative Jurisprudence and a Master's from the prominent Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University in Saudi Arabia. He led attempts to promote alliances and ties across various communities, faiths, and countries while serving as the Secretary General of the Muslim World League. For his attempts to encourage moderation, cooperation, and tolerance among followers of other religions, he received accolades from religious authorities, government officials, and international organisations. King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, appointed him the Khatib in July 2022 so that he may deliver the sermon for the Hajj from the Nimrah Mosque's pulpit. Under the direction of Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, 1,000 scholars from 128 nations ratified the Charter of Mecca in 2019 to establish guidelines for eradicating extremism, hatred, and violence while fostering religious and cultural diversity, tolerance, and law. Since taking over as president of the Muslim World League in 2016, Dr. Al-Issa has received numerous awards from illustrious international organisations and political leaders. Through the Khusrau Foundation, we were able to achieve the programme that took place on July 11th, 2023, which was a voice for peace in the nation and the world. This programme made a significant contribution to spreading the idea that by working together, we may achieve harmony and peace throughout the globe. ------ Urdu Article: Hazrat Amir Khusrau: The Custodian of Ancient Indian Civilization حضرت امیر خسرو: قدیم ہندوستانی تہذیب کے امین URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/hazrat-khusrau-custodian-ancient-indian-civilization/d/130375 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Afghanistan in the Midst of Dilemma and Destruction

By Mushtaq ul Haq Ahmad Sikander, New Age Islam 4 August 2023 The Afghan Dilemma: Taliban and the United States Edited by Abdulaziz Alhies Qatar, The Forum for Arab and International Relations, 2014 Pp 159. ISBN: 9789927103094 ------ Afghanistan has been described as the graveyard of Empires by various historians. The resilience and resistance depicted by Afghans in face of occupation by various powers has been tremendous. The first human casualty of 9/11 attacks was Afghanistan, its natives and the regime led by Taliban. Since last one decade U.S troops have been occupying Afghanistan, the dislodged Taliban are out power but not shunted out as stakeholders of Afghan future. U.S tried every tactic to annihilate the Taliban but after more than a decade of relentless war against them, Taliban has survived. Now U.S has been coerced to accept Taliban as a party to the conflict and chalk out a future course taking them onboard. The present book under review is a collection of nine papers written by various scholars and policy makers who are also keen observers of Afghan Affairs and politics. The relationship between Taliban and United States is the theme to which all the authors have tried to respond. In his Introduction to the collection, editor Abdulaziz Alhies depicts the need about Taliban to be more pragmatic, “Taliban needs to change its triumphalist thinking and to stop viewing the impending withdrawal of NATO and ISAF forces as a vindication of its isolationist discourse and regressive policies, towards other Afghan groups in particular and the political world at large” (P-13). Further he describes the competition between Qatar and Saudi Arabia to play part in negotiations with Taliban. John Feffer in his paper titled, “US Policy toward the Taliban after the 2012 Elections” emphasizes the need for changing war strategy to peace strategy. The need to have real negotiations instead of staging them that end up in photo sessions with no real change on ground. He further depicts the need to have intra Afghan dialogue because Afghan society is not a monolith, but cautions the U.S and other powers not to meddle with internal Afghan problems. Hashmattollah Moslih paper, “War and Peace in Afghanistan: A Tajik view” is one of the best papers of the book that describes the niceties of the Afghan politics. Moslih laments the wrong portrayal of Afghanistan due to lack of knowledge about its internal dynamics, “Governments, for political reasons, have tried to portray a culturally homogenous and politically united image of the country; the truth is far from it. Afghanistan is neither culturally homogeneous nor politically united, in fact, it is a mosaic of cultures, ethnicities and tribes, and above all, it is a country of minorities. There is no single ethnic or tribal majority. Lack of appreciation of this fact, by various governments and political parties, means that for much of its modern history, Afghanistan has been in political turmoil. Successive governments have tried to engineer a false reality of Afghanistan. Failure is the result. In short, the war in Afghanistan centers on identity. Different ethnic and religious groups, tribes and political denominations, have tried to build an Afghanistan in their image, which has often been at the expense of others” (P-77). He is dissatisfied with surmises about future of Tajiks and Afghanistan, “The evidence suggests that while the Taliban are being cleansed from Al Qaida, the Afghan government is purging itself from the top Northern Alliance leaders and commanders that once constituted the backbone of the resistance against the Pakistani backed Taliban. If this trend continues, a Washington friendly, Pakistani backed, Pushtun controlled Afghanistan will be born on top of the ashes of all the Northern Alliance mujahidin who fought for equality and justice for all ethnicities and tribes under the banner of Islam. If this occurs, Islam will be reduced to the length of men’s beards and extended to length of women’s chador” (P-92). “Challenges in the Afghan Peace Process: Insights from the Irish Experience” is the title of Michael Semple’s paper, that draws a comparison between Afghan and Irish conflict. Qatar as mediator for Afghan conflict and partition of Afghanistan for its resources is taken up in another paper. The unmanned drones as killer machines have been used extensively in Afghanistan. The use of drones that have been defining war in Afghanistan is the title of Livia Nassius and Mark Levine’s paper “Targeted Killings and the Temptation of Drone Technology: A Strategic and Political Debacle”. Drone has been the new face of modern war. Hussain Haqqani as a Pakistani diplomat is not optimistic of better U.S-Pakistan relations in future as is evident from his paper, “Breaking up is not hard to do: Why the US-Pakistan Alliance isn’t worth the Trouble”. He depicts the military and economic relations between U.S and Pakistan, its prospects and pitfalls. He further describes the uneasy relationship of Afghans and Pakistan and the role of U.S in the same. The main theme that has been emphasized by all authors is the inevitability of negotiations for ending the war in Afghanistan and impediments in carrying out the negotiations. United States since long has ignored the real stakeholders in Afghan affairs and failed to hold negotiations with each major section and ethnicity of the Afghan society. This incumbency has resulted in fractured and breakdown of negotiations and peace process. Now with the role of U.S diminishing in the Afghan affairs, the Afghans need to introspect and first of all initiate an Intra Afghan Dialogue and Negotiation process that will lead to reconciliation among various factions. Similarly the negotiations for power and governance should result in equal representation of all stakeholders, otherwise the result can be horrific civil war as witnessed previously from 1990-1996 when USSR left Afghanistan. The book is an important contribution about the present state of Afghan affairs and helps one understand the need, dilemma, dichotomy and even shortcomings of negotiations as a tool of conflict resolution. ----- M.H.A. Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir. URL: https://newageislam.com/books-documents/afghanistan-midst-dilemma-destruction/d/130374 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

It's A Burden to Be Wise Among Fools

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 4 August 2023 "Archaeologists have discovered evidence of religious practices as early as 60, 000 BCE. Writing first appeared in Mesopotamia c. 3500-3000 BCE, making it possible to preserve records of religious beliefs and practices.11-Apr-2023, From Google.com" The editor Mr Sultan Shahin is spot-on. Religious practices are hoary old; as old as human civilization. This proves that religion is in the DNA of humans and it's our chromosomic character. When something becomes integral to humans over a period of thousands of years, it becomes a part of the collective psyche and a subconscious behavioural trait. In his Doctoral thesis, 'Evolution of Religion and Scientific Temperament' submitted at Cambridge University in 1965, Dr Ken Jervis observed that god and religion seeped into human consciousness in myriad ways. What are those ways: All sorts of superstitions, magic, customs, rituals and even certain acts and idiosyncrasies of social behaviour come under the broad rubric of religion and god. That's the reason, one is seldom completely rational or an atheist in the strictest sense of the word. Even those who claim to have no faith in god and religion have faith in superstition/s like astrology, palmistry, angel therapy, clairvoyance, among others. All pseudo sciences are superstitions, albeit 'refined' ones. There's an old Ladino saying, "Tahik Men'aboor Phim Zik Kebaan" (every individual believes in at least one superstition). And so long as you believe in one superstition or a single act of irrationality, you remain religious and cannot be called truly rational or atheist. Recently, even world's most celebrated atheist Richard Dawkins also conceded that scientific temperament was a relative behavioural pattern or relative evolution because we're all carrying (religious) behaviour and vestiges from our ancestors and however hard we may resist or refuse that, it tends to surface at times, much to our embarrassment. Dawkins himself once exclaimed 'Oh, my god' on the stage when he had no answer to a Christian theologian's poser. This is also indicative that we're still evolving. We all haven't yet been able to shed gods, religions and a raft of superstitions just because our process of evolution is still going on. The day humans will be fully evolved, there'll be NO god, religion, magic, practices, rituals, animism, totems and superstitions. But that will take thousands of years. Until that happens, devolved humans will continue to spar over your god, my god, this sect, that sect, angels, gods, my Ram, your Muhammad, his Jesus, their Abraham and all that jazz. So, enjoy this universal ignorance because in the words of Thomas Fuller, " It's a burden to be wise among fools." ---- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/burden-wise-fools/d/130373 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

The Visceral Anti-Muslim Hatred of Chetan Singh is Just a Symptom, The Disease is More Widespread

By Arshad Alam, New Age Islam 3 August 2023 A Large Part Of The Blame Should Be Borne By The Indian Media, Who Are Peddling Non-Stop Hate Against Muslims Main Points: 1. Chetan Singh, a railway protection force constable killed his superior and three Muslims. 2. This was not a random killing; he chose his victims on the basis of their religious identity. 3. The media channels are directly to blame for fomenting hatred against the Muslim identity. 4. The Muslim today is all alone, increasingly vulnerable and feeling very insecure. ----- Undated picture of Chetan Singh, the suspected killer/ PTI ------ It is not less than a terror strike. Despite the reluctance of most of us to call it as one. The intention, whether conscious or unconscious was to cast terror in the hearts of Muslims. All terror strikes are partly performative; so was this one. The speech that Chetan Singh gave after killing Muslims was designed for the wider consumption of an ideology of hatred to which he subscribed. In the widely circulated video, the stunned audience does not resist, making it very clear that in all other such situations, Muslims will not be protected. The killing was designed to tell Muslims that they should live on the mercy of the majority Hindus. No visible markers of Muslimness would be tolerated. It is not without reason that the terrorist targeted only those sporting a beard. A new condition has been attached now to let Muslims to live in this country: that they should invisibilise their religious markers. In a country where the highest offices are infused with religious symbols, one community is being terrorized into giving up its religious markers. Visibly religious Muslims are supposed to give up their beards, their Kurta-Pajama-Topi, their prayers at a public place. I am not even asking the question why? But am very sure that this very rational hatred is not going to stop even after the community gives up its visible religious markers. Next you can be asked to give up your language and finally your very name. One is not at all surprised that Chetan Singh did this heinous act despite being a uniformed constable of the Indian Railways. Yes, the protector did turn into a killer but this is not the first time that this has happened, not will it be the last. The role of the police has been all too partisan when it comes to ‘riots’; we have seen it in the various anti-Muslim pogroms during the 1980s and more recently during the anti-CAA protests. When it comes to Muslims, there is little difference between the predominantly Hindu mob and the officers of the state. And one is not just talking about lower- level functionaries but this rot goes to the very top. What is surprising though is the manner in which various stakeholders have responded. The railways, following the Hindu right eco-system first said that Chetan Singh was suffering from mental illness and then hurriedly withdrew the statement. It is entirely possible that the killer was suffering from mental issues; but the manner in which he targeted his victims, pacing the length of the train to identify Muslims and then kill them only tells us that there was some method to his madness. Mental health and social health are closely related. The more important question that we should be asking is this: what made this young man hate Muslims so much? What were the societal reasons due to which he absolutely believed that Muslims were the enemy? If the society all around is so sick with anti-Muslim hatred, it is only logical to argue that people like Chetan Singh are the symptoms but not the cause of that sickness. The fact that he killed his own superior should not distract us from the fact that his primary and intentional victims were Muslims, whom he hunted down in different bogies. It is entirely possible that he killed his superior, Tikaram Meena, as the latter might have objected to his plan of killing Muslims. Therefore, we should not mistake this to be an act of a demented individual. Rather, it appears to be a premediated hate crime, very much like the killing of Kanhaiya Lal. It is certainly not surprising to see the silence of our very educated railway minister who normally tweets very regularly. Nor is it surprising to see the radio silence of the dear leader. In fact, it is not even surprising anymore to see the silence of the opposition on the issue. When it comes to Muslims and their marginalization and wanton killing, every one hedges their bets before stating anything. After all, who wants to speak about the mleccha, an unwanted mass of people, whose very association is bound to repel hosts of others. When Muslims are being killed because of their religion, it is downright hypocritical to speak of love and brotherhood. Slogans like Muhabbat ki Dukan are utterly useless when Muslims are singled out and brutalized because of their religious identity. Not naming the evil, which in this case in Hindu majoritarianism, is tantamount to making it invisible. In this sense, the opposition is as complicit in the obliteration of Muslims as is the ruling dispensation. But it is not just in politics alone that the reasons for such pathological hatred towards Muslims should be located. I do not believe that one person or a group of people from the top are responsible for what is happening to Muslims today. India is too complex a country; the assumption that a select group of people is making all this happen is too facile to say the least. A large part of the blame should be borne by the Indian media, who are peddling non-stop hate against Muslims. Muslims and Islam have become the favourite topics for most of the channels where they are painted as the proverbial fifth columnists. One TV channel recently wanted to know if there was a “permanent solution” to the Muslim question. Hatred for Muslims is now mainstream on most of these channels and social media handles. Just like the media in Rwanda exhorted its audience kill the minorities, the Indian media has taken over a similar role. Some of them are not even fit to be called journalists; they are simply vile propagandists. There is a bit of lamentation over the state of India media and most of these reflections come from seasoned journalists who were once star anchors themselves. Lest they forget, it is important to remind them that this nonsense started under their watch in the first place. Fake news, malicious videos targeting vulnerable individuals were all started when these so-called “real journalists” called the shots. During their heydays, the prime-time stories where those of ghosts and snakes! It doesn’t take much to descend from snakes to Muslims, both are dangerous and both have to dealt with. In fact, these so- called “real journalists” are the major culprit because it was under their watch that the dumbing down of television audiences started. An uneducated, non-critical, gullible people will consume whatever nonsense comes in its way, including Muslim hatred. Today, some of these old school journalists are aghast at what is happening. But let us be under no illusion that they are part of the problem. In this never-ending season of viciousness and hatred, the Muslim is all alone. Hindu majoritarianism has dropped all pretence that as a “big brother”, it is going to protect Muslims. The very fine distinction between Hinduism and militant Hindu nationalism is very nearly effaced. Not because the distinction is not real but because, as Chetan Singh reminds us, Hindus are only going to watch as the rabid ochlocracy keeps killing us. ----- A regular contributor to NewAgeIslam.com, Arshad Alam is a writer and researcher on Islam and Muslims in South Asia. URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-politics/visceral-anti-muslim-chetan-symptom-disease/d/130370 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism

Were Mappilas Fanatics: Major Anti-Colonial Literature of Malabar Repudiate This Fallacy

By Grace Mubashir, New Age Islam 3 August 2023 Malabar coast was at the forefront of the anti-colonial struggle. It began against the Portuguese and continued against Dutch savage colonialists. The zeal incited the Muslims of the region to fight against Tippu and Hyder Ali and later the British Empire. These struggles were freedom and against social and economic exploitation by colonial forces. The scholars and their writings were the source of inspiration against the colonial powers. But Mappila's resistance against the British and their prop feudal lords have been blemished as communal fanaticism. These literatures reveal a streak of resistance against colonial forces and love towards the mother country. Mappila rebels captured after a battle with British colonial troops in 1921. Photo: Wikimedia Commons ----- The saying that human nature changes with time is very relevant. Because over time, the rulers are changing the system of governance for the benefit of some particular organization or individual. As a democracy, the people elect a ruler for the people to ensure the rights and freedoms of every citizen. But many are in the habit of inciting rights destruction and religious hatred. An example of this is the removal of the names of seventy-seven Mappila freedom fighters, including martyrs Warian Kunnath and Ali Musliar, who fought against the British occupation, from the freedom fighters’ dictionary. It is said that there were three skirmishes with the Mappilas in the first years of British rule. The Joint Commissioners of Malabar have reported this. The leaders of the first rebellions, which are said to have started in 1792 and ended in 1805, were not just Muslims. Hindu leaders like Kunhiachan and Zamothiri of Palakkad and Tampuran of Kovilakam in the west were at the forefront of the rebellion along with Unnimussa Muppan, Chempan Poker, Atan Kurukkal and Hydros. The prince of the Kovilakam received a pension of ten thousand and made peace with the British. Kunhiyachan died in prison. Unnimussa was a good warrior and diplomat, he even waged a clandestine war. With the arrival of Raja Pazassi, the riots took on the character of covert warfare. Chempan Poker was martyred and Unni Mussa fell wounded. King Pazhassi hugged him with tears in his eyes as he said his last farewell. All this is evident from the secular attitude that was evident in the rioters. In 1809, Veluthampi Dalawa, who rose against the British, rocked Travancore with his declaration of rebellion. There were many Muslims in Dalawa's army. The British chiefs won the battles fought in Kollam and Kochi. In 1812, the British also won the rebellion of Kurichyars and Kurumbas in Malabar against the levying of heavy taxes. An armed police force was formed and stationed in the northern parts of Malabar to crush the resistance. Although they tried to appease the Muslims, the Mappila did not yield. Many people were killed in fights with the British in 1815 and 1836. In November 1847, the authorities gathered the bodies of those killed and prepared to set them on fire, inciting religious sentiments. About 2,000 locals resisted the police and buried the bodies. Following this, 125 of the leaders were deported to Andaman. There were conflicts in Pantallur in 1836, Pallipuram in 1841, Kulathur in 1851 and 1873, Melathur in 1880, Malappuram Keermuri in 1884, Pandikat in 1889, Chembrassery and Mancheri in 1894, Mancheri and Payyanur in 1898. The Mancheri rebellion of 1849 was led by another Athankurukal. How cruelly and even the corpses were treated is shown by the words of Major Dess's report, submitted on September 5, 1849: ‘In half an hour the enemy was routed. 64 people were among those killed. Apart from being stabbed with bayonets, their bodies were lying side by side with four or five bullet holes on display. The bodies were dumped in a large tank in a garden at Kicheri in Perinthalmanna in southern Valluvanad.’ Such brutal actions further enraged the Mappilas. Condemning these and glorifying the bravery of the martyrs, Haji and his colleagues were arrested on charges of 'inciting the freedom struggle in North India (the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857)' which had been circulated by Poovwatan Kunjappa Haji and his colleagues at Ponmala. Some of the Malabar officials were arrested as suspects and smuggled out of the country and propaganda related to the struggle was banned. In the 19th century, even Umar Khadi's protest against tax at Veliyamkot had clarified the secular mindset of Muslims. This is what Umar Khadi called upon the people when he was arrested, declaring that it is my duty as a Muslim and as an Indian to resist violent taxation. ‘My Muslim and non-Muslim brothers, we are all servants of God. Islam is a religion of peace. You shall not riot and attack in my name. Jail is a blessing', he pleaded with the locals. In February 1852 Syed Fazal Pookoya of Tirurangadi exiled himself and his family for having inspired the rebellion due to the intrigues of the British. He later served as governor and adviser to the Turkish Caliphate in Yemen. Then the British authorities were ready to praise him shamelessly. In 1852 and 1859 the Mappila Register Act was passed. According to this rule, the number of Kathi (small knives) collected from the Collector Connolly Malappuram taluk (in proportion to the population) of Hindus and Muslims was equal. In other taluks, more Hindus were in possession. Many maples were exported in 1857-1858. The Agrarian Revolt of 1880 paralyzed the English Government in Malabar. The South Kuttur Mutiny of 1844 was a day and a night of constant fighting against the White Army. In the same year, there was a clash at Kilunneri in Malappuram. Thirty-two Mappilas were lined up in Pandikkad and 17 were shot dead in Ponnani the following year. In 1894 and 1896, Police Superintendent Fawcett revealed that three and thirty-six people were charged within a year in Ponnani Valluvanad Taluk alone due to clashes at Mannarkkad. Riots were planted in 1915 and 1919. Logan's Manual of Malabar (1887), who held various posts in Malabar for twenty-one years, truthfully revealed the undercurrents of the rebellions. Malabar Rebellion of 1921 was the tragic culmination of long pent-up resentment against the British. Holding the head of the Chekutty Inspector, Warian Kunnath Kunjammadhaji, leader of the revolt, gave a call: 'Don't play with the government, don't play with the natives, don't kill the Hindus, don't fight with them, don't convert them against their will if you harm the Hindus, they will join the government's role'. This clearly illustrates the attitude of the rioters. It is said that the leader of the rioters, Warian Kunnat Kunhammad Haji, administered justice by giving severe punishment to those who harassed and looted the Hindus. Coupled with the harsh repression unleashed by the British Government and the Congress leadership's political policy of rejecting all forms of violence, the rioters' thinking was dominated by blind religious fervour and examples of innocent Hindus being killed are rare. The conflict that occurred in 1896 is proof of this. Hundreds of unarmed Hindus could have been killed with ease. But only two or three notorious and hated natives were killed. Then the rebels waited for the arrival of the British soldiers. They had made no cover. They were shot at 700, 800 yards afar and fell to the ground dead. In short, the Mappila warriors are great heroes who fought to free Kerala from the British who took the initiative to establish dominance by crossing the sea. The blood they shed is the freedom we enjoy. All riots are perfectly justified. Why is the central government's anti-democratic move a topic of discussion? The following discussion on six major anti-colonial literature will reveal the agrarian foundations of resentment. 1. Tahridu Ahlul Iman Ala Jihadi Abdat Sulban Tahridu Ahlul Iman Ala Jihadi Abdat Sulban (Inciting Believers Against The Worshippers Of Cross) gave the philosophical and practical leadership to organize under Zamorin, whose strength was waning in the continuous warfare against Portuguese. Born in Kochi in 1467 and died in Ponnani in 1521, Shaikhul Islam Abu Yahya Zainuddin bin Ali alias Zainuddin Makhdoom was the first who inspired the Muslims to fight vigorously against the Parangis (Portuguese) by composing a revolutionary poem entitled 'Tahridu Ahl al-Imani Ala Jihadi Abdu Sulban', which means "Fight the Cross Worshippers, O Believers". 'Cross worshipers' in the title is about the violent and oppressive Portuguese invading force. The 135-line work in Arabic contains exhortations about the plight of the community and exhortations about the religious obligation to defeat the Portuguese in armed conflict and deliver them. Many copies of this work were written and sent to Muslim localities in different parts of the country. This work may have inspired Kunjali Marakars and their followers who came from Kochi to Kozhikode to help the Zamorin in a fierce armed struggle against the Portuguese in 1524. (Especially because the birthplace of the author and Kunjali Marakar is Kochi.) Written in Arabic, this work is considered the first anti-colonial work in India. Due to its popularity, the Portuguese force spared no attempts to burn copies of the poem. 2. Tuhfatul Mujahideen Fi Akhbari Al Burtugaliyeen Zainuddin Makhdoom II, the grandson of Zainuddin Makhdoom I, wrote this book after more than 80 years of Portuguese rule. The author himself clarifies in the preface that the purpose of the writing is to make Muslims ready to fight against the Portuguese. Zainuddin II was born in Chombal (Kannur) in 1532 as the third son of Shaikh Zainuddin Makhdoom I, a prominent scholar. He was a guru, mentor and leader in all areas of Kerala Muslims who gained knowledge in various sciences from Ponnani, which was the centre of religious knowledge in Kerala at that time, and later from prominent scholars in Makka. His books on various subjects have been published several times in countries like Egypt, Singapore, Java and Malaysia. Of these, Tuhfatul Mujahideen is the most popular of his works. The first edition in Arabic was from Lisbon, Portugal. Then Portuguese, Latin, French and other vernacular languages of South India. This is called by many as a sourcebook of struggle against European colonial history. It also is the oldest historical book in Kerala. It details the history of Kerala, on the arrival of Islam in Kerala through Malik ibn Dinar and the accompanying merchant caravan and the establishment of local Muslim communities headed by the jurists (qadi) in various settlements from Tuticorin in the south to expounds the extent of good relations between the Zamorins of Calicut and between the Muslims. It traces the socio-cultural decay of the Muslim community and the consequential Portuguese piracy and occupation in Malabar. It prays for the prosperity of the Zamorins and exhorts for the struggle (jihad) of Muslims under the banner of the Zamorins of Calicut, against the Portuguese. Completed in 1583, the Tuhfat al-Mujāhidīn fī ba’d a wāl al-Burtuġāliyyīn (“gift to the warriors of faith about some of the deeds of the Portuguese”) by Shaykh Zayn al-Dīn is a text of enormous propaganda value dedicated to the sultan Alī Ādil-Shāh of Bijāpūr (r. 1557-1580) and intended to denounce the war waged by the State of India (Estado da Índia) against the Muslim community of the Indian sub-continent, in particular the inhabitants of Malabar. Just as the author explains in his introductory text, the work is divided into four parts—the first dedicated to the theorization of the holy war against the Infidel (jihad), the second to the history of the expansion of the Muslim religion in Malabar, the third to describing the customs of the Hindu population, and the fourth (consisting of fourteen chapters) dedicated to telling the history of the Portuguese in Malabar, from their arrival in the late fifteenth century to the period after the loss of the fortress of Chalé (1571). Besides the work’s obvious interest—it is one of the few Asian sources testifying to the reaction of the Muslim populations to the Portuguese expansion into the southwest of India—the Tuhfat al-Mujāhidīn is a text of great importance because it recounts the origins of the Mappila community (Indian Muslims of Arab origin) in the region. 3. Fathul Mubeen (Clear Victory) Fathul Mubeen is a valuable and historically significant work of Qadi Muhammad Bin Abdul Aziz who lived in Calicut during the Portuguese period and contributed about five hundred prose and verse works to war literature. Muhyuddin Mala, an Arabic Malayalam composition by Khadi Muhammad, is very familiar to Kerala society. Like Zainuddin Makhdoom, Qadi Muhammad was a first-hand witness of Portuguese atrocities. He has fought with swords in battles. The following are the reasons why he named his famous work ‘Al Fathul Mubeen’ composed in connection with the conquest of the fort of Chaliam by the Zamorin and his Hindu Nayar troop. Tuhfatul Mujahideen Part 4 Chapter 13 deals with the conquest of Chaliam Fort. Discovering the importance of Chaliam in the military and trade areas, the Portuguese leader Diogodasiel Vira took the initiative to build a Portuguese fort thereby persuading the Zamorin through the king of Tanur. Challiam was best suited to attack and learn the dynamics of trade between Calicut and Arabia. Hence the fall of Chaliam Fort was a great blow to the Portuguese and a great relief to the Zamorin and the Muslims. That is why the poet describes it as a clear victory. In addition, the Portuguese who came in to destroy the Muslim trade relations in the world to settle the enmity of the Crusades were a global problem for the Muslims. Because of that, the Zamorin and the Muslims expected global Muslim support. Correspondence was maintained with various kings under the leadership of Zainuddin Makhdoom. But Makhdoom records in Tuhfa that it had little effect. Neither the Muslim Sultans nor the princes, who abounded in many parts of the world with military and economic power and glory, came forward to rescue the Malabar Muslims from the danger. The reason is that those sultans and princes are less interested in religious affairs, according to the author. Amazingly, the fort was conquered by Zamorin and Muslims virtually unaided by outside forces. This is another reason why it has been described as a clear success. This historical poem written in Arabic based on the incident where the Hindu Nair army and the Muslim army under the leadership of Zamorin fought and won by displaying extraordinary valour and bravery. Zamorin is praised and his gifts are enumerated in this historical poem. And kings who were Muslims Without fighting for the Muslims He made peace with the infidels When we spend time holding hands For Islam and Hinduism Will fight as needed Listen to the Samuthiri's (Zamorin) war story Always pray for peace Meet Hindu, the king Learn your lesson, Sultans Apart from the Chaliam incident, it also sheds light on important events in the history of Kerala. While Zainuddin Makhdoom took many pages to praise Sultan Adil Shah of Bijapur, he insulted Qadi Muhammad Sultan of Gujarat and described his position as treachery, 4. As-Sayful Bathar As-Sayful Bathar is a short work in which Mampuram Sayyid Alavi codified his fatwas, declaring complete non-cooperation with the aggressive and oppressive British rulers and calling them for ceaseless struggle. Mampurum Tangal wrote this book after the Muttichira conflict, where feudal Janmis in collusion with the British attacked the people of Malappuram. Copies of this work were recovered and destroyed by the English. Possession, reading and distribution of this work were strictly prohibited by the British. His son Fazal Pookoya Thangal, who was later exiled by the British, republished this work in Egypt. It is also said to be published in Istanbul in the run-up to World War I to incite global Muslims against British Empire. Saiful Bathar was composed during the period when the Ottoman Caliphate was considered the centre of the Muslim world. This is a small work that gives enthusiasm and inspiration not only to those in Malabar but to the entire community who surrendered their land to the imperialist forces as a victim of the British invasions of that era or believing in their promises to drive the enemies out of the country. It is also argued that this work, which circulated among the Muslim community in Malabar, was composed by Syed Abdullah Abdul Bari to help Sultan Abdul Majeed against the Russian forces. But many historians contest this argument as romantic fiction. 5. Uddatul Umraa (Provision for Leaders) This is a well-known work of Mamburam Syed Alavi, their son, Syed Fazal Pookoya, a scholar, rebel and fighter who was exiled to Yemen by the British. Syed Fazal is a personality who filled the gap of his father who fought his life against imperialism and colonialism and guided the people of Malabar. The infidels in the title of the book are the British who came in as aggressors and the idolaters are the natives and lords who declared their full support to the British, including Muslim feudal lords. Fazal Thangal had completed most of the work before his exile in 1852. In 1851 the then Malabar District Collector H.V. Connolly banned Uddatul Umrah. Therefore, it must have been composed between the Mancheri Mutiny of 1849 and the Kolathur Mutiny of 1851. It is for the ideological codes that Uddat raised to give strength to the Kolathur and Mattannur riots in the Malabar region. It was the practice of those days to copy and write the work and send it to different Mahals and mosques. The martial spirit imparted by the work, which was read publicly in the localities, encouraged the Mappilas to enter the battlefields. That is why the British government issued an order banning the work, fearing a series of far-reaching strikes. There is also an argument that it was written in Arabian countries. Because it was printed in 1856 from Arabian countries. Then it may be a reprint of the work banned in Malabar in 1851 and released in Arabian countries in 1856. This is because the fact that Saiful Bathar, which contains 78 pages and the last chapter of the 168-page work included in this work by Fazal Thangal, was composed of Malabar is clear proof that the composition was from Malabar. The published copy from Egypt was published by Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Rahman. The very first page of the 168-page book contains the full title of the book and the information that it was authored by Fazal Thangal. The book is structured as an introduction, with nine chapters. This book is a collection of pamphlets and articles that Fazal Thangal has written and circulated many times. This book presents to the world Muslim community a philosophical explanation based on the Holy Qur'an and the Holy Sunnah for Muslims all over the world, what are the characteristics of their enemies, what are their machinations and how should relations with them be. 6. Muhimmatul Mu'mineen (Priorities of The Believer) Muhimmatul Mu'mineen, written in Arabic Malayalam on 40 pages, is a document showing the active participation of Muslim religious scholars in Kerala in the anti-British rebellion. The title means 'important things that believers should know'. This is one of the many works confiscated by the British during the Malabar Revolt. It is stated on the seventh page itself that its contents support non-cooperation with the enemies of Islam, helping the survival of the Khilafat, and protecting the sanctity of Jazeerat-Arab. In this work published by Aminummantakath Parikutty Musliar, who was the Secretary of the Tanur Khilafat Committee, the topics are supported based on Quranic verses, sayings of the Prophet and quotations from the books of ancient scholars. Through this work, a call was given to Kerala Muslims to fight against the enemy by accepting the Turkish-based Ottoman Sultan as the Caliph. "In this zaman (period), the caliph is the Ottoman sultan. It is necessary for us to oppose the enemies of the Caliph, the infidels and the Muslims, and to be ready to oppress them as much as possible. "If there are Muslim religious followers who oppose the Caliph, they should also be opposed." This is in the context of the existence at that time of a structure that unified Muslims globally and centred around the Caliphate. In 1921, the Madras Gazette announced that anyone in possession of this work would be sentenced to five years imprisonment without trial. Then the author went into hiding and later went to Makka in disguise. After his arrival there, he continued to write anti-British articles in the Arabic newspaper Umm al-Qura. Conclusion In light of the review of the above six works, it could be argued Islam is fundamentally a vision of peace. It is the duty of a believer to establish peace in the whole world. When unrest, violence and injustice spread in the country, it is the responsibility of the believer to adopt the means of struggle to remove them. That is why all the above authors are scholars as well as revolutionaries and heroes. These works gave command and inspiration to the indigenous communities using religious precepts to fight against foreign tyranny and violence. But the lessons for non-cooperation and defensive struggles can also be found in this work. These two are always the means of struggle of Islam. ----- A regular columnist for NewAgeIslam.com, Mubashir V.P is a PhD scholar in Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia and freelance journalist. URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-society/mappilas-fanatics-literature-malabar-fallacy/d/130366 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism