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20 The Milli Gazette, 1-15 December 2013 ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVES www.milligazette.com
OLIVIA STERNS (CNN)
From coffee to cranks, items we couldnt live without
today are Muslim inventions. Modern hospitals and universi-
ties both began in 9th century North Africa
Hospitals as we know them today, with wards and teach-
ing centres, come from 9th century Egypt --professor Salim
al-Hassani
London: Think of the origins of that staple of modern life, the cup
of coffee, and Italy often springs to mind. But in fact, Yemen is
where the ubiquitous brew has its true origins.
Along with the first university, and even the toothbrush, it is
among surprising Muslim inventions that have shaped the world
we live in today. The origins of these fundamental ideas and
objects the basis of everything from the bicycle to musical
scales are the focus of 1001 Inventions, a book celebrating
the forgotten history of 1,000 years of Muslim heritage.
Theres a hole in our knowledge, we leap frog from the
Renaissance to the Greeks, professor Salim al-Hassani,
Chairman of the Foundation for Science, Technology and
Civilisation, and editor of the book told CNN.
1001 Inventions is now an exhibition at Londons Science
Museum. Hassani hopes the exhibition will highlight the contribu-
tions of non-Western cultures like the Muslim empire that once
covered Spain and Portugal, Southern Italy and stretched as far as
parts of China to present day civilization. Here Hassani shares
his top 10 outstanding Muslim inventions:
1. Surgery
Around the year 1,000, the celebrated doctor Al Zahrawi published
a 1,500 page illustrated encyclopedia of surgery that was used in
Europe as a medical reference for the next 500 years. Among his
many inventions, Zahrawi discovered the use of dissolving cat gut
to stitch wounds -- beforehand a second surgery had to be per-
formed to remove sutures. He also reportedly performed the first
caesarean operation and created the first pair of forceps.
2. Coffee
Now the Western worlds drink du jour, coffee was first brewed in
Yemen around the 9th century. In its earliest days, coffee helped
Sufis stay up during late nights of devotion. Later brought to Cairo
by a group of students, the coffee buzz soon caught on around the
empire. By the 13th century it reached Turkey, but not until the
16th century did the beans start boiling in Europe, brought to Italy
by a Venetian trader.
3. Flying machine
Abbas ibn Firnas was the first person to make a real attempt to
construct a flying machine and fly, said Hassani. In the 9th cen-
tury he designed a winged apparatus, roughly resembling a bird
costume. In his most famous trial near Cordoba in Spain, Firnas
flew upward for a few moments, before falling to the ground and
partially breaking his back. His designs would undoubtedly have
been an inspiration for famed Italian artist and inventor Leonardo
da Vincis hundreds of years later, said Hassani.
4. University
In 859 a young princess named Fatima al-Firhi founded the first
degree-granting university in Fez, Morocco. Her sister Miriam
founded an adjacent mosque and together the complex became
the al-Qarawiyyin Mosque and University. Still operating almost
1,200 years later, Hassani says he hopes the centre will remind
people that learning is at the core of the Islamic tradition and that
the story of the al-Firhi sisters will
inspire young Muslim women
around the world today.
5. Algebra
The word algebra comes from the
title of a Persian mathematicians
famous 9th century treatise Kitab al-
Jabr Wa l-Mugabala which trans-
lates roughly as The Book of
Reasoning and Balancing. Built on
the roots of Greek and Hindu systems, the new algebraic
order was a unifying system for rational numbers, irrational
numbers and geometrical magnitudes. The same mathe-
matician, Al-Khwarizmi, was also the first to introduce the
concept of raising a number to a power.
6. Optics
Many of the most important advances in the study of
optics come from the Muslim world, says Hassani.
Around the year 1000 Ibn al-Haitham proved that
humans see objects by light reflecting off of them and
entering the eye, dismissing Euclid and Ptolemys the-
ories that light was emitted from the eye itself. This
great Muslim physicist also discovered the camera
obscura phenomenon, which explains how the eye
sees images upright due to the connection between the
optic nerve and the brain.
7. Music
Muslim musicians have had a profound impact on Europe, dating
back to Charlemagne tried to compete with the music of Baghdad
and Cordoba, according to Hassani. Among many instruments
that arrived in Europe through the Middle East are the lute and the
rahab, an ancestor of the violin. Modern musical scales are also
said to derive from the Arabic alphabet.
8. Toothbrush
According to Hassani, the Prophet Mohammed popularized the
use of the first toothbrush in around 600. Using a twig from the
Meswak tree, he cleaned his teeth and freshened his breath.
Substances similar to Meswak are used in modern toothpaste.
9. The crank
Many of the basics of modern automatics were first put to use in
the Muslim world, including the revolutionary crank-connecting
rod system. By converting rotary motion to linear motion, the
crank enables the lifting of heavy objects with relative ease. This
technology, discovered by Al-Jazari in the 12th century, exploded
across the globe, leading to everything from the bicycle to the
internal combustion engine.
10. Hospitals
Hospitals as we know them today, with wards and teaching cen-
tres, come from 9th century Egypt, explained Hassani. The first
such medical centre was the Ahmad ibn Tulun Hospital, founded
in 872 in Cairo. Tulun hospital provided free care for anyone who
needed it a policy based on the Muslim tradition of caring for
all who are sick. From Cairo, such hospitals spread around the
Muslim world. (edition.cnn.com)
Muslim inventions that shaped the modern world
Muslim inventor Abbas ibn Firnas designed a flying machine
in the 9th century Spain -- hundreds of years before da Vinci
drew plans of his own
Avicenna visiting a pharmacy
Revival in modern times (The Economist)
Alhazens camera obscuram Alkhwarizmis book on aljebra
A page from the Book of Animals by Al-Jahiz
BOOKS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 December 2013 21 www.milligazette.com
Saudi scholar ABDULLAH AL-RASHID revisits Egyptian
scholar Ali Abdel Razeqs controversial 1925 work on
political Islam to question the oft-touted revival of an
Islamic caliphate.
As Islamists and Salafists seek to re-establish Islam as a state and
not just a religion, the debate surrounding the role of Islam in poli-
tics remains as pertinent today as it was nearly one hundred years
ago, at the fall of the Ottoman Empire. For 1,300 years, the caliphate
was the dominant political system in the Arab-Islamic world. It was
embedded in the Islamic consciousness for so long that it became
the model of government and was linked in both private and public
memory with the glories of Islam and its greatest conquests.
However, by the early twentieth century a powerful perception
developed among Arab Muslims that Islam was being endangered
by a conspiracy orchestrated by the dominant anti-government
group in Ottoman Turkey, the Committee of Union and Progress,
which had ties to the Young Turks movement. Despite the dimin-
ished role of the caliphate toward the end of the Ottoman period, and
indeed the opposition of many Arabs to it, the Muslims of the empire
were concerned about the future of political Islam.
In 1922, these fears were realised when the newly formed
Turkish Grand National Assembly abolished the Ottoman Sultanate.
The assembly claimed that political power in Islam had no founda-
tion in religion and that power ought to be determined by the will of
the people. This was nothing compared to what followed. In 1924,
Mustafa Atatrk abolished the caliphate altogether. He sent the
caliph into exile and shut down the Awqaf (religious endowments)
and Sharia ministries, transformed religious schools into govern-
ment ones and declared Turkey a secular state. He reasoned that the
caliphate had lost its legitimacy after Muslim nations fought against
it in the First World War and that it had become a burden, draining
the finances and the men of Turkey, as well as becoming an obsta-
cle to the modernisation of the country. At this time, the Ottoman
caliphate was going through one of its worst periods. It was frag-
mented and divided, a faint shadow of what it once was.
However, Atatrks decision revitalised the idea of the caliphate
in the imagination of the Islamic world, as many felt they wanted to
hoist up the flag of Islam once again, even as Islamic society had
entered a period of decline.
This scene of the decline was described by the writer Abdul
Ghani Al-Rahal in his book The Islamists and the Illusion of
Democracy: A Comprehensive Study of the Islamists Participation
in Representative Councils. After the sun set on the caliphate in
1924 the Islamic nation became like an orphan, he wrote, It dis-
integrated, its parts were scattered and the nation had to put the
Sharia law aside and adopt imported circumstantial human laws.
Corruption was rife, and war spread among the Muslims.
In modern Islamic political theory, the caliphate is a very potent
symbol. The memory of the caliphate remains stuck in the shock of
Atatrks decision, weaving a web of longing and emotion to bring
back the glory of that political model in the present day.
Today, many movements have been established that aim to res-
urrect the caliphate. Some want to establish a new caliphate imme-
diately, whereas others rely on a gradual change.
The Tunisian scholar Al-Tahir ibn Ashur, who lived through the
end of the Ottoman caliphate, clarified its role in Islamic thought:
The caliph is almost the successor to the Prophet in establishing
Sharia, protecting religion, and ensuring it is followed by all people.
It is an expression of the Islamic nations commitment to preserv-
ing the principles upon which the Islamic state was founded. It is the
only system that truly draws the whole Islamic world together under
the promise of defending its interests and protecting its property.
The caliphate became the form of government on which
Muslim society came to depend. As a direct result of the caliphs
fall, the first mass Islamist movement, founded in 1928, had the re-
establishment of the caliphate as its fundamental aim. For example,
take the speech written by Hassan Al-Banna, the founder of the
Muslim Brotherhood, for the movements fifth conference where he
said: The Muslim Brotherhood has placed the idea of the caliphate
and the work to reinstate it at the top of our priorities. They believe
that this requires many essential preparations and that the reinstal-
lation of the caliph will require many steps.
On March 3 this year, the Egyptian newspaper Al-Yawm Al-
Sabaa published a statement by the Brotherhoods general guide,
Mohammed Badie: We are working to revive the caliphate as soon
as possible. ...The re-establishment of the caliphate is one of the
interim goals identified by Imam Hassan Al-Banna to achieve the
movements ultimate goal, which is that the Islamic nation and that
Sharia should rule once again.
The philosophy behind the caliphate
We ought to be clear that the image of the caliph exalted by many
Islamist movements today differs slightly from the stylised, tradi-
tional image of the caliph - where there is one person and his
entourage - as the stereotypical images transmitted to us over his-
tory would have us picture him. Instead, the modern image of the
caliphate has adopted two fundamental objectives. The first is that
the religious authorities and the secular need to be united behind a
singular vision, as well as the necessity of obedience to this vision
as the legitimate representative of God and the legislator in Islam.
The second is that the caliphate should encompass the entire
expanse of the Islamic world with no fixed geographical borders or
artificial national boundaries.
Elaborating on the second point, the Sudanese writer Abdullah
Al-Sadiq wrote that Al-Bannas thinking was in line with that of
prominent Pakistani scholar Abul Ala Maududi in calling for the
return of the Islamic caliphate. Sadiq even went further, stating that
the return of the lands ruled under Islam from the first century after
the Hijra is a religious obligation, as well as the Balkans, the
Caucasus and Al-Andalus-now Spain and Portugal.
The notion of the caliphate
for Islamist movements is not
simply a method of governing a
defined, national entity, it is an
ideology based on the legacy of
the past.
While these questions con-
tinue to rage in the background of
the events of the Arab Spring, an
old book published in 1925 once
again has striking relevance. The
book criticized political Islam as
lslamist movements scrambled
to re-establish the caliphate fol-
lowing the fall of the Ottoman
Empire.
It was in these moments,
when the struggle between reli-
gion and State first raged in
Islamic thought, that an Azhari
Shaikh, Ali Abdel Razeq, complet-
ed his Islam and the Foundations
of Political Power (Al-Islam wa
Usoolul Hukm). Razeq was one of
the figureheads of the enlighten-
ment movement and an Islamic
thinker who most rattled estab-
lished Islamic thought and institu-
tions.
Islam and the Foundations of
Political Power
Following Turkeys decision to
abolish the caliphate, there was
considerable division within and among Islamic countries as they
struggled to come to terms with what had happened. A number of
Arab and Islamic leaders appeared eager to fill the vacant position
of caliph. In 1925, Egypts Al-Azhar University called on a number
of religious scholars to attend a conference in Cairo to discuss what
should be done about the caliphate. The conference concluded with
a number of resolutions stating that the caliphate was necessary for
Muslims as a symbol of their unity and society. The scholars stated
that in order for the caliphate to be effective, the caliph had to hold
both religious authority and worldly power.
At the same time, there was a movement to nominate King
Fouad, the king of Egypt and Sudan following Egyptian independ-
ence in 1922, as the next caliph.
The implications of Razeqs book reverberated throughout
Egypt. It was audacious in its contrast to prevailing Islamic thought
at the time. The book contradicted the feeling of heartbreak that had
spread through the Islamic world after the fall of the caliphate, and
posed questions that formed a milestone in Islamic political dis-
course. At its core, the book asked whether any part of the concept
and reality of the caliphate was a true component of Islam. Is there
anything called a system of government in Islam? Is Islam both a
state and a religion?
Razeq argued that the caliphate did not have its roots in Islam,
that it was a political entity rather than a religious one and that there
was nothing in the Quran or the Hadith that confirmed the need to
inaugurate or choose a caliph. Razeq even went so far as to say that
the caliphate was, and still is, a catastrophe that befell Islam and
Muslims.
At the time, the book created quite a stir and many scholars
rebuked Razeqs assertions. Unsurprisingly, King Fouad feared that
Razeqs book might prevent him from becoming caliph, so he swift-
ly handed down harsh rulings to Razeq with the consensus of the
scholars at Al-Azhar. Together they decided to expel him from the
university, dismiss him from his position at the judiciary and with-
draw his degree from Al-Azhar.
Is Islam a religion and a state?
Razeq set out to disprove the theory that Islam is a state as well as
a religion. An alumnus of Al-Azhar and Oxford, he was acutely
aware of the problems that such a dualism created, particularly for
the future of the modern nation of Egypt that had to find a new form
of government. His book and its original, serious and, at times,
humorous ideas heralded the start of an intellectual and political
debate in the traditional Muslim society.
Razeq had challenged the views of ordinary Muslims, as well as
scholars who held that Islam was a political entity. Razeq did not tire
of refuting the widespread claim that the caliphate is a religious
institution; instead, he saw it as one of the common misconceptions
that had spread throughout the Muslim populace. Razeq felt that the
continuation of this belief was to be expected, as he felt he was wit-
nessing the abdication of common sense among Muslims regard-
ing political thought and everything that involved the caliphate and
the caliphs. He explained that the perception supported by com-
mon sense and witnessed by history, both modern and old, is that
the establishment of religious rites does not depend on what schol-
ars call the caliphate, or on those whom people call caliphs. In fact,
Muslims interest in their religion does not depend on anything like
it -we do not need the caliphate to govern our religion or our world.
Ali Abdel Razeq pointed out that the texts of the Quran and the
Sunnah (the traditions of the Prophet) make no mention of the
caliphate: I have not found, among the writings of scholars who
support the establishment of the caliphate, anyone who tries to sup-
port his claim with a verse from the Quran. Were there a single
mention of it, then the scholars would not have hesitated to note it
and point it out. Or, were there in the Quran something resembling
a mention of the necessity of the Imamate, then we would have
found one of the caliphates supporters turning something like a
mention into a mention. But these fair-minded and
articulate scholars have failed to find a single argument
for their views in the Quran.
He again emphasised that the caliphate was not a
religious institution, and that what was said in this
regard was clear propaganda for a misconception that furthered the
interests of the sultans: It was in their interests to propagate this
error among the people to take protection from religion for their
throne and to make people believe that obedience to the Imams
came from obeying God, and disobeying them was like disobeying
God. While the caliphate has nothing to do with religion, neither
does the judiciary or any other government or civil service position.
These are all political and have nothing to do with religion at all.
Why did political science decline among Muslims?
In his commentary on the calls for the return of the caliphate,
Egyptian writer Salah Isa said that they reflect the Islamist move-
ments inability to devise innovative ideas: They are still trapped in
traditional ideals, despite the developments of time. The idea of the
caliphate has been outdated since the establishment of the modern
state in every Islamic country, and because it has been misused and
led to the division of the Muslims.
However, political science has always been the weakest of all the
areas of Islamic science. Razeq investigated that phenomenon eighty-
eight years ago. He said that the Arabs had a natural intelligence and
scientific endeavour, but that they stood perplexed at political science
and withdrew without really studying it. In their impatience, they over-
looked Platos Republic, and Aristotles Politics, even though they were
so enamoured with him that they named him the First Teacher. How,
then, were the Muslims left in complete ignorance of the Greeks prin-
ciples of politics and types of government?
Razeq answers this question through his analysis of the tyran-
ny of the king and the sultan during the age of the caliphate. Usually
surrounded by spears, swords and mighty armies, it was natural for
the sultan to become a beast, a serial killer, a demon and a giant
when his hand conquered those trying to disobey him or undermine
his throne. It was also natural for him to be a deadly enemy of any
scientific research that he imagined could threaten his power. He,
therefore, put pressure on the freedom of science and learning, and
the most at risk was political science.
The near-daily calls for the return of the caliphate are clear evi-
dence that Razeqs book failed to change anything, even though his
message made sense.
Islam and the Foundations of Political Power and its pertinent,
frank questions still ring true today. As the Egyptian writer Amar Ali
Hassan put it: The limit of its relevance has not been reached. It
hasnt been consigned to the annals of history-its still with us, as
though it had just been written. (majalla.com/eng)
Ali Abdur Razeq and the Caliph
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Al-Islam wa Usoolul
Hukm and its author
Shaikh Ali Abdur Razeq
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Reading this newspaper for past few years and seriously saying that it has
been of no real benefit. If we compare the Saamna newspaper and its con-
tent then we can simply find no other difference than religion. The way
they speak and write is same as yours. And the way some people are their
regular fans is the same as yours. Many such MG type newspapers and
magazines have come and gone, and nobody cared, and why should any-
one care if something doesn't even concern them. On the surface MG
shows itself as working for all Muslims, and the Mushawarat relays state-
ments and resolutions declaring itself as the representative of the
Muslims, but who gave you or the Mushawarat the authority to do so. Stop
being self proclaimed leaders. The Muslim community doesn't care for
these shallow gimmicks that proclaim to be their saviour.
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May Allah save Muslims
Havoc caused lies
Lies cause cries
They include telling untruth
And also half truth
Telling only one part of a saying.
Keep in the mind
Muslims are also not behind
In this devastating game
Which has put us to shame
About our Holy Prophets sayings
Thus attributing things to Islam
Which have nothing to do with Islam
May Allah guide Muslims
May Allah save Muslims.
S. Akhtar, Khanpur Deh - 392150
The Muslim who bats for Modi
Zafar Sureshwala is a representative of business class people from
Gujarat, who are not very deep into any ideology except when it translates
into hate and revenge stages. There is an invisible tug of war going on in
Gujarat and even all over India, between an ideology of Hindutva pitched
against Islam and Muslims. Though it will appear that Modi and Zafar both
are the two end of a tug of war, Modi's deeper ideological commitments,
especially while in power which he is ruthlessly misusing, cannot be
matched to Zafar's commitment of Islam and its wider impact on India and
Muslims of India. His tabligi background, nurtured in the backdrop of
British colonial efforts to wean Muslims from Jihad and restrict them to 5
times prayers, has no matching power to pull Modi in the tug of war to
Muslim side. The result is obvious. Zafar and the people like him do not
represent the existentialist-threatened-Muslims of India, who had lost to
British and then turned inward to keep their religious identity intact.
Muslims are once again are faced a similar threat from Modi and his
Hindutva and again their response will be to close the ranks against this
threat. People like Zafar will be left out of the community consensus,
enjoying their AUDI distributorship windfalls. The battle this time will last
much longer, as unlike British, Hindutva is not going anywhere and
Muslims will have to be prepared for a much longer period of trials and
tribulations. Those that value their faith and their religious identity, will con-
demn Zafar Sareshwala for breaking the ranks and submit to a worldly
power that is in essence grounded in a quagmire of hotch-potch of racism,
caste-ism, pseudo-nationalism. Good luck to both, Modi and Zafar. Let the
best side win. Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
[email protected]
II
Narendra Damodardas Modi owes his position to the Constitution of India.
In 2002 he failed to honour his pledge to protect and serve the people of
the state he still rules over. The use of official apparatus to spy on a pri-
vate individual shows that he considers Gujarat to be his personal fiefdom.
This is a feudal attitude which has no place in today's world.
Mukul Dube, Mayur Vihar 1, Delhi 110091
[email protected]
Media not ready to divulge full facts of terrorism
In Ahmedbad bombs were hanged on trees and in Patna bombs were
sown in earth despite 30 CCTVs, and despite the presence of Bihar police,
Gujarat police and thousands of BJP workers and volunteers present at the
place in Patna. Police trapped Ayesha, a converted Muslim married to a
beedi merchant, and accused her of supplying the money used for the
serial blast in Patna. Every national daily mentioned Ayesha and her hus-
band for the money used in Patna serial blast etc but agencies mentioned
Vthat ikas Kumar, Pawan Kumar, Ganesh Kumar and Suresh Sachu were
arrested by police for Pak money trail from Lakhi Sarai. They had 215 ATM
cards and 35 passbooks and many incriminating documents etc. This is
the reality of media -- it is never ready to divulge full facts of Hindu terror-
ism. S. Haque, Patna
Union home minister Shinde on minorities
Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shindes 30th Sept. 13 letter to the
chief ministers calling upon them to see that no innocent Muslim youth is
detained in the name of terrorism appears to be shedding crocodile tears
coupled with political gimmick. Such fractured notices/letters both by
Central and state governments with no impact are very common during
election times with the only object: to garner Muslim votes and subjugat-
ing them after victory. The Home Minister understands and knows fully
well that all those linked with terrorism and some of whom were murdered
in fake encounters were never involved in any way in anti-naitonal activi-
ties and that the saffronised elements occupying big and small positions
in the security agencies and police throughout the country conspicuously
made them to suffer indefinitely by framing them under the draconian
UAPA. Faheemuddin, Nagpur - 13
Worth Praising
Media must be congratulated for its 48 hours relentless telecast of one
alleged rape story. Political stalwarts, legal experts, office bearers of pro-
tection of women's right at national level and so many others who claim
themselves as champion of Human Rights, especially of women, have
been very actively taking part in debates and discussions, issuing state-
ments and are coming out with their novel suggestions. They should also
be congratulated and commended from Aam Aadmi (General Public)
because they have done wonderful jobs, worth appreciating and reward-
ing. Same role was played by the afore said individuals and organizations
apart from Media in another rape case last year in Delhi and recently in
Mumbai. However, countless raped in Muzaffarnagar, Gujarat, Kashmir
and other parts of the country don't have any importance to them.
Because they are poor people and probably don't qualify to be seriously
thought by the above mentioned big guns. Perhaps it is below their stan-
dard and wasting their precious time and energy in giving some serious
thought about them will lower their stature. Why the same importance was
not given other cases? Afzal Ahmad Khan, Lucknow
[email protected]
Patna serial blasts and judges concern
Justice-loving people of India must congratulate Syed Muhammad
Mahfooz Alam, retd. judge of Patna High Court, who raised pertinent ques-
tions and asked investigative agencies to solve these questions related to
serial blasts in Patna at the BJP in Gandhi Maidan. A series of blasts
occurred killing six persons and injuring hundreds. Justice Alam quoted
HT news published on 28 Oct & 31 Oct in which GRP and RPF catching
the suspect denied that CCTV picture could be helpful to find the fact in
which RPF Astt. Security commissioner B. K. Markatiya arrested Imtiaz
and denied recovery of any bomb from him. According to HT (1/11/13)
Inspector Ram Pukar Singh filed an FIR in which he said that the whole
meeting continued without any stampede and disruption. Retd Judge Syed
Muhammad Mahfooz Alam asked a question: just one day before Modi's
Hoonkar rally a suitcase was recovered and why forensic investigation
was not done? The wrapper of crude bombs bearing a Gujarat company's
name and where the watch used as timer brand was manufactured?
Pankaj was arrested in Gandhi Maidan on 27 Oct, public beat him up and
he was taken by police but this was not mentioned in media! Many such
questions must be closely analysed and circumstical evidence etc must be
scientifically tested, otherwise media has created a consciousness and on
the basis of majority consciousness courts deliver their decisions which
cannot be called "justice".
S. Haque
Patna
Not Feasible
I beg to differ with Mr Sultan Patel that 'As one of the ways to restrict soci-
ety's moral downfall regarding sexual misbehaviour, allow boys to marry
when they've a nocturnal discharge and girls, menses ' (MG, Letters, Nov.
1-15). He should be knowing that generally the first menstrual period or
menarche starts among the girls at the age of 11-12, though the starting
period is anytime between 8-15 (at times, even 7, though rarely) and noc-
turnal emissions or 'wet dreams' (aitelaam) among boys start at the age
of 13-14 (nowadays, even 12). Is this the age of marriage? Advent of sex-
uality cannot be equated with proper sexual awareness that comes much
later. To be able to produce and conceive offspring doesn't mean both (girl
as well as boy) are ready to shoulder huge marital responsibilities.
Moreover, there's no guarantee that married men don't and won't rape just
because they have wives to satisfy their lust at the drop of a hat. Mind you,
many men who choose to stay unmarried never rape or indulge in the
defilement of a woman. Sexual misadventure is precisely a socio-psycho-
logical problem which's less biological in its impact, outcome and ramifi-
cations.
Sumit Paul
[email protected]
Is "Allah" different from "God"?
This has reference to Dr. Sumit Paul's write-up on the above subject (MG
1-15 November, 2013). A product is known by it's ingredients. Similarly,
certain terms have specific and unique denominations. Allah is God with
some very specific and exclusive attributes, one of which is "He begets
not, nor is He begotten" (Qur'an 112-3). Now if a Christian writer were to
refer Allah to be the father of Jesus then it would amount to compromis-
ing with this specific attribute of Allah's and therefore it would be incorrect
from the point of view of Islam. Similarly if some idol worshipper were to
refer his deity or idol as Allah it would amount to compromising with still
another attribute of Allah which is described in the holy Qur'an "No thing is
like Him" (Laysa ka-mislihi shaiya) Allah resembles no thing and therefore
His image impossible to be made.
Abdulaziz Vohra
Bhalej Road, Anand - 388001 (Guj.)
Barkha Dutt v/s Arvind Kejriwal - who is communal between the two?
In a NDTV interview with Arvind Kejriwal, on her program, the Buck Stops
Here, the usually cheerful and poised Barkha Dutt pounced on Kejriwal,
accusing him of playing communal politics by meeting with the Muslim
cleric Maulana Tawqir who is member of a 100-ulama committee that
deliberates and issues guidelines/advisories to Muslims in Fatwas and a
fatwa has been issued against Taslima Nasrin, a Bangladeshi citizen and a
pet of the Left Liberals. Taslima raised a storm, thus clearly meddling in
the internal affairs of India, especially in a very sensitive area of India's
democratic elections. Kejriwal responded, first by explaining that he was
not aware of any such antecedent of the Maulana when he met him;
though in one of his speeches, Maulana Tauqir has come out to be very
secular, very inclusive, very peaceful. Arvind promised to give Barkha a
CD of Maulana's speech and asked her to telecast that positive side of
people, rather going always for negatives. Kejriwal further countered
against the media that he has been going around to all religious places. He
visited temples. Media never objected. He visited gurdwaras. Media never
balked. He visited churches. Media hardly took notice. However, as soon
as he visited a Dargah and met a Muslim cleric, all hell broke loose with
the media. Now, let the people decide, who is communal - media or
Kejriwal? Needless to add, Barkha Dutt's face turned white.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
[email protected]
Legalizing prostitution
If the suggestion of the supreme court to legalize prostitution- the world's
oldest profession as the law has failed to curb it is accepted, crimes like
the all-pervasive corruption, thefts and dacoity should also be legalized by
the same logic as laws have completely failed to curb these crimes.
Legalizing prostitution is bound to bring the country to complete moral
anarchy and disintegrate our social fabric.
Dr. Hashim Kidwai, ex-MP, Delhi-110091
Firoz Khan - a great son of soil
According to Prabhat Khabar (20/10/13), Firoz Khan died for the country
on the border on 15 Oct when Pakistan shelling killed him. Army informed
his family about death but not with "Eid Mubarak". Prabhat Khabar writes:
"Media did not give importance to Firoz's great sacrifice for saving the
country. This is the real mentality of media dominated by saffron ideo-
logues.
S. Haque, Patna
Mushawarat
Al-Hamdulillah. Pray Allah (swt) keep us, all Muslims united like a leaded-
wall and bestow upon our "Supreme Guidance Council of the Mushawarat"
the strength, will and wish to act upon this opportunity, as it is envisaged
to be acted upon, for the welfare of all Muslims and ultimately to have a
peaceful social ambiance, all over. Ameen!
Shafiq Ahmed:
[email protected]
Arab Spring
One of Arab Spring's most dramatic and traumatic offshoot was Saudi
Arabia's rejection of Muslim Brotherhood rule in Egypt and getting its own
small Salafist party to side with the anti-Muslim Brotherhood Army. The
news had shocked the Islamic world. Some could not figure out what went
wrong between the two foremost Islamist power centres. One guess was
Saudia's need for a strong Arab Army to defend its and other sister Arab
countries' interests, now that US is more or less out of the boots on the
ground style of invading Arab land to save or change regimes. However,
there is not yet any clear-cut public explanation as to what forced this part-
ing of the ways, that has more consequences for Saudia than for Muslim
Brotherhood. The following article is possibly the first analysis in a prime
Western media. It has to be read with all the caution this sensitive subject
would demand in Muslim world.
Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai
[email protected]
Assembly elections
The constitution of India has been designed by human minds .So far it has
been modified and rectified 133 times for our benefits. We can make fur-
ther amendments for our facility .Now we are conducting assembly elec-
tions just 5 months before the general elections .If we can amend the con-
stitution and postpone the assembly elections we can save at lest 100
crors and time of govt servants .at the most we can take the help of pres-
ident of India to essue a presidential order to postpone the assembly elec-
tions . Congress party wants to ban on opinion pole .but it should know
that assembly elections serve the purpose of opinion pole and also exit
pole . The important point is that the party MLAs jump for getting min-
istries turn upside down ridiculed by the people .They are mad after power
.dance like puppets. The people abroad feel guilty on the character of our
politicians they are narrowly focused but in general elections such things
are minimized any way this the proper to think about the defective and cor-
rective mode of our constitution We should declare that we are not slaves
of the Indian constitution We can mold and amend whenever we need to
Only the divine Constitution which has been framed the Creator which is
sacrosanct cannot be amended .We have to face the brunt of its applica-
bility
Dr. AH Maqdoomi Hyderabad
[email protected]
II
As the political parties as busy campaigning for the forthcoming Delhi
Assembly polls, the fact is the parties should realize that the percentage of
youth voters has increased from 0.7 percent to 3 per cent of the total vot-
ers in Delhi. Youngsters' choice may turn out to be crucial for political par-
ties in the upcoming Delhi assembly polls as the number of first time vot-
ers has more than doubled from 98,000 during the municipal election in
2012 to over 3.5 lakh this year. However, it is not going to be easy for the
political parties to woo the youngsters as they feel the parties have not
been sincere in keeping their promises and addressing key issues. Their
issues are also not different from that of an average middle class person.
Corruption, inflation, unemployment, social and financial security are
some of the concerns which a number of students from leading universi-
ties say pervade their mind. For them, inflation does not come only in the
form of rising onion prices. It is reflected in rising house rents, higher cost
of education and rise in public transport fares as well. The coming time for
both the ruling and opposition party would be difficult, unless they gen-
uinely promise benefit the society at large they will fail to woo the young-
sters of Delhi.
Mohd Zeyaullah Khan, Jafar Nagar, Nagpur - 440013
[email protected]
An Attempt To Slight Mohammad Rafi
All you guys are stupid. Rafi was great but lata was at least equal if not
more than rafi. Otherwise, I can easily say that you dont understand
music. This Sumit Paul or whatever is such an idiot with all stupid mus-
lims immediately running to fight her just because rafi is muslim.I doubt
milligazette or these so many haters would be interested in this if rafi was
by chance not a muslim. Guys.just try to understand rafi just happened to
a muslim. Dont try to pull religion into everything.
Neil Kash - [email protected] (comment on MG website)
Mass murder of Muslims celebrated in Hyderabad & Kataka
What really hurts today is that though so-called Muslim leaders and Ulema
never raise the issue and educate Muslims about atrocities done by com-
munal-mided Vallabhai Patel and Indian army when they occupied Muslim-
ruled Deccan state.
Hyderabadi - [email protected] (comment on MG website)
Puppet Indian Muslim leaders are real problem
Muslims must keep a unbiased attitude towards all Muslim leaders belong-
ing to any party or group. They should not be allowed to go out of scan.
If they are found regularly scarifying Muslims merely for their own interest
they be silently ignored. Do not make it a issue in public else they will use
it again for their own game as the notorious BJP leaders do.
Md Zahiruddin - [email protected]
(comment on MG website)
Raghuvanshis rampaging kin in Muzaffarnagar
Sanjay Dutt ne to weapon use bhi nahi kiya phir bhi jail mein hai, aur ye
Raghuvanshi ke khaandan wale khule kaise ghoom rahe hain?
Amir Khan - [email protected] (comment on MG website)
II
"Rihai Manch further said that many riot affected Muslims told the RM
team that two members of Mumbai ATS chief K.P. Raghuvanshis family in
this village, Pintoo and Nitoo, were equipped with modern and dangerous
weapons as shown in films (possibly AK 56 or 47) were spreading panic
and terror in the village" -- this is very alarming. I do not think there is any-
thing different between Congress, BJP, SP or any other party. Things do
not change under them unfortunately and always RSS calls the shots. P.V
Narasimha Rao himself was a RSS supporter.
Hakeem Baig - [email protected] (comment on MG website)
Media highlights such Muslims
Muslims who try hard to get media attention follow the path of Hindus like
those Muslims who do puja of Ganesh, tie raksha bandhan or do other
Hindu worshiping. Media elaborately reports their worshiping and publish-
es their photographs. Though RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat asked Hindu
youths to shun and forget devi-devtas for 50 yrs (Ahmedabad, 17/10/13)
and Modi had said "shouchalya first, devalya later". Such Muslims are
hungry of publicity and media exploits them.
S. Haque, Patna
REJOINDERS/OPINION/LETTERS The Milli Gazette, 1-15 December 2013 23 www.milligazette.com
The Milli Gazette, P.O. Box 9701, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi 110025 Email: [email protected] Read more letters on MG website
RNI No. DELENG/2000/930 REGISTERED DL(S)-01/3215/2012-14
LICENCED TO POST WITHOUT PREPAYMENT U (SE)-57/2012-14
PUBLISHED ON 26 NOV 2013 POSTED ON 26,27 NOV 2013
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