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BaKhabar  Download pdf
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Injustice & Communal Targeting .... By Subhashini Ali*, Ex Member of Parliament
 In the last two decades, whenever an incident of a bomb explosion takes place anywhere in the country, large numbers of young Muslim men are arrested often from places very far from where the incident has occurred. Their identities are revealed to the press and their names, places of origin and even their photographs become part of sensational news stories in the print and visual media. After their being picked up by the police, they are kept in custody and confessions are extracted from them in which they not only accept their own involvement in one or more incidents but also name a number of other young men many of whom are arrested subsequently. After this, they are produced in court and sent to jail. Since they are arrested under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and often accused of anti-national and seditious activity as well, they are denied bail throughout their incarceration. If the Court finds them innocent in one case, several others are slapped on them so that they spend the better part of their youth in jail.   Several cases have been documented in which young men between the ages of 18 and 25 have been acquitted after having been forced to spend between nine and fourteen years in jail. They have suffered not only physical and mental torture but have been deprived of education and employment. Their futures have been blighted and their families ruined. In judgment after judgment, the agencies responsible for their arrests have been held responsible for making false statements and for fabricating evidence. Unfortunately, no one has been punished for these crimes of omission and commission which originate from the worst communal prejudice. At the same time, none of those acquitted after long years spent languishing in jails in different parts of the country are treated as deserving compensation and rehabilitation. The CPI (M) has been raising this issue from time to time and has intervened to help some of those falsely accused to access justice. It was felt, however, that this was not enough. Seeing the enormity of the problem, it was necessary to pressurise governments at the central and state level to address this issue. As a first step, Prakash Karat, CPI (M) general secretary met the President of India on November 17, 2012 along with his Party colleagues, Yousuf Tarigami, Subhashini Ali and Sehba Farooqui and three victims of State injustice who had been acquitted after years in prison, Mohd Aamir from Delhi, Maqbool Shah from Kashmir and Syed Wasif Haider from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Prakash Karat handed over a memorandum to the President. He also presented the president with a copy of the report by the Jamia Teachers’ Solidarity Association which has given details of 16 judgments by Delhi Courts that have acquitted young men accused of being ‘terrorists’ and have passed strictures against the investigating and arresting agencies.  The three victims also made their very moving submissions to the president. Mohd Aamir was only 17 years old when he was arrested. One after another, about 17 different cases of bomb-blasts were slapped against him and he was finally acquitted after 14 long years in jail. He said that all he wanted was to lead a decent life all he was asking for was a future that had been denied to him for so long.He had been promised compensation by various government officials but had received nothing. In fact, no Gazetted Officer was even willing to countersign his applications for relief. Maqbool Shah told the President that his father died of shock after his arrest in Delhi and his sister died after visiting him in jail. His family business was destroyed during his incarceration. It was only because of the intervention of former CPI (M) MP, Brinda Karat that he received monetary compensation from the home ministry and, after several years of constant effort he has been given a very low-level job with the J&K Bank. Syed Wasif Haider was working as a manager with a reputed MNC when he was arrested in Kanpur. He was released after nine years in 2009 and is now unemployed and penniless. His appeals to the state government for compensation have gone unheard. The president gave the delegation a very sympathetic and patient hearing. He responded to the various points made and promised that he would use his good offices with the central and state governments to address the issues raised.  -------------------------------- * Subhashini Ali, Ex MP, is a CPI (M) Leader and represented Kanpur Lok Sabha seat in 9th Lok Sabha.She can be reached on subhashiniali@gmail.com |
Freedom
of Speech, or Deliberate Provocation?
.... By Arbazul Hoda
<arbazfahad@rediffmail.com>
At the stroke of midnight, when the world sleeps, I lay awake!! Contemplating, pondering, weighing the pros and cons. I was flabbergasted by the killing of Christopher Steve, the Libya-based US ambassador-The first UN envoy to be killed in three decades. Hundreds of Yemeni demonstrators broke through the main gate of the heavily fortified compound in eastern Sanaa, shouting "We sacrifice ourselves for you, Messenger of God". Earlier they smashed windows of security offices outside the embassy and burned cars. Days aftere the release of a video made by an Israeli American Sam Bacile which depicted Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) in derogatory terms the Us consulate in Libya and Egypt were vandalised and I fear the repercussions are looming large over several other Us embassies. Steve’s death was a jolt to the American ideals of free speech and civil disagreement (NY times) Let’s deliberate the whole issue in proper context. Who is responsible for Steve’s death? What is the definition of freedom of speech? Who is Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) and what’s this whole fuss about him? What is the whole issue about? The whole controversy was incensed when a israeli-american real estate developer Sam Bacile released a trailer of his movie titled “Muslim Innocence” which depicted Prophet Muhammad(P.b.u.h) as:- 1. Sexual deviant and a Idiot- The Week 2. Fool, philanderer and religious fake-Times Of India 3. Womaniser and Pedophile-New york Times The Week commented on the video in following terms “Video made my Sam bacile an israeli-American real estate developer felt like a Saturday night spoof with terrible acting and soft porn like scene depicting prophet as a sexual deviant and a idiot” Notice the words used for the prophet Womaniser, fool, sexual deviant, philanderer, Religious fake All these appellations for the person who is the most beloved person to the muslim ummah and about whom Allah says “Thou (O Muhammad) are of most sublime and exalted character”- Quran 68:4 and people say we are over reacting on this issue!!...Humbug!! Bacile, who went into hiding after the first instances of violance against the Us embassy said, this was his effort to bring forth the heresy and deceptions of Islam. According to the New York times Bacile raised $5 million from jewish donors and shot the two hour movie in California last year. Incedently, these have been the same allegations that the prophet has been subjected to over the past 1000 years that he was a womaniser, a narccist and a pedophile. These allegations have been disproved and refuted times and times again. The critics of Islam base their allegations on distorted facts and prejudiced judgment. To the rational mind, the prophet’s Multiple marriage’s and marriage with Hadrat Aisha would seem as a important step for the establishment of peaceful coexistance between different tribes and strengthining of bonds which espoused the cause of islam. Cnn’s national security analyst Peter Bergen said “The film that is at issue is certainly very provocative” Judging according to western standards If prophet Muhammad(Pbuh) was a womaniser(god forbid) because he had 11 wives than according to the bible Prophet Solomon is a bigger womaniser(god forbid).As per the bible Prophet Solomon had 400 consorts. Similiarly, the critics of islam say that Prophet Muhammad was a pedophile(A person who has uncontrollable urge to sexor young girls).For Prophet’s marriage to Hadrat Aisha see http://www.answering-christianity.com/aisha.htm. If Prophet Muhammmad is a pedophile(god forbid) due to his marriage with Hadrat Aisha then what ground does the western orientalists stand upon with regard to the bible in which Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ was married to Joseph when she was 12 years old and joseph was 90 years old. Muslims never drew the caricature of Prophet Jesus or Moses or ridiculed them. On the contrary, they revere them as they revere and respect Prophet Muhammad. As Allah says:- “We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Ibraheem, Ismail, Ishaaq, Yakoob and the descendents and that given to Moses and Jesus and that given to all prophets from their lord. We make no difference between one and another of them and we bow to Allah” Who is Prophet Muhammad(P.b.u.h)? Muhammad(P.b.u.h) was the last and final messenger of God Almighty sent on the face of the earth to rescue mankind from the depths of anarchy, despotism and pandemonium towards heavenly virtues such as piety, god conciousness, forbearance, benovalance, endurance and affection. As Allah says:- “Indeed, you have in the Messengr of Allah a beautiful pattern(Of conduct)”- Quran 33:21 The life of the prophet is an ideal pedestal for Muslims all over the world. From the past 14 centuries Muslim traditionalists have recorded each and every habitude of the prophet and try to emulate their lives as per the sayings and practices of the prophet .Ranging from the minutest detail like How he ate? What he ate? What did he like to eat? Did he drink water sitting or standing? To the most scrupulous matters pertaining to religion and warfare. For the Muslims, Muhammad(P.b.u.h) is the role model of a perfect human being and a perfect lifestyle. His Exalted Character Regarding the character, excellence and the magnanimity of the messenger of Allah, Allah’s statement suffices as an eternal affidavit “And, most certainly thou [O Muhammad (P.b.u.h)] are of most sublime and Exalted character”- Quran 68:4 Only one instance from his life is sufficient to prove the futility of those who allege calumnies against him. We know from history that when Prophet Muhammad(P.b.u.h) proclaimed the divine message of the Quran among his people in Makkah he was scoffed, mocked, tortured, stoned and ridiculed to such a extent that he had to migrate to Madinah. Eight years later he is returning back to conquer Makkah at the head of 10,000 people. The dignitaries and chiefs of Makkah, those who used to torture and persecute him lay at his mercy and disposal. The prophet ascertained:- What kind of treatment do you expect from me? They said “Kindness! O noble brother and son of a noble brother!” The Prophet said:- “Go! You are free! There will be no reproach for you this day” Western Historians as well as critics of islam acknowledge that such a precedent of tolerance, mercy and forgiveness ceases to exist in the lexicons of world history. As Allah says:- “We have not sent thee but as a mercy for the whole of Humankind”- Quran 21:107 Mahatma Gandhi, statement published in “Young India”, 1924: “I wanted to know the best of the life of one who holds today an undisputed sway over the hearts of millions of mankind… I became more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When I closed the second volume (of the Prophet’s biography), I was sorry there was not more for me to read of that great life.” Write to bakhabar@biharanjuman.org |
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