Lessons
of History which we forgot ...
....
By Mohammad Allam
(mohammad_allam@rediffmail.com), Faculty, Minto Circle, A.M.U., Aligarh
The rights and duties of a
community are defined on its nature, aims and objectives of existence.
Muslim being the single largest minority community in India living in a
stage of statistic condition .The degradation can be seen from morality
to economic prosperity. This degradation and decline are also approved
by the justice Sachar committee report. Why this has happened so? Have
the Muslims forgotten their aims and objectives? Have they realized the
vast and fast changing scenario of the world? Have they realized the
making of relation based on economic gain than religious brotherhood?
Have they realized that so vast community of more than 170 million
could not go ahead without a strong leadership, proper planning, united
stand and some sort of understanding with other communities living in
India?
The present degradation reminds again and again the need of aims and
objectives to Indian Muslims. In every Friday prayer the Muslims used
to listen that they are the best among the best who are in this world
for the befits for others, call others for the path of Allah and stop
the people from wrong doing. In the light of these objectives, Muslims
are not performing own duties. They are killing each other like wild
animals on pray in the forest. The killing of lacks in Syria, the
destruction of the people of Iraq, the destruction of Afghanistan,
Somalia, Palestine and Sudan all are evidences that how much the Muslim
community has forgot the lesson. The governments of many countries are
witnessing the destruction to prove them loyal to unjust international
order implemented by the UNO and other international bodies. Muslims
just for the sake of gold coins are not trying to stop the bloodshed in
the Islamic world. They forgot that without peace there is no
development. Could they give any example that anywhere where there is
continuous slaying of people have achieved progress and development?
Even without securing the neighborhood no nation could develop.
Realizing the importance of this Thomas Munro the president of United
States declared the “Munro Doctrine” which states that “The occasion
has been judged proper for asserting, as a principle in which the
rights and interests of the United States are involved, that the
American continents, by the free and independent condition which they
have assumed and maintain, are henceforth not to be considered as
subjects for future colonization by any European powers”. This was
simply a threat to European powers to not start any war in American
continents.
What about the Leader of Arab world? What about the ruler of
Iran? Whether we accept it or not this is fact that Saudi Arabia and
Iran are now two poles of the Islamic world, without meeting these two
poles, no peace and prosperity could be achieved in Islamic world. How
long we used to say to the common people that there is no difference
between Shia and Sunni? But the fact is that divide exits. There is no
problem if they have gap but at least for the sake of Islam they should
agree on Munro like doctrine for Islamic world for no violence, no
death, no insecurity, no poverty and no illiteracy.
Muslims around the world are victims of the so called global terrorism.
In every country which is not Muslim branding Muslim’s youth terrorist
or forcing them on the path of terrorism. They are putting them in
prison without trial for long. In many cases the arrested youth were
acquitted after 10 t0 15 years without any charge. This is painful.
Muslims have not any complain but what about the condition of other
Muslim nations which just for sake of their innocence handing over
thousand of youths to other nations by branding them terrorists.
Thousand are living in unknown prisons around the world. Muslims ruler
forgot that the youth are might of nation. They are real builder. They
are men of action. They are force behind power. The old guides and
youth marches. The example is India. What about the Islamic world?
Could they not develop their system of justice to deal with so called
terrorist? Could not they help these strayed youth to return to main
stream of the society? The need of hour is to start a campaign against
this injustice and raise the voice for all the unfortunate youth who
are branded terrorist and living in jail. The people of Muslim world
united themselves and approach to UN Security Council, Amnesty
international and Powerful Arab league to pursue the case of innocent
Muslims around the world.
Without ending this project of terrorism in the Muslim’s world,
terrorism cannot be ended in other countries around the world. And the
destruction of the Muslims countries would continue until the entire
structure of the government not collapse for which the rule of the
present government stands. In other world these rulers are digging
tunnel for own government and own people in long run.
The world of Islam could stand against this injustice done everywhere
with the youth of Islam. Don’t let the Islamic brother hood to shatter
for economic gain. As one Hadith of Hadrat Abu Musa al-Ash‘ari (may
Allah be pleased with him), relates that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (may
Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) said: “The bonds (of
brotherhood) between Muslims are like parts of a house; one part
strengthens and holds another”. He crossed the fingers of one hand
between those of the other (to illustrate the point). (Bukhari and
Muslim) .Another Hadith Hadrat Nu‘man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased
with him), relates that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him), said: “The Muslims, in their mutual
love, kindness and compassion are like the human body: when one of its
parts is in agony, the entire body feels the pain, both in
sleeplessness and fever”. (Bukhari and Muslim).
They could stand against any nation by adopting the strategy of OIL
EMBARGO. If they could not stand powerful nations of the world then
they could do easily against third world where to appease the other
powers the Muslims youth are targeting. The market of Arab world, the
oil and investment are pillar of many fast rising countries. Their
stand will save the community from deadly catastrophe and would give
cause of unity. Their stand will force the culprit to allow the youth
of Islam to do service for their nations and play important role for
the advancement of humanity around the world.
In the present world scenario, no Muslim nation could match the
technological and educational advancement of Indian Muslims, the
professionalism, the honesty and dedication which they showed in the
building of Arab world and rest of the world are an example. America is
so powerful not because producing the well developed human resources
but the migration of the best brain of the world. The multi-national
companies owned by American Israeli are getting best human power not
from Israel or America but from the other world. The liberal approach,
the professionalism and scientific working culture provided these
multi-national companies the best manager of the world. In the same
way, a little effort by the Arab world could save the future of million
youth and provide an opportunity to play pivotal role in the
development of Arab world and central Asia. In the context of India,
the Muslim youth they could be worked as bridge between India and Arab
world and central Asia. They could bring the two worlds near to each
other. India needs energy, market and capital while the Arab world
needs buyer and market. India without solving energy security could not
sustain as the big economy of the world for long period of time. The
big market with high power purchasing parity community could not
sustain long without huge investment and energy security. At this point
Indian youth in general and Muslim youth in particular could play
pivotal role. They could work as a Manager, Banker, Industrialist,
labor, Doctors, Engineer, Expert etc and advance the national interest
in Arab and central Asian worlds. They could compete with others for
advancement in Arab and Central Asia. They could help to build strong
relationship between India and the rest of Islamic world.
The need of hour is that the game of communal terrorism which has been
started by the communal minded people of India against Indian Muslim
youth should be ended.
For solution of this problem of terrorism Indian secular minded people
and Arab world and central Asian people should come together. If
terrorism could not be allowed to grow anywhere in the world then
people should also not be allowed to be victimized. If terrorism is an
international problem then violation of Human Rights in the name of
terrorism should also an international problem. The case of duality
could not sustain longer that the terrorism should be projected by the
communalist as international problem and questioning the human rights
violation as intervention in the internal matter.
And all those people who wish to see better relation between these two
communities should come forward. Otherwise the history will repeat
itself as it had repeated in the past in the form of colonialism. And
as a nationalist and humanist what should be our stand?
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The
Maulanas who are imparting competitive ability in Muslim youth
.... By Kaleem Kawaja*
Muslim
maulanas (clerics) and dargahs (religious shrines) dot the landscape of
Muslim India – the cities and towns where India’s Muslims live. Having
grown up in India, the scenes of multitudes of worshippers thronging
the shrines and bearded maulanas lecturing away to the congregations
are ingrained in my mind. Countless movies and TV coverage of religious
occasions have further reinforced these images over the years. Many
people stereotype the extraordinary educational and socioeconomic
backwardness of the Muslims of India with the sub-culture of dargahs
and maulanas that is pervasive in the lower middleclass Indian Muslim
community.
On the other end of the spectrum of the Indian
society are the images of successful bright Indian youth who compete
fiercely for top professional opportunities like IAS/IFS/IPS civil
services and the bright eyed engineers from IITs (Indian Institute of
Technology) and doctors from prominent medical colleges entering
promising careers in the modern fields of engineering and medicine.
The
two images are poles apart. Yet in recent weeks my attention has been
pleasantly drawn to the two images coming together for a few Muslims.
No, they did not crack the Powerball lottery. A counted few among the
lecturing maulanas and the maudlin dargahs took a big leap forward and
bridged the vast gap between the two images to make it possible for a
few ordinary Muslim youth to touch the modern Indian moon. Let me share
this pleasant observation with you in the following.
a.
Maulana Mohammad Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi’s Crescent Civil Service
Academy, New Delhi:
About
ten years ago Maulana Mujaddidi, a very respected Muslim cleric,
established the Crescent Academy in New Delhi as a division of the
Maulana Abdur Rahim Educational Trust, with a vision of providing
proper guidance, academic coaching and training to the Muslim aspirants
for the country’s topmost Civil Services (IAS/IFS/IPS etc). Typically
every year less than 1 percent successful candidates are Muslim. In the
just announced results for the very tough multipart competition for
these coveted careers for 2013, 13 trainees from the Crescent Academy
came through as successful candidates. In fact 30 candidates from the
Academy were successful in the first round examinations and 19 cleared
the main IAS examination.
It should be noted that to-date the
Academy with its limited infrastructure and resources, has been able to
produce more than 100 IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, judges and State civil
servants throughout the country. These are the very top government
services in India and the careers lead to their being the makers of the
top policies in the country.
b.
Maulana Wali Rahmani’s Rahmani-30 IIT Entrance Coaching Center, Patna:
About
five years ago Maulana Rahmani, another very respected Muslim cleric,
established this coaching center to provide academic and competitive
training to Muslim youth who aspire to enter the Indian Institutes of
Technology - India’s most prestigious engineering colleges. Typically
every year no more than about 1% Muslim youth are successful in
enrolling in the IITs. The results of the competitive examination held
for 2013 announced last week show that 24, mostly Muslim, of the 30
candidates from the Rahmani-30 Center cracked the IIT-JEE (Joint
Entrance Examination).
Besides the 24, four students of
Rahmani-30 who could not clear the test last year have also got success
this year. These 28 candidates have qualified for IIT-JEE Advance test
to be held in June.
Typically graduates of IITs go on to work in
prestigious positions in the country’s top corporations, or
multinational corporations or receive employment in foreign countries.
c.
Khaja Bandanawaz Gaisudaraz Dargah’s Engineering College and Institute
of Medical Sciences, Gulbarga:
Khaja
Bandanawaz Gaisudaraz, who passed away in 1422, was a illustrious sufi
saint who settled in Gulbarga, Karnatak at the invitation of the then
Bahmani Sultan Tajuddin Firoz Shah. He was a disciple of the very
illustrious sufi saint Hazrat Nasiruddin Chiragh Dehlvi. His ancient
dargah in Gulbarga is a popular center of attraction in south India.
In
1966 the Dargah’s Trust established the Khaja Education Society to
promote education in the educationally backward Muslim community. They
started with a school for girls and now operate 15 minority educational
institutions in Gulbarga, including the Khaja Bandanawaz College of
Engineering established in 1980 and the Khaja Bandanawaz Institute of
Medical Sciences established in 2000. The pioneering spirit behind the
Khaja Education Society has been the Dargah Trust and Padamshree Shah
Mohammad Hussaini who passed away recently.
Without a doubt this
dargah is totally different from the thousands of dargahs spread
throughout the country, in that it has put its primary focus on
imparting modern high education to the Muslims. Also they have been so
eminently successful in transforming youth from the backward Muslim
community into high quality engineers and doctors, who are helping
uplift the Muslim community and the country into a modern nation.
d.
Spread the secrets of success
One
important factor for the handful of brilliant success stories in the
Muslim community enumerated above is the close cooperation between the
Muslim religious leaders and the Muslim intelligentsia leaders. Instead
of competing with each other or ignoring each other, they pooled the
street popularity of the religious folks with the knowledge of modern
education of the educated Muslims to make it a win-win situation for
the community.
These undoubtedly rare success stories in India’s
Muslim community make one wonder how much socioeconomic development can
take place in the community if many more maulanas and dargahs dedicate
themselves to the cause of imparting quality modern education and
competitive ability to the Muslim youth and include the well educated
Muslims in their team. Instead of spending so much time and energy on
political and publicity activities if we spend more of it on the
development of our youth, we can change the community’s picture
drastically in just one generation.
------------------------
*The
writer, a community activist, can be reached on:
kaleemkawaja@gmail.com.
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