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better light a candle than curse darkness
No.10, October 2008 
Happy Eid to all readers of BaKhabar
I have no doubt that Indian Muslim community and the Muslim communities elsewhere are steeped in ignorance and some of the pseudo-intellectual ‘religionists’ have indoctrinated the youngsters in a way that leads to a suicidal path. Why did those mentors choose this path before giving a try at reform and education, and why is there no countering force in the Muslim community at the ideological plane are the questions to ponder? .
As to the enmity between communities, it cannot be wished away by any one side. As to the role of Indian police, just wait and watch when every Indian citizen (except from the very creamy top), Muslims and Hindus alike, will be at the receiving end of its highhandedness and inefficiency. For the first time in the history of the nations, a mere police official by virtue of being a police official has become National Security Advisor in India. So we can expect many more ‘expert’ handlings of national security situations. A sinister theory can be advanced that Indian nation-building is based on giving free hand to the police which can fix most problems at the lower end of the pyramid any which way it can, without ever disturbing the peace of the tip of the pyramid. This gives the upper end, enough respite to plan for taking the nation to greater superpower status, such as by entering into nuclear deal with the US etc (including the likely commissions to be made to run the elitist machine).
(Manzurul Haque)
Celebrating Eid
A Christian and a Muslim trainee-officers, both of quality education and upbringing, were made to live in one room, in one of the Administrative Academies of India. On Eid day when the Muslim took out his Attar, the Christian gentleman expressed that he could not stand the scent of Attar because it seemed to him obnoxious. The Muslim fellow then informed him that he (the Muslim) got a similar feeling of unpleasant smell while visiting churches or Christian institutions. So there is much to the smell that meets the nose.
Muslims in the West know the scent of Christmas. As they walk through the malls, streets and stores each December, the scent of gingerbread, pine needles and cinnamon waft through the air. Studies show that using all our senses is the best way to absorb information and become completely involved in an event. A religious festival must embrace all the senses of a person - heart, imagination, soul, sight, hearing, taste, the sense of smell and the sense of touch. Children in the West are conditioned to find joy and excitement every Christmas because they are conditioned to love the holiday with all their senses. It’s actually a matter of science. Using this science of conditioning Muslims can and should also create that same feeling in their children during Eid.
The sense of smell is the most important sense to consider when celebrating. There is a very strong connection between smell and memory. Aroma processing is wired directly into the limbic system where memory is stored and emotion resides. In fact the sense of smell is so powerful that it is being employed to speed learning in some schools (Aoyama, p.2). Looking back in history, we can see the sense of smell being used in almost every culture and in different religions as well. The Greek Orthodox Church has a philosophy of incorporating all five senses into their service. Incense is burned to appeal to the sense of smell. In Judaism, a spice box is used in the Havdalah service, which is held at the end of the Sabbath, to start the new week afresh. Pungent and pleasant spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom are usually used (Ayoma,p.3).
In the same way, Muslims want their children to feel more nostalgic about the Attar smells of `Eid. One more thing that smells wonderful during Eid is the Eid Breakfast. The smells of cooking should also be supplemented with pleasant smells in the atmosphere. One can choose to use essential oils or incense, but the smell should be special and associated with Eid time. A person can use essential oils typically used in spiritual celebrations of the Muslim world such as rose oil or sandalwood. Alternatively, one can mix a personal oil
combination to create a personal perfume for Eid time or to create a special room Attar for the Eid Holiday. Our Prophet’s (PBUH) legendary liking of sweet fragrance is well known fact of history. Of course the sense of smell often goes hand in hand with the sense of taste. In fact, the sense of taste is one that the Eid Breakfast is famous for.
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