Quota for Indian Muslims in jobs, education need of the hour

At a time when the Supreme Court has given the go ahead for 27 percent quota for to Other Backward Classes in central educational institutions, the question of reservation for Muslims comes up naturally. Muslims as a whole are more deprived than most of the OBC’s included in the category. If there was any iota of confusion in this regard, it was removed first by Sachar Committee report. Later a more important body, Justice Mishra Commission recommended quota for minorities demanding 10 percent quota for Muslims. The so called-self proclaimed secular United Progressive Alliance (UPA) that rules the country has failed to table the Mishra Commission report, let alone the question of its implementation. It is time that the UPA government takes some concrete steps towards Muslims’ upliftment instead of mere rhetoric that it has mastered only too well. Here in the following article Syed Ubaidur Rahman, editor Khabrein.info, discusses the long-standing demand for quota for Muslims in jobs and education.
The issue of reservation for Muslims in India is almost always opposed by a number of organizations in the country despite the fact that even a number of well to do communities get benefit of reservation in different states of the country. The million-dollar question is why some political parties oppose Muslim reservations? Several Muslim leaders are of the view that anti-Muslim feeling dominates their minds. They are least bothered about Muslims’ backwardness as they regard Muslims as outsiders and responsible for destruction of Hindu temples earlier. (Thanks to constant anti-Muslim propaganda by far-right media and the RSS)
Muslims account for approximately 15 percent of India’s population. A vast number of Indian Muslims are of indigenous origin. But most of them live below the poverty line and day-by-day their economic position is declining. There is a large-scale discrimination against them. Economically and educationally they are the most backward community in India. And the government of India doesn’t provide reservation to them in jobs and other fields.

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New book on Saudi Arabia released

By Khabrein.info Correspondent,
New Delhi, April 13: A leading New Delhi-based publishing house, Global Media Publications (www.GMPublications.com) released an important book on history and culture of Saudi Arabia in a small book release ceremony at its office. The book titled State and Society in Saudi Arabia: History of State Formation and Social Development discusses the evolution of a modern nation sate in Arab as Saudi Arabia.
Not many books have been published on the formation of Saudi Arabian nation that discuss the way the Saudi Arabian state came into being, how a place, that was known for its deserts and Bedouins was transformed in a short period of time into a prosperous, well organized and a powerful nation state.
This book is an exercise in the direction of understanding and analyzing the phenomenon of the emergence of first modern Islamic Arab nation state in the Arabian peninsular region. A broader aspect of this book is related to the dynamics and philosophy of its transformation without questioning and compromising its Islamic and traditional sociological and cultural foundation. The main objective of modernization and transformation of Saudi Arabia has been to achieve a total compatibility and harmonious relationship between state, society and Islam.
State and Society in Saudi Arabia also takes into account how the political regime in Saudi Arabia has appropriated an intervening role for itself in every aspect of society, economy, cultural and political affairs of Saudi nation state. This also reflects the nature of the state and its dominant influence on the trajectory of the social and economic transformation. The book also deals with the puritan ideology of Wahhabism and its relationship with the Saudi polity. Wahhabism emphasized the imperative of purging out the elements of neo-jahiliyya, tribalism and polytheistic rituals which had penetrated the Arabs’ socio-political edifice and had degenerated and fossilized the inherent dynamics of Arabian social, cultural and political system. The ideology of Wahhabism emphasized the necessity of the regeneration of the fundamental and true values of Islam.

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Bollywood director says he has felt Indian Muslim's isolation first hand

By Subhash K. Jha
Samar Khan a leading Bollywood director says he that he has felt and experienced Indian Muslim';s isolation first hand. It is needless to say that the experiecne reflects in his works.
Samar says he has felt the discrimination in Mumbai first-hand. "It may not be on an obvious level. But it's there. If I praise the performance of the Pakistani cricket team a look would pass around the room. But if anyone else said it, it wouldn't be noticed. I don't want to be known as a Muslim. I want to be known as an Indian. Unfortunately, in these troubled times that we live in it's become embarrassing to be Samar Khan."
The character Javed Khan of the persecuted Muslim in Shaurya is inspired by what Samar has gone through. "Javed's character represents the predicament of the Indian Muslim today. Javed is willing to give up his life for the honour of the army uniform and is still looked on with suspicion. The discrimination against Muslims does exist. And it hurts. I pay my taxes like any other Indian, and I'm willing to give up my life for the country. Then why?"
Samar then tells a hair-raising story. "Recently, when I was trying to buy a house, five housing societies turned me down. If this can happen in Mumbai, I shudder to think what it must be like in Surat and Bhopal. I situated Shaurya in the army because I feel the army is the nation's moral guardian. I was in the National Defence Academy for three years. In my film Javed and before him his father have served the country in the army. And yet when Javed is accused of murdering a colleague he's held guilty even before the trial."

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BJP makes a volteface says not against reservation for poor Muslims

By Khabrein.info Correspondent,
Hyderabad, April 5: In a voltaface clearly aimed at attracting Muslim votes in next general elections, the BJP has said that it is not against reservation for Muslims in jobs and education.
BJP has been constantly opposing any move to give Muslims reservation or some scholarship schemess for the community so far. Its national spokesman had called this year's Budget as the one presented by Liaqat Ali Khan who was the finance minister under Negru in Congress-Muslim League alliance government prior to India's partition.
Opposing education and job quotas on the basis of religion, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Saturday said it was for reservations for socially and economically weaker sections of the Muslim community.
The national executive of the BJP minority cell, which met here, made it clear that it was "uncompromisingly opposed to any special treatment or reservations on the basis of religion".

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Pakistani Film Khuda Kay Liye makes historic opening in India

On April 4, Khuda Kay Liye (In the name of God), a critically acclaimed Pakistani film about the lives of Muslims and Pakistanis after September 11th 2001, was released in cinemas across India. According to BBC News, “It is the first Pakistani film to get a wide commercial release in India in over four decades.” The film, directed by Shoaib Mansoor and starring Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah as well as Pakistani actors Shan and Iman Ali, won several awards following its release last year, including the special jury award at the 31st Cairo International Film Festival in December. A movie review by Pakistan’s Daily Times noted last year, “If directed by any other individual, such a sensitive, introspective story could easily have metamorphosed into a mere show of finger-pointing.
However, Shoaib Mansoor is intelligent enough to portray the gray, confused areas of an individual’s interpretation of religion, experienced enough to fairly depict both the religious and not-so-religious factions of Pakistan and perceptive enough to get his message across: that while religion in itself is good, it is often misused as a means to personal gain. Violence, persecution of women and lawlessness are all conveniently excused to have been done ‘in the name of God’.”

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Govt. approves development programme for minority concentration districts

By Khabrein.info Correspondent,

March 29: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today gave its approval for introducing a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely ‘Multi-sectoral Development Programme’ for minority concentration districts, with 100% central assistance, during the XIth Five Year Plan with an estimated expenditure of Rs.3780.00 crore.

The programme aims at improving the socio-economic parameters and basic amenities in these districts for improving the quality of life of the people and reducing imbalances in line with priority attached to inclusive growth. Absolutely critical infrastructure linkages like connecting roads, basic health infrastructure, ICDS centres, skill development and marketing facilities required for improving living conditions and economic opportunities and catalyzing the growth process would also be eligible for inclusion in the plan.

The focus on this programme will be on rural and semi-rural areas of the identified 90 minority concentration districts. Financial assistance would made available to these districts to address the ‘development deficits’ that were either not met fully by existing schemes / programmes or catered to by any scheme / programme of the State or Central Government. The programme will be implemented by the Panchayati raj institutions / line departments / agencies / Scheduled Area councils in accordance with the implementation mechanism in practice in the State/UT.
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IIM-A hikes fee 150 %, making it impossible for poor to enroll

By Khabrein.info Correspondent,
New Delhi, March 29: Indian Institute of Management – Ahmadabad (IIM-A) has decided to hike the fee for its post graduate courses making it impossible for poor students to enroll in one of the most prestigious institutes in the country. The 150 percent hike in the fee is not only atrocious but it also effectively closes the door for poor students to dream of getting admission in it
The institute has increased the fee for two-year post-graduate programme in business management from existing Rs.450,000 to Rs.1.15 million from the next academic session beginning this year.
The decision to hike the fee was taken at an IIM-A board meeting here in New Delhi. The government opposed the move saying this would result in the other IIMs also increasing the fees.
IIM-A has increased the fee for the first year from Rs 2.20 lakh to Rs 5.50 lakh and the second year fee has been hiked to Rs 6 lakh instead of Rs 2.40 lakh that students pay now.

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Bedevilled World by Prof. Azharul Islam released

By Khabrein.info Correspondent,
New Delhi,March 29: Global Media Publications, a leading New Delhi-based publishing house Saturday released an important book on America’s war on terror titled, Bedevilled World. The book discusses as to how America has tried to defame Islam in the garb of terrorism and has used it as a pretext to target Muslim nations in Asia and Africa.
The author Prof. Azharul Islam, a former Vice Chancellor of the International Islamic University, Rajshahi, Bangladesh says that Islam has been accused for every evil, every incident of terrorism, every action of some splinter groups in remote corners of the world. Islam has been portrayed as a savage religion, bent upon destroying world.
He says that this unjust portrayal of Islam (a Divine Religion) is in sharp contrast to Christian groups responsible for atrocities or terrorist attacks throughout the century up to the present time. For these Christianity is hardly named or blamed in world media. Basque separatists, IRA, Ku Klux Klan, other terrorists groups or individuals including Oklahoma city bomber 27-year old Timothy James McVeigh (168 were killed on 19 April, 1995) in countries like Britain, Germany, Lebanaon, North or South America or elsewhere in the world are never called Christian terrorists and Christianity is never blamed for their actions. President Bush’s so-called multi-billion dollar ‘war on terror’ in the last few years has failed to contain terrorism.
The author suggests that the so-called ‘war on terror’ should have been fought alongside the ‘war on global injustice’. Something about redressing global injustice, Muslim plight, bigotry, attack on Islam should be addressed genuinely. One should clearly understand that ‘fault’ does not entirely rest on a group or a smaller country but on the most powerful nation and the colonial powers for their imperialistic behaviour. A manifesto that seeks to enforce ‘Western hegemony and cultural imperialism’ through an archaic policy of ‘divide and rule’ is probably hard to win friends, though it is sure to create more enemies.
The author says that the world has a good example in Bangladesh where the government has fought openly against terrorist activities of some fringe Muslim organizations. He says that the Bangladeshi government was able to destroy terrorist infrastructure in the country due to some wonderful actions taken by it and by taking the general population in confidence against the terrorist elements.
Name of the Book: Bedevilled WorldBy Prof. Azharul Islam, ISBN: 8188869260Date of Publication: March 2008326 pages, tables, figuresPrice: Rs 845 (India), US$ 45 (Elsewhere)Published by : Global Media Publications

Order the Book: http://www.gmpublications.com/product_info.php?products_id=25640
Global Media Publications J-51-A, 1st Floor, AFE,Jamia Nagar, Okhla, New Delhi-110025 IndiaTel: 91-11-55666830, 9818327757 E-mail: info@gmpublications.com

Muslim ulama oppose new gender sensitive nikahnama

By Rakesh Mohan Chaturvedi
Lucknow, March : Clerics are refusing to accept the new nikahnama, a marriage document prepared by a Muslim women's organisation, which it claims is free from any gender bias.
The All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) has prepared the new nikahnama, inviting sharp reaction from clerics.
Sunni cleric Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali dismissed it as a "publicity stunt".
"Two years ago the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) came out with a nikahnama and all sections approved it. Even the women representatives agreed. So what was the need for another code?" Rashid said.
But AIMWPLB president Shaista Ambar, who prepared the new marriage document, is undeterred.

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Gujarat riots: SC says religious fanaticism worse than terrorism

By Khabrein.info Correspondent,
New Delhi, March 26: Indian Supreme Court (SC) in a landmark observation regarding Gujarat riots said today that religious fanaticism is worse than terrorism. The Supreme Court is the only institution that has consistently stood up to support the Gujarat riot victims. The riot, one of the worst in India’s post-independent history is a blot on India’s face. More than two thousand people mostly Muslims were slaughtered in riots that had apparent backing of the state government.
The apex court today also ordered Gujarat’s Modi government to set up a special investigation team (SIT) within 10 days to probe 10 14 most important cases of communal riots in the state six years ago.
A three-member Supreme Court bench consisting of Justices Arjit Pasayat, P. Sathasivam and Aftab Alam said the team would submit its probe report to the court in a sealed cover within three months and it would act further on the court's order.

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