[Reader-list] Police stops screening of Jashn-e-Azadi

[M H]

You write about freedom of speech and then commend the attitude of the
police. Tell me, if the society consisting of your so called "learned
people" can target and question the movie; why is there a need to ban the
screening even before the learned bunch can see the movie?

We should have freedom of speech in this country, but if we actually have
freedom of speech, how can you punish people who "play" with it? By saying
we have freedom of speech, we are actually giving everyone the license to
"play" with his/her way of interpreting/expressing things. It is upto the
rest of the society to either reject or accept this. Putting a lid on this
expression just because a few people in the society dont like it is not
freedom of expression...


On 7/30/07, Aditya Raj Kaul <adityarajkaul at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> It is a great news to see the alert attitude by Mumbai Police. We all
> should
> welcome this bold step by the authorities. Sanjay Kak's so called
> documentary Jashn-e-Azadi (nothing more then a hindi masala movie) is only
> a
> propaganda which is being originally directed by some anti-national
> elements.
>
> Either Sanjay is blind and cannot watch the complex issue of Kashmir from
> the angle of suferers or its that he is acting on someone;s direction
> which
> is quite visible.
>
> We should have Freedom of speech in the this free and democratic country
> and
> more importantly freedom for the press. But people who play with this
> freedom should be taken to task.
>
> Its time Sanjay introspects as he is a well-known director and we all
> respect him for his past works and his knowledge in this field.
>
> Its easy to choose an issue to get easy fame and money, but its quite a
> task
> to study the history of the issue, research it for months on ground and
> then
> present the real picture on ground.
>
> Hope Sanjay learns something from what happened to him in Mumbai. And,
> this
> will not stop here.....whenever he tries to play with an issue and make
> something which presents a fake situtation, he will be questioned and
> targeted by the learned people of this society.
>
> Regards
> *Aditya Raj Kaul*
> *www.kauladityaraj.blogspot.com* < http://www.kauladityaraj.blogspot.com>
>
>
> On 7/29/07, reader-list-request at sarai.net <reader-list-request at sarai.net >
> wrote:
> >
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> >
> > Today's Topics:
> >
> >   1. Police stops screening of Jashn-e-Azadi (Nishant)
> >   2. I-fellow: Papa Ajoba  post no. 4 & 5 (anuja ghosalkar)
> >   3. Re: A Madrasa with a Difference (M H)
> >   4. A View From Within: Kashmir's Largest Madrasa: Dar ul-Uloom
> >      Raheemiyyah, Bandipora (Yogi Sikand)
> >
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 1
> > Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2007 07:27:30 +0000 (GMT)
> > From: Nishant < nicheant at yahoo.co.uk>
> > Subject: [Reader-list] Police stops screening of Jashn-e-Azadi
> > To: Reader List <reader-list at sarai.net>
> > Message-ID: < 102065.38042.qm at web27904.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> >
> > Police stops radical film on Kashmir
> >
> > Disrupt screening of Jashn-e-Azadi at Bhupesh Gupta Bhavan on suspicion
> > that the documentary may be provocative and inflammatory
> >
> > Mumbai police on Friday disrupted the screening a radical film on
> Kashmir
> > called Jashn-e-Azadi on the suspicion that the feature-length
> documentary
> > could be "inflammatory and provocative." The 2-hour, 18-minute long
> > documentary, directed by Sanjay Kak, was just about to begin when cops
> > barged into the Bhupesh Gupta Bhavan at Prabhadevi and seized all the
> dvds.
> >
> > "We were told that the documentary is provocative and inflammatory.
> > Therefore we requested the organisers to let us watch the movie before
> it
> > was screened", Deputy Commissioner of Police, D N Phadtare, told Mumbai
> > Mirror. But getting the cops to play censor was not acceptable to the
> show's
> > organisers, Vikalp.  "We told them in that case it would not be possible
> to
> > allow them to screen the film and confiscated the DVDs," said Phadtare.
> >
> > Ironically, Jashn-e-Azadi, which has already been screened in Bangalore
> > and Delhi, without anybody getting inflamed or provoked, explores the
> > implications of the struggle for Azadi in the Kashmir Valley. As the
> blog on
> > documentary ( http://kashmirfilm.wordpress.com)  says: In : In 2007
> India
> > celebrates the 60th anniversary of it's Independence, this provocative
> and
> > quietly disturbing new film raises questions about freedom in Kashmir,
> and
> > about the degrees of freedom in India.
> >
> > When contacted director Sanjay Kak said: "I've been holding a number of
> > private screenings across the country for filmmakers and other
> interested
> > viewers to start a conversation about the film and get feedback. The
> Osian
> > film festival in Delhi was the first and only public screening we've
> had.
> > The screening today was in a private property for a small group of
> invitees.
> > Vikalp got a call in the morning from the police asking for a copy of
> the
> > film. When we landed at the venue there was a battalion of cops and they
>
> > asked us not to screen the film. When we told them to watch it with us
> they
> > were not willing," said Kak, adding that the cops refused to tell them
> who
> > had filed the complaint or what the problem was. "All they were willing
> to
> > say was, 'hamare seniors ka order hai,' and till they had seen the film
> they
> > could not allow us to go ahead," he said.
> >
> > (Source: Mumbai Mirror)
> >
> >
> >      ___________________________________________________________
> > Yahoo! Answers - Got a question? Someone out there knows the answer. Try
> > it
> > now.
> > http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 2
> > Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2007 02:56:26 -0700 (PDT)
> > From: anuja ghosalkar <anujaghosalkar at yahoo.com>
> > Subject: [Reader-list] I-fellow: Papa Ajoba  post no. 4 & 5
> > To: Reader List <reader-list at sarai.net>
> > Message-ID: <997606.63545.qm at web54502.mail.re2.yahoo.com >
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> >
> > www.papaajoba.blogspot.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> ____________________________________________________________________________________
>
> > Building a website is a piece of cake. Yahoo! Small Business gives you
> all
> > the tools to get online.
> > http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/webhosting
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 3
> > Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2007 16:36:38 +0530
> > From: "M H" <mhulikal8360 at gmail.com >
> > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] A Madrasa with a Difference
> > To: reader-list at sarai.net
> > Message-ID:
> >        < edc751a50707280406n7f7ba6dcte7175508fe2d812c at mail.gmail.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="WINDOWS-1252"
> >
> > Ridiculous...
> >
> > Looks like you have taken your prejudices a little too far - RSS =
> > fanatics
> > = criminals.
> >
> > About your claim that RSS are in the police, army and committing
> > atrocities,
> > any sources? Or should we safely guess and commend you on your abilities
> > as
> > an undercover journalist?
> >
> >
> >
> > On 7/28/07, jumana bandukwala <jumanab12 at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > Ms Jogi is doing nothing but advocating to make India a hot bed of
> > bloody
> > > terrorists. She supports the arm training of vidyabhavan, durga
> vahini,
> > and
> > > other RSS wings, which is against the Indian law but these are
> happening
> > > very much in the constitutional area of India. And the governments are
>
> > well
> > > aware of it but since the governments are pro hindu they turn deaf ear
> > to
> > > all this and then blame only the muslim people who are fighting for
> > > discrimination in public services, schools, colleges, and above all
> > police
> > > and army attrocities. RSS members are in army and police who does fake
> > > killings of innocent muslim youths and raping minor girls in Kashmir,
> > > Gujarat, Maharastra and other Muslim dominated areas. They are above
> > Indian
> > > Law such as TADA, POTA, MOCOCA, and the likes just because they are
> > HINDUS.
> > > So many innocent muslims killed by the hindus fanatics (RSS members)
> but
> > not
> > > a single person had been on trial even after media present their faces
>
> > but
> > > they stil going scot free
> > > just because they are RSS men.
> > >
> > > Now decide who is the real terrorist breeder. But nothing to say as
> > Indian
> > > muslims are subject to these kind of attrocities even after giving
> their
> > > lives for India. We should kill the reason behind all these activities
> > then
> > > we can have good and peaceful India.
> > >
> > > Think twice before blaming others.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Vedavati Jogi <vrjogi at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > To develop a national system of education which may mould the
> posterity
> > > into such a youthful generation as fully saturated with the feelings
> of
> > > Hindutva and patriotism, having completely attained all-round
> physical,
> > > mental, intellectual and spiritual development
> > >
> > > equating vidyabhavan with terrorist breeding madrasas is nothing but
> > > mental bankruptcy. imagine muslim dominated india in 2050 where hindus
> > will
> > > be in minority. do you want your next generation to experience the
> 1947
> > > partition trauma again? 1947 happened 60 years back, you might have
> > > forgotten that...just 18years back what we experienced in muslim
> > dominated
> > > kashmir....can you afford to forget that?
> > > we need many more vidyabhavans, many more rss...
> > >
> > > vedavati
> > >
> > >
> > > From: prashant at csdms.inTo: mrsg at vsnl.com; reader-list at sarai.netDate:
> > Fri,
> > > 27 Jul 2007 12:17:43 +0530Subject: Re: [Reader-list] A Madrasa with a
> > > Difference
> > > <>
> > > If you read the responses of the so called 'modern clergy', you will
> see
> > > that there is a distinction being made about the morally good
> modernity
> > and
> > > morally corrupt modernity. This is typical of half baked ideas of
> > secularism
> > > being accepted, wherein the traditions cannot be challenged on the
> > grounds
> > > of tolerance. In fact many traditions of hindu life are to be
> challenged
> > too
> > > and one is surprised that these orthodoxies are not event entering the
>
> > > discussions. There is clearly a class issue which is neglected. So the
> > women
> > > are to decide how to be huh. What if a majority of women say they want
> > to
> > > carry on with obnoxious traditions? What then? Difference for
> > difference's
> > > sake becomes a mantra for upholding community values and not one for
> an
> > > individual to challenge not just the extreme orthodoxies but those
> that
> > are
> > > current in everyday life.
> > >
> > > There is no point in potraying religious education as secular. There
> is
> > a
> > > point however in breaking the trope of the Madrassa as a tarining camp
> > for
> > > future terrorists and extremists.
> > >
> > > Perhaps a more worrysome case is that of the Safron Schools like the
> > Vidya
> > > Bharati network of schools, whose self-professed vision is "To develop
> a
> > > national system of education which may mould the posterity into such a
>
> > > youthful generation as fully saturated with the feelings of Hindutva
> and
> > > patriotism, having completely attained all-round physical, mental,
> > > intellectual and spiritual development".
> > >
> > > This is a much bigger network. It has about 6000 schools under its
> arm.
> > > The Vidya Bharati also controls some 60 colleges and 25 higher
> education
> > > institutions. Frontline did a cover on these schools in 1998. But they
>
> > do
> > > not seem to draw the deserved flak from society.
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: MRSG
> > > To: Yogi Sikand ; reader-list at sarai.net
> > > Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 11:44 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] A Madrasa with a Difference
> > >
> > > First the dignity of veil, then a secular Huriayat which loves Hindus
> > and
> > > Buddhist and now a Modern Madrasa. Hope all these can be considered as
> a
> > > comic relief for serious reader-list netizens.
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > >
> > > From: Yogi Sikand
> > > To: reader-list at sarai.net
> > > Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 10:01 AM
> > > Subject: [Reader-list] A Madrasa with a Difference
> > > A Madrasa with a DifferenceYoginder SikandContrary to how the media
> > > generally portrays them,madrasas in
> > > India are not entirely opposed to reform.Indeed, the winds of change
> are
> > > being felt even in theportals of the more conservative madrasas, such
> as
> > > thevast network of Deobandi seminaries spread across the
> > > country. One such instance is the recently-establishedJamia ul-Umoor,
> in
> > > New Delhi's Muslim-dominated AbulFazl locality. Set up in 2005, the
> > Jamia
> > > ul-Umoor is the brainchildof two young graduates of the Dar ul-Ulum,
> > > Deoband,
> > > India's largest and most influential madrasa.Maulanas Khalid Saifullah
> > > Qasmi and Azmatullah Qasmi,the men behind this venture, are both in
> > > theirmid-twenties and represent a new generation ofDeobandi scholars
> > eager
> > > to embrace and promote modern
> > > knowledge along with traditional Islamic learning.After having
> received
> > > their degree from Deoband theyenrolled at the Dar ul-Umoor, in
> > > Srirangapatanam, near
> > > Mysore, for a year's course in a range of'modern' disciplines. Like
> > their
> > > teachers, the twenty-odd students at Jamiaul-Umoor are all graduates
> of
> > the
> > > Deoband madrasa.Having completed a rigorous eight-year course in
> > > Islamic Studies there, in the Jamia they are now beingexposed to a
> whole
> > > new world of learning. The two-yearcourse that they are undergoing
> > consists
> > > of lessons inEnglish, Computers, Economics, History, Geography,
> > > Mathematics, Management, Political Science, PhysicalSciences,
> Journalism
> > > and Comparative Religionsâ€"allsubjects that they have had little or
> no
> > > exposure toin their years at Deoband. Judging by the ease with
> > > which the students converse in English, despite havingstudied it for
> > less
> > > than half a year, they seem to befast and eager learners and their
> five
> > > teachers,zealous instructors. The students, neatly dressed in spotless
> > > kurta-pajamas
> > > and topis, sit in a circle on a large quilt. On beingprompted by his
> > > teachers, Tauqir Qasmi, who has justturned twenty, stands up and
> > delivers an
> > > impassionedspeech in Arabic on the importance of modern education
> > > and on how Islam positively encourages it. Hiscolleague, Aslam Rafiqi
> > > Qasmi, follows after him, witha remarkably clear speech in English on
> > the
> > > problemsof the Indian Muslims. He refers to the 'shameful
> > > and lamentable' Partition of India and the'massive and most
> horrendous'
> > > killings of Hindus,Muslims and Sikhs that ensued. The Indian Muslims,
> > > hesays, 'continue to pay a heavy price for thePartition', being
> 'wrongly
> > > branded as
> > > anti-nationals by many Hindus'. He refers to theliterally thousands of
>
> > > Muslims who have lost theirlives in hundreds of organized pogroms and
> > riots
> > > inIndia since 1947, and of the discrimination that they
> > > continue to face in many spheres. He ends his speechby stressing the
> > need
> > > for Muslims to take to bothreligious as well as modern education. The
> > > welcome addresses over, I sit with the studentsand discuss their
> > studies.
> > > One of them wants to know
> > > how to secure admission in the English department ofthe university I
> > teach
> > > in. Another wants to know howhe can get the articles he has written
> > > published inthe Times of India. A third asks me, in impeccable
> > > English, 'Why are Muslims, especially the ulema ofDeoband, thought of
> as
> > > terrorists by many, while theyhad actually played a leading role in
> > > India'santi-colonial struggle?'. The students and their teachers
> insist
> > that
> > > the
> > > Deobandi elders are not against modern education perse, as is commonly
> > > imagined. Hasan, a young studentfrom
> > > Bihar, argues, 'Islam says that all beneficialknowledge can be
> acquired
> > > and so our ulema have neveropposed what is good in the modern
> > educational
> > > system.What they were opposed to, however, was Western
> > > culture. We can and, indeed, should acquire knowledgeof all the
> > beneficial
> > > modern disciplines, providedthis is done according to our culture and
> > that
> > > ithelps us become better Muslims'. Ali, anotherstudent, adds, 'In
> Islam,
> > > there is no distinction
> > > between religious and secular education. All forms ofbeneficial
> > knowledge
> > > should be had'. Says anotherstudent, Abdur Rahman, 'Learning English,
> > > ComputerApplications and other modern subjects will help us in
> > > our task to telling others about Islam'. Maulana Furqan, senior
> teacher,
> > > nods his head inagreement. He tells me that three graduates of
> > > Jamiaul-Umoor's first batch, which passed out last year,are now
> studying
> > at
> > > a regular university, the Jamia
> > > Millia Islamia, in New Delhi. 'We want our graduatesto go on to join
> > > universities and then take up a range
> > > of careers, not necessarily as maulvis or religiousspecialists', he
> > says.
> > > 'In the past, madrasasproduced both ulema as well architects,
> > > astronomers,scientists and so on', he informs me, 'and so wemust go
> back
> > to
> > > that holistic conception of education
> > > and bridge the gulf between the ulema and those whohave studied in
> > > universities'. 'Working in variousfields, and not just as maulvis, our
> > > students can playan important role in promoting social reforms as well
>
> > > as communicating the message of Islam to others', headds. 'In today's
> > > world, you need to know Englishin order to tell others about Islam.
> > Also,
> > > there is awealth of useful knowledge in English', he explains.
> > > 'Hence', he stresses, 'it is important thatmaulvis, too, must learn
> the
> > > language'. I ask Maulana Khalid Saifullah what he feels about
> > theargument of
> > > some conservative maulvis that madrasastudents should not enroll in
> > colleges
> > > for fear that
> > > they might go astray.'It depends on the individual student',
> heanswers.
> > > 'If the students' moral and religioustraining is sound, there is no
> > reason
> > > to fear thattheir faith would weaken if they join universities. In
> > > fact, they might have a positive impact on otherstudents, who might,
> by
> > > witnessing their example, seekto come closer to religion'. 'To further
>
> > > strengthen their commitment to thefaith', he adds, 'we arrange for
> pious
> > > Sufi
> > > scholars to come here to interact with the students,so that, by being
> in
> > > the company of men of God, theywill learn to devote themselves to the
> > faith,
> > > ratherthan to the pleasures of the world'. Maulana Saifullah tells me
> > about
> > > the 25 other students
> > > of the Jamia ul-Umoor, who are enrolled in the hifzcourse to memorise
> > the
> > > Quran. In contrast to mostother institutions that specialize in hifz,
> > > thestudents here must also study English, Mathematics and
> > > Science. He also refers to his plans to arrange forhis students to
> > > simultaneously enroll for the tenthgrade examinations, so that after
> > they
> > > finish theircourse they can join various different departments in
> > > regular universities. 'Our ulema must keepthemselves abreast of modern
>
> > > knowledge andcontemporary developments', he stresses. 'That
> isessential
> > for
> > > them to provide proper leadership to thecommunity'.
> > > Innovative madrasas like the Jamia ul-Umoor areincreasingly visible
> > today,
> > > although the media rarely,if ever, refers to them. These institutions
> > > indicatethe possibility of bridging the rigid dualism
> thatcharacterizes
> > > Muslim education, between the ulema and
> > > those who have studied in 'modern' institutions,something crucial for
> > > promoting education amongMuslims more
> > > generally.------------------------------------------Yoginder Sikand
> > works
> > > with the Centre for
> > > JawaharlalNehru Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia,
> > > New Delhi
> > >
> > >
> > >
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> > ------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 4
> > Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2007 17:39:40 +0530
> > From: "Yogi Sikand" <ysikand at gmail.com>
> > Subject: [Reader-list] A View From Within: Kashmir's Largest
> >        Madrasa: Dar ul-Uloom Raheemiyyah, Bandipora
> > To: "Sushil J. Aaron" <Sushil.Aaron at gmail.com>
> > Message-ID:
> >        < 48097acc0707270509u793a6a70v2ec2b118319a857f at mail.gmail.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="WINDOWS-1252"
> >
> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > From: Yogi Sikand < ysikand at gmail.com>
> > Date: Jul 27, 2007 5:35 PM
> > Subject: A View From Within: Kashmir's Largest Madrasa: Dar ul-Uloom
> > Raheemiyyah, Bandipora
> > To: Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan < zik at vsnl.com>
> >
> >
> > *A View From Within*
> >
> > *Kashmir**'s Largest Madrasa: Dar ul-Uloom Raheemiyyah*
> >
> >
> >
> > *
> > By Yoginder Sikand*
> >
> >
> >
> > Established in 1979, the Dar ul-Uloom Raheemiyyah, located in the town
> of
> > Bandipora, is the largest *madrasa* in Jammu and Kashmir. Founded by a
> > graduate of the Deoband *madrasa*, Maulana Muhammad Rahmatullah, it
> > currently has more than a thousand students on its rolls. Patterned on
> the
> > Deoband model, it is one of the few *madrasas* in the state that provide
> > Islamic education till the *takhasus *or specialization level.
> >
> >
> >
> > The Trust that runs the *madrasa* also runs several other institutions,
> > spread over three separate campuses. These include the Faiz-e Aam school
> > for
> > girls (till the fifth grade) and a similar school for boys (till the
> tenth
> > grade). Both these institutions follow the curriculum prescribed by the
> > Jammu and Kashmir State Board for Education, besides providing students
> > with
> > religious education. The *madrasa* is located on a separate plot of
> land,
> > donated by a pious elderly woman, the late Aziz un-Nisa, who is said to
> > have
> > taught the Quran to hundreds of boys and girls in and around Bandipora.
> > Adjacent to the *madrasa* is a four-storey technical institute which is
> > scheduled to be opened this year, offering courses in computers,
> > tailoring,
> > painting and book-binding to students of the *madrasa* and others. Work
> on
> > a
> > mosque that can accommodate some six thousand worshippers is almost
> > complete. A new library is coming up, whose collection includes numerous
> > handwritten manuscripts in Persian and Arabic, some several centuries
> old.
> > In addition, the Dar ul-Uloom runs some sixty part-time *maktab*s in and
>
> > around Bandipora, most of whose teachers are senior students of the
> > *madrasa
> > *.
> >
> >
> >
> > Mufti Nazeer Ahmed, aged 40, one of the elders at the *madrasa*, is
> known
> > as
> > a specialist in Islamic jurisprudence. His principal task is to dispense
> *
> > fatwas* and hear disputes in the *dar ul-qaza* or 'house of justice'
> that
> > is
> > attached to the *madrasa*. Till date, the *madrasa* has received several
>
> > thousand requests for *fatwas*.
> >
> >
> >
> > When I enter his cell to meet the Mufti, I find him sitting in a corner
> on
> > a
> > carpet, surrounded by men and women who have come to him for advice. He
> > asks
> > an old woman, who cannot speak, to explain her problem. It relates, like
> > many other cases that he daily hears, to marital and inheritance
> > squabbles.
> > He then hears out the others who are party to the dispute and eventually
>
> > gives an opinion in the woman's favour.
> >
> >
> >
> > As the crowd shuffles out of the room, he beckons me to sit next to him.
> I
> > ask him if his *madrasa*'s acceptance of modern education, as
> represented
> > in
> > the two schools that it runs, in addition to the *madrasa* itself, is
> > unusual for the Kashmiri *ulema* community.
> >
> >
> >
> > 'Not at all', he replies. 'Many of our *ulema* believe that we need to
> > have
> > both modern as well as Islamic education, including even for girls'.
> > 'Students with knowledge of both', he adds, 'can effectively communicate
> > Islam, by their words and deeds, in a whole range of spheres, and not
> > simply
> > as religious specialists. A pious Muslim engineer or doctor is best
> suited
> > for preaching Islam to engineers or doctors'.
> >
> >
> >
> > Mufti Nazir offers added justification for this approach to education.
> 'If
> > *
> > ulema* acquire law degrees, they will be in a better position to offer *
> > fatwas*. Or, if you want to establish an economic institution or system
> > run
> > on Islamic lines, a degree in economics can be useful. Or, if a
> > *madrasa*graduate studies journalism, he can use his skills to present
> > a proper
> > understanding of Islam to others and to counter anti-Muslim media
> > propaganda. And for this, *madrasa* graduates must also study English
> and
> > other languages, so that they can communicate with people who do not
> know
> > Urdu'.
> >
> >
> >
> > The Mufti also refers to the need for technical training for
> > *madrasa*students. 'This is important for those students who will not
> > take up careers
> > as *ulema'*, he explains.
> >
> >
> >
> > I ask the mufti about the Kashmir dispute, but he brushes aside my
> > question
> > politely. 'We have nothing to do with politics', he says. He stresses,
> > however, that allegations about madrasas in Kashmir being allegedly
> > involved
> > in promoting 'terrorism' are false. 'We are completely transparent, an
> > open
> > book, and have nothing to hide. Anyone can come and visit us and sit in
> > our
> > classrooms', he replies. 'Not a single *madrasa* in Kashmir has been
> > identified by intelligence sources as engaged in that sort of activity'.
> > To
> > brand the madrasas as a whole as 'factories of terror' on the basis of
> the
> > activities of a few stray students is unfair, he stresses.
> >
> >
> >
> > We talk about inter-community relations and what Islam has to say about
> > them. It is wrong, the Mufti tells me, to equate all non-Muslims as
> > 'enemies
> > of Islam', as some fringe elements believe. 'You cannot generalize like
> > this
> > about any community. There are good people in other communities, just as
> > there are bad people among Muslims. Our duty as Muslims is to approach
> > others with kind words and a good heart and tell them about Islam and
> > impress them with our good example'. For that, the Mufti says, peace is
> a
> > must, so that others would be willing to listen to what Muslims say
> about
> > their faith. Moreover, he adds, 'we must learn about each other's
> > religions,
> > not to condemn and denounce others, but to understand them'.
> >
> >
> >
> > He tells me about a Hindu whom he met some days ago who had read about
> > Islam
> > and the stress it lays on ethical values. 'He told me that he
> appreciated
> > Islam because of these values that it stands for, and not because of
> > Muslims' behaviour. So, Islam must not be judged on the basis of the
> wrong
> > actions of some Muslims', he says.
> >
> >
> >
> > The call for the evening prayer comes floating in. As I get up to leave,
> > the
> > Mufti hands me a bunch of booklets that the *madrasa *has published,
> > including its monthly magazine, *Al-Noor*, which is published in both
> Urdu
> > and English. He asks me to spend the night if I want as it is getting
> late
> > and I might miss the last bus to Srinagar. I would certainly have loved
> > to—his cheerfulness, simplicity and hospitality have been so endearing,
> > but
> > I really must leave. I promise him that I'll try to return soon and
> spend
> > a
> > few days with him, to get a better understanding of *madrasa*s from
> > within,
> > something that few writers on this much talked-about subject have
> actually
> > attempted.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > * *
> >
> > *For more details, contact: The Manager, Dar ul-Uloom Raheemiyyah,
> > Bandipora, *
> >
> > *Jammu and Kashmir**, 193502.*
> >
> >
> >
> > - --
> > Sukhia Sab Sansar Khaye Aur Soye
> > Dukhia Das Kabir Jagey Aur Roye
> >
> > The world is 'happy', eating and sleeping
> > The forlorn Kabir Das is awake and weeping
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > reader-list mailing list
> > reader-list at sarai.net
> > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> >
> >
> > End of reader-list Digest, Vol 48, Issue 43
> > *******************************************
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Aditya Raj Kaul
> Blog: www.kauladityaraj.blogspot.com
> Website: www.adityarajkaul.tk
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