[Reader-list] Islamic State

[Naeem Mohaiemen]

> Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Chad, Djibouti....
> There are several other countries, which recognize Islam as a state
> religion...

Shuddha,
Bangladesh is missing on your list. It recognizes Islam as "state
religion" but is not governed by Islamic law.

1. The "state religion" provision that Bangladesh has is not by
democratic vote or approval. The two amendments to the Constitution
that brought this about were both under military junta: "Secularism"
and "Socialism" as founding principles were removed from the
constitution by the military junta of General Zia (1970s). Islam as
"state religion" was inserted into the constitution by the military
junta of General Ershad (1980s).

2. The country's courts and government are NOT governed by Islamic
law. Muslims in Bangladesh are governed by Muslim law as applicable in
Bangladesh (ie as modified by statute as judgments) ONLY in respect to
rights within the family, re-marriage, dissolution of marriage,
custody, guardianship, inheritance. Hindu law applies to Hindu
citizens of Bangladesh, Christian law to Christians, again related to
family matters & inheritance. Civil laws of marriage are also
available for those who marry across religions or profess no religion.

For example, in cases for custody after divorce, the main criterion
for court's to consider is 'welfare of the child', muslim law is only
one factor in determining that.


> Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:49:34 +0530
> From: Shuddhabrata Sengupta <shuddha at sarai.net>
> Jeebesh is right, except that Indonesia is the worlds largest (by
> population) Muslim countriy. Not the second largest. And here is a
> list of 19 other Muslim majority countries that are not Islamic
> states, or do not have Islam listed as state religion.
>
> Burkina Faso, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Senegal, Chad, Djibouti,
> Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikstan, Turkmenistan,
> Uzbekistan, Albania,  Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo,
> Palestinian Authority and Turkey.
>
> There are several other countries, which recognize Islam as a state
> religion, such as Egypt but are still not 'Islamic States', that is,
> they are not governed by Islamic law
>
> Only a third category of states, which includes, Iran, Saudi Arabia,
> Pakistan, Afghanistan etc, can be strictly called Islamic States, in
> that they are partially or wholly governed by Islamic law and
> recognize the Sharia as a source of law and jurisprudence.
>
> Please take the trouble to make credible and factual statements as
> far as possible when you seek to impose your opinions on this list.
>
> Shuddha
>
> On 15-Aug-09, at 5:27 PM, Jeebesh wrote:
>
>> Indonesia?
>>
>> second largest muslim population in the world. not a islamic state.
>> airlines is called Garuda airlines.
>>
>> Turkey?
>>
>> 90% muslim. Not an islamic state.
>>
>> On 15-Aug-09, at 5:22 PM, Murali V wrote:
>>
>>> If you look at all the countries that have a majority muslim
>>> population, all of them have declared themselves as islamic states.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> V Murali
>>>
>>> On Sat, Aug 15, 2009 at 5:08 PM, Rakesh Iyer<rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>> I am talking about Europe and USA, not Saudi Arabia. The You-tube
>>>> link you
>>>> gave was referring to these two entities, hence I wanted to know
>>>> about the
>>>> same. Are Muslims restricting the freedoms of individuals living
>>>> there? If
>>>> yes, why? Is it lack of public discussion or difference in value
>>>> systems?
>>>> What can be done in either case? Is the problem intrinsic to Islam?
>>>> If no,
>>>> then what is the case? If yes, then what can be done to change the
>>>> nature of
>>>> Islam? And if no solutions are possible (after exhausting all the
>>>> possibilities), should we ban Islam? Should these nations ask
>>>> Muslims to
>>>> leave the nation so that the rest can leave peacefully with their
>>>> rights
>>>> secure? Should they be sent to settle in any other country (like
>>>> Jews were
>>>> settled in Israel)? What costs and benefits are involved in these
>>>> arrangements?
>>>>
>>>> These are just some of the questions which need to be asked, before
>>>> making
>>>> any value-based judgements on these nations.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>> _________________________________________
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>>
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>
> Shuddhabrata Sengupta
> The Sarai Programme at CSDS
> Raqs Media Collective
> shuddha at sarai.net
> www.sarai.net
> www.raqsmediacollective.net
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:54:43 +0530
> From: T Peter <peter.ksmtf at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Reader-list] Fish workers protest against agreement with
>        ASEAN
> To: reader-list at sarai.net
> Message-ID:
>        <3457ce860908150524l4b67760x770dd07508a0f14e at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
>
> *Fish workers protest against agreement with ASEAN *
>
> *Date:15/08/2009* *URL:
> http://www.thehindu.com/2009/08/15/stories/2009081554600500.htm*
> Special Correspondent
>
>   *Call for mass mobilisation against the agreement *
>
>  Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Swatantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation
> (KSMTF) has called for a mass mobilisation to stop the ASEAN-India Free
> Trade Agreement (FTA) from being implemented in the country.
>
> President of the federation T. Peter said the signing of the FTA at the
> Bangkok meeting of the ASEAN on Thursday was “an attack on the federal
> structure of the Indian Constitution.” A press note quoting Mr. Peter said,
> “It is ironic that this affront to federalism comes a day before the country
> celebrates its 62nd Independence Day tomorrow. It exposes the
> anti-democratic mindset of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)
> government.”
>
> Mr. Peter said Kerala had voiced its opposition to the FTA quite clearly.
> “Last month UPA Cabinet Ministers from Kerala A.K. Antony and Vayalar Ravi
> had cautioned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh but their concerns were ignored
> with the carrot of the so called ‘sensitive list’ which apparently excluded
> some products of concern to Kerala.”
>
> Mr. Peter said that the Kerala government was still in the dark on the
> actual contents of the deal signed in Bangkok despite an assurance that a
> thorough scrutiny of the FTA would be done and copies of the text would be
> made public.
>
> “The trade in goods agreement will enable the dumping of upto177 species of
> fish in the Indian market,” said Mr. Peter. “The ‘sensitive list’ is just a
> smokescreen,” he added. Malaysia has aggressive interests in palm oil,
> Indonesia in rice and rubber and Thailand in fish. If the Government of
> India puts all of these in a negative list, it is unlikely that these ASEAN
> members will play ball on the FTA, he pointed out.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:24:56 +0100
> From: Taha Mehmood <2tahamehmood at googlemail.com>
> Subject: [Reader-list] Highlights of PM’s Independence Day speech -
>        198
> To: Sarai Reader-list <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Message-ID:
>        <65be9bf40908150524i55f06a9axb47e2f3812dc8833 at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
>
> http://blog.taragana.com/n/highlights-of-pms-independence-day-speech-140260/
>
> Highlights of PM’s Independence Day speech
> Ians
> August 15th, 2009
>
> Unique Identification Authority of India set up. First set of identity
> numbers expected to be available in the next one to one-and-a-half
> years
>
> * Nation building will be our highest duty.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:30:29 +0100
> From: Taha Mehmood <2tahamehmood at googlemail.com>
> Subject: [Reader-list] MNIC: Parliament Questions - 36
> To: Sarai Reader-list <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Message-ID:
>        <65be9bf40908150530l3f2dabb7o5f2c6625ac8ed56d at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/psearch/QResult13.aspx?qref=44938
>
> GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
> MINISTRY OF     LAW , JUSTICE AND COMPANY AFFAIRS
> LOK SABHA
> UNSTARRED        QUESTION NO    7665
> ANSWERED ON     16.05.2002
> IDENTITY CARDS
> 7665 .  Shri PADAMSEN CHAUDHARY
>
> ASHOK KUMAR PATEL
>
>
> (a) whether the Government propose to make the `multi-purpose identity
> cards` mandatory;
>
> (b) if so, the details thereof; and
>
> (c) the time by which a final decision is likely to be taken in this regard?
> ANSWER
>
> MINISTER OF LAW, JUSTICE & COMPANY AFFAIRS (SHRI ARUN JAITLEY)
>
>
> (a) to (c): The Election Commission had made the use of electors`
> photo identity cards, along with other forms of identification,
> compulsory for identification of voters during the General Elections
> to the Legislative Assemblies of Haryana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West
> Bengal and Pondicherry in 2001 and during the General Elections to the
> Legislative Assemblies of Manipur, Punjab, Uttaranchal and Uttar
> Pradesh held this year. The scheme to issue photo-identity cards to
> electors is a continuous and ongoing process (excepting for a brief
> period between the last date for filing nomination and completion of
> electoral process) on account of more number of persons becoming
> eligible for the right of franchise on attaining the age of 18 years
> as also due to movement of electors.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:31:34 +0100
> From: Taha Mehmood <2tahamehmood at googlemail.com>
> Subject: [Reader-list] MNIC: Parliament Questions - 37
> To: Sarai Reader-list <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Message-ID:
>        <65be9bf40908150531h1761f211j5bcc94a14bad5be5 at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/psearch/QResult13.aspx?qref=42707
>
> GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
> MINISTRY OF     LABOUR
> LOK SABHA
> UNSTARRED        QUESTION NO    9
> ANSWERED ON     15.07.2002
> IDENTITY CARD FOR LABOURERS OF CONSTRUCTION WORK
> 9 .     Shri ALE NARENDRA
>
>
>
> (a) whether the Government have taken any decision to issue Identity
> Cards to the labourers engaged in construction work in the country;
>
> (b) if so, the details thereof; and
>
> (c) the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Government to make
> it mandatory for the employers of construction workers?
> ANSWER
>
> MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR (SHRI ASHOK PRADHAN)
>
> (a), (b) & (c) The Government of India has enacted the Building and
> Other Construction Workers (RECS) Act, 1996. As per the Act, each
> State Government shall constitute a Building and Other Construction
> Workers` Welfare Board. The Board shall give to each beneficiary
> registered with the Board an Identity Card with his/her photo
> mentioning details of work being done by the Card holder.
> In Kerala about 9.70 lakh construction workers have been registered as
> on 31.01.2002 by the State Building & Other Construction Workers`
> Welfare Board. The Government is persuading other State Governments
> for early adoption of the Act.
> The registration by the construction workers with the State Welfare
> Boards is voluntary and the benefits of the Act would be available to
> the workers who have registered themselves with the Boards.
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:15:14 +0530
> From: Rakesh Iyer <rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] India on a list of countries which have
>        failed to       protect its religious minorities adequately
> To: Shuddhabrata Sengupta <shuddha at sarai.net>
> Cc: sarai list <reader-list at sarai.net>, Jeebesh <jeebesh at sarai.net>
> Message-ID:
>        <fd97a98d0908150545v7aa1786ch63eef0f86bb2a30d at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Dear Shuddha,Murali and all
>
> There is one more country which is not mentioned in that list. The country
> which celebrates its' 62nd independence day, today, on 15th August 2009,
> whose first PM had spoken of 'Tryst with destiny' on 15th August 1947, and
> which has the third largest no. of Muslims in the world (after Indonesia and
> Pakistan).
>
> It's not an Islamic state (and the SC in legality did overrule the Hadith
> and the Sharia by not allowing the triple talaq in the case of Shah Bano)
>
> Please do remember this country, even though it's not a Muslim majority
> country, because of the no. of Muslims living in it in sheer nos.
>
> Regards
>
> Rakesh
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 8
> Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:34:25 +0530
> From: Rakesh Iyer <rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] UID Cards
> To: sarai list <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Message-ID:
>        <fd97a98d0908150604n39a993b6x4a033c60a7f35151 at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
>
> Dear Taha
>
> My small contribution to your topic of interest.
>
> Regards
>
> Rakesh
>
> Link:
> http://www.tehelka.com/story_main42.asp?filename=Ne220809falling_between.asp
>
> Article:
>
> *Falling Between The Barcodes*
>
> *Will the National ID card really recognise and help India’s unknown
> citizens? **TUSHA MITTAL** reports*
>
>
> **
>
> AN INCONSPICUOUS village on the Delhi-Haryana border, Pooth Khurd has just
> been told it matters. On a hot afternoon in 2003, the entire village is
> cramped inside a local government school filling forms with 16 pieces of
> personal information. The Registrar General of India himself as come to
> inaugurate the pilot test of India’s first national identity project. If
> this project — estimated to cost of 1.5 lakh crore — goes through
> successfully, it could mean every faceless Indian will have some sort of
> recognition, some claim to existence. But if the ID falls into the cracks in
> our delivery apparatus, this project could further isolate the faceless
> millions. If the new order is imperfect, it could bar access to even those
> resources the poor manage to grab because of the chaos.
>
> The pilot project was introduced in 12 states covering about 30 lakh people
> in 2003. In July 2009, the project received fresh impetus after Nandan
> Nilekani, former Infosys CEO, was appointed chairman of the National
> Authority for Unique Identity (NAUID) and given the task of implementing it
> for 1.2 billion Indians. So will the project rely on existing demographic
> data or conduct original surveys? “The strategy is evolving, but we plan to
> partner with agencies working with the Public Distribution System and
> NREGA,” says RL Sharma, Director of NAUID. Some reports suggest the NAUID
> surveys may even override the census in the future.
>
> By 2007, all 6,600 families of Pooth Khurd had received India’s first
> Multipurpose National Identity Card (MNIC). All except 100-year-old Mukhtiar
> Singh. His legs couldn’t carry him far enough to be part of the National
> Population Register. “We were chosen because the government had no
> complaints from our village, we are an adarsh (ideal) village,” says
> Raghubhir Singh, 65, a retired army subedar. In the two years since they
> received it, honour is perhaps the only thing the card has bought the
> village. Most of the cards lie tucked away in dusty suitcases, inside
> unopened “tear-proof, tamper proof, water proof” specially designed
> envelopes.
>
> When Raghubhir tried to use the ID card to claim his old age pension, it
> wasn’t accepted. “We were excited at first, but the card seems useless now,”
> he says. “No one accepts it. They always ask for the ration card, voter card
> and electricity bills.”
>
> The MNIC is a secure smart card with a 16 KB microprocessor chip containing
> personal information and biometric details like finger prints. It comes with
> a unique National Identification Number (NIN). The back-end management has
> been outsourced to Bharat Electronics Limited. When it begins to function —
> the first batch is expected by 2011 — the government says it can be used for
> banking, agricultural credit, property registration, medical help, and
> school admission.
>
> “The government believes identity is an important thing, the lack of which
> leads to the harassment of the poor. With this unique number, a poor man can
> get a bank loan without worrying about the birth certificate and proof of
> residence he may not have. A villager can migrate to Delhi without being a
> lost face. It will make life easy for the poor,” says Sharma. The ID is also
> being projected as a way to help welfare programmes reach intended
> beneficiaries and as a basis for e-governance and easy verification. Sharma
> adds that the card will contain very basic information — no sensitive
> information like income — and that stringent measures will be taken to
> ensure privacy of data.
>
> But it is not yet clear who will have access to this information at the
> local levels. How will it be updated? Who will be able to alter it? And
> without data on income levels, how will the welfare programmes target the
> poor? In the absence of a concrete game plan — there is not even an official
> figure on the cost — many anxieties have mushroomed on the ground. “This
> could help identify Hindus, Muslims, and Christians, and lead to communal
> violence,” says social activist Aruna Roy. “We will not have 1 billion
> accurate cards and cards with disinformation will make things more
> difficult. Villagers will not be able to get the changes made. If this
> becomes the primary form of identity, it will be impossible for them to
> access anything. If the idea is to deliver better public services better, we
> don’t need this card for it.”
>
> THE PROBLEM is that beyond official statements, there is no way of gauging
> what the real purpose of the project is. Much depends on what the government
> intends to do with the data.
>
> Securing our borders was certainly the initial raison d'être. A Group of
> Ministers report on “Reforming National Security” in 2001 after the Kargil
> War recommended the need for a systemic overhaul of the country’s security
> and intelligence apparatus. It said: “Illegal migration has assumed serious
> proportions. There should be compulsory registration of citizens and
> non-citizens living in India. This will facilitate the preparation of a
> national register of citizens. All citizens should be given a MNIC and
> non-citizens should be issued identity cards of a different colour and
> design.” This was how the National Identity Project was born. The
> Citizenship Act of 1955 was amended to introduce these ID cards. Sources say
> that in the future, anyone who provides incorrect information to the NAUID
> could be prosecuted. “It was intended to wash out the aliens and
> unauthorized people. But the focus appears to be shifting,” says AK Doval,
> former Intelligence Bureau Chief. “Now, it is being projected as more
> development oriented, lest it ruffle any feathers. People would be unwilling
> to give up their right to privacy.” Despite the shift, he believes the
> project will eventually make our country more secure. “With this system,
> people can be located anywhere because all databases will be connected. The
> chances of a fake ID being caught are much higher.”
>
> If the pilot projects are any indication, the odds are leaning against the
> UID project. In Jammu, after almost three years of implementing the ID
> scheme, the Registrar General of India asked the local administration to
> ensure that IDs have not been issued to dead people. Reports from
> Murshidabad in West Bengal suggest that 90 percent of the rural population
> have been left out of the government survey. Among them are families of
> Iranian descent living in India for the last 70 years — even before
> Independence.
>
> If the MNIC is used to determine citizenship and “wash out aliens,” it would
> be based on a flawed assumption — that a smart card can accurately identify
> who is an Indian and solve the problem of citizenship, that a microprocessor
> chip can make our country terror free. “I doubt it will make much
> difference. The roots of insecurity, including state repression, are much
> deeper,” says economist Jean Drèze. “The danger is that the system will be
> used as a means of social control and state repression. People without the
> card will be harassed and the social divide between them and the rest of
> society will widen, instead of narrowing.” For Sispal Singh in Pooth Khurd,
> the card is, “like a passport, a license to travel around.” Others in Pooth
> Khurd seem to derive a similar sense of freedom from this card, as if it can
> magically open closed spaces. Ironically, it may do the opposite,
> restricting their access to their own information. Unlike ration cards and
> voter ID’S, the locals will not be able to read what’s on their MNIC.
>
> Spirited public debate on the card may address many of these concerns, but
> for now, questions remain. Tilling his fields in Pooth Khurd, Parvinder
> Singh has concerns of his own. “Why can’t the government spend this money
> better,” he says, “by reducing the the price of dal?” •
>
> *WRITER’S EMAIL:
> * tusha at tehelka.com
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
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>
> End of reader-list Digest, Vol 73, Issue 164
> ********************************************
>