[Reader-list] ‘Quota could isolate Muslims’

[Bipin Trivedi]

Dear Pawan,

Master piece of posting, thanks.

“In the last 20 years, Muslims have been separated from regular society because a small minority has done certain things which allowed them to be classified as terrorists. This allowed others to generalie and label the entire community. A housing quota will only isolate the community more,” said Zeenat Shaukat Ali

“A compulsion of any kind does not work. It’s a way of attempting to please vote banks — in this case, Muslims,” said actor Aamir Ali. Though he was denied flat in Lokhandwala (posh locality in Andheri, Mumbai) being a minor then also he believes that this is vote bank tactics.

I congratulate Zeenat Shaukat Ali and Aamir Ali both for giving such bold and true statement, though being from minor community. One need courage to make such statement but, I am afraid of fatwa against them.

If congress learn lesson from this and stops appeasing minority just for vote bank will be better. However, educated/intellectual and even few poor minority personnel understand this congress tactics and come out of this is good sign and this is indication of full amalgamation with India. I am sure in the future they will understand that by adopting uniform civil code will also beneficial to them. If they adopt this, I am confident that there progress will be very rapid and fast and even ahead of other Indians.

Thanks
Bipin


-----Original Message-----
From: reader-list-bounces at sarai.net [mailto:reader-list-bounces at sarai.net] On Behalf Of Pawan Durani
Sent: Friday, April 16, 2010 9:22 AM
To: reader-list
Subject: [Reader-list] ‘Quota could isolate Muslims’

http://www.hindustantimes.com/rssfeed/mumbai/Quota-could-isolate-Muslims/Article1-531853.aspx

*Afsha Khan <http://www.hindustantimes.com/Search/Afsha-Khan.aspx>,
Hindustan Times*

Many believe that a quota for Muslims in government housing projects may
isolate the community.

“In the last 20 years, Muslims have been separated from regular society
because a small minority has done certain things which allowed them to be
classified as terrorists. This allowed others to generalise and label the
entire community. A housing quota will only isolate the community more,”
said Zeenat Shaukat Ali, a professor of Islamic studies at St Xavier’s
College. Instead of creating quotas, she added, politicians should create a
platform for different communities to come together and understand each
other.

“A compulsion of any kind does not work. It’s a way of attempting to please
vote banks — in this case, Muslims,” said actor Aamir Ali, who in 2007 filed
a public interest litigation in the Bombay High Court alleging
discrimination after a Lokhandwala Complex housing society refused to sell
him a flat allegedly because he is Muslim. “Reservations in jobs, education
and housing should go without bias only to those who are most deserving.”

The court asked Ali to approach the state government with his grievance.

“The whole business of creating quotas for minorities is political,” said
B.V. Bhosale, associate professor in the Department of Sociology, University
of Mumbai. “The Muslim community will benefit if this happens, but the state
will have to make a budget allocation and look at income levels before
giving houses away.”

M. Ishaque (40), a Vikhroli resident, said a housing quota was not something
the community demanded but it was welcome nonetheless. “If private housing
societies have reservations against certain communities, that is their
prerogative. But when it comes to government housing, it is important for
everyone to have equal opportunity,” he said
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