Maya cheating Muslims on reservation issue: SP

 The main opposition Samajwadi Party has accused Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati of cheating Muslims on the reservation issue.

SP state President Akhilesh Yadav also claimed that all sections of the society including farmers and workers were disappointed with the state government.

"Instead of concentrating on development, the government has spent public money on statues and memorials and it is cheating people," he alleged.

"There is anger and disappointment among people towards the BSP government and the Samajwadi Party is receiving good support from the people. The challange we have is to convert this support into votes," Yadav, who has launched the 'Kranti Rathyatra' to garner people's support to oust the BSP government in the state, said.

"The government is even cheating Muslims on the issue of reservation. Writing a letter (to the Prime Minister) is mere courtesy, it will not give reservation," he said.

Mayawati had recently shot off a reminder to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking reservation for Muslims and Jats.

Ruling out infighting among cadres specially after ticket distribution, Akhilesh said that all partymen were unitedly working with the purpose of ousting the BSP government.

"We have made an effort to give tickets to committed party workers and leaders. There are only one per cent case where ticket was given to a person, who has joined the SP from other parties," he said.

50,000 Indians deported during amnesty

Around 50,000 Indian expatriates, mainly unskilled laborers, were deported from Saudi Arabia until mid-September following an amnesty announced by the Saudi government, according to an Indian diplomat.

The figures include workers without valid residency papers or work permits as well as Haj or Umrah overstayers, who were all issued emergency travel documents by the Indian missions inRiyadh and Jeddah during the amnesty period.

“This is a record repatriation exercise carried out by the Indian diplomatic missions in cooperation with Saudi government agencies,” T.C. Barupal, first secretary at the Indian Embassy who looks after community welfare issues, said in Riyadh on Sunday.

Barupal, who was chief guest at a cultural celebration organized by the Riyadh-based Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association (AMUOBA) to mark the Kingdom's National Day, revealed the figures and spoke about growing Saudi-India relations.

Barupal together with AMUOBA President M. Shamsuddin Shams, Vice President Mohammed Ahmed Badshah, and General Secretary Salman Khalid, also lit the traditional candle to mark the opening of an Urdu poetry session organized on the sidelines of the event.

Hanif Tarin, a well-known Urdu poet credited with writing about 12 books and several articles in different journals so far, chaired the poetry session.

Barupal said plans were under way to set up an Indian Workers Resource Center for providing information and a counseling service to members of the Indian community.

The center will also have IT facilities, a facility for web-based attestation, capability to track down all complaints registered and to extend all possible assistance to workers.

According to a report published by the Indian Union Ministry of Overseas Affairs, the Indian government has initiated this pilot project, which is a free, walk-in resource center providing Indian workers, especially semi-skilled and unskilled laborers, direct access to welfare services.

Barupal said India and the Kingdom had forged closer ties in all sectors. Two-way trade exceeded $21 billion in 2010-11, a sevenfold increase over the last five years, he added.

Nepal Muslim leader shot dead

By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS,

Kathmandu : A top official of a prominent Muslim organisation in Nepal was shot dead in broad daylight in capital city Kathmandu while returning home after praying in a mosque in what Muslim leaders said was the "targeted serial killing" of Muslims.

Faizan Ahmad, general secretary of Islami Sangh Nepal, was coming out of the mosque in Kathmandu's prominent Ghantaghar square, close to the metropolitan police office, having said his afternoon prayers when two men approached him on a motorcycle and fired at least five rounds, hitting him in the head and stomach.

Ahmad, in his early 40s, succumbed to his injuries in the nearby Bir Hospital.

This is the second case of firing in a prominent public place in the capital in two months, occurring on the day security was high following the return of Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai from New York.

The attack made the red-faced Maoist-led government shuffle the police administration immediately, removing Kathmandu police chief Kedar Rijal and bringing in a new man, Rajendra Shrestha, in his place.

Nazrul Hasan, president of Islami Sangh Nepal, condemned the killing, saying Muslims were alarmed at the "targeted serial killing" of Muslims in Nepal.

Hasan cited the murder of two Muslims in southern Nepalgunj city in the past as well as the killing, also in broad daylight, of controversial Nepali media baron Jamim Shah, who was shot by professional killers while going home in his car.

There was also an attack on budding politician and media owner Yunus Ansari inside prison in Kathmandu but Ansari survived.

Both Shah and Ansari are said to have been associated with running a fake Indian currency network spanning Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, India and beyond.

Shah's killing is said to have been the handiwork of Indian underworld don Babloo Srivastava who said he plotted it from a jail in India's Uttar Pradesh state where he is currently being held.

In April, Mehboob Asif, visa assistant at the Pakistani Embassy in Kathmandu, survived a gun attack close to the embassy, following which the mission asked Nepal's government to beef up their security.

Hasan said Ahmad was a social worker and a "gentle man" and his murder had evoked condemnation by other religious groups.

(Sudeshna Sarkar can be contacted at sudeshna.s@ians.in

http://twocircles.net/2011sep26/nepal_muslim_leader_shot_dead.html

'Appoint Wafq board, Haj committee heads

The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has asked the Delhi government to appoint heads of the Delhi Wakf Board and Haj Committee as both posts have been lying vacant for over a year now. Agreeing the issue needs to be addressed urgently, chief minister Sheila Dikshit has assured the commission that the appointment of heads of both institutions will be done soon.

NCM member H S Hanspal, who looks after implementation of minority welfare schemes in Delhi, took up this matter with Dikshit during a meeting on Wednesday.

"The CM told me that the government would soon appoint heads of both institutions," Hanspal said. The post of chairman of Wakf Board has been lying vacant since October 2009, while the Haj Committee has been operating without a chief since last year. Hanspal also held discussions with chief secretary P K Tripathi, principal secretary (home) Arvind Ray and other senior officials of the Delhi government. He said he was satisfied with efforts of the government in implementing various minority welfare schemes.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-28/delhi/29482588_1_haj-committee-minority-welfare-schemes-wakf-board

THE HAJ 2011- COVER NUMBER

ASSALAMU ALAIKKUM BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISLAM,PLEASE CLICK BELOW LINK TO FIND OUT FOR THE COVER NUMBER FOR THE HAJ 2011.

http://www.hajcommittee.com/index.php?value=inquiry

19 years on, Vachathi awaits moment of justice

DHARMAPURI: On Monday, when Dharmapuri Principal District Judge S Kumaraguru prepares to deliver the verdict in what has come to be known as the sensational Vachathi case, an entire tribal village would be praying to Goddess Mariamman that justice should prevail.

Simultaneously, over 200 serving and retired government servants, a large number of them belonging to the forest and police departments, would be waiting anxiously for a verdict that could make or mar their lives and careers.

The eagerly awaited judgment in the case investigated by the CBI on the direction of the Madras High Court will be delivered 19 years and three months after 18 women were allegedly raped, nearly 100 villagers brutally beaten up and arrested and an entire village turned into a ghost town by forest and police personnel. All the victims belong to the Adivasi tribe.

To this day, the villagers of Vachathi, a sleepy hamlet at the foothills of the Sitheri Hills around 12 km from Harur in Dharmapuri district, graphically recall with horror the happenings of June 20-22, 1992.

On June 20, 1992, about 155 forest personnel and 108 policemen and six revenue department officials raided Vachathi searching for sandalwood, allegedly hidden by villagers. In the name of inquiry, the villagers, mainly women, were dragged out of their homes and fields, assembled under a banyan tree where they were allegedly beaten up mercilessly before being bundled out to the Forest Ranger’s office in Harur where they were allegedly subjected to savage brutality.



http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/19-years-on-vachathi-awaits-moment-of-justice/317696.html

Hindutva activists behind 16 terror blasts in the country?

New Delhi: Are Hindutva groups or activists behind 16, not just 4, terror blasts in the country? Reports say that Hindutva activists have either been suspected or are under investigation in 16 incidents of bomb blasts in the country. So far, their role has been established in four major blasts – Samjhauta Express (February 18, 2007), Mecca Masjid (May 18, 2007), Ajmer Dargah (October 11, 2007)and Malegaon (September 29, 2008).

At the recent Annual Conference of DGPs (Director General of Police) held in New Delhi on 16th September 2011, a special director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) reportedly informed the state police chiefs that the Hindutva activists have either been suspected or are under investigation in 16 incidents of bomb blasts in the country.

Mecca Masjid blast [Photo Courtesy: AFP]

The face of saffron terror has been exposed in four terror bombings so far but the IB officer has revealed that the saffron terror could be behind many more blasts. However, the IB official did not specify the 12 other cases in which the investigating agencies suspected or probed the role of saffron extremists.

The saffron terror first came to light with the arrest of Sangh Parivar activist Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Col. Shrikant Purohit in connection with the September 29, 2008 blast at Malegaon in Maharashtra, which killed seven people. The Maharashtra Police on January 19, 2009 filed a charge sheet against Thakur and Purohit and some others for their role in the Malegaon blast.

In further investigation, the role of saffron groups was established in Samjhauta Express, Mecca Masjid and Ajmer Dargah blasts. RSS pracharak Swami Aseemanand had confessed the role saffron groups in these blasts. Aseemanand was arrested from Haridwar in November 2010.

After the spate of terror bombings in 2007, the country witnessed serial bomb blasts in three cities – Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi – in 2008. Like in the 2007 blasts, Muslim youths have been picked in hundreds for the 2008 bombings also. However, the trial in the 2008 bombings has not yet started. Like in the cases of 2007, family members of Muslim youths picked for 2008 bombings claim innocent. However, investigating agencies have blamed terror group Indian Mujahideen for these bombings.

Malegaon blast [Photo Courtesy: outlookindia.com]

At the same DGPs conference, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh expressed concern on the perception about bias of the law enforcement and investigation agencies against the minorities. He said the existence of such a perception is inimical to effective policing.

“Another issue which also figured at the recent meeting of the National Integration Council was the perceived bias sometimes of the law enforcement and investigation agencies against the minorities. The existence of such a perception is inimical to effective policing, which must necessarily draw upon the confidence and cooperation of all sections of the population it serves. I would like you to consider ways and means to deal with the causes of such perceptions wherever they may exist,” the PM said.

http://twocircles.net/2011sep21/hindutva_activists_behind_16_terror_blasts_country.html

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First book out on Hindutva terrorism

JUST PUBLISHED

First book out on Hindutva terrorism

New Delhi, 20 September 2011: A New Delhi publisher has just brought out “Godse’s Children - Hindutva Terror in India”, the first book on Hindutva terror. Authored by the veteran writer Subhash Gatade, the book covers one of the hottest subjects in modern Indian history - Hindutva terror perpetrated by about a dozen terrorist outfits allied to the Sangh Parivar. Spread over 400 pages, the book is an exhaustive study of this phenomenon which was first exposed by the Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare after these terror outfits remained active for years exploiting a most ingenious way in which both the victims and the arrested “terrorists” were Muslims.

The book looks into the ideological and historical roots of Hindutva terrorism, foreign linkages and dimensions, main outfits, actors, planners and ideologues, major terror blasts and explosions by these outfits, which remain mostly unprobed, and why investigating agencies are going slow on some of the known players of Hindutva terror.

The book has been brought out by Pharos Media. Earlier in 2009, it had published “Who Killed Karkare?” which has been translated into seven Indian languages and has changed the perception of terrorism in the country.

 

Obama urged not to veto Palestine bid

The students of the Palestinian School in Doha have urged US President Barack Obama not to veto the Palestine bid for full membership of the United Nations. 

In an open letter addressed to the US president, Rand Yahya al-Agha, a student  at the Palestinian school, reminded Obama of his speech at Cairo University where he pledged to work out a fundamental solution for the Palestinian issue by the end of his first term in office.
She urged him not to use the right to veto against the interests and freedom of the Palestinian people to favour Israel. 

Further, in the name of the Palestinian children living abroad and those living in the occupied territories, she urged him to support their cause. 

She related the sufferings of her compatriots in the hands of the Israeli forces, and how they are determined to get a good education despite the daily challenges.
Al-Agha said it was time that America recognised the state of Palestine established on institutions, liberties and an independent judiciary system. 

She said as America fought for the rights of the state of South Sudan to exist, it should also support the rights of Palestinians in having their own state.

The student explained that by having a full UN membership, Palestinians would have the necessary legal groundings to claim their rights and stand against the racism of Israel.
She spoke of the children of Palestine dreaming of peace. Yet, they are haunted by the occupational practices of the Israeli forces.

The Palestinians have also launched a popular campaign called “Palestine Deserve”. The delegates of the movement are carrying a symbolic UN chair in the name of Palestine. The “flying chair” as it is called, has toured different countries to garner support for their UN bid. The group would carry the seat to different countries including Lebanon, Qatar, Russia, France, Belgium, Spain and UK before it eventually arrives in New York. There, “Palestine Deserve” group will attempt to hand it over to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to place it among the seats of all the other nations. 

Representatives of the group who were in Qatar  said they were on a peaceful mission. “The Flying Seat” of the state of Palestine is a symbol  that shows how keen  the Palestinian people are to achieve full UN membership for their state, observers in Doha said. 


http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=458853&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

British new Muslims

The number of Britons choosing to become Muslims has nearly doubled in the past decade, according to one of the most comprehensive attempts to estimate how many people have embraced Islam.

Following the global spread of violent Islamism, British Muslims have faced more scrutiny, criticism and analysis than any other religious community. Yet, despite the often negative portrayal of Islam, thousands of Britons are adopting the religion every year.

Estimating the number of converts living in Britain has always been difficult because census data does not differentiate between whether a religious person has adopted a new faith or was born into it. Previous estimates have placed the number of Muslim converts in the UK at between 14,000 and 25,000.

but a new study by the inter-faith think-tank Faith Matters suggests the real figure could be as high as 100,000, with as many as 5,000 new conversions nationwide each year.

By using data from the Scottish 2001 census – the only survey to ask respondents what their religion was at birth as well as at the time of the survey – researchers broke down what proportion of Muslim converts there were by ethnicity and then extrapolated the figures for Britain as a whole.

In all they estimated that there were 60,699 converts living in Britain in 2001. With no new census planned until next year, researchers polled mosques in London to try to calculate how many conversions take place a year. The results gave a figure of 1,400 conversions in the capital in the past 12 months which, when extrapolated nationwide, would mean approximately 5,200 people adopting Islam every year. The figures are comparable with studies in Germany and France which found that there were around 4,000 conversions a year.

Fiyaz Mughal, director of Faith Matters, admitted that coming up with a reliable estimate of the number of converts to Islam was notoriously difficult. "This report is the best intellectual 'guestimate' using census numbers, local authority data and polling from mosques," he said. "Either way few people doubt that the number adopting Islam in the UK has risen dramatically in the past 10 years."

Asked why people were converting in such large numbers he replied: "I think there is definitely a relationship between conversions being on the increase and the prominence of Islam in the public domain. People are interested in finding out what Islam is all about and when they do that they go in different directions. Most shrug their shoulders and return to their lives but some will inevitably end up liking what they discover and will convert."

Batool al-Toma, an Irish born convert to Islam of 25 years who works at the Islamic Foundation and runs the New Muslims Project, one of the earliest groups set up specifically to help converts, said she believed the new figures were "a little on the high side".

"My guess would be the real figure is somewhere in between previous estimates, which were too low, and this latest one," she said. "I definitely think there has been a noticeable increase in the number of converts in recent years. The media often tries to pinpoint specifics but the reasons are as varied as the converts themselves."

Inayat Bunglawala, founder of Muslims4UK, which promotes active Muslim engagement in British society, said the figures were "not implausible".

"It would mean that around one in 600 Britons is a convert to the faith," he said. "Islam is a missionary religion and many Muslim organisations and particularly university students' Islamic societies have active outreach programmes designed to remove popular misconceptions about the faith."

The report by Faith Matters also studied the way converts were portrayed by the media and found that while 32 per cent of articles on Islam published since 2001 were linked to terrorism or extremism, the figure jumped to 62 per cent with converts.

Earlier this month, for example, it was reported that two converts to Islam who used the noms de guerre Abu Bakr and Mansoor Ahmed were killed in a CIA drone strike in an area of Pakistan with a strong al-Qa'ida presence.

"Converts who become extremists or terrorists are, of course, a legitimate story," said Mr Mughal. "But my worry is that the saturation of such stories risks equating all Muslim converts with being some sort of problem when the vast majority are not". Catherine Heseltine, a 31-year-old convert to Islam, made history earlier this year when she became the first female convert to be elected the head of a British Muslim organisation – the Muslim Public Affairs Committee. "Among certain sections of society, there is a deep mistrust of converts," she said. "There's a feeling that the one thing worse than a Muslim is a convert because they're perceived as going over the other side. Overall, though, I think conversions arouse more curiosity than hostility."

How to become a Muslim

Islam is one of the easiest religions to convert to. Technically, all a person needs to do is recite the Shahada, the formal declaration of faith, which states: "There is no God but Allah and Mohamed is his Prophet." A single honest recitation is all that is needed to become a Muslim, but most converts choose to do so in front of at least two witnesses, one being an imam.

Converts to Islam

Hana Tajima, 23, fashion designer

Hana Tajima converted to Islam when she was 17. Frustrated by the lack of variety in Islamic clothing for converts she founded Maysaa, a fashion house that designs western-inspired clothing that conforms to hijab. 

"It's true that I never decided to convert to Islam, nor was there a defining moment where I realised I wanted to be Muslim.  My family aren't particularly religious.  I was interested in religion, but very disinterested in how it related to my life.  I grew up in rural Devon where my Japanese father was the ethnic diversity of the village.  It wasn't until I studied at college that I met people who weren't of the exact same background, into Jeff Buckley, underground hip-hop, drinking, and getting high.  I met and became friends with a few Muslims in college, and was slightly affronted and curious at their lack of wanting to go out to clubs or socialise in that sense.  I think it was just the shock of it, like, how can you not want to go out, in this day and age.   

"It was at about that time that I started to study philosophy, and without sounding too much like I dyed my hair black and wore my fringe in front of my face, I began to get confused about my life. I was pretty popular, had good friends, boyfriends, I had everything I was supposed to have, but still I felt like 'is that it?'  So these things all happened simultaneously, I read more about religion, learned more about friends of other backgrounds, had a quarter life crisis.  There were things that drew me to Islam in particular, it wasn't like I was reaching for whatever was there.  The fact that the Qur'an is the same now as it ever was means there's always a reference point. The issues of women's rights were shockingly contemporary.  The more I read, the more I found myself agreeing with the ideas behind it and I could see why Islam coloured the lives of my Muslim friends.  It made sense, really, I didn't and still don't want to be Muslim, but there came a point where I couldn't say that I wasn't Muslim. 

"Telling my family was the easy part.  I knew they'd be happy as long as I was happy, and they could see that it was an incredibly positive thing.  My friends went one of two ways, met with a lack of any reaction and lost to the social scene, or interested and supportive.  More the former, less the latter."

Denise Horsley, 26, dance teacher

Denise Horsley lives in North London. She converted to Islam last year and is planning to marry her Muslim boyfriend next year. 

"I was introduced to Islam by my boyfriend Naushad. A lot of people ask whether I converted because of him but actually he had nothing to do with it. I was interested in his faith but I went on my own journey to discover more about religion. 

"I bought loads of books on all the different religions but I kept coming back to Islam - there was something about it that just made sense, it seemed to answer all the questions I had. 

"I would spend hours in the library at Regents Park Mosque reading up on everything from women's rights to food. Before I went to prayers for the first time I remember sitting in my car frantically looking up how to pray on my Blackberry. I was so sure people would know straight away that I wasn't a Muslim but if they did no-one seemed to care. 

"During Ramadan I'd sit and listen to the Qur'anic recitations and would be filled with such happiness and warmth. One day I decided there and then to take my shahada. I walked down to the reception and said I was ready to convert, it was as simple as that. 

"My friends and family were rather shocked, I think they expected there would be some sort of huge baptism ceremony but they were very supportive of my decision. I think they were just pleased to see me happy and caring about something so passionately. 

"I grew up Christian and went to a Catholic school. Islam to me seemed to be a natural extension of Christianity. The Qur'an is filled with information about Jesus, Mary, the angels and the Torah. It's part of a natural transition. 

"I do now wear a headscarf but it wasn't something I adopted straightaway. Hijab is such an important concept in Islam but it's not just about clothing. It's about being modest in everything you do. I started dressing more modestly - forgoing low cut tops and short skirts - but before I donned a headscarf I had to make sure I was comfortable on the inside before turning my attention to the outside. Now I feel completely protected in my headscarf. People treat you with a new level of respect, they judge you by your words and your deeds, not how you look. It's the kind of respect every dad wants for their daughter. 

"There have been some problems. Immediately after converting I isolated myself a bit, which I now recognise was a mistake and not what Islam teaches. I remember a lady on a bus who got really angry and abusive when she found out I had converted. I also noticed quite a few friends stopped calling. I think they just got tired of hearing me say no - no to going clubbing, no to going down the pub. 

"But my good friends embraced it. They simply found other things to do when I was around. Ultimately I'm still exactly the same person apart from the fact that I don't drink, don't eat pork and pray five times a day. Other than that I'm still Denise."

Dawud Beale, 23

Dawud Beale was a self-confirmed "racist" two years ago who knew nothing about Islam and supported the BNP. Now a Muslim, he describes himself as a Salafi - the deeply socially conservative and ultra-orthodox sect of Islam whose followers try to live exactly like the Prophet did. 

"I was very ignorant to Islam for most of my life and then I went on holiday to Morocco, which was the first time I was exposed to Muslims. I was literally a racist before Morocco and by the time I was flying home on the plane a week later, I had already decided to become a Muslim." 

"I realised Islam is not a foreign religion, but had a lot of similarities with what I already believed. When I came back home to Somerset, I spent three months trying to find local Muslims, but there wasn't even a mosque in my town. I eventually met Sufi Muslims who took me to Cyprus to convert. 

"When I came back, I was finding out a lot of what they were saying was contradictory to what it said in the Qur'an. I wasn't finding them very authentic, to be honest. I went to London and became involved with Hizb-ut-Tahrir, the political group who call for the establishment of an Islamic state. 

"But while I believe in the benefits of Sharia law, I left this group as well. The problem was it was too into politics and not as concerned with practicing the religion. For me, it is about keeping an Islamic appearance and studying hard. I think we do need an Islamic state, but the way to achieve it is not through political activism or fighting. Allah doesn't change the situation of people until they see what's within themselves. 

"I have a big dislike for culture in Islamic communities, when it means bringing new things into the religion, such as polytheism or encouraging music and dance. There is something pure about Salafi Muslims; we take every word of the Qur'an for truth.  I have definitely found the right path. I also met my wife through the community and we are expecting our first child next year." 

Paul Martin, 27

Paul Martin was just a student when he decided to convert to Islam in an ice-cream shop in Manchester four years ago. Bored of what he saw as the hedonistic lifestyle of many of his friends at university and attracted to what he calls "Islam's emphasis on seeking knowledge," he says a one-off meeting with an older Muslim changed his life. 

"I liked the way the Muslims students I knew conducted themselves. It's nice to think about people having one partner for life and not doing anything harmful to their body. I just preferred the Islamic lifestyle and from there I looked into the Qur'an. I was amazed to see Islam's big emphasis on science. 

"Then I was introduced by a Muslim friend to a doctor who was a few years older than me. We went for a coffee and then a few weeks later for an ice cream. It was there that I said I would like to be a Muslim. I made my shahada right there, in the ice cream shop. I know some people like to be all formal and do it in a mosque, but for me religion is not a physical thing, it is what is in your heart. 

"I hadn't been to a mosque before I became a Muslim. Sometimes it can be bit daunting, I mean I don't really fit into this criteria of a Muslim person. But there is nothing to say you can't be a British Muslim who wears jeans and a shirt and a jacket. Now in my mosque in Leeds, many different languages are spoken and there are lots of converts. 

"With my family, it was gradual. I didn't just come home and say I was a Muslim. There was a long process before I converted where I wouldn't eat pork and I wouldn't drink. Now, we still have Sunday dinner together, we just buy a joint of lamb that is halal. 

"If someone at college had said to me 'You are going to be a Muslim', I would not in a million years have believed it. It would have been too far-fetched. But now I have just come back from Hajj - the pilgrimage Muslims make to Mecca." 

Stuart Mee, 46

Stuart Mee is a divorced civil servant who describes himself as a "middle-of-the-road Muslim." Having converted to Islam last year after talking with Muslim colleagues at work, he says Islam offers him a sense of community he feels is missing in much of Britain today. 

"Everything is so consumer-driven here, there are always adverts pushing you to buy the next thing. I knew there must be something longer term and always admired the sense of contentment within my colleagues' lives, their sense of peace and calmness. It was just one of those things that happened - we talked, I read books and I related to it. 

"I emailed the Imam at London Central Mosque and effectively had a 15 minute interview with him. It was about making sure that this was the right thing for me, that I was doing it at the right time. He wanted to make sure I was committed. It is a life changing decision. 

"It is surprisingly easy, the process of converting. You do your shahada, which is the declaration of your faith. You say that in front of two witnesses and then you think, 'What do I do next?' I went to an Islamic bookstore and bought a child's book on how to pray. I followed that because, in Islamic terms, I was basically one month old. 

"I went to a local mosque in Reading and expected someone to stop me say, 'Are you a Muslim?' but it didn't happen. It was just automatic acceptance. You can have all the trappings of being a Muslim - the beard and the bits and pieces that go with it, but Islam spreads over such a wide area and people have different styles, clothes and approaches to life. 

"Provided I am working within Islamic values, I see no need in changing my name and I don't have any intention of doing it. Islam has bought peace, stability, and comfort to my life. It has helped me identify just what is important to me. That can only be a good thing." 

Khadijah Roebuck, 48

Khadijah Roebuck was born Tracey Roebuck into a Christian family. She was married for twenty five years and attended church with her children every week while they lived at home. Now, divorced and having practiced Islam for the last six months, she says she is still not sure what motivated her to make such a big change to her life. 

"I know it sounds odd, but one day I was Tracey the Christian and the next day I was Khadijah the Muslim, it just seemed right. The only thing I knew about Muslims before was that they didn't drink alcohol and they didn't eat pork. 

"I remember the first time I drove up to the mosque. It was so funny; I was in my sports car and had the music blaring. I wasn't sure if I was even allowed to go in but I asked to speak to the man in charge, I didn't even know he was called an Imam. Now I wear a hijab and pray five times a day. 

"My son at first was horrified, he just couldn't believe it. It's been especially hard for my mum, who is Roman Catholic and doesn't accept it at all. But the main thing I feel is a sense of peace, which I never found with the Church, which is interesting. Through Ramadan, I absolutely loved every second. On the last day, I even cried. 

"It is interesting because people sometimes confuse cultures with Islam. Each Muslim brings their different culture to the mosque and different takes on the religion. There are Saudi Arabians, Egyptians and Pakistanis and then of course there is me. I slot in everywhere. A lot of the other sisters say to me, 'That is why we love you, Khadijah, you are just yourself.'" 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-islamification-of-britain-record-numbers-embrace-muslim-faith-2175178.html

When Someone is Dying..

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Islam, Assalamu Alaikum.

As death is inevitable:
1. We all must be prepared to leave this sojourn life at any point of our life. Strong and true belief in Tawheed, Risalah and Aakhirah and good investment in the form of righteous deeds is the only thing that will save us in the Hereafter.
2. Secondly, we must have the authentic knowledge of what must be done when someone in one’s family is dying.  The e-book that is uploaded mentions 16 things to done when someone is dying.

Click this link to download the e-book in pdf format. 

http://yassarnalquran.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/16_things_book.pdf

Jazakumullah Khayr.

Five killed in police firing at Paramakudi

Five persons were killed and 30 others injured when the police opened fire on a stone-pelting mob at Paramakudi about 35 km from Ramanathapuram on Sunday.

Paramakudi town, which drew a large number of people, particularly Dalits, to pay homage to their leader Immanuel Sekaran on the occasion of his 54th death anniversary, turned into a battlefield between the agitators and the police personnel. Scores of policemen were injured and a number of government vehicles including a riot control vehicle and fire tenders torched down by the agitators.

The trouble started when a group of 200 persons, mostly belonging to the Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK), staged a road roko at Five Point Junction, demanding the release of their leader John Pandian. The TMMK leader was arrested by the police in Vallanadu, Tuticorin district, when he was about to proceed towards Paramakudi about 60 km farther.

Initially, the police held negotiations with the agitators, asking them to give up the protest. When the negotiations were on, some miscreants threw stones and footwear at the police, following which the mob was lathicharged. The police also burst teargas shells at the protestors. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, in a statement, said that the agitators, however, continued indulging in violence. The police had to resort to firing in which three persons were unfortunately killed. (Later, the casualty figure rose to five). Only after that, did the mob disperse, she added, announcing the sanction of solatium of Rs. one lakh each to the families of the deceased.

The Chief Minister stated that the police firing was made in self-defence and to protect public property. She also pointed out that number of police personnel including a Deputy Inspector General of Police were injured as a result of violence by the TMMK.

But, the TMMK Madurai District Secretary T. Saravana Pandian complained that the Dalits who had gathered to protest at Paramakudi were shot at indiscriminately by the police without “giving any warning”.

Three persons, who received bullet injuries, died on the spot. While one body was taken to the government hospital at Paramakudi, the other two were sent to the government hospital in Ramanathapuram.The other two bodies were kept at Madurai and Ilayankudi hospitals.

In Madurai, the police and a group of the TMMK workers were engaged in an altercation following which the police resorted to firing and two persons were injured.

It may be recalled that a Dalit youth Palanikumar (16) was allegedly hacked to death by a group of 10 persons early on Saturday when he was returning after watching a play. Following his murder, tension had built up in and around Kamudhi and Mudukulathur areas.

Why Hindu terror convicts called sevaks by media?

Recently, court held two Sanatan Sanstha members guilty of bomb blasts. While many cases involving Hindu and Muslim radicals are currently being tried in different courts, in this case the court gave a verdict and convicted them.

Still, newspapers didn't give much importance to the news. What I found even more strange was that some newspapers reported the matter in a bizarre fashion. Particularly, Mumbai-based English newspaper DNA's reports surprised me the most.

I am simply writing my observations here:

1. When police claims arresting a person for terror links, he is often pronounced terrorist even before trial. But on Monday, two Sanatan Sanstha members who were arrested by Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) were convicted by a court. Most newspapers didn't term them terrorist even after conviction. I agree that for the arrest or conviction of some members, an entire organisation shouldn't be branded but this is the first time journalistic propriety have reached such dizzy heights that those convicted of blasts have not been called terrorists.

2. When I read English daily DNA I was even more surprised. Its reports doesn't call them militant, radical or extremist. The report terms them as 'sevaks', yes sevaks [that means servants] of Sanatan Sanstha. Whose servants! They were not even volunteers as in that case paper could have labelled them 'swayamsevaks' or even activist. But the daily seems to be so soft on the group.

Or to avoid showing affinity to RSS [that has swayamsevaks], it terms them as simply 'servants'. I don't say that you defame the Sanata Sanstha, an organisation which is quite candid and accepted that they were its members and said that the group had nothing to do with the handiwork of the duo. But paper, instead of writing activist, member or volunteer, uses the term 'servant'. Can there be such a mistake or use of the word erroneously at the desk or it was done after thinking over it.

3. A day after conviction, the journalists would have tried to do story about these persons, their backgrounds or why some members of an organisation would go astray. But instead of that, DNA printed a long story that threw light on the group for its wonderful social work.

Hmm. Why should someone be negative all the time and hound everybody! This article was published when the conviction was made but the next day the court had to deliver the quantum of judgment. One may appreciate that paper has no prejudices against any group.

It is a different matter though that the state government intended to ban Sanatan Sanstha for its alleged role in Goa and Thane-Panvel-Vashi blasts. Hope the paper will continue similar non-biased approach and also write positively about other groups after their members are convicted or jailed (and highlight the social concern of other organisations).

4. Now that the persons convicted of bomb blasts and sentenced to ten years of jail terms have not been called as terrorists, will the paper maintain the same standards of journalism in future. Or will it still call any Muslim or Hindu youth who is simply rounded up, not even jailed or convicted, terrorist!

5. This is the same multi-edition English newspaper that had published Subramanian Swamy's article that put all Indian Muslims under suspicion and labelled the community as prone to extremism and terrorism and what not. The article had put onus on Indian Muslims to prove a whole lot of things. The particular piece has been widely discussed, criticised and even National Commission for Minorities took cognizance of complaints against it.

Just like the newspaper had liberty to publish it, which I support in principle, I too think I can take a little liberty and write about what's going in my mind after reading these reports. I don't know what is going through the minds of those who run this paper or decide the editorial policy.

The little an average reader and Indian citizen like me expects is that the paper should show decent standards of journalism. Either you should don't turn suspects into terrorists or don't term terrorists as 'SERVANTS'. Will servants object to the usage? Perhaps, it's a new style, which they will adhere to in future [for both Hindutva inspired groups as well as Islamist extremists]!

Sorry to say but even RSS mouthpieces Panchjanya and Organiser are [at least] consistent in their policy. On the otherhand DNA sells copies in lakhs [tens of thousands] and I wonder how many readers are mediocre and what percentage of readers are intelligent enough to figure out the unique journalism practices adopted by this great media institution. Pray for me so that my mind could become capable of understanding these issues.

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http://www.anindianmuslim.com is a leading Indian Muslim voice in the blogosphere.

Food as Medicine

HEADACHE? EAT FISH! Especially for all the  ladies.
Eat plenty of fish -- fish  oil helps prevent headaches.
So does ginger,  which reduces inflammation and pain. 

HAY FEVER?  EAT YOGURT!  
Eat lots of yogurt before pollen  season.
Also-eat honey from your area (local  region) daily. 
TO  PREVENT STROKE DRINK TEA!  
Prevent build-up of fatty deposits on  artery walls with regular doses of tea. 
(actually, tea  suppresses appetite and keeps the pounds from  invading.... 
Green tea is  great for our immune system)! 
INSOMNIA (CAN'T  SLEEP?) HONEY!
Use  honey as a tranquilizer and sedative. 

ASTHMA? EAT ONIONS!!!!  
Eating onions helps ease constriction of  bronchial tubes. 
(onion packs placed  on chest helped the respiratory ailments and  actually made breathing better).

ARTHRITIS?  EAT FISH,  TOO!!
Salmon, tuna, mackerel and  sardines actually prevent arthritis. 
(fish has omega oils,  good for our immune system) 
UPSET  STOMACH? BANANAS - GINGER!!!!!  
Bananas will settle an upset stomach.
Ginger will cure morning sickness and  nausea. 

BLADDER  INFECTION? DRINK CRANBERRY  JUICE!!!! 
High-acid cranberry  juice controls harmful bacteria. 

BONE PROBLEMS?  EAT  PINEAPPLE!!!
Bone fractures and  osteoporosis can be prevented by the manganese  in pineapple. 

MEMORY  PROBLEMS? EAT  OYSTERS! 
Oysters help improve  your mental functioning by supplying much-needed  zinc. 

COLDS? EAT GARLIC!  
Clear up that stuffy head with garlic.  (remember, garlic  lowers cholesterol, too.)
COUGHING? USE RED PEPPERS!! 
A substance similar to that found in the  cough syrups is found in hot red pepper. Use red  (cayenne) pepper with caution-it can irritate  your tummy. 

BREAST CANCER?  EAT Wheat, bran and  cabbage
Helps to maintain  estrogen at healthy levels. 

LUNG CANCER?  EAT DARK GREEN AND   ORANGE AND VEGGIES!!! 
A good  antidote is beta carotene, a form of Vitamin A  found in dark green and orange vegetables.  

ULCERS?  EAT CABBAGE  ALSO!!!
Cabbage contains  chemicals that help heal both gastric and  duodenal ulcers 

DIARRHEA?  EAT APPLES!  
Grate an apple with its skin, let  it turn brown and eat it to cure this condition  (Bananas are good  for this ailment)

CLOGGED  ARTERIES? EAT  AVOCADO! 
Mono unsaturated fat in  avocados lowers cholesterol. 

HIGH BLOOD  PRESSURE? EAT  CELERY AND OLIVE OIL!!!
Olive oil  has been shown to lower blood pressure.
Celery contains a chemical that lowers  pressure too. 

BLOOD SUGAR  IMBALANCE? EAT  BROCCOLI AND PEANUTS!!! 
The  chromium in broccoli and peanuts helps regulate  insulin and blood sugar. 

Kiwi:  Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of  potassium, magnesium, Vitamin E & fibre.  It's Vitamin C content is twice that of an  orange. 

Apple: An  apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an  apple has a low Vitamin C content, it has  antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the  activity of Vitamin C thereby helping to lower  the risks of colon cancer, heart attack &  stroke. 
Strawberry:  Protective fruit. Strawberries have the highest  total antioxidant power among major fruits &  protects the body from causing, blood  vessels clogging free radicals. (Actually, any berry is  good for you..they're high in anti-oxidants and  they actually keep us young.........blueberries  are the best and very versatile in the health  field........they get rid of all the  free-radicals that invade our  bodies)

Orange :  Sweetest medicine. Taking 2 - 4 oranges a day  may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol,  prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as  lessen the risk of colon cancer. 

Watermelon:  Coolest Thirst Quencher. Composed of 92% water,  it is also packed with a giant dose of  glutathione which helps boost our immune system.  They are also a key source of lycopene - the  cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients
found in watermelon are Vitamin C &  Potassium. (watermelon also has  natural substances [natural SPF sources] that  keep our skin healthy, protecting our skin from  those darn uv rays)


Guava &  Papaya: Top awards for Vitamin C.  They are the clear winners for their high  Vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fibre  which helps prevent constipation. 

Papaya is  rich in carotene, this is good for your eyes  (also good for gas  and indigestion) 
Tomatoes are very good as a preventative measure for men, keeps those prostrate problems from invading their bodies......GOOD AS MEDICINE.