Indian Muslims BlogIndian Muslims BlogIndianMuslims.in is a collaborative blog that produces original social, political and cultural commentary. It gets more than 500 unique visitors every day, primarily from USA and India. 
Articles
Book Review: Tuhfat al-Mujahidin
2008-01-26 00:00:00 Author: Shaykh Zainuddin Makhdum - Translated from Arabic by S. Muhammad Husayn Nainar) The Tuhfat al-Mujahidin or ‘The Tribute to the Strugglers’ is one of the earliest extant historical treatises about the southern Indian state of Kerala . Its author, the sixteenth century Shaikh Zainuddin Makhdum, hailed from the renowned Makhdum family from the town of Ponnani ... More About: Book Review , Review , Book , Featured
Bilkis Bano: The Face of Courage
2008-01-24 22:12:00 Recently the special court in Maharashtra gave the first significant verdict related with the Gujarat violence of 2002. 12 persons were given life sentence for the gang rape of Bilkis Bano by Judge U.D. Salvi. It was highly reassuring to see the institution of judiciary finally standing up and delivering its duty in a very significant way. But no less important was the courage, grit and determination shown by the victim Bilkis Bano. This woman who was just 20 years old when the carnage happened went through a trauma that we shudder to even listen. On March 3, 2002 her family was trying to flee the village of Randhikpur, around 250 kms from Ahmedabad amidst the post-Godhra carnage. A mob attacked them and 14 members of her family were brutally killed. Her three year old daughter was snatched from her and the head of the child was smashed on a stone on the ground. They stripped the already six-month old pregnant Bilkis as well as her mother and her cousin and gang raped them till sh... More About: Face
The Mystic Message of Tolerance
2008-01-23 16:26:00 The true heritage of India is the astonishing mix of Muslim and Hindu thought through Sufi and Bhakti movements. More About: Tolerance , Message , Mess
Sania in court
2008-01-22 17:46:00 Sania Mirza is the highest ranked tennis player from India. India has stood on the sidelines of international tennis for a long time. Even now, the highest ranked Indian in the male ranking is an American, Prakash Amritraj, at 278. Rohan Bopanna is at 292 and there is no other Indian on the ranking list ... More About: Court
Baras, Punjab: Where Prophets rest in peace
2008-01-22 17:45:00 There is a well known Islamic belief that messengers of God were sent to each and every nation. ?We sent a messenger to every community, saying, ?Worship God and shun false gods.? Among them were some God guided; misguidance took hold of others,? reads the thirty sixth verse of the sixteenth chapter of the Holy ... More About: India , Peace , Rest In Peace , Prophet , Rest
On Anil Kumble on his 600 Wickets!
2008-01-21 11:17:00 An ode to the under-celebrated Anil Kumble on his taking 600 wickets More About: Sports , Featured
Cricket(s) and Burnt Lives
2008-01-20 22:58:00 The fanatics were busy in Orissa while the nation was busy with its cricket. Cricket is an opium! More About: Lives , Fanatics , Dalits
The Moderate Muslim Hunt
2008-01-20 20:11:00 The recent Taslima issue had me fatigued from the predictable rant ?Where are the moderate Muslim s and why are theynot protesting against this fundamentalist nonsense??. It?s the same television anchors, the same debaters,and the same columnists asking the same question. I would like to enlighten them that the ordinary Muslims like other ordinary Indians are ... More About: Politics , Featured , Moderate , Hunt
Muharram in India: The Paigis of Kanpur
2008-01-19 18:39:00 Muharram commomeration by the Paigis of Kanpur who keep running for three days without resting More About: India , Culture , Heritage , Featured , Muharram
Karbala: The True Symbol Of Jihad
2008-01-19 15:48:00 Observation of Muharram in a Shia locality in Lucknow and the Story of Karbala More About: Islam , Jihad , True , Featured
Hyderabad?s Rare Book Seller
2008-01-18 20:34:00 A rare books seller in Hyderabad Old City visited by the likes of Harvard, MIT and Oxford More About: Culture , Heritage , Seller , Book
Communal Riots Report 2007
2008-01-18 15:37:00 A compendium of the various communal riots that happenned throughout the country in 2007 More About: India , Report , Featured , Riots
Govt plans to simplify Urdu, same needed for Hindi too
2008-01-17 21:22:00 Why the government is right in taking the action and the need for the same for Hindi too More About: Culture , Heritage , Plans , Urdu
Indian Muslim Community Discourses: Continuities, Changes and Challenges
2008-01-16 17:42:00 An analysis of the 'majority' and 'minority' misnomers and why the Muslim problem is made to be a religous one instead of a socio-economic one. More About: India , Women , Community , Indian
India’s Islam
2008-01-15 18:37:00 by Arun Nair Firstly, I must apologise if this article smacks of an impolite urgency and prescriptive-ness. I mean not to be arrogant, but as someone addressing you on a matter of deep concern to us all, I felt that there was little room for ceremonial apologies before every sentence. Also, as an Indian middle-class Hindu who grew up in the Babri-masjid 90s, it is easy for me to say some of the things I say here. Secondly, I address you, the reader, as an Indian citizen, not as a saintly Kabir or Gandhi preaching love for humanity. Our collective interests are being threatened by communal forces from within and without. WE MUST ACT. We must not merely lament about our respective versions of helplessnesses and others’ faults. We are free today because India’s greatest generation shook off the ghosts that bedevilled them, and took action to protect our interests. I implore you to continue that legacy. Thirdly, while I will go into what in my opinion are highly plausible ... More About: Islam
Shahjahan’s “Moorti” and other absurdities in Agra
2008-01-14 19:59:00 Agra, the city of Taj, is supposed to be a showpiece for the nation. It is the ultimate destination for both domestic and foreign tourists and rightly so being host to the monument of love. But a recent visit to Agra reveals a scarred city which is on the verge of collapse. Destitution, hunger, poverty, and ignorance are prevalent in the city. This is the normal fare in any Indian city one might say. For some reason it is more prominent traveling on the pot holed lanes with open drains in Agra. Maybe it is a case of high expectations meeting hard reality. What is even more disturbing is the widening divide between the various communities. Just talking to the car and auto drivers, waiters, and the common man on the street reveals a complete ignorance about each other. There is a marked emphasis on caste and community. Some areas are clearly marked as no-go and the taxi drivers simply refuse to go there. One example of the disconnect between the various communities came as a shock in ... More About: Agra
Rushdie Arrives In Mumbai & Rabble-rousers Are At Work again
2008-01-13 22:59:00 Salman Rushdie is in India and the rabble-rousers are again whipping up sentiments of Muslims against the writer. The furore over Taslima Nasreen’s stay in India has barely died down. And now we have Rushdie back in Mumbai , the very City where Muslims had protested the publication of his notorious book and 12 Muslims had lost their lives in police firing in the 80s. Ironically, once again there is an attempt to drag Muslims in needless controversies and some Muslim organisations are trying to bring out Muslims again on the streets to protest his arrival. An Urdu daily screams, ‘Why should he be allowed to stay in Mumbai, especially visiting the country during Muharram”. Meetings are on where Ulema and politicians are chalking out strategy to lodge protest. And once again we have all forgotten how Rushdie and writers like him continue to get a new lease of life in literary world, with such protests. Some Muslim organisations have already burnt his effigy and raised ... More About: Work
Maulana Tariq Rashid Firangi Mahali on Madarsa Reforms
2008-01-13 01:55:00 39-year old Maulana Tariq Rasheed Firanghi Mahali is a ninth generation direct descendant of Mulla Nizamuddin Firanghi Mahali, who framed what is known after him as the dars-e nizami, the basic syllabus that continues to be followed by the vast majority of Islamic madrasas in South Asia even today. He is one of the few remaining members of the renowned Firanghi Mahali family of Lucknow who carry on with their family’s centuries’-old tradition of Islamic scholarship. A graduate of the Nadwat ul-Ulema madrasa in Lucknow, he is presently Director of the Islamic Society of Greater Orlando, Florida, in the United States. In this interview, he talks about his family’s scholarly tradition and its decline and reflects on the dars-e nizami and madrasa education in South Asia today. YS: Could you briefly describe your family’s tradition of Islamic scholarship? MTR: We trace our descent from a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari , in whose house i... More About: Rashid
Tata’s Rupees One Lakh Car
2008-01-10 20:23:00 Tata finally launches it! The “People’s Car”. Christened ‘Nano’, it is being touted as the biggest thing to hit the auto industry since Henry Ford started the Model T in early twentieth century. It has forced the auto suppliers in the Automotive Mecca (Detroit) to worry about what the future has in hold for them. The people in US and Europe are rubbing their eyes and saying “What? A $2,500 car?”. Whereas the critics are saying it will be a traffic and environmental disaster for India. But whatever you may say Tata has pulled off something that was almost inconceivable. In a place where the old Maruti 800 was all about what a spartan car could be, at a price of at around rupees two lakhs that appears too costly! But issues have been raised on its quality and compliance with emissions, though Ratan Tata has claimed that it complies with Bharat III and Euro IV standards. I agree with the critics that at least it is going to be a traff...
Karbala – A Lesson For Mankind
2008-01-10 10:18:00 “The tyrant dies and his rule ends, the martyr dies and his rule begins.” — Soren Kierkegard The straight path or the right path is always the most difficult one to travel but one that rewards the most, and so we are told when young. This battle of good versus the evil is an age old phenomenon. Every religion has some story or the other to show us the ‘right’ path from the ‘wrong’ one. Hinduism celebrates the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon Narakasura (among other stories) as Diwali, Christians remember the crucification of Jesus Christ as a supreme sacrifice in the way of God, and so do Muslims observe Moharram (the month in which the tragedy of Karbala took place) to commemorate the supreme sacrifice of Imam Husain, the grandson of the Prophet [PBUH]. “Think not of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord.”—Surah Aal-e-Imran (Chapter 3), Verse 169 The tragedy ... More About: Mankind , Lesson
Second Anniversary Of Indian Muslims Blog
2008-01-10 09:32:00 Albeit a bit late, here goes the second anniversary post of Indian Muslims Blog . Allow me to quote a couplet of Ahmed Faraz that sums up my feelings on this occasion. ham duhrii aziiyat ke giraftaar musaafir paaNv bhii shal haiN, shauq-e-safar bhii nahiiN jaataa We travelers, prisoners of afflictions doubled Weary are our feet but wanderlust doesn’t seem to ebb. Ahmed Faraz Looking back at the first anniversary post, I am amazed (and happy) at the success we have achieved over the past one year. Obviously there has been a big increase in the number of posts (269 posts and 3,756 comments in the year 2007 compared to 134 posts and 421 comments in 2006). More importantly, the quality of discourse has improved a lot and we have had some great discussions. We were fortunate to attract so many new writers over the course of the year and their insightful writings have been a major plus for the blog. And the comments have spiraled with more than 10 comments on average every day of the... More About: Anniversary , Indian Muslims
Mind your Words Mr Zakir Naik!
2008-01-08 08:00:00 I felt very sad after watching the video of Zakir Naik praising Yazid. In a response to the tragedy of Karbala, he concludes Karbala to be a mere political war and addresses Yazid as “Yazid [May Allah be pleased with him].” I got the news earlier but waited to see the video myself before arriving ... More About: Islam , Words , Mind , Featured
On a High in Jama Masjid
2008-01-05 15:00:00 Pigeons at Jama Masjid fly high. They soar up from the enormous courtyard and settle on the imposing dome. But I went higher. Thanks to the more-than-100-feet-tall southern minaret (closest to Gate No. 1). Beware, the steps are steep and stairs dark but it’s beautiful at the top. A panoramic 360-degree view there exposes Delhi ... More About: Culture , Heritage , High
Gujarat Elections And Aftermath
2007-12-30 22:39:00 Gujarat has made history. Gujarat is in news ever since genocide of 2002. For every small or big development it remains in news. Gujarat carnage was unparalleled in the history of India and it will continue to be discussed for a long time to come. Like partition of our country it cannot be easily forgotten. ... More About: Elections , Gujarat , Featured
Gujarat Elections And Aftermath
2007-12-30 22:39:00 Gujarat has made history. Gujarat is in news ever since genocide of 2002. For every small or big development it remains in news. Gujarat carnage was unparalleled in the history of India and it will continue to be discussed for a long time to come. Like partition of our country it cannot be easily forgotten. Any election in Gujarat will draw into discussion Gujarat carnage. Modi, I maintain, could not have won 2002 election without organizing that carnage nor the 2007 election could he have won without it. In my opinion it is wrong to maintain that he won election due to economic development he helped achieve in Gujarat. Gujarat is as much polarized today as it was in 2002. Even if Modi had not mentioned anything related to Hindutva, he would have won. Question is only of margin. Now the congress leaders also have admitted it publicly that we had not kept Sonia Gandhi in any illusion about victory in Gujarat. We had told her we cannot win. Only thing is we did not expect him to win w... More About: Elections , Gujarat
Obituary: Benazir Bhutto Faced Death With Courage
2007-12-28 20:10:00 Benazir Bhutto, fell victim to the politics of endemic violence in Pakistan . She called herself “the Daughter of Destiny” in her autobiography and often styled herself as the daughter of Pakistan. She had more upheavals in one life time than most can imagine. In her untimely death, she followed her slain father and two brothers. She ... More About: Terrorism , Musharraf , Death , Featured
Obituary: Benazir Bhutto Faced Death With Courage
2007-12-28 20:10:00 Benazir Bhutto, fell victim to the politics of endemic violence in Pakistan . She called herself “the Daughter of Destiny” in her autobiography and often styled herself as the daughter of Pakistan. She had more upheavals in one life time than most can imagine. In her untimely death, she followed her slain father and two brothers. She ... More About: Terrorism , Musharraf , Death , Featured
Mohd Azharuddin ? The Rise And Fall Of An Indian Idol!
2007-12-28 02:54:00 The commentrator on the telly said, ?Ye naujawan kaafi dinon se bhartiye cricket team ke darwaaze pe dastak de raha tha. Aaj aakhirkaar inko mauqa mil hi gaya.? [Trans: This young man has been knocking on the India n team door for quite some time. Finally he has got the opportunity!] It was December 31, 1984. ... More About: Indian , Indian Idol , Idol , Rise
Mohd Azharuddin ??? The Rise And Fall Of An Indian Idol!
2007-12-28 02:54:00 The commentrator on the telly said, ???Ye naujawan kaafi dinon se bhartiye cricket team ke darwaaze pe dastak de raha tha. Aaj aakhirkaar inko mauqa mil hi gaya.??? [Trans: This young man has been knocking on the Indian team door for quite some time. Finally he has got the opportunity!] It was December 31, 1984. The English side was touring India. The young man was a tall, lanky, and a shy 21 years old who worked as a clerk at SBI in Hyderabad. The Englishmen had never heard of him and so did I. The young batsman showed tremendous concentration and batting skills. The experts were reminded of the wristy Gundappa Viswanath! He went on to score a hundred in his very first match, which was a remarkable achievement by any standards. More was to follow. By the time the second test started the Englishmen knew he was the danger man. So much that Mike Gattings later quoted as saying, ???Whenever that black thing (referring to his taweez) hung out we knew we were in trouble.??? Even the gods... More About: Indian Idol , Idol , Rise , Fall
The death of Benazir Bhutto
More articles from this author:2007-12-27 17:13:00 It isn’t just a blow to democracy but it raises serious doubts on credentials of security forces in Pakistan . Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was killed in a gun and bomb attack after an election rally in the city of Rawalpindi on Thursday. Police said a suicide bomber fired shots at Bhutto as she was leaving ... More About: Politics , Musharraf , Death , Featured 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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