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An Indian Muslim's Blog

An Indian Muslim's Blog
Indscribe's blog on contemporary issues, religous dialogue, news and Urdu poetry. The blog records positive developments in Indian Muslim community and aims to promote inter-religious harmony. For Humanism, Against Fundamentalism.

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Articles

Benazir Bhutto Assassinated: Whither Pakistan?
2007-12-27 14:42:00
One of the most charismatic leaders of our times, Benazir Bhutto was killed in a terrorist attack in Rawalpindi in Pakistan on Thursday.Few leaders evoke the sort of admiration as Benazir did. Though she is often accused of squandering her father Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's legacy and the fact that despite being Prime Minister of Pakistan, she failed to fulfil the expectations during her stints, Benazir was a people's leader and a champion of democracy.The charges of corruption against her husband Asif Zardari had tarnished her image. But the Daughter of the East was loved outside her country as well. She was a courageous woman, no doubt and after several years in exile came back to her country despite the threats to her life.Ironically she was assassinated at the same place in Rawalpindi where the first Prime Minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan was killed. Truly this is a defining moment in the history of Pakistan.The Pakistan state, its leaders and its citizens have to introspect of...
More About: Benazir Bhutto , Assassinated

Zakir Naik's comments on Battle of Karbala and Yazid
2007-12-23 14:59:00
The speech of Dr Zakir Naik during the Aman Conference organised by Islamic Research Foundation in Mumbai has truly been shocking. Regarding his opinion on the battle of Karbala , as 'just another fight for attaining political clout', I am not as astonished as I am with the use of the word 'Raziallah Anhu' with the name of Yazid. As we all know, the term 'Raziallah anhu' ie RH (or often Raziallahtala anahu) is used as suffix mostly with the name of either the companions of Prophet Muhammad or other leading figures in Islamic history as a mark of respect. It means, one whom God is pleased with. Though some scholars of a bit of standing here and there have held these views on the battle of Karbala, it is the use of this suffix (RH) with Yazid's name which is absolutely unacceptable to majority of Muslims. I have never listened to Zakir Naik's speeches for long. But this comment will surely damage his reputation. It is unthinkable to eulogize and glorify Yazid. Dozens of Musli...
More About: Comments , Battle

Eid preparations: Two photos
2007-12-19 16:03:00
Eidul Adha or Eidul Azha (Baqrid, as we call in sub-continent) is round the corner. The photographs of bakras are appearing in newspapers. Later we will se photos of prayer.I found two nice photos in the context of Iduzzuha. The first is photo of a youth trying out his cab (topi) and the other of a girl who is looking at a necklace. Urdu Muslim India Islam Poetry Religion Hindu Shairi Ghalib Literature Ada Lucknow Meer Faiz Indian Muslim Blog Cricket Ghazal Blogger Islamic Hindi Kavita Shayar Sahitya
More About: Photos , Prep

Winning Brass Crescent Award
2007-12-19 15:31:00
I am quite far away from my place, a sort of hibernation, and couldn't access net also when a friend rang me up and said that this blog (An Indian Muslim's Blog: By Indscribe) had won the award in the category of 'Best South/South East Asian blog'.Frankly, I thought I had little chance. I am thankful to all of you, friends and co-bloggers, who have written mails to me, congratulated and also voted for this blog. Over the last couple of years I did spend quite a lot of energy on this blog even when I was occupied elsewhere. It is heartening to see IndianMuslims.in, emerging as winner in the category of Best Group Blog. All the contributors to the blog, especially Mohib , who founded it and has been a driving force behind it, have reason to be delighted. Thanks to IndianMuslims.info, the pioneering website of Indian Muslims, which published the news of the nomination and also the results. Of course, Shukria is due to Brass Crescent. A blogger loves nothing more than recognition in...
More About: Award , Winning

Immortal Couplets of Moin Ahsan Jazbi
2007-12-13 21:27:00
Moin Ahsan Jazbi's eight immortal couplets:na aaye maut Khudaayaa tabah-haalii meNyah naam hogaa Gham-e-rozgaar sah na sakaatere karam kii bhiik le aisaa haqiir Gham nahiiNjaa O sitam-sh'aar jaa, aarzuu-e-karam nahiiNtuu giraa degii mujhe apnii nazar se varnaatere qadmoN pe to sajdaa bhii ravaa hai mujhkoho na ho dil ko tere husn se kuchh nisbat haijab uThaa dard to kyuuN maiN ne tujhe yaad kiyaajisko kahte haiN mohabbat jisko kahte haiN KhuluusjhopDoN meN ho to ho, puKhtaa makaanoN meN nahiiNterii nazar meN rah ek raaz ban gayaa thaagir kar terii nazar se afsaanaa ho gayaa maiNaah kii dil ne na phir shikva-e-bedaad kiyaajab se sharmiilii nigaahoN ne kuchh irshaad kiyaadaastaan-e-shab-Gham qissa tuulaanii haimuKhtasar yah hai ki tuu ne mujhe barbaad kiyaaPast posts on Jazbi:His famous nazm 'Maut' in Roman and Devanagari sriptsObituary and the circumstances when he wrote MautHis Ghazal in Urdu, Roman and Devanagari scrips at bestghazals.blogspot.comUrdu Muslim India Islam Poetry ...
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Culture fest begins with Milad & Hari Katha: Remembering Tansen, India'
2007-12-09 22:52:00
Legendary musician, Tansen, is considered the greatest singer-musician ever born in India .One of the nau-ratnas (nine jewels) in the court of Emperor Akbar, Tansen was born around 1505 AD near Gwalior.Though a Hindu by birth, the 'Sangeet Samrat' was also a believer in Islam. He was a disciple of Sufi Saint Sheikh Muhammad Ghaus, and after his death the great musician was buried near his spiritual master's mazaar.The annual Tansen Cultural Fest ival started in Gwalior recently. The four day long event was inaugurated with Hari Katha, Milad and recital of verses from Holy Quran, as per the age-old tradition.The bhajan 'Ek raaii ke hazaar hisse, us mein bhii Khudaa basey' was sung. After Naat Sharif and Qawwali, the 'chaadar' was ceremonially brought to the Mazaar of Sufi Saint Muhammad Ghaus. With 'chaadar-poshi' on Miyan Tansen's mazaar, the function started.Tansen's real name was Ramtanu Pandey. He learnt music under the tutelage of Saint Hari Das, also a Bhakti Sant. (Th...
More About: Culture , Remembering

Culture fest begins with Milad & Hari Katha: Remembering Tansen, India's gr
2007-12-09 22:52:00
Legendary musician, Tansen , is considered the greatest singer-musician ever born in India.One of the nau-ratnas (nine jewels) in the court of Emperor Akbar, Tansen was born around 1505 AD near Gwalior.Though a Hindu by birth, the 'Sangeet Samrat' was also a believer in Islam. He was a disciple of Sufi Saint Sheikh Muhammad Ghaus, and after his death the great musician was buried near his spiritual master's mazaar.The annual Tansen Cultural Fest ival started in Gwalior recently. The four day long event was inaugurated with Hari Katha, Milad and recital of verses from Holy Quran, as per the age-old tradition.The bhajan 'Ek raaii ke hazaar hisse, us mein bhii Khudaa basey' were sung. After Naat Sharif and Qawwali, the 'chaadar' was ceremonially brought to the Mazaar of Sufi Saint Muhammad Ghaus. With 'chaadar-poshi' on Miyan Tansen's mazaar, the function started.Tansen's real name was Ramtanu Pandey. He learnt music under the tutelage of Saint Hari Das, also a Bhakti Sant. (T...
More About: Culture , Remembering

The Law of Jungle
2007-12-09 19:18:00
'This man has no regard for constitution, how can he be allowed to take oath as head of a state, if he wins the election', a senior police official told me the other day.I didn't want to discuss Gujarat with him but the officer who generally avoids political discussions was genuinely concerned. And worried about the way a politician can simply disregard the constitution, openly declare his contempt for the law and still get away without even censure from top institutions of the nation including the Election.Other officials I spoke to were also stunned by the statement. In fact, Modi's justification of the killing of Sohrabuddin has stunned even those who had slight BJP leanings. After all, it is the question of how Indian state can afford to have a Chief Minister whose who doesn't believe in any legal framework. Communal polarisation is nothing new for the country but such a statement from the head of state of a province is dangerous for everybody.Even Tavleen Singh, who is con...
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The Failure of Ulema and Muslim leaders: Mere words, No action
2007-12-06 10:55:00
Urdu papers are full of statements from Maulana Anzar Shah to Jama Masjid Imam Ahmad Bukhari on the issue of Taslima Nasreen. There are all kinds of demands and assertions that she should not be allowed to stay in India because she hasn't apologised for her writings. Also, illogical demands that better not be quoted here, fill the newspaper columns.Who should she ask for pardon? She is an atheist (not a Muslim ) and has announced it many times. And this is a democracy. If any Maulana Sahab has any objection to what she has written, they should avoid issuing statements or behaving like politicians.Rather they (Ulema) are learned people, they can read her books, find what particular lines are obscene or offensive to any community and then go to the court and under particular sections of IPC, get case registered against her. Hurting religious sentiments is a serious crime in IPC. Let the courts decide. But nobody will do that.By wasting energies and surcharging atmosphere on such issue...
More About: Action , Words , Failure , Leaders

Indian Fair: Halwa, Haleem, Biryani and Books
2007-12-03 21:20:00
Across the country wherever I have attended fairs, halwa-paratha is the most ubiquitous sight.If you take urbane friends who haven't been to small towns and seen such fairs, they are quite amused and excited by such shops and the desi delicacies.Seeing the size of the huge oily paratha my friend remarked, 'yaar cholestrol badh jaayega' and an old man with a long beard who was listening gave him a piece of advise, 'khaoge to sab hazam ho jaayega, sochoge to diabetes ho jaayegi' (If you eat, the stomach will take care of every thing, if you think this much you will suffer from diabetes). The halwa is tasty and you can't get it anywhere else other than such fairs.Second comes the Biryani Deg. In the pix, just see the kids, one of them has got a cucumber with chutney on it and another having an ice-cream.Apart from Hale em, Kababs and other food articles, stall of Urdu books are also a permanent feature at fairs in towns that have a substantial Muslim population.Over the years I ha...
More About: Books , Indian , Fair

Islamic Art at a rural Fair
2007-11-30 11:21:00
Until the late 80s, these posters were quite commonly seen in Muslim homes.The calendars depicting Islamic art like photograph of Sherwani-clad boy with a Turkish cap reading the Holy Quran were visible in households.I even remember seeing posters showing 'Sufis' with halo around their heads. And some photographs which you weren't exactly comfortable with (like the ones showing miracles or wild imaginary faces of Sufis).But they all started disappearing in the 90s. I think these posters vanished from houses and shops of Muslims just the same way as photos of freedom fighters across India.In the past photos of Gandhi, Chandrashekar Azad, Subhas Chandra Bose were a common sight in homes, shops and offices. But all that started changing from mid-80s when the film stars replaced them.Probably urban upwardly mobile Indians didn't find them chic enough to put up in the drawing rooms.Recently in a rural fare I was surprised to see many such shops selling 'Islamic art'. Seems there ...
More About: Fair , Rural , Islamic Art

Islamic Art at a rural Fair
2007-11-30 11:21:00
Until the late 80s, some of these posters were quite commonly seen in Muslim homes.The calendars with Islamic art like photograph of boy wearing Sherwani and a Turkish cap on the head reading the Holy Quran were often seen in Muslim households.I even remember seeing posters showing 'Sufis' that showed halo around their heads. And some photographs which you weren't exactly comfortable with.But they all started disappearing in the 90s. I think these posters vanished from houses and shops of Muslims just the same way as photos of freedom fighters.In the past photos of Gandhi, Chandrashekar Azad, Subhas Chandra Bose were a common sight in homes, shops and offices. But all that started changing from mid-80s when the film stars replaced them.Recently in a rural fare I was surprised to see many such shops selling 'Islamic art'. I am sure that the upwardly mobile may not be buy such posters but there are still homes where these pictures are visible.Some of these posters have a unique ...
More About: India , Fair , Rural , Islamic Art

Taslima issue: BJP-RSS's acceptance of 'Alternate Sexuality'
2007-11-30 10:35:00
From Narendra Modi to Shivraj Singh Chauhan (Madhya Pradesh), the BJP Chief Ministers are on the forefront extending invitation to the author to settle in their respective states.It is interesting to see the proponents of Bharatiyata offering Taslima Nasrin live in their states. I have absolutely no objection. Atithi daivo bhavah, that is the ancient Indian tradition.I just wonder if the BJP-RSS leaders have read her works and what are their views about her sexual exploits, her lack of proficiency with the tongue in satisfying the partner and similar other aspects of alternative sexuality, which she has explicitly written in her autobiographical series of novels, which are not fiction but fact.The BJP and RSS have been quite touchy on the subject. Remember the hullabaloo over the film Fire! The Sangh Pariwar has always treated homosexuality as 'Western disease' and been contemptuous of it. Seems they have overnight endorsed it and accepted as Bharatiya Culture.I wonder when the BJ...
More About: Sexuality , Acceptance , Issue , Alterna

Pasha Patel's growing popularity in Maharashtra
2007-11-22 20:43:00
Over the last couple of months BJP legislator Pasha Patel has traversed across Maharashtra , holding rallies for speedy implementation of Sachar panel recommendations, and in process grown in stature. His soaring popularity has worried Congress. Interestingly, Pasha's appeal cuts across party lines.'Shiv Sena district president Manohar Chowdhury announces Pasha's arrival on the stage on a microphone as Musalmon ka masiha, aamdar Pasha Patel', reports Hindustan Times, which says that his campaign is changing the colour of socio-political atmosphere in rural Maharashtra, writes Soumitro Ghosh.The BJP and Shiv Sena are both against implementation of Sachar committee's recommendations but leaders like Nitin Gadkari and others fully support Pasha, whose 30-page booklet 'Sach kahte hain Sachchar, to phir khamosh kyoon hai Musalman' is circulated across the state and Swatantra Bharat Party's Ravi Devang feels he is more popular among Hindus than Muslims. 'I am tempted to am tempted...
More About: Growing , Popularity , Pula

Kolkata violence: Irresponsible Jamiat playing with fire
2007-11-21 19:40:00
Kolkata was in flames on Wednesday. Mercifully the violence didn't spill out of control. As TV channels started flashing the 'alert' about Army called in Kolkata and later the images of All India Muslim Forum activists, I really got worried.If it was a protest over just Nandigam, I could understand. But the way Jamiat brought the issue of Taslima Nasrin and also the murder of Rizwanur Rahman, it is a dangerous signal. For Rizwanur Rahman, the entire Bengal has come together. And Muslims surely have other problems to worry about than Taslima.I don't know how many protestors have read her works. They are not readable anyhow. And even if she has written something that doesn't go well with us, we have the option not to read it or ignore it. With every such protest Taslima's stature as a writer will go up even if she doesn't deserve that.Violent street protests don't serve anybody. But what perturbs me the most is the involvement of Jamiat-e-Ulama and the Muslim Forum. By communa...
More About: Violence , Kolkata , Fire

Lucknow and imbibing secular values: Vinod Mehta turns nostalgic
2007-11-17 08:00:00
Vinod Mehta has written quite a long piece in the Outlook, fondy reminiscing the Lucknow of yore. Titled 'How I became a pseudo-secularist', the Outlook Editor recounts his childhood and youths in the City of Nawabs.He writes about 'Kazim and Co' and its owner Nasir. 'Nothing exemplifies the clash of civilisations better than what happened to Kazim & Co.It will come as no surprise that Kazim & Co soon closed down as customers began drifting away to the neon-lit establishments of the Sikhs and the Sindhis who had come as refugees after partition. However, Nasir went down honourably: he did not put up a fight.'And Safdar, who survived on his wits., knew the family history of every person worth knowing in the city, was intimately familiar with the geography of the entire town, a self-styled poet and patron of the arts, he carried both delicate and indelicate romantic messages efficiently, frequently adding his own masala. He could fix an appointment with any minister, he ...
More About: Values , Nostalgic , Secular , Bing

No radio, TV, photograph in this Muslim town
2007-11-14 18:22:00
Mundogarhi is a predominantly Muslim town in Mewat region of Haryana. Huge minarets of the mosque catch your attention as you go past this town on the National Highway.The town is situated almost at an equal distance from both Delhi and Chandigarh, but there is no radio or television. None of the inhabitants has a photograph and they strictly follow the tradition even if they miss out on many things. From a loan application to a ration card, a photograph is needed for every document but Mundogarhi residents don't have any regrets.There is no radio or TV in any house. 'I have heard music in the bus when I went out of the town', said a youth. Regarding the ban on photo, an influential person of the Mewati 'biradari' says, 'Man has no power to create any living being and if we get someone photographed, can we put life in this photo?. 'We can't and thus it is a sin to get oneself photographed'. Music is banned though some women said that they wished having a radio to listen to ...
More About: Radio , Town , Adio

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