By TCN News,

New Delhi: The Centre for Jawaharlal Nehru Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia in collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru University is going to organize the Seventh International Congress of Asian Philosophical Association on “Knowledge Based Sustainable Development” from 14-16 January, 2014.

The conference aims at understanding the phenomenon of sustainable development but in order to give a meaningful expression to this concept the point of departure will be knowledge in general but more specifically scientific knowledge.

The Conference structured around the following broad themes:

1) Philosophical Foundation
2) Historical Roots
3) Economic Approaches
4) Cultural and Anthropological Considerations

The Inaugural Session of the Conference is scheduled to be held on January 14, 2014 at 10 AM in Edward Said Hall, Administrative Block of the University.

Prof. Dr. Alparslan Acikgenc, Co-President of Asian Philosophical Association will deliver the Inaugural Address of the Conference. Prof. S.M. Sajid, Vice-Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia shall preside over the Inaugural Session.

The Day 1 programme (i.e. January 14, 2014) of the Conference is scheduled to be held in Jamia Millia Islamia while the second & third day’s programme (i.e. 15 & 16 January 2014) will be held in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

The programme is expected to be attended by academicians, research scholars, distinguished experts from relevant fields from various Universities, Institutions, Centres of Excellence & Research, etc. of the country and abroad.

The First Day’s programme shall be followed by Music Session and Concert, Turkish Korean and Indian Music and Cultural Performance at Dr. M.A. Ansari Auditorium, Jamia Millia Islamia at 6 PM.

By TCN News,

Abu Dhabi: Emirates India Fraternity Forum’s (EIFF) helped an Indian worker trapped in Abu Dhabi as his employer had refused to return his passport.

Bhaskar Devadiga, came to UAE with a dream and an intention of earning good livelihood through a recruiting agent to work in a Five Star Hotel with all service benefits. However, upon landing in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Devadiga was forced to work at in a Cafeteria. The owner of the cafeteria allegedly made him to work for 12 hours a day without a break, and any weekly holiday.

Being frustrated, Mr. Devadiga, rendered his resignation to his employer and worked for one month to cover his notice period as per directives of the Labour Ministry under the UAE Labor Law. But the employer (owner of the restaurant) not only refused to settle his two months’ salary but also confiscated his Passport.

Meantime Mr. Bhaskar Devadiga approached Emirates India Fraternity Forum’s (EIFF). Representatives of EIFF took the task in their hands and consulted the Officials of the UAE Labor Office and Indian consulate office to clear the issue immediately.

Due to their effort the restaurant owner has cleared his salary dues and released the passport. Devadiga expressed his gratitude to the EIFF’s team for their efforts. He will soon be back to India.

By Imaad Majeed,

Having grown up in Mannar, Ramsia was married in 1984 to her husband in Jaffna. “There were no problems before that time,” she said. Her husband worked at the post office. “The whole area around our house was occupied by Muslims. We were happy then because our relatives surrounded us. Now, they have sold off their land and moved away,” Ramsia said. Sonakateru and Moor Street were inhabited entirely by Muslims.

“In 1979, the problems started. The IPKF came in 1987 and caused even more problems. Our house was shelled. Three years after their arrival, we were forced to leave by the LTTE,” she said.

After the morning prayers one fateful day in October 1990, an announcement was made at Anchi Sandhi asking the men of the households to assemble at the public grounds next to the Osmaniya College. “All the men of the community attended the meeting. We did not know why the men had been summoned. There was no prior warning. When they returned they told us that the ‘Leader’ had ordered an exodus,” Ramsia recalled.

When they were ordered to leave, the men resisted, Ramsia was told. “The men were told that if they did not leave, they would be slaughtered. The men asked for time, but they were only given two hours. Some families left with just 500 rupees in hand. The Tigers (LTTE) searched our vehicles, confiscated whatever valuables were inside, forced people out of their own vehicles and into the vehicles the ‘Leader’ had provided,” she recounted.

The exodus

“No one wished to leave their homes. We were given two hours to vacate the area, and, so, we had no choice but to do so. We could not take our belongings or valuables along with us, and we had no documents at hand. The LTTE made us board their vehicles, as children were screaming and their mothers were in tears. My daughter was traumatized by the incident and cannot speak to this day.

“We were not able to assemble before that to take precautions, as the conflict of the time made it unsafe to gather as we normally would,” she said.

M H M Faizal.

“When we arrived at Poondoththam in Vavuniya, we were not familiar with the area and could not even find clean drinking water. We spent three days there, and were fortunate enough to be looked after by the people of the area. Those who could not find water, food or shelter, died within those three days. The survivors soon moved towards Puttalam, where we would spend the next 10 years rebuilding our lives,” Ramsia remembered.

Zahira College in Puttalam provided shelter to the refugees for eight days, after which they constructed huts in Kekirawa. “We received dry rations from the Government every 15 days. The late M H M Ashraff went out of his way to see to our needs, but, since his death, we have been neglected. Even after returning to Jaffna in 2002, we only received a sum of 3,000 rupees from the Ministry of Resettlement, even though they were supposed to allocate 25,000 rupees to any resettler. We have next to nothing, and we expect the Government to give us what we deserve,” she said.

When the A9 road was opened in 2002, the Muslim IDPs who were settled in Puttalam began returning to their homes in the North. “I received a letter from Jaffna in which a Tamil man told us that he was living in our home, and informed us that it was safe for us to return.”

“There were many businessmen who sold jewellery in our area before the exodus, but they have all fled. Some of them have continued their businesses in Colombo. This area used to be entirely populated by Muslims, but now there are Hindus living here as well. Our relationship with the Tamil community is still good, and we do not hold any grudges. Some of our own people sold off their lands for such cheap rates and that is worrying because our land is undervalued. It was only after the end of conflict that our people began to rebuild their shops and startup their businesses again,” Ramsia noted.

Rameez

“We supported the Government at the Northern Provincial Council elections as there was a Muslim contestant who asked for our votes. We did not feel that the TNA does not care for us when they did not ask for our votes. Maybe the TNA thought that we might be holding a grudge against them. If such an election was held in the heyday of our community, back in 1984, we would have had a Muslim representative for this province.

“There is a Madrasa for our community and the Osmaniya School is operational once again,” Ramsia said, and this gives her a sense of comfort. The women of the community come together for bhayan in the evenings which are hosted by a suitable family.

According to the Chief Trustee of the Grand Mohideen Masjid Meeralebbe Lafir, the sermons at the Friday Jummah gatherings are focused on good practice in business. “The Imams will advise us not to cheat other communities and not disturb them as we go about our religious ceremonies and traditions during Ramadan. Once, Wigneswaran visited one of the mosques and assured us that we share the same rights as every other citizen of Jaffna,” Ramsia said.

Ramsia

Mini Saudi

“Those days, before the exodus, this area was known as ‘Mini Saudi’ because the Muslims of the area were very popular among the community. We owned many of the buildings within the town and conducted our business there. There were jewellers, tailors, suppliers of iron and even transport services, and our clientele was not restricted to Muslims, but included the Tamil community as well,” Lafir said.

There were 14 mosques operating in Jaffna at the time, according to Lafir, and the call to prayer could be heard wherever a Muslim community was present. Before the exodus, Friday Jummah prayers would be conducted at three mosques simultaneously, whereas today, there are only two Jummah prayers conducted, alternating among the mosques in each area. However, according to Lafir, the Jaffna Muslims of today are a different people to those of yesteryear, both in numbers and in character.

“There used to be 15,000 Muslims in Jaffna, and now there are not even 200 families. Many have not returned as their lives are rooted in Puttalam. They may have once believed that peace could be attained, but, after years of conflict, they lost hope and sold off their lands for the lowest bid. Those who could not secure land in Puttalam returned to Jaffna, and these re-settlers are facing hardship every day.”

The youth

A month prior to the exodus of October 1990, Lafir had taken his family to Kandy as there was no electricity in Jaffna. “We did not intend to move out. We had every intention of returning.” However, fate had different plans for his family. Lafir learnt about the exodus while he was away.

“I handed over the responsibility of my business to my workers when I left. There were no restrictions on what I could take with me, but I did not know that I would not be able to return, so all I took with me were supplies to last a month.”

Lafir had no choice but to accept the situation he was in, and, so, started a business in Mawanella where he would resell products purchased in Colombo. He returned to Jaffna in 2002 but did not take back his business as the Army was occupying his property. Following the end of conflict, the Army vacated the area and he was able to resume his business operations. Today, he runs a boutique by the name of “Pillaws House” where he serves food and beverages. His three children are settled in Mawanella. “They are married now and will not return to Jaffna.”

He is optimistic about the future of relations between the Muslim and Tamil communities. “We invite Tamil people to our festivities and attend those of the Tamil community. When a mosque is being built, we employ the help of their community and, likewise, lend a hand to the Tamils when there is a kovil being constructed.”

Grand Mohideen Masjid Meeralebbe Lafir.

Skeleton of a home

A few kilometers away from Anchi Sandhi, lives a community of Muslim re-settlers that reside in the vicinity of New Moor Street in Bommaveli. Aboobucker Masjid is the only mosque in the area and has survived since 1971. Each family owns 7.5 perches of land that has been in their possession prior to the exodus of October 1990. Today, the community consists of 188 families.

“We used to live comfortably,” said Rameez, a butcher who runs a meat shop at Anchi Sandhi. “This entire area was a Muslim community, and the half-ruined houses you see now were once two-story buildings. By the time we returned from Puttalam, our homes had been desecrated and we could not even recognize them. The Tigers had taken away the doors, the windows, the roofs and even the bricks off the walls. We were left with nothing but a skeleton of a house,” he said.

The community at New Moor Street does not have a fixed water supply, and only receives water for half an hour in the morning and in the evening for which they pay 60 rupees per month. There are two taps for five families, and no proper sanitation facilities. “There are holes in our roofs, and when it rains it is better to be outside,” said M H M Faizal, a resident of New Moor Street.

Orphans of policy

Faizal said he trusts the Government will protect them. “We voted for a Muslim candidate but he did not win a seat at the Provincial Council. We need the Government to step in and provide solutions. The IDPs in Kilinochchi have received homes provided by the Indian Housing Scheme, but nothing of that nature has been provided to us. We were IDPs long before them. Now, we are the orphans of policy,” he noted.

Faizal claimed that, despite having all the documentation necessary to apply for a house in a government scheme, his request has not been followed up.

In 2011, the Law and Society Trust published the Report of the Citizens Commission on the Expulsion of Muslims from the Northern Province by the LTTE in October 1990. The report had made recommendations to the Government, which the subsequent Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission drew from. In 2009 and 2010, members of the Citizens Commission visited the Northern peninsula to assess the ground situation of the Muslim community.

Justice U L Abdul Majeed, a retired High Court Judge who had previously served at the Bar in Mannar, was among the nine Commissioners. “The biggest concern among the people who we met at the time was returning to their own land,” Justice Majeed said.

“We recommended some actions in the report, such as the government amend the Prescription Ordinance which allows a person who is forcibly, or by some act, in possession of land that belongs to someone else, for more than 10 years, to claim rights to that land. This is exempt in some cases where the owners may be residing abroad, or of deformed mind (Section 13 of the Prescription Ordinance), but we must include those who were, for reasons beyond their control, unable to return to their land,” he added.

According to Justice Abdul Majeed, the Citizens Commission had also suggested amendments to the Law Commission to suit the conditions of the Muslim IDPs.

Protracted situation

While the statistics on resettlement, provided by the Ministry of Resettlement, have been regarded with cynical skepticism, the language of the “Framework for Resettlement Policy” – available on the Ministry’s website – makes it clear that internally displaced persons are not discriminated against on the basis of ethnicity. “There is no difference among IDPs, whatever community they belong to,” Assistant Secretary to the Ministry, M M Niyamudeen said, “The issues are different according to period of displacement and resettlement. In the case of the Muslim IDPs, they are in a protracted situation.”

On the distinction of protracted situations, the policy states, “Special efforts should be made to ensure the full participation of internally displaced and returnee refugee persons in the planning and management of their return or resettlement and reintegration.” However, when The Sunday Leader spoke to Muslim communities in Jaffna, they were not aware of the Ministry’s efforts towards alleviating their plight.

Addressing this concern, Niyamudeen asserted, “It is the Divisional Secretaries and Government Agents – under the supervision of the Presidential Task Force for Resettlement, Development and Security in the Northern Province – that are involved in facilitating these processes and communicating the efforts to the people”.

The Ministry further stated that at a meeting held recently between the Jaffna Government Aagent and Divisional Secretaries, the Divisional Secretary of Jaffna had stated that there are 1,998 Muslim families currently registered for resettlement, although, physically, only 159 Muslim families are currently living in Jaffna. “Requirements for temporary shelters were discussed, and we are, very positively, looking into these needs. The Muslim families will be included in the third round of the Indian Housing Project,” the Ministry added.

Last week, on January 3, a meeting was held at the Jaffna Government Agent’s office, at which the release of land occupied by the Army in the Akkarai village in the Kopai Division was discussed. Eelam People’s Democratic Party MP Murugesu Chandrakumar and Spokesman M Stalin were present at the meeting. Minister of Resettlement Gunaratne Weerakoon visited the Kopai Divisional Secretariat and provided building materials worth one million rupees to 48 families in the Akkarai village,” the Ministry of Resettlement stated.

When The Sunday Leader contacted the Ministry, Media Secretary I D Maithripala divulged that the Ministry intends to release land at the KKS Cement factory to IPDs who are residing in temporary camps. “The Jaffna Government Agent will coordinate this effort,” Maithripala said.

--
This piece first published in The Sunday Leader.

By Shakil Ahmad,

It’s that time of the year once again, when a lot of Muslims gleefully and happily engage in a great celebration called “Eid Miladun Nabi” or Mawlid – 12 Raby al-Awal. What signficance does this date (12 Raby al-Awal) have under the light of Sahih Hadith? What are we really celebrating on this day?? We will try to address these few questions in this write up.

When was the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) born? Let’s try to understand this according to modern technoloy and in the light of Sahih Hadith.

Abu Qatada Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Massenger (may peace be upon him) was asked about fasting on Monday, whereupon he said: It is (the day) when I was born and revelation was sent down to me. (Sahih Muslim, Book #006, Hadith #2606)

According to this authentic Hadith, one aspect becomes very clear beyond any doubt – that Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) was born on a Monday.

Let’s look at another important reference, The Sealed Nectar (Al Raheeq Al Maqtoom), authored by Saifur Rahman al-Mubarakpuri . The Arabic version of this book was awarded first prize by the Muslim World League, at the first Islamic Conference on Seerah. A quotation from the book is as follows:

“Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the Master of Prophets, was born in Bani Hashim lane in Makkah on Monday morning, the ninth of Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, the same year of the Elephant Event, and forty years of the reign of Kisra (Khosru Nushirwan), i.e. the twentieth or twenty-second of April, 571 A.D., according to the scholar Muhammad Sulaimân Al-Mansourpuri, and the astrologer Mahmûd Pasha.”

This reference from The Sealed Nectar also mentions that the birth day of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is Monday. Going by the above reference, the Gregorian date is either April 20 or 22 April, 571 A.D. let’s consider and convert these two dates:

1. When we convert April 22, 571 A.D. into Hijri Calendar, the day we get is Wednesday, and the date is 11 Raby’ al-awal (53 Before Hijri). A screenshot of the conversion from the website islamicfinder.org is shown here.

2.

However, considering the Sahih Hadith of Sahih Muslim quoted previuosly, and numerous other similar Hadiths, the birth date of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is Monday. Therefore, it would only be logical to consider April 22, 571 A.D. as the birth date is not correct.

3. Now, consider April 20, 571 A.D.Converting this date to the Hijri Calendar, we get Monday, 9 Raby al-awal (53 Before Hijri). A screenshot of the conversion is as shown here:

Even if we consider the 1 day error mentioned above, the date would be either 8 Raby al-Awal or 10 Raby al-Awal. This implies that the best logical option that appears for the birth date of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is 9 Raby al-awal (53 Before Hijri) – which is Monday, April 20, 571 A.D.

4. This is in abstract contrast to what some people believe and celebrate – 12 Raby al-awal – as the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) birthday. A screenshot of the conversion is as follows:

5.

This date cannot be accepted as the birth date, since the day (Thursday) does not conform to the Sahih Hadith referred earlier.

Conclusion for Birth Date

12 Raby al-awal 53 Before Hijri cannot be accepted as the birth date of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as per the above analysis, and in the light of Sahih Hadith and the scientific date-conversion methods.

Therefore, what most of the people celebrate as EidMiladunNabi on 12 Raby al-Awal is not the birth date of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The question that still stands unanswered at large is – what are they celebrating?? Whether celebrating another Eid (or birthday) is correct or not in the light of Islam is another topic, which we have already discussed in a separate article.

By IANS,

New Delhi : President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday greeted the nation ahead of Milad-un-Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammed.

The president and vice president hoped that the Prophet's message of selflessness and brotherhood would show the path of compassion and tolerance to everyone. Milad-un-Nabi will be celebrated Jan 14.

In his message, the president said: "On the auspicious occasion of Milad-un-Nabi, the birthday of the Holy Prophet, I convey my greetings and good wishes to all my fellow citizens in India and abroad."

"May the message of selflessness and brotherhood preached by the Holy Prophet inspire us to promote unity and friendship amongst all people."

The president wished that the "eternally relevant teachings" of the Prophet inspire people to re-dedicate themselves to the well being of humanity.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said: "The life of the Prophet teaches us to be selfless and care for the less fortunate. His message inspires us to work for peace and brotherhood."

"May the festival spread peace, harmony and compassion among all," he added.

Vice President Hamid Ansari also greeted the nation ahead of Milad-un-Nabi.

"I convey my warm greetings and good wishes to the citizens of our country on the blessed occasion of Milad-un-Nabi, birthday of Prophet Mohammad. The noble life and eternal message of the Holy Prophet shows us the virtuous path of compassion, tolerance and peaceful co-existence," Ansari said.

"On this auspicious occasion, let us all firmly resolve to build a peaceful, compassionate and fraternal society."

By IANS,

Dubai : A prominent Indian social activist in Saudi Arabia has launched a matrimonial website to help South Asian expatriates, who are against the dowry system, find suitable matches.

Aleem Khan Falki, the founder of the Jeddah-based Socio Reforms Society and who has been actively campaigning against the dowry system for a long time, has launched the unique matrimonial service website, simplenikah.com, for dowry-free marriage seekers, the Arab News reported Monday.

Falki said the main intention behind establishing the website was to provide non-commercial, economical service with the ultimate purpose of eradicating the dowry system.

“This form of blackmail has increased so much that it has taken the shape of a social blackmail,” Falki said.

“Asian fathers looking to marry off their daughters are obliged to pay their dowries, since customs in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh dictate that dowries in the form of money and property be taken from the bride,” Falki added.

He said there were many cases of grooms not wanting any dowry but the bride’s parents forcing them to accept it for fear of being chastised later by the groom’s family.

Falki said, in addition, the bride's father is being required to host the wedding dinner party. It has become compulsory, he added.

“The groom does throw the ‘walima’ (the marriage banquet, which is the second of the two traditional parts of an Islamic wedding), but the bride’s side has to first host hundreds of guests from the groom’s side by serving a number of dishes at a full-fledged marriage hall.”

He said, because of such traditions, the bride’s parents' lifelong savings get exhausted.

Falki emphsised that the Socio Reforms Society would bring together suitable matches through the website to help people who want to marry purely according to the prophetic tradition.

Falki said both sides would pledge to refrain from any extravagance and paying dowry that are not required in Islam.

“This will help many widows, divorcees and poverty-stricken girls who are helpless due to lack of sources to get married,” he said.

Besides matrimony, the website will provide counselling for couples facing marital problems so as to reduce the divorce rate among South Asian communities in Saudi Arabia.

By IANS,

Panaji : RSS workers wearing burkhas were present at BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's public rally in Goa Sunday, the Congress alleged Monday.

Addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Babu Azgaonkar said: "RSS workers were given burkhas specially tailored and they were seated at the rally to make it appear that minority community members were attending in large number."

He also named two BJP party leaders who Azgaonkar said were responsible for tailoring nearly 5,000 burkhas for the meeting.

Over one lakh people, an unprecedented number in Goa, attended the Modi public meeting held on the outskirts of Panaji Sunday.

By IANS,

New Delhi : Around 20 Hindu activists Monday disrupted a press conference of AAP leader Prashant Bhushan here, protesting against his remarks on Jammu and Kashmir.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader had come with members of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) to the Indian Women's Press Corps (IWPC).

As the conference began, a young man identifying himself as Vishnu Gupta and chief of Hindu Sena entered the conference room and raised slogans against Bhushan.

He urged Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to throw Bhushan out of the country.

Gupta was also carrying a letter to Kejriwal written in Hindi that the group was "nationalist not terrorist".

The letter said Kejriwal should take back the cases against Pinky Chaudhary, president of another Hindu group, and 12 other people involved in the attack on the AAP head office in Ghaziabad Jan 8 to protest Bhushan's controversial remarks on army deployment in Jammu and Kashmir.

AAP volunteers guided the man out and closed the main gate of the IWPC. By then, the press conference got disrupted.

Police said they were looking for a complaint from the AAP.

Chaudhary and the other 12 people were arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police for attacking the AAP office. They are still in custody.

By Rajesh Kasturirangan

The victory of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) gives even the most cynical among us a reason to believe in the possibilities of politics. Critics might claim that AAP's victory is a fluke or worse, an acceptable form of protest within a neoliberal order but the victory doesn't seem like a fluke to me. The absence of the mainstream political parties on the ground - their candidates were simply incapable or unwilling to go from door to door and listen to people - gave AAP the space to build a real grassroots campaign and they seem to have profited enormously from their diligence. I can't say much about the party's position in the neoliberal order, since it's too early to say anything about the accommodations that AAP will be making over the course of its development as a political party.

As we reflect on the success of the Aam Aadmi Party and support their efforts, we should also ask ourselves whether AAP is a portent of a new form of politics. That's the only reason why we should be interested in its fortunes. Frankly, I don't care much about AAP's triumphalism or the jealousy of its critics. At least the first is understandable, as people who were kept out of power are suddenly waking up to a new dawn. The latter is sour grapes at best and far less charitable things at worst.

Now, let me speculate about the iceberg of which AAP is a tip. It's clear that AAP is part of a series of movements that swept across the globe, from West Asia and North Africa to India, Russia and the United States and Western Europe. While these movements have learned a little bit from each other, there isn't any evidence of systematic learning or common ideology that drives these movements. Some were anti-corruption movements, others were aimed at oppressive regimes and yet others were responses to the financial crisis.

The term post-ideological is a good characterization, only because no current ideology unifies these disparate groups. If I was to use a term to describe them, I would use "organic" not because they lack foresight or political aims, but because they arose within a matrix of conditions that characterize their particular milieu. If that seems too amorphous and directionless, consider the following fact:

Capitalism in the 21st century itself is an amorphous and directionless beast.

This isn't a weakness but a strength of capitalism. The ability to move finance from one corner of the earth to another in seconds, the ability to transact almost as fast as the speed of light, the ability to accommodate almost every national and cultural dispensation and the ability to adapt to ever changing modes of production and labor. That amorphousness makes capitalism a hard target to attack for there's no center there.

The financial class might have been the first to take advantage of this new human condition aided by technology but really a new form of consciousness. People are smart though, and they will learn new forms of organization wherever they arise. What if we are seeing a new political consciousness emerging that has internalized these new forms of capitalist organization and is replicating those structures in politics as well?

Consider how AAP has focussed on a tactical (end corruption) rather than an ideological goal. Sure, that might be smart because it's various constituencies might not be able to agree on anything else. However, that masks the other side of the same equation: a tactical goal was able to bring millions of people together. In the past, people have needed strategic and ideological goals in order to organize at that scale. The fact that a tactical goal was able to bring millions together suggests a tacit awareness of something larger, a political consciousness that's only beginning to emerge and doesn't want to be defined in older terms.

What does that mean for the earlier era of political formations: from nation states to political parties and ideological disputes? Does it mean that all of these categories are exposed to critique or worse, elements of an older human condition whose time has gone?

--
Find Rajesh Kasturirangan on twitter @rkasturi

Address problems of religious minority groups as a class of citizen - K. Rahman Khan

By TCN News,

New Delhi: The Government has tried its best to ensure social and economic justice to minority communities. This was stated by the Prime Minister, Dr. Man Mohan Singh while inaugurating the 9th Annual Conference of State Minorities Commissions here today.

He said that the New 15-Point Programme for minorities that the UPA Government launched in 2006 aims at ensuring the well-being, protection and development of minorities. The focus of the programme is to ensure that the benefits of various development schemes and programmes of the Government accrue in equitable measure to minorities, especially those located in minority concentration areas. Wherever possible, 15% of the targets and outlays under various poverty alleviation schemes are required to be earmarked for minorities. A reasonable representation of minorities is also expected to be ensured in the Government, including the public sector enterprises. The National Commission for Minorities and State Minorities Commissions must continue to play a proactive role and strengthen the hands of the Government by recommending suitable measures for improving the socio-economic condition of minorities, the Prime Minister added.

Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh at the inauguration of the Annual Conference of State Minority Commissions on the theme “Assessing the Impact of PM’s 15 Point Programme”, in New Delhi on January 13, 2014. Union Minister for Minority Affairs, Shri K. Rahman Khan and the Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Shri Ninong Ering are also seen. [Courtesy: PIB]

Speaking on the occasion , K. Rahman Khan, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs called upon the National Minorities Commission and State Minorities Commissions to safeguard the Constitutional rights of the religious minorities and linguistic minorities.

Asking State Minorities Commissions to be eyes and ears of the Ministry at delivery level, the Minister urged to address the problems of each of religious minority group as a class of citizen and not as religious group. Highlighting the important priorities of the Ministry, he said that the Government is actively considering the inclusion of Jains in the minority community so that the benefits of welfare schemes run by the Government of India could be extended to the Jain community also.

The constitution of Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC) is also under active consideration of the Government, the Minister added. EOC will ensure equal access to opportunity, entitlements/ rights to deprived groups belonging to minority communities. The Minister further informed that the Government has approved the establishment of a new National Wakf Development Corporation Limited (NAWADCO) to be launched shortly. For better management of the large areas of waqf lands in the country either encroached or lying idle the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2013 has already come into force from September 2013.

Earlier welcoming the participants and guests Wajahat Habibullah, Chairman, National Minorities Commission highlighted the achievements of the Commission. Referring to earlier annual conferences he informed that this conference has four more sessions. The topics to be deliberated in these sessions are “Schemes related with Welfare of Minorities”, “Employment”, “Benefits to Minorities in Poverty Alleviation” and “Education of Minorities”.

Ninong Ering, the Minister of State for Ministry of Minority Affairs gave vote of thanks.

By IANS,

New Delhi : The US has offered no help to India as far as bringing most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim back from Pakistan is concerned, former home secretary R.K. Singh, who has now joined the BJP, said Monday.

In an interview to CNN-IBN channel, R.K. Singh said: "Firstly, if a third country's intelligence agency is agreeing to help you, you don't talk about it in public... Secondly FBI has offered no such help...so this statement of bringing back Dawood with the help of FBI is wrong. There is even no assurance from FBI on Dawood, I was present at that conference with (Home Minister Sushilkumar) Shinde... he is lying."

At a press conference last week, Shinde had said that Dawood was in Pakistan and joint efforts were being made with the US to nab him. Dawood is wanted in a number of cases by India, including the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

On his reported differences with Shinde, R.K. Singh said: "The differences with home minister were known to everyone and it was known to higher officials and its not new...this is not something that has cropped up today."

Asked about Shinde's reported interference in stopping the interrogation of a senior businessman, he claimed: "Again it's not an allegation, it's a fact."

"As far as I recall, I think it was in connection with the match fixing case and this businessman had some sort of links with Dawood," Singh claimed according to a release by the news channel.

By Shruti Nagvanshi,

On December 23 in the afternoon I got a call from Meherunisha, a survivor of communal riots of Muzaffarnagar. She told me they have been forcibly evicted from the relief camp and they have no other place to go. She said, “Where can we go now? For god sake help us, we desperately need your help.” Meherunish was crying inconsolably for help. She was repeatedly saying “where can they go in this chilly winter? She said at present she is outside a house in the village at Gokulpur with her little children and mother-in-law. Many other families like her need help who have no place to stay. Madrasa management all of a sudden removed their tents, they kept on requesting but they did not listen”.

We immediately informed the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Akhillesh Yadav, National Human Rights Commission and the Central Government through an e mail and registered post and appealed all of them to intervene immediately to help the riot victims.

Our team with four members which included Dr. Lenin Raghuvanshi (Director, People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), Major (Dr.) Himanshu Singh, a renowned social worker of Meerut, Mohammed Taj, a human rights worker and myself, Shruti Nagvanshi, (Convener, Voice of People, Uttar Pradesh) visited the temporary relief shelter camp built in open space for riot victims at Islamia Madrasa in Shahpur village on December 21, 2013. Some of the families from this camp had already left to an unknown destination. There was filth and grime everywhere.

Those staying in the camp were mainly daily wager labourers. On December 23, residents of this camp were forcibly evicted and asked to go back to their homes. This created a problem for them because they had no place to go. They did not want to go to their original village due to fear because they somehow escaped from their village to save their lives. Their houses were already ransacked by the unruly crowd. Survivors told us that they were taken to their villages to do a survey in official vehicles and when they saw the roof tops of their houses were missing, they told the officials that there is nothing left for them so how can they go back and put their lives in danger once again.

One of the survivors in her self-testimony said in a painful voice, “A panchayat held in Mandore on September 7 changed the course of our lives. For generations we had been living in our village. We are daily wage workers, whatever work we used to get, we used to earn our livelihood with that. But during the panchayat there was a fight between Jats and Muslims in which two persons from Jat community were killed. When their bodies were brought to the village, all hell broke out. A group of people from Jat community started driving us out from our houses. We somehow managed to escape and survived. Earlier we were living together in peace but now the same people were out to threaten and kill us. They were very angry; they were carrying arms in their hands. We were unable to understand as to what exactly was happening and why? Everyone was running in whichever direction one could to save themselves and their families. Had we not acted quickly, we would have been killed along with our children. Either our children would have been killed; if not, then we would have become the target. We were destined to suffer in any case”.

In Shahpura Islamia Madrasa camp around 300 affected families were living from different villages such as Sisoli, Hadoli, Kakde, Soram and Goila. At present 82 families were left in the make shift tents who were also driven out of their homes on December 23. Among these families there were five pregnant women who were having a pregnancy period running in between 5 to 7 months. They were as follows: 1-Afsana, age 19, w/o Wajid, 2- Parveen, age 30, w/o Aslam, 3- Shamshida, age 30, w/o Aas Mohammed, 4-Sanjida, age 26, w/o Mehboob, 5- Momina, age 30, w/o Dilshad.

Shahjana of Kankre village, age 30, w/o Kamil works as a daily wage labourer in brick making factory. When she came to the camp after saving her life and her family from her village, she gave birth to a girl child. She was helped by her mother-in-law during the delivery period. After eighth day of the birth the child became sick and suffered from pneumonia. They tried to get her treated but finally the girl could not survive and died. Shabana, age 30,w/o Nafis gave birth to a girl child after two months in the camp, the girl also died after one week due to pneumonia. Parveen, age 30, w/o Aslam said,“ We are living in the camp with great pain and guilt. When we go out to nearby shops to buy essential items, people often make remarks at us mockingly that we are greedy freeloaders and we are living in camp for the sake of relief materials like blankets. We just ignore their comments. In this shelter we pray to God for not letting anyone in such a situation. During the nights puppies come and sleep at our temporary kitchen and next morning we use the same kitchen to cook our food. It hurts our religious sentiments but god is witness and he will forgive us”.

Mehrunisha of Hadauli village told us, “My husband Sattar was missing during the riots. I and my 70 years old mother-in-law remained disturbed and extremely worried about his safety. After seven days we found him in Khatauli. After listening to his story we were in a state of shock. In the evening when my husband was returning after selling clothes, he was chased by three people from Jat community riding on motorbike. He ran to save his life. But near a clinic they caught hold of my husband. While they were about to attack him with a sharp edged weapon, they were stopped by the doctor. When the doctor asked them the reasons to kill my husband, they replied that they just want to kill him for no reason. Due to the intervention of the doctor, my husband could flee the scene to save his life. The doctor belonged to the Jat community and due to him my husband’s life was saved. Had he not been there at the spot, my husband would have definitely been killed. We are thankful to him for showing his courage to retrain those who wanted to kill my husband. My husband fell ill due to the fear. I sold my gold jewelleries to get his medical treatment. He is still in a state of shock. He falls sick because of that experience. My sister has given him shelter and care. I am in the relief camp along with my children and mother-in-law. After all, we do not want to put the burden on our relatives.”

Chhoti of Sisoli village, age 28, w/o Idrish gave birth to a girl child, Aaksha in the relief camp. During the riots her brother Yasin was also present in Sisoli village. He was injured when he was attacked by a sword for which he was treated in Shahpur. Due to lack of proper medical facilities he has gone back to his home but he has not received any compensation so far. Khaton, age 35, w/o Noorhasan, has a two and half year old child. Besides her there are so many families with little children who never received any care and medical treatment here in the camp. We also came across an extremely disturbing fact that is, people belonging to at least 15 families from Soram, Sisoli, Hadauli and Gorla villages living in Shahpur relief camps were not considered as riot affected families by the administration. Sisoli and Soram are better known for their khap panchayats. Sisoli is also the village of a popular Jat Kisan leader. The women told us that in Soram they were stripped naked, bullets were fired on them, acid was also thrown but somehow they managed to flee and saved their lives. They were also beaten by the police. Just a day before in Soram, Muslim children returning from school were badly beaten. Masjid in Hadauli was burnt down. Saleha, the daughter of Hakimu of Dulhera is still missing.

We found that the soil in the camp was wet due to rain water and many places were water-logged. In many tents grass layers were also completely wet. Women and children took us to their tents to narrate their plight. They told us they do not sleep during the wintry night because it is too cold. Children are falling sick due to exposure to cold and others infections. With temperatures plummeting children, old people and pregnant woman are especially at risk. After the riots doctors came to visit on one or two occasions but after that nobody came. Whatever clothing they had on their bodies, they sold them to arrange their medical treatment. Even now many infant children, their mothers and many pregnant women are forced to live in open areas in bone chilling cold while battling with poor conditions.

European Union has announced a financial package of one lakh and fifty thousand Eruos to help the survivors of communal riots of Muzaffarnagar and Shamli through OXFAM. Organisation like Child Rights and You (CRY) has also decided to extend direct assistance while taking into consideration the news of deaths of many children in the area.

Around nine thousand eight hundred and four (9804) children were estimated to be residing in the relief camps established in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli. Among them many children have died due to unpleasant conditions. Still there are many children and pregnant women left in the camps who are facing difficult times due to the lack of medical facilities and adequate care. They are the people who need the utmost care and help. Last year during the month of December,2012 the whole country witnessed a series of protest and condemnation in Nirbhaya rape[v] case but a deafening silence on the part of the civilized civil society groups on the reported 13 incidents of rape and molestation of riot affected women of Muzaffarnagar till 5 November, 2013 puts a question mark on their role in society.

The incidents of molestation and mindless killings during the communal violence of Muzaffarnagar and consequent blocking of the news clearly speak of a nexus among the Hindu fascist force, communal section of media in local, administration and communal forces from Muslim community. It clearly confirms the remarks made by the renowned Anglo-Irish political thinker and philosopher, Edmond Burke on India, “In that Country the law of religion, the laws of the land, and the law of honour, are all united and consolidated in one, and bind a man eternally to the rule of what is called his caste.”

At present the riot affected people living in the camps are facing forcible eviction ordered by the administration. Their homes had already been ravaged. They have no ancestral property in their original villages. They are not even having the basic amenities available to citizens like ration card, MANREGA Job card etc. These families are forced to live as displaced persons. Therefore, it is crucial at this stage to identify those families who have been uprooted and displaced due to the communal riots and programmes should be initiated to provide them food security, housing, primary health care facilities for women and children and education facilities.

Community of psychologists would agree with the fact that these families require long term medical care because human mind is adversely affected by the violent incidents. The psychological trauma on the people is probably irreversible. The situation also gives rise to various physical and mental disorders which in turn also affects their work abilities, decision making and self-confidence. Low temperatures during the winter season also cause serious troubles for children and pregnant women who need special care and protection.

It appears that in the ongoing blame game and fights between various political parties, the riot victims have become mere pawns caught in a political game. Under these circumstances all political parties should jointly work together to help the riot affected people and should not indulge in misleading the general public. There is also the need to immediately launch rehabilitation programmes to protect the civil rights of the survivors without any discrimination and restore their self-dignity. Emphasis should also be given to their psychological and social restoration. As a reconciliatory measure, riot affected gram panchayats should apologise the survivors for their troubles and should work to rehabilitate them in their respective villages. If they fail to do that, the administration should immediately withdraw development funds earmarked for these gram panchayats.”

--
Shruti Nagvanshi is Convener of Voice of People, Uttar Pradesh)

By IANS,

Hyderabad : Rallies, meetings, feeding the poor and blood donation camps marked Milad-un-Nabi, the birth anniversary of the Prophet Mohammed, which was celebrated Tuesday with gaiety and fervour in Hyderabad.

The old city of Hyderabad and other Muslim-majority areas in the city were decked up with huge flags, festoons, banners, welcome arches and lighting.

Various religious organisations held meetings to highlight the message of the Prophet and organised 'Mahafil-e-Milad' or special gatherings in praise of the Prophet to mark the occasion.

Hundreds of Muslims attended rallies taken out in different parts of the city.

Carrying green flags and raising slogans in praise of the Prophet, large number of youngsters participated in the central Milad procession organised by Sunni United Forum.

Rallies taken out from different parts of the old city joined the main procession at the historic Mecca Masjid.

As the Milad coincided with Sankranti, police made elaborated security arrangements in the communally sensitive old city to maintain law and order.

Security personnel were deployed around the places of worship and public places.

Hundreds attended the annual meeting organised by Majlis-e-Tameer-e-Millat at Nizam College grounds.

Addressing the meetings, religious scholars and community leaders exhorted Muslims to strictly follow the holy life of the Prophet for the success in this world and hereafter.

Various organisations conducted blood donation camps. Poor feeding was also arranged in various localities.

Markets were illuminated since Monday night for the Milad, with people in few places installing models of 'Kaaba' and 'Masjid-e-Nabavvi', the holiest shrines in Mecca and Madina.

At a mammoth public meeting organised by Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen Monday night, party president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi appealed the Muslim youth to bring a change in their lives by following the teachings of the Prophet.

The MP advised the youth to desist from non-Islamic ways of celebrations. Quoting a 'fatwa' issued by Jamia Nizamia, Owaisi asked youth not to dance or use music or colour or install models of holy shrines.

He said even 'naats' should not be played on loud speakers with high volume lest it inconvenience others.

The MP voiced concern over the violation of 'Sharia' limits during Milad by the youngsters who overspeed on their bikes and show stunts on the roads.

By TCN News,

Mumbai: The Mumbai Metro division of Jamaate Islami Hind has for the fourth time, in as many years, launched a campaign titled ‘Prophet Muhammad for all’ to spread the teachings of Prophet Muhammad and Islam amongst non-Muslim brethren.

The various activities that are scheduled during this campaign include door-to-door visits by volunteers, both men and women, to acquaint non-Muslim brothers and sisters about the universal message that Islam has to offer. In the same vein, book stalls are being organised at prominent public locations like railway stations and bus-stops where Islamic literature in a number of languages are being distributed free of cost. Public addresses are also being organised to reach out to as many people as possible.

Also, visits to hospitals and police stations are being carried out to relate the attributes of love and mercy that the Prophet is known for. The volunteers are also meeting Government officials and gifting them copies of the Holy Qur’an and other related literature over a brief chat.

The campaign would be active from the 11th to the 19th of January across the length and breadth of Mumbai and is expected to benefit close to a hundred thousand citizens.

By TCN News,

Chennai: A joint press statement of political and social leaders, human rights activists, writers and journalists has urged for media freedom.

The statement was issued in context to forces of religious bigotry for their insistence on dismissing and removing the political analyst of Sun TV Thiru. Veerapandian from his post and position for his alleged speeches against religious fundamentalism.

Mr. Veerapandian

“India is a Democratic Republic. To express one’s opinions freely and without fear is one of the basic rights accorded to its citizens in the Constitution itself. This right is fundamental to all citizens of India including Press and Media people,” the joint statement said.

Terming the action against the ideals of secularism and the fundamental rights of expression, the joint-statement said, “We the undersigned who have faith in the efficacy of the lofty ideal of secularism and ardently advocate it.”

A few weeks ago Mr. Veerapandian participated in a meeting in Chennai wherein a human rights organization released its fact finding report on the Muzaffarnagar riots. While speaking on the occasion Mr. Veerapandian made certain critical remarks on BJP and its Prime Ministerial Candidate Mr. Narendera Modi. The video of his speech was uploaded on social media.

BJP’s State Office Secretary Sarvothaman then wrote a letter to the MD of Sun TV Group on December 23, 2013, calling Veerapandian’s speech “divisive and could create problems between two communities.” BJP demanded actions against him.

The letter threatened that none of the BJP members will participate in any of the programmes hosted by Veerapandian.

An article was also published in Vijaya Bharatam magazine, criticizing and threatening him.

The statement added, “The right wing elements who have threatened Mr. Veerapandian with dire consequences in the social media are forgetting their own hawkish attitude.”

Meanwhile a complaint has been lodged against Veerapandian with the Commissioner of Greater Chennai Police.

Consequently from last Saturday, Sun TV has stopped telecasting Veerapandian’s programmes. The statement has called it a personal attack by the BJP on Veerapandian.

Veerapandian of Sun TV has been conducting the TV’s popular political talk show for the past seventeen years in “fair manner, without fear or favour.”

The joint-statement urged the Sun TV management to allow him to resume his duties as an anchor and telecast programmes featuring him to “uphold the freedom of expression.”

They also urged all the press and media people to come forward to condemn the “threatening moves by politico-religious bigots to the media in future.”

The joint statement was signed by Mr. K. Veeramani, President of Dravidar Kazhagam.

By IANS,

New Delhi : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday warmly embraced union minister Kapil Sibal as they attended an function to celebrate Prophet Mohammed's birthday or Eid Milad-un-Nabi here.

Kejriwal, who had donned a skull cap, reached the Bara Hindu Rao area in Delhi at around 11 a.m. and met local Muslim leaders.

Sharing the dais with Sibal, he told people that their grievances would be addressed soon.

After the leaders met warmly, Sibal said political leaders should attend more such functions together.

He later tweeted: "Differences aside we must always hold on to the great Indian spirit of brotherhood and common goal of a better India."

The minister also posted a picture of the two leaders hugging on the micro-blogging site.

By IANS,

New Delhi : The Congress Tuesday raised questions over the continuance of Somnath Bharti as Delhi's law minister after he termed as "erroneous" a CBI judge accused him of tampering with evidence in a case he was handling last year.

"People in this country respect the judiciary the most. Our judiciary is independent and nothing can be more serious than raising questions on it," said Congress Delhi chief Arvinder Singh Lovely.

"Whether a department like law should be headed by a person who is himself accused of breaking the law is a matter of concern," he added.

According to media report, an order was passed by then CBI Special Judge Poonam A. Bamba when she pulled up Bharti and his client Pawan Kumar - facing prosecution on corruption charges - after the CBI accused them of influencing a prosecution witness by speaking to him on phone and discussing the case.

Bharti said that it was "erroneous on the part of the judge to call it tampering of evidence" and that he was instead "strengthening evidence" for the case.

Earlier, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal defended the minister, saying no tampering of the evidence was done.

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Hyderabad: Minority Employee Welfare Association of the University of Hyderabad (UH-MEWA) - a registered body of employees belonging to minority communities - has written a letter to the Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. Ramakrishna Ramaswamy, alleging biasness against employees belonging to the minority communities at the University and has urged him to treat them “fairly and equally”.

In a letter dated December 3, 2013, General Secretary of the Association, Muqtar Ahmed appealed to the VC to “treat all minority employees fairly and equally on par with other employees.”

Hyderabad University

The letter points to six specific instances to highlight the “bias, discrimination and unequal treatment towards Minority Muslim employees,” in particular.

It alleges that no minority has ever been recruited on compassionate grounds, although their conditions is often to the state of getting bankrupt.

One year EOL was refused to Dr Rosina Nasir on the ground that she has put in only four years’ service at the University (generally 5 years’ service is required), but another faculty was given one year EOL immediately after working for hardly a week.

MACP of general secretary of UH-MEWA, Muqtar Ahmed is pending for more than two years, even after the constitution of review committee.

Even though several Muslim employees are in the top of the list on seniority, they are overlooked while giving promotions. There are instances of Aleem Khadri and Basha who were given ad hoc promotion instead of regular ones.

Further, Sadiq Hussain, is the senior most Assistant Registrar with 5 years "outstanding" Annual Confidential Report (ACR) grading with clean track record without any complaint. But he has allegedly been facing discrimination and victimization and not given promotion although there are vacancies.

MEWA alleges that much junior ARs like Negi Reddy and Mr Saradhi have been favored and promoted.

University’s response: Meanwhile, the University administration has termed the allegations as “baseless.”

Currently being holidays, all the high officials of the University including the Vice Chancellor, Registrar and Public Relations’ Officer (PRO) are on leave.

When TCN contacted the PRO Ashish Jacob Thomas on his mobile phone, he said that he was at his native place in Kerala and requested to mail the query to the Vice Chancellor Prof. Ramakrishna Ramaswamy and Registrar Prof. B. Raja Shekhar.

Responding to TCN’s mail, Vice Chancellor Prof Ram Ramaswamy has rubbished the allegations, and urged to talk to the Registrar for detailed response on the issue, once he is back. “The allegations that have been raised are quite baseless; the University of Hyderabad has been very fair in its treatment of all issues relating to minorities on our campus,” he wrote in reply to TCN’s query.

By IINA,

Dubai : A visitor to Dubai will have the chance to travel back some 1435 years to see how the holy city of Makkah looked during the era of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) after the gulf emirate opened a new exhibition that displays the Prophet’s life, The National newspaper reported.

“You rediscover every step of Prophet Muhammad’s life and learn more about Islam and its many sides,” Dr Ahmed Al Ghamdi, a Saudi scholar and researcher who works at the museum, told the newspaper. Recreating in miniature the city of Makkah exactly as it was 1,435 years ago, a new exhibit in Dubai opened doors under the name, Alssalamu Alaika Ayyuha Annabi (Peace be upon you, oh Prophet) inside the new Dubai International Holy Quran Award building. The exhibit was a branch of the Prophet’s Museum founded in Makkah by Dr Nasir Al Zahrani, a Saudi religious scholar, writer and poet, who has brought his vision to Dubai as part of what he calls a “universal humanistic project”.

The model, made in about two and a half meters square, transfers visitors back to Makkah small alleyways, traditional houses of mud, stone and wood, wells, palm trees and shrubs, all clustered across a mountainous terrain.In the middle of these houses, a tiny house is located near the holy Kaaba, where Prophet Muhammad lived. Another miniature presents a model for Madinah and an explanation of the Prophet’s Hijara (migration) from Makkah to Madinah. The exhibit also tells the life of Prophet Muhammad from his birth to his death, including everything known about his life, from the kind of combs and pots he would have used, to the clothing he wore in battle and the food and medicines he would have taken.

The new Qur’an award building in Mamzar, across from the Cultural and Scientific Association, is an impressive structure designed to look like an old palace with Islamic calligraphy on the ceilings and walls. Costing Dh60 million, the money was donated by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. The exhibit has a 3-D interactive film that takes visitors inside the Prophet’s home, showing how he lived.

“All the rights, of women, of children, of non-Muslims, of animals and even plants, are all written up here along the walls for everyone, Muslim and non-Muslim, to learn more about and understand Islam better,” Dr Al Ghamdi said. “No matter how knowledgeable you are, I am sure you will learn something new here. “You just click here, and you can find out everything you want to know. If you want to see the whole family tree of the Prophet Muhammad, and then move on to the other prophets like Moses and Jesus and find out everything about them through our electronic library. You can spend months here researching,” he added.

It also includes copies of the items used by Prophet Muhammad such as his ring, with “Mohammed Prophet of Allah’ carved on the red orange stone known as “Aqeeq Yemeni”, and personal seal. “We don’t have anything that Prophet Mohammed actually owned, but we used extensive research, from what was mentioned in the Quran, the Ahadeeth [sayings by the Prophet], and whatever was passed down via oral history, to bring the objects back to life,” says Yasser Abdul Mohsen, the other researcher working at the museum. “There are plans to start a special kitchen where the kind of food he ate will be cooked and served, and we are also planning to start a pharmacy that makes the herbal and traditional medicine as used and advised by Prophet Mohammed available to the public.

“When you come here, you will be taken back to his time and gain so much wisdom and knowledge as you go through his sayings and deeds.” The Prophet’s birth falls on the 12th day of Rabi-ul-Awwal (the third month in the Islamic calendar). This year, it falls on Monday, January 13. Many Muslims see the prophet’s birthday as an important time to learn about and reflect on Muhammad’s life. Lectures and speeches are often recorded and published as podcasts. Around the world, celebrations of the prophet’s birthday include stalls selling Islamic books, leaflets, clothing, prayer mats and other materials.

By IANS,

Srinagar : Indian and Pakistan soldiers on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir Tuesday greeted each other on the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi or the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammed, a defence spokesman said.

"A flag meeting between Indian and Pakistan soldiers was held in the Kargil sector of the LoC in Ladakh region today (Tuesday)," said the spokesman, adding the meeting was organized by the Indian side to extend best wishes and greetings to the Pakistani soldiers.

"The meeting was held in a cordial manner with pleasantries and gifts being exchanged by the two sides.

"A similar meeting was held between Indian and Pakistan soldiers deployed at the Aman Setu near the Kaman post in Uri sector of Baramulla district.

"At a brief ceremony, organized at the Aman Setu, officers and jawans of both Indian and Pakistan army deployed on the LoC greeted each other on the auspicious occasion and also exchanged sweets," he said, terming the meetings significant in light of the measures being instituted by India and Pakistan to restore normalcy on the LoC.

"This initiative has been widely appreciated by the local population as it further reinforces the commitment of the Indian army towards ensuring tranquility, peace and prosperity in the region."