Keep Thy Faith

Ban on Burqa... here we go again!

Now they have banned burqa in a college in Hyderabad and have invited wrath of Muslim families... Phew! What the hell is wrong with these people? What the hell is wrong with us? Why are we constantly looking for something petty to do to cause someone some trouble, some anguish and... well, a lot of mayhem!

First of all, I wonder why nobody wants to know about the purdah system and only brands it as a practice which has to do with Islam... thank you, but no, thank you! It has nothing to do with being a Muslim. Read archives of this blog here to know more about the rights of women in general and the purdah system in particular.

Coming back to my initial point, why are we so dissatisfied with a normal life? Why do we constantly look for things to upset the normal scheme of things? Oh God! Why can't we have mutual respect and some tolerance?

Won't it be so much better if we spent all this time trying to cement the bond between communities and creating harmony for all to live without the fear of being killed or discriminated against, for some reason or the other.

It is so very unfortunate that we behave like animals... they have reasons to kill each other because they are all different. But what's our problem? We are all the same... the same species, the same structure, the same living pattern and well, the same race as created by the almighty - human beings. Why can't we take that one common link and build on that rather than take umpteen number of points to distinguish and divide the one race God created.

We are divided in countries, cities, castes, races, colour, class, and of course religion. What a misfortune... that it does not end there... Christians are divided as Catholics and Protestants, Muslims as Shia and Sunni, Hindus as various things actually... Brahman and Kayast and what-not. And to top it all, comes in the language divide... wow... are we gifted with Math or what! We don't know how to build bridges to walk up to each other and embrace the common link of humanity but we sure know how to disregard God's plan and walk all over each other to satisfy the egoistic urge to prove ourselves the better devotee... the better Muslim, the better Hindu and so on...

What exactly are we doing? Labelling each individual? Moving towards a day when each and every person will stand alone and say I'm right... with no one to second the opinion... or worse... no one to even hear him say that coz everyone will be busy saying their own thing. Better prepare for this eventuality... coz its not very far.

God help the burqa clad women and their cause in Hyderabad... but I wish, sincerely, that at least education institutes were removed from such petty politics.

posted by Shanya @ 11:15 AM 0 comments

Finally!

Finally I'm back... and this time... I do intend to stick around for good. Interestingly, I had been toying with the idea of returning to this platform for a few days now and even wrote another post (but had to save it for completion for some reason) for the same. However, I keep that aside to come back with a good piece of news. In fact it is what drove me to write today. So here I go.

This morning, when I opened the paper, I was expecting the usual dope on crime, politics, Rahul Gandhi, Hanif Sayyed's conviction etc. etc., however, I was pleasantly surprised to see a front page item in TOI captioned 'Bigamy (actually its Polygamy) against spirit of Islam, says law panel'. Aha!! What a joyous moment for me! Finally... I mean finally someone took a closer look and figured out the true nature of this much misunderstood concept.

Read more about what Islam says about Polygamy here

The Law Commission has come to understand that the concept of polygamy conflicts with the true spirit of Islam and the traditional understanding of the Muslim law on the same is gravely faulty. Well, its such a relief that this concept can no longer be twisted and used by cheap, ill-intentioned men to justify a second marriage. A case in point can be the trashy 'love-saga' between the convert-to-Islam Chand Mohammad and Fiza. An embarassment for Islam and for human beings in general. Lets hope this observation of the Law Commission serves as a wake-up call to the million of people who try to take advantage of the general ignorance towards the 'Shariah'. As unfortunate as it is, Muslims have always misrepresented Islam and one can't really blame others for misconstruing any idea or concept laid down by Islam.

However, speaking of Shariah, it is interesting to note that polygamy is the only concept that one may find worthy of criticism in the law that governs the Muslims over the world. There is no other angle, and I say that with absolute knowledge, there is is no other angle in the whole of the Shariah that one can criticise for the sake of being outdated or irrelevant or unjust.

In fact, I would suggest that in the absence of any other code of conduct, why don't we actually adopt the 'shariah' as the uniform civil law of the country. For the well read it will come as no surprise that until 1807, the criminal law of the land was as laid out in Islam. Yes, the British were astute enough to follow 'Islam's way' to deal with crime. So why don't we take it up to govern the country. And before anyone takes offence or thinks that I am biased, let me make this very clear that it is not communally motivated and is a simple suggestion for uniform governance of the people of the country. Rest, obviously, is for the people in power to decide.

But coming back to where we started, I'm really happy that some bit of fog has been lifted and people may get a better view of Islam on this concept at least.

Until next time...

posted by Shanya @ 6:38 PM 1 comments

Back yet again...

I know I have the tendency to do the vanishing act a bit too often but then if I was organised.. this would have all been in a book :(

Anyhow... picking up the thread from where I left it last... injustice against Muslims..

Quite recently we were made to witness a rather shocking revelation by Tehelka, who once again, after their first sting operation way back in 2000 exposing Bangaru Laxman (BJP) accepting bribe, went ahead and did create a tehelka of sorts about the truth behind the Gujarat riots.

It was disgusting to say the least.

Learning how Narendra Modi orchestrated the killings and brutality makes the skin crawl. Being a Muslim, I even end up imagining myself being subjected to those inhuman acts.

Now all said and done, what is most interesting is, how something of this level has died down within 2 days of its first telecast. No TV channels or newspapers have reported anything after the report of an inquiry into the authenticity of the sting tapes. So what's happening on this front now? Well, without mincing words, it has been quite efficiently buried. Reason being the truth of the matter.

Anyone who has closely studied the Gujarat riots and the way the Muslim population of the state was exterminated, would know that the episode does hold water. There is much truth in all that was shown in those few hours of telecast until the vigilant political eyes fell on it and phones went ringing.

Although a sensitive issue like this one, needs to be handled with kid-gloves, one cannot deny the hush-hush way it has gone out of sight. The one thing our politicians know very well is, public memory is short, fresh news makes way for the old one every morning and barring a few, no one really has the time from office, family, socialising and other such important things, to actually scan the paper or channels for updates on a supposed scandal, unless the government wants you to, that is.

So, ending yet another post with the hope that people wake up and realise that this country has actually gone to dogs...

here's ending with a dialogue from Munnabhai II - "If Gandhi had lived to witness this day and age, he would have said.. desh to apna ho gaya par log paraye ho gaye"

Poor little India will need another millennium to rise out of the differences created by politicians.

posted by Shanya @ 8:32 AM 0 comments

Muslim? God help you!

Read a very hard-hitting piece here and then.. was compelled to write a few things in continuation..
Wanted to say all thats on the ablove link on this blog that talks about the injustice done to Islam.. however, being a Muslim myself, it becomes difficult for me to be as convincing in broader terms. Unfortunately.. the media has played a big role in bringing things to the stand point at which they are.. and we're thus nomore in a position to really complain about what's going on. Sanjay's sentence was an outcome of trial by press.. there was way too much attention given to the case for Kode to be partial. As for the blasts... it is sad that people - and I mean everyone of us - have stopped thinking about the Babri Masjid demolition that lead to the fury that came out in the 93 blasts.. we have stopped thinking that while many Hindu's were celebrating the Ayodhya ji victory, many Muslims were crying of the pain they received when Babri Masjid was turned into a playground for selfish pursuits of individual goals by politicians, who were huddled into the security of their guarded homes while numerous lives were butchered because of their fanaticism... god help this country which refuses to wake up even after years of political exploitation. I am in no way trying to justify what happened in Mumbai on that black Friday. However, I do demand an explanation for the injustice meted out to people on the basis of their community.

It's disturbing for me as an individual that many Muslims are helplessly caught up in circumstances that they have nothing to do with. To say they are being implicated in petty crimes and killed and branded terrorists, would be an understatement.

I am enraged at the way verdicts have been genralised for Muslims over the world. People refuse to board flights (true incident) if they see someone with a beard sitting in the cabin; Muslim passengers are detained without evidence and put through mental trauma, being a Muslim, it becomes embarassing to answer questions like - So, does Islam really emphasise on all people to be accept the faith or be killed? What does jihad really mean? Oh God.. please... I have been tormented of those questions, those quizzing glances and grimaces - and I am sure a lot of other Muslims are too...

I now need an answer to these... are those pseudo-jehadis listening????? You come out in the open and you better have answers to these questions.. with something to corroborate what you believe in.. because the Islam that I have followed all my life DOES NOT show me the path you are on.. it DOES NOT give any human being the liberty to kill another one.. it DOES NOT believe in intolerance... and it DOES NOT teach terrorism...

Why?? then why have you - you fanatics - mutilated Islam to such an extent that innocent people are paying for your sick outlook towards faith... why are you making us suffer for your passion for killing... WHY WHY WHY????????
You ****** brainless people.. you have done this to us.. how can we ever blame anyone for the injustice meted out to Muslims all over the world when we know that the fabric of Islam has been left in shreds because of YOU.. you silly ignorant fools who have the audacity to call themselves Muslims... you put the real ones to shame.

posted by Shanya @ 11:33 AM 2 comments

Guilty unless proven innocent

There was a time when humanity and general legal systems believed in the adage 'innocent unless proven guilty'. However, with time, we have come to a point when every person who comes under the legal scanner of any countries judiciary is 'guilty unless proven innocent'.

That however, is not the point I wish to make.

News channels went abuzz with the news of the Australian Federal authorities dropping all terrorism charges against Dr Mohd. Haneef in the case of failed bomb attacks in London. Although Haneef is in home detention and waits for a decision on his immigration status, his family in Bangalore is quite relieved with his out of custody status only.

(The 27-year-old had his visa revoked after he was charged with giving "reckless support" to terrorism. The charge was withdrawn on today after Australia's chief prosecutor admitted "a mistake has been made".)

It's all quite nice and I'm sure a lot of people are happy for Haneef.
However, this brings up to some question that need to be addressed now:
Does this help in repairing the damage that has been done to the fabric of Islam so far?
Does this end the constant scrutiny Muslims live under all through the world?
Does this mean that no Muslim will be picked up and traumatised for simply belonging to the community?

Can someone tell me what now?

In fact, even for Haneef, the nightmare is not really over. He will be forever under the scanner wherever he goes. He will be carrying the label of being involved in terror strikes - even if it was a mistake - for the rest of his life. And currently, he might just get deported instead of travelling back the normal way.

I know a lot of people may think that I'm being too cynical... but the way innocent people of in the community have been put through hell, I suppose I'm just being realistic.

Any thoughts?

posted by Shanya @ 11:37 PM 0 comments

Hurt and bleeding

I happen to be a member of a business networking site that has forums for writers, ramblings, random thoughts, profound musings etc.
Couple of days back, I got an alert in my mailbox about something a fellow wordsmith posted with the title 'A Kaafir killed'. Intrigued by the title, I went on to read what it was...and I found this...

I always wrote the best verse
The teacher would often say
This pandit boy will be a poet one day
My pen drew images
Of Kashmir,
Meadows and pines
Springs and brooks
Snow and shine

Alas, I forgot….I was a Pandit too,

Soon they will come
To take me away
To the cold street
And shoot me down
My blood will freeze
Before it oozes

My verse would freeze
My voice, go dumb
The azan would rise
And the warriors of God
Will soon find another
Voice to quell
Another pandit to kill

The morning news would read
A KAFIR killed on a cold street
(By Rashneek Kher)

It pains to see that as Muslims, we have lost face to even sympathise with people who are wronged by followers of our own faith.

I don't know if I should apologise to people who have been at the receiving end of religious fanaticism or if I should sympathise with the ones who think they are doing the right thing by killing mindlessly...they are themselves victims to someone's selfish motives.

I don't know what more to write here... this poem hurt me... hurt my religious sentiments... no, not because it points a finger at Muslims... but because it generalises the idea in the reader's mind that all non-followers of Islam will be killed as Kaafirs...while Islam has no such ideals.

With a bleeding heart...I sign this post...may Allah give the 'Warriors' some wisdom to not kill in His name or in the name of Islam.

posted by Shanya @ 1:02 PM 0 comments

If tomorrow comes

Amitabh Bachchan in Cheeni Kum, suggests a solution to combat terrorism by turning all terrorists into life insurance agents. For all we know, he was possibly promoting the bank he endorses and whose current campaign has the line he uses in the movie 'jeete raho'.
However, it does draw attention to the fact that no matter how far removed a movie's plot is from terrorism or world peace, we can't help but mention it.
Does this mean that we have accepted to co-exist with whatever is happening in the world around us?
I think that is the case.
How else do we explain the total chaos around? Blasts in Glasgow. Lal Masjid terror strikes. Blasts in Pakistan. 60 killed. 30 killed. 40 killed. So many injured.
Oh God! What have we come to? What have we done to good old humanity? What kind of a world are we going to leave to the future generation... if at all we let it be.
Is this the beginning of the end? I think not... I think it's quite close to the end.
As the numerous channels flow more news of acts of terrorism, I, like many others in the world, have one question on my mind... where will the blast happen tomorrow? If tomorrow comes.

posted by Shanya @ 10:43 AM 0 comments

Back in element

Life has a funny way of tossing you around and making you lose sight of things you wish to pursue. The same happened to me when all of sudden, life was thrown in the fourth gear and I just managed to cope in time to not let my goals get out of sight! Thank God for small mercies...

Well... wanted to revive this blog from slumber on July 13 - so as to mark an year's hiatus - but to my dismay, I just couldn't remember the password. So finally after some struggle with good 'new' technology on blogger, I have been able to enter my own blog to post something once again... thank Google for this huge mercy!

On a serious note, I am back here to reflect, to write and to read what other's want to know from me or feel about what I write... but before I begin, a word to people who have been reading this blog so far. You may find my writings a lot different from what they have been in the past-lighter, to be precise. That's something the past one year has taught me... to improvise on the style of writing on a blog..so people don't grow old reading it.. but grow old with it - if you know what I mean :)

Happy reading!!

Over to the wordsmiths then...

posted by Shanya @ 11:36 AM 0 comments