MUSLIM POLITICS
Nasir Ateeq on Muslim Leadership
It will not be wrong to compare the kind of leadership being provided by the Muslim leaders today with what was provided by leaders like Mohammed Ali Jinnah in the past. Jinnah used to claim that he was the sole leader of all Indian Muslims and that partition was their "collective will". Even at the time, however, his claims were refuted by a section of Muslims who accused him of turning his back to the community. Today our Muslim leaders also claim that they represent the voice of all Muslims but a large number of their 'followers' do not think so. These leaders do not understand the genuine problems of ordinary Muslims and divert the attention of the community towards an agenda dictated by the Hindutva forces.
Community leaders' never try to galvanize the Muslim masses for modern education... They have always been unperturbed by the fact that the rate of enrollment of Muslim students in technical and higher education is shamefully low and that of Muslim female students is even more negligible.
The indulgence of these 'leaders' in the culture of fatwas desensitized them about the new social problems which are arising in the community. All over India, the practice of dowry is on the rise and has penetrated many Zaats (castes) of Muslims. Several zaats have been socially backward and endogamous. They are still far from understanding education as a necessity. A few among them, who have recently become financially well- off, use marriages as an occasion of pomp and waste. Girls in these zaats suffer greatly because being uneducated, they cannot get themselves out of endogamy and marry a better prospect outside their caste. On the other hand, the nouveau riche are tightening the noose around the others by socially pressurizing poor families to (copy them).
Instead of addressing such problems, self-serving Muslim leaders have been using the bogey of a besieged Muslim identity in order to feather their own nest. Their vulnerability to the slightest provocation of the Hindutva forces has done great damage to the whole community.
(Source: The Times of India, 8 June, 1996)
Shahabuddin On Minority Question
There are minority groups in our country and that these minority groups, at various levels, suffer deprivation, discrimination, integrity, injustice and even violence. But all social groups in India, whether defined by religion or by caste, or by language or by race or by place of origin constitute a minority group, at some operational or functional level, be it Hindus or Muslims, Brahmins or Dalits, Maráthis or Kannads, Santhals or Nepalis! A civilized state shall protect them all at the level they suffer.
A. Suhail Siddiqui on Muslim Representation in Deve Gowda Government
Salim Shervani, Mohd. Taslimuddin and C.M. Ibrahim together represent the Muslim face of the United Front. Respected Deve Gowdaji, it is shocking for the Muslims to note that those who won election by blaming Narasimha Rao for the demolition in Ayodhya are today. at the mercy of the same Narasimha Rao and have brazenly accepted his support in the formation of their government. After shedding so many tears for the demolition in Ayodhya in Ayodhya to prove his secular credentials (Gandhiji) have rightly given the Muslims their share of the cake. But the crumbs thrown at the Muslim. ministers will not serve the purpose. These three worthies. might have had their share but the 12-crore Indian, Muslim community waits to see what it was about which the very secular United Front made such a hue and cry on the floor of the House labelling the BJP as Fascist, anti- Muslim and what not. The tirade against the 13-day Atal Behari ministry was carried on in the name of Muslims. it is because of the Great Expectations raised among the 12 crore Muslims that they are eagerly awaiting Deve Gowda to spell out the bonanza.
(Source: The Organizer)
NON-MUSLIM MINORITIES IN MUSLIM STATES
IRAN: World Zoroastrians Conference
The 6th World Conference of Zoroastrians was inaugurated on June 19, 1996 in Tehran, Iran.
With the Cooperation of the Iranian Embassy a large number of Indian Parsis as well as Parsis from other countries including America, UK, France, Canada, Pakistan, Italy, New Zealand and United Arab Emirates, along with the Iranian Zoroastrians (nearly 200) participated in this Conference. After the Conference the delegates visited different Zoroastrian holy sites in Iran, especially those in Yazd.
Zoroaster appeared in Iran about 3500 years ago. The Zoroastrians all over the world are of Iranian descent. Currently there are 60,000 Zoroastrians living in Iran and like the Muslims, Christians and Jews, they also have representation in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the Majlis (which has) for every 250 thousand people one representative. But even the minorities less than 10,000 in number enjoy representation.
The Speaker of the Majlis, Ali Akbar Nateq Nouri, in a message read out to the Conference by Parwez Ravani, the Zoroastrian representative in the Majlis, asked the participants to strengthen and increase their relations with Iran. The delegates also met Ayatollah Syed Ali Khameinei, Iran's spiritual leader (who) told the delegates that Iranian Muslims consider Zoroastrians worldwide as their own countrymen.
