We are missing "salaam"

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEYF3zCd47w

I tried to see the film on Mohammed on YouTube. And my message should be taken as a call to all the human being on the earth . . . Muslims . . . . as well as non Muslim . . . The problem is when half cooked half baked people go berserk . . . go mad on the streets, the intellectuals/ middle class, who is the ultimate loser in any turbulence, remains quite . . . we must be vocal . . . So, I request people to decide and come out of their houses . . . decide as a human being . . .

Most of the movie is in Arabic – not possible for me to understand. The three slides in the beginning – that I am a Christian born in Iraq . . . and I am an Iraqi – and this movie is made by a jew . . . . gives lot of indications to me . . . I don’t know if people remember – but when American/ European forces were bombing Iraq – Baghadad in 2002,  in one of the videos – a lady popping out of her car and showing cross sign was enough indication regarding the people who were happy with the invasion. To me it reflected the pathetic situation of the minorities in Muslim countries which had made this lady happy when Americans and Europeans had invaded Iraq . . . and now if an Iraqi - the Christian - makes a movie on Islamic prophet, I can guess his feelings. . . Gandhis are not born everyday . . .  usually people respond in tit for tat . . .

I respect any and every great person and as a Hindu I believe that every religion in this world is true – every religion in this world is just to spread the knowledge of the almighty . . .

About Prophet Mohammed, one must appreciate that an orphan had climbed up to the king/ axis of the largest empire of the contemporary world . . . still he was living as a simple man . . . any other man . . .

I believe we must respect personal lives of any one especially great people . . . We must look at the good things . . . especially sex and food habit is too personal to be discussed in public specially to give judgment on that . . . to conclude based on that . . .

About monogamy and polygamy – I am still trying to learn from where this concept of STRICT monogamy started . . . sex being highly personal issue at the same time one of the most important weapons of the rulers since time immemorial. . . so when a ruler married some one – we don’t know whether it was for sex or as a diplomatic decision!

Coming to Islam as a religion, as I have told earlier – I believe that every religion is true . . . and so is Islam . . . not even single leaf in this world moves without the will and wish of the almighty . . . but the problem arise when people say or think that only their leaf moved with the wish of the almighty . . . Islam is more aggressive than any other religion because prophet Mohammed escaped the life threat and he had to live like a fugitive. . . a road side robber in Medina . . .

Quran, as usual like any other ancient text/ law book (like present day law book of any country) is full of ifs and buts . . . gives contradictory statements for similar instances . . . probably depending upon situation . . . People – selfish people have used those statements to ignite the poor, uneducated mass to create troubles for others . . .

I feel western world is squarely responsible for the growth of the so called Islamic fundamentalists . . .  I feel they should be better called as misguided people . . . misguided at the behest of the powerful of the region. . .

I know there are people who can discuss and will like to discuss the issues in Quran . . . or other religions . . . but I suggest – please don’t get trapped . . . please don’t get trapped because this trap has been there for thousands of years . . . no one could solve it . . . no one could finish it . . . not even the prophet Mohammed . . . remember – there were revolts even in his rule! And I am saying it not because I don’t know about Quran/ Sharia . . . I am saying it as I am fed up of discussing it . . .

So I am not here to clarify about the statements in Quran . . . or about Mohammed – ok I think one thing which I can say that about Mohammed being pedophile . . . that was not abnormal those days . . . Aisha – the daughter of Abu Bakar – was betrothed first at the age of 6 years by IBN MUTIM – to whom she was supposed to get married – and please also remember that IBN MUTIM was not a Muslim! About all of his wives – no one was betrothed by Mohammed . . . all were widows/ divorcees/ slaves . . . I think one should appreciate his intent to give a woman a status of some one’s wife rather than being a kept/ divorcee/ widow . . .

But my purpose of this note is to give the message to the common person – Muslim or non Muslim . . . that, for middle class in this world who is struggling to meet his two ends . . . these are petty issues . . . have no significance in today’s’ life . . . What we must oppose is DESTRUCTION . . . . VIOLENCE . . . by any one . . . for any reason . . . if you don’t oppose one violence . . . you will face another violence . . . that’s my fear . . .

Friends . . . anyone who has made a house . . . bought a window pane of his own money, knows the cost of constructing a house . . . the sweat one has to put in to it . . .

But what I have seen, Muslim middle class . . . intellectuals . . . refrain from opposing the mindless action of destruction or violence . . . I have met many patients coming from Arab countries . . . they do say that Jehad is a personal issue – but they stop at that . . . I talk to many Indian Muslim friends – they are shocked at my idea of opposing the violence!!! I am surprised . . .

Through this note, I request and suggest one and all . . . please come out of your houses . . . . To oppose the violence . . . . which is being spreaded by people who feel thay are protecting mohammed . . . protecting Islam . . . DO YOU THINK THE ALMIGHTY NEEDS OUR HELP???? If he needs our help then he cant be almighty . . . so just relax . . .

I suggest you must oppose the violence and destruction . . . if you could not stop/ oppose it today . . . you will be at loss . . . 

Learn to live together

South of Himalayas is human laboratory for sociology and culture. For thousands of years thousands of people have delivered their messages regarding ways to live and attain divinity. Most of us forget that most of the time.

In Hyderabad, "Old City" and "communally sensitive" are perceptually, permanently, conjoined.

It doesn't matter who you talk to -- hotel managers, cab drivers (including Mohammad Bashir, himself a Muslim, but quick to point out that he does not live in the Old City), journalists, whoever -- they all say it like that: "communally sensitive Old City". Some say it with rueful tolerance, as pointing to a particularly troublesome member of the family; some with an undertone of embarrassed disgust, as if wishing this blot on Hyderabad's reputation as a budding cyber capital would somehow just go away; some say it matter of fact. "Communally sensitive Old City...".




Charminar is famous for many things, which cater to all the needs of the people of Hyderabad. In its heyday, the Charminar market had some 14,000 shops. Today the famous markets known as Laad Baazar and Pather Gatti, near the Charminar, are a favour, of tourists and locals alike for jewellery, especially known for exquisite bangles and pearls respectively. During the season of Sankranthi, the area is completely crowded with vendors selling kites. And there is nothing around Charminar and none come for shopping during Ramzan!

"People can think what they want, but we Muslims have no problems with the Hindus here," says Mohammad Sayed, a young man who runs a fruit juice outlet bang opposite Mecca Masjid, the 400-year-old mosque adjacent the Charminar 

Sayed points to a corner of the Charminar, visible from where we stand opposite Mecca Masjid. "Look there, that is a Hindu temple, part of the Charminar. 

"Everyone outside the Old City says Hindus and Muslims have problems here, that this is a communally sensitive place. Who ek tharah ka fashion hai, saab," Sayed says. That is not true, we don't have any problems with the Hindus, all our problems are with the police, and with the government."

Today I came across a news regarding on Bhagylakshmi temple near Charminar in Hyderabad. Government in Andhra Pradesh has banned ringing of bell in Sri Bhagyalakshmi Temple in Char Minar area in Bhagyanagar. The Government has also imposed ban on performing ‘Maha-aarti’ and has deployed police force to implement the ban.  Police personals have been deployed to hold the bells!

Whats more surprising is in an article, one Mr. J. S. IFTHEKHAR  writes that ASI should shift the temple!  http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/article1097178.ece

What they forget is,  in the city of Muslims, in the area of Muslims, a temple at the base of Charminar would not have cropped up after building of Charminar! Surly Charminar would have been built wantedly and knowingly close to the temple . . . or might be . . . very much possible, after demolishing the temple . . . and now they want the temple to be shifted!!!


I wouldn't support shifting of any of the structures, rather what would have been constructive and secular as well is, government should have declared the Charminar with the Bhagylakshmi temple as the heritage and recommended so to the UNESCO as well! although the Charminar and temple are so closely situated that they are inseperable and the property which has been declared as heritage by UNESCO also includes the temple, but name of the temple is missing from the documents!

Eid al-Adha

Eid al-Adha "feast of sacrifice" or "Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid" is celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Isma'il) as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a ram to sacrifice instead.

According to Islamic tradition, approximately four thousand years ago, the valley of Mecca (in what is now Saudi Arabia) was a dry, rocky and uninhabited place. Abraham ('Ibraheem in Arabic) was instructed to bring his Egyptian wife Hajra (Hāǧar) and Ishmael, his only child at the time (Ismā'īl), to Arabia from the land of Canaan by God's command.

As Abraham was ready to return to Canaan, Hajra asked him, "Did Allah (God) order you to leave us here? or are you leaving us here to die." Abraham turned around to face his wife. He was so sad that he couldn't say anything. he pointed to the sky showing that God commanded him to do so. Hagar said, "Then Allah will not waste us; you can go". Though Abraham had left a large quantity of food and water with Hajra and Ishmael, the supplies quickly ran out, and within a few days the two began to feel the pangs of hunger and dehydration.

Hajra ran up and down between two hills called Al-Safa and Al-Marwah seven times, in her desperate quest for water. Exhausted, she finally collapsed beside her baby Ishmael and prayed to God for deliverance. Miraculously, a spring of water gushed forth from the earth at the feet of baby Ishmael. Other accounts have the angel Gabriel (Jibrail) striking the earth and causing the spring to flow in abundance. With this secure water supply, known as the Zamzam Well, they were not only able to provide for their own needs, but were also able to trade water with passing nomads for food and supplies.

Years later, Abraham was instructed by God to return from Canaan to build a place of worship adjacent to Hagar's well (the Zamzam Well). Abraham and Ishmael constructed a stone and mortar structure —known as the Kaaba which was to be the gathering place for all who wished to strengthen their faith in God. As the years passed, Ishmael was blessed with Prophethood (Nubuwwah) and gave the nomads of the desert his message of submission to God. After many centuries, Mecca became a thriving desert city and a major center for trade, thanks to its reliable water source, the well of Zamzam.

When Ishmael was about 13 (Ibrahim being 99), Allah (God) decided to test their faith in public. Abraham had a recurring dream, in which God was commanding him to offer his son as a sacrifice – an unimaginable act – sacrificing his son, which God had granted him after many years of deep prayer. Abraham knew that the dreams of the prophets were divinely inspired, and one of the ways in which God communicated with his prophets. When the intent of the dreams became clear to him, Abraham decided to fulfill God's command and offer Ishmael for sacrifice.

Although Abraham was ready to sacrifice his dearest for Allah's sake, he could not just go and drag his son to the place of sacrifice without his consent. Isma'el had to be consulted as to whether he was willing to give up his life as fulfillment to God's command. This consultation would be a major test of Isma'el's maturity in faith, love and commitment for Allah, willingness to obey his father and sacrifice his own life for the sake of Allah.

Abraham presented the matter to his son and asked for his opinion about the dreams of slaughtering him. Ishmael did not show any hesitation or reservation even for a moment. He said, "Father, do what you have been commanded. You will find me, Insha'Allah (God willing), to be very patient." His mature response, his deep insight into the nature of his father’s dreams, his commitment to Allah, and ultimately his willingness to sacrifice his own life for the sake of Allah were all unprecedented.

When both father and son had shown their perfect obedience to Allah and they had practically demonstrated their willingness to sacrifice their most precious possessions for His sake — Abraham by laying down his son for sacrifice and Ishmael by lying patiently under the knife – Allah called out to them stating that his sincere intentions had been accepted, and that he need not carry out the killing of Ishmael. Instead, Abraham was told to replace his son with a ram to sacrifice instead. Allah also told them that they had passed the test imposed upon them by his willingness to carry out God's command.

As a reward for this sacrifice, Allah then granted Abraham the good news of the birth of his second son, Is-haaq (Isaac).
In Indian context, though for the dominant religion of the land, Hinduism, violent way of offerings to god/ to fufill the god's will, was not unusual; for example Ravan used to offer his own head to lord Shiva and lord Rama had offered his eyes to lord Shiva, but probably during thousand of years of dominance of Buddhism, violent ways of prayers have been shunned upto a great extent though its highly prevalen still but not celebrated and is looked at as a menace.

In Sikkhism similar incidence exists when the five great devotees offered their heads to the tenth guru Govind Singh. The day is commemorated as Vaisakhi/ Khalasa day by Sikkhs.

Islam

Islam is guided by mainly three texts. The first and foremost is Quran, the holy dictate by Allah (the almighty . . . god) to the messenger Mohammed or through him to the humanity.  But that is not the usual Mohammed! Quran's dictates used to be revealed only when needed/ asked for . . . and then Mohammed used to go to TRANS in which condition the the teachings of Quran used to be revealed! Most of the time those were the stressed situations. There are total 114 such TRANS, teachings of each trans making one SURA (chapter) of Quran.
So, Quran is highly specific document. It cant be and should not be implied in otherwise situations. Its also important to understand that the dictates have changed depending upon the situation, so if implied from a wrong situation, it goes wrong! Its not as per Quran, its not as per Islam! Otherwise Quran, being dictate from Allah, is non debatable!
But Messenger Mohammed was a man of high morals and precious qualities which made an orphan one of the biggest emperors of history of human kind. Teachings from his life, his normal human, is documented in HADEETH. Its not a dictate and so not a must but should be followed.
Shariya is the law book. Its not the dictate. Its not from messenger Mohammed even. But its just another government enforced law. Its basically the intellect of Saudi at work. Its influenced by Islam/ messenger Mohammed as well when it comes to the core level. But not all the time. Obviously not the must.