Indian Muslim News – INDIA ELECTIONS 2009

Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband not to issue fatwa on elections

 

This elections Muslims will be left to vote on their own free will and thus support any candidate of a party. The two biggest and reputed Islamic seminaries in India – Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband and Nadwat-ul Ulema – have decided not to issue any fatwa asking Muslims to vote for any particular party in the Lok Sabha elections.

 

“Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband will remain completely neutral during the elections. It will not issue any fatwa asking Muslims to vote for any particular party in the Lok Sabha elections. Dar-ul-Uloom is purely a theological centre and had no business with politics,” said Mohtamim (Rector) of Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband Maulana Marghoobur Rahman. Echoing the similar line, Rector of Nawat-ul Ulama Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadwi said that his institution also usually takes a neutral stand on electoral politics. Maulana Rabey is also the President of All India Muslim Personal Law Board.

 

It may be noted that recently Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav paid a visit to Dar-ul-Uloom Deoband and met the Rector and the President of Jamiat-ul Ulema-e-Hind Maulana Arshad Madani. Mulayam’s visit came in the wake of his alliance with ex-UP Chief Minister Kalyan Singh under whose tenure Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992. Kalyan Singh recently quit BJP to forge an alliance with Mulayam. However, Muslims have expressed anger towards Mulayam-Kalyan alliance and have decided not to support Samajwadi Party during current LS polls.

 

Urdu to become poll issue in four subdivisions of West Bengal

 

The language of Urdu is threatening to become a poll issue in at least four subdivisions of Kolkata, Garden Reach, Asansol and Islampur. Recently, representatives of various Muslim organisations under the banner of Anjuman Taraqqui Urdu (Hindi) staged a demonstration in Kolkata to press for their demand seeking 2^nd official language status for Urdu in the respective four subdivisions. The move has  come at a time when Left Front government in the state is struggling to keep its minority votes intact.

 

“Once Urdu is declared as an official state language then our children will have the opportunity to pursue their studies from primary to Masters level in one language. The students will be able take any state-level competitive examination in Urdu and this will open a number of employment opportunities for them. We want an Act to be passed in the Assembly declaring Urdu as the official state language. If our demand is not met then its effect will be seen in the elections. There are more than 60 Assembly seats where minorities play significant role during elections,” said Mohammad Sulaiman Khurshid, general secretary, Anjuman Taraqqui Urdu (Hindi). Besides declaring Urdu as an official language, Muslim organisations also want question papers of every subject in Madhyamik (matriculation) examinations to be printed in Urdu.

 

The four subdivisions where Muslim organisations want Urdu to be declared as an official language have nearly 20 per cent Urdu speaking minority population. Presently, there are about 100 Urdu medium schools in the state.

Earlier, the state government had promised to recognise Urdu as an official state language in the form of a Chief Secretary Executive order in 1981. However, no initiative has been taken in this regard ever since. Along with Bengali, the state government has accorded Nepali an official language status since 1961. 

 

Meanwhile, Minister of Madrasa Education and Minority Affairs Abduss Sattar refused to comment on the issue citing model code of conduct for ensuing LS polls.

 

Attacked by mob during 2002 Gujarat riots, ex-cop Abdullah Ibrahim Saiyad joins BJP now

 

Abdullah Ibrahim Saiyad, now a retired Indian Police Service officer, who was attacked by a mob during the 2002 Gujarat riots, has now joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Addressing mediapersons along with his Hindu wife Geeta, Abdullah said, “I have joined the BJP because of Modi. I belong to the same Mehsana district as Modi. I admire Modi because he is one person who does what he says.” On being asked what led him to join BJP despite an attempt on his life by rioting mob, Abdullah says that Muslim community must move on with their lives and let the law takes its course in riots cases. “I joined BJP merely because of a ‘well-wisher’ who wrote a letter to L.K. Advani saying that the BJP should enroll educated Muslims like him. After a few months of my retirement I got a call from state BJP President Purushottam Rupala who told me that my entry into the party would be ‘timed properly’. I knew Narendra Modi from my days as Mehsana Superintendent of Police and I was always inclined towards the BJP,” Abdullah said. Among important assignment that Abdullah held after his promotion to the IPS in 1978 was as Officer on Special Duty to K.P.S. Gill who was appointed security adviser to the state government after the 2002 riots. Abdullah retired in May 2008 as an additional DGP.

 

Reminiscing about his tenure during 2002 riots, Abdullah said: “I found myself mobbed in Vejalpur area of Ahmedabad in March 2002. Seeing my police vehicle with flashing red lights approaching, the mob stopped me to complain about stone throwing from the other side. Someone noticed my name on the badge and started screaming for revenge. As the mob stoned my car, the driver sped away to safety in a miraculous escape. Those in the mob were just mad people who had nothing to do with the BJP. I am thankful that God gave me presence of mind on that day. Had I opened fire with my service revolver, I would have been lynched.” Abdullah was then heading the Police training Academy at Karai near Ahmedabad.

 

Lately, the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has been trying to mend fences with the Muslim community ahead of Lok Sabha elections. Modi has also started seeing himself as another prime ministerial aspirant ever since the comments of Anil Ambani. He is also trying to position himself as an alternative to L.K. Advani in BJP. Modi’s recent move to appoint a Muslim DGP Shabbir Khandwawala as the head of Gujarat police is also being seen as an olive branch offered to Muslims.

 

Muslim candidate in Karnataka performs Hindu rituals for victory in LS polls

 

B.Z. Jamir Ahmed Khan, the Janata Dal (Secular) candidate from Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency, recently took part in the oblation (Homa) to invoke divine blessings for his victory. The ritual was organized by his supporter Venkatesh at his home in Sampangiramanagar in Bangalore recently. During the religious rituals, Khan wore a flower garland as per Hindu customs and offered prayer to the ‘Homa Kunda’ and performed other rituals under the guidance of a Hindu priest who conducted the formalities. Commenting on his actions, Khan said: “I have faith in the ritual of conducting the oblation and hence I took part in the rituals. Before being a Muslim, I am a Hindustani, Indian and Kannadiga. The country ranks first, as compared to religion.”

 

Assam’s perfume baron Ajmal loves swanky cars, gold

By Syed Zarir Hussain

 

Guwahati, April 1 (IANS) Perfume baron and Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF) leader Badruddin Ajmal is not as rich as was generally believed, but the cleric sure fancies swanky cars and gold jewellery, if one goes by his declaration.

Badruddin Ajmal addressing press conference

Ajmal declared in his affidavit accompanying his nomination papers for the Silchar parliamentary seat in Assam Tuesday that he has Rs.197,777 cash in hand and his wife Rizwana has Rs.567,329 – both together having little more than Rs.750,000 cash in hand.

 

But the maulana from the Deoband Islamic seminary in Uttar Pradesh, who sports a flowing beard and skullcap, also has a penchant for driving swanky cars. He claims to have two cars worth about Rs.4.6 million.

 

Another interesting characteristic: his love for gold and gold jewellery – which seems to be more than what his wife owns.

 

According to the affidavit, Ajmal declared that he possesses gold worth Rs.322,000, while his wife’s gold jewellery is estimated at Rs.224,000.

 

“I don’t believe in money power in elections?all I want is the goodwill and support of people, and of course prayers and blessings from everybody to help me win,” Ajmal told IANS.

 

Ajmal is contesting from two constituencies – Silchar in south Assam and Dhubri in the west.

 

Of the total eight seats where the AUDF is contesting this time, his younger brother Sirajuddin Ajmal is also contesting from two – Nagaon and Kaliabor.

 

Questions are, therefore, being asked if Ajmal is encouraging dynastic politics.

 

“We are considering the winning chances of the candidates while giving party tickets for the elections?there is nothing to suggest family politics in it,” said Hafiz Rashid Choudhury, working president of the AUDF.

 

Both brothers are legislators in the Assam assembly after the senior Ajmal floated the AUDF six months before the 2006 state elections in Assam.

 

But for all those supporters hoping to see Ajmal doling out cash lavishly during the elections, the Maulana’s cash position must have surely come as a shocker.

(Courtesy: IANS)