Jarnail Singh, 1381 E. Yosemite, Manteca, CA 95336, USA: By sheer accident a very old issue of Dalit Voice Feb. 1987 has came into my notice and the paper is very impressive and it shows what is called “guts galore” in journalism and reporting the tragic reality of Dalit and other minorities’ life in India. We have a literary association of California, “Punjabi Writers” who write in Punjabi and English and after receiving the paper 1 would talk about it in the forthcoming meetings of the association. If you ever come to California please let me know in advance and we would feel very honoured to have you as a guest speaker and our doors (home doors of course) would always be open for you. I salute you and embrace you in a brotherly embrace.
Naveed Hussain Hameed, 2425 Lark Drive, Montgomery, AL-36108, USA: Thanks for the publising my article, “In Defence of Pessimism” (DV Nov. 16, 2001 p.22). The popular definition of optimists is that they are the one who look for opportunities in difficulties and not vice versa as stated in DV. People who look for opportunities in difficulties must be labeled as opportunists not optimists. In the “Zionist conspiracy” section it has also been mentioned that Aryan, Jews and the White Americans have united against Muslims. However, not all White Americans are anti-Muslim with the exception of racists who hold key positions in government and act as puppets of zionists. It’s the Indian Aryans, zionists and the racist Christians who have united against the Muslims. Islam has had its sway on many White American men and women who have shed racism and attained liberation through Islam. (So it will not be correct to label every White as anti-Muslim). The growing popularity of Islam among the Westerners (Whites and Blacks) and the world over inspite of so much mud slinging done by the zionist media on the Muslims is what is driving the zionists mad and they are doing every effort to keep the growing popularity of Islam under check especially among the American women. I know you have very limited space but I will greatly appreciate if this information is published. DV is gaining international recognition. Many of the emails you published are from educated Indians abroad in different countries and readers do not come to know who it is if they just see the email ID. By our hesitation to come out and speak in the open we are making our enemy more bold and giving them more rope to proceed with their injustice and tyranny. Let the zionist agents who spy among us know that there are people (Muslims and non-Muslims) who will stand up for justice and that they will not be cowed down by threats and intimidation.
Yousef Al-Yousef, American Muslims for Global Peace and Justice (AMGPJ), 1200-G. Street, NW, Suite #800, Washington, DC 20005: Following the arrests of Jewish Defense League (JDL) leaders for plotting terror attacks against Muslims and Arabs in America, Jewish American groups were quick to denounce the JDL in the strongest possible terms. Soon, some Jewish commentators criticized American Muslim leaders for failing to denounce the recently shuttered Holy Land Foundation (HLF), a Texas-based Muslim charity, in similarly strong terms. The Jewish critics’ my-co-religionists-are-better- than-yours lecture to US Muslim organizations could have been more credible had they not severed the issue of the JDL arrests and the HLF closure from all historical and political contexts. There are many reasons why Jewish groups condemned the JDL terror plots. Some did so out of a sense of moral outrage, others out of political expediency. Nonetheless, these prudent condemnations are not acts of political courage as the critics claim. After all, the JDL is redundant since the Israelis kill Palestinians almost daily with total impunity. The HLF is the sole source of bread for tens of thousands of impoverished Palestinians living under Israeli siege or in exile. Condemnation of terrorism against civilians. should be a reflex. Sadly, this is not the case today. Most of the pro-Israeli groups the critics point to still refuse to condemn the Israelis for the murder of hundreds of Palestinian civilians killed almost daily as Israel seeks to tighten its military control. Even when monitors from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch described the Israeli killings of Palestinian civilians as deliberate and not accidental, we hear of no condemnations from either the critics or their pro-Israeli groups. Nor did we hear of any condemnations when Israeli voters elected a war criminal, Ariel Sharon, as their prime minister. Conversely, when Joerg Haider, the head of the far-right Austrian Freedom Party, rose to prominence, the torrent of denunciations resulted in his resignation. Then there is the pattern of partial law- enforcement. Since the Sept. 11 atrocities, hundreds of Muslims in the US were rounded up and detained. In most cases, the detainees were denied legal counsel and were held incommunicado. The Justice Dept. now says the Muslim detainees have no terrorist links and will be released. Only a dozen or so were found to have possible terrorist associations. Palestinian professor Mazen Al- Najjar is a case in point of how Muslims in US can still be deprived of their liberties so easily even after the pouts have ordered their release. Al-Najjar was jailed in 1996 for allegedly fund-raising for a Palestinian group considered by the State Dept. a terrorist organization. Yet one judge after another rejected the government’s evidence against Mazen who was eventually released, but after three and a half years of imprisonment. Mazen is the father of three US-born daughters and the husband of a Palestinian pharmacist. However, after Sept. 11, he was imprisoned again. The government admits there is no link between him and the terror attacks. What transpired since his release and his second arrest, after Sept. 11, is another climate of fear and the readiness of some media personalities, such as Bill O’Reilly and Michael Savage, to exploit the average American’s feelings of vulnerability. When rabble-rousers misuse the mass media for ideological ends, they intimidate advocates of decency and fairness while providing the necessary cover for bigots to masquerade as patriots. This sort of unfriendly environment promotes erosion of liberties and destruction of reputations.
Dr. Abdul-Malik Marathe, c/o 78-Albany Street, Hull, HU3 1PN, UK: After over two continuous months of an unjust and destructive war waged by US against the Muslims of Afghanistan, it has succeeded in restoring its influence and control over Afghanistan and has overthrown its rulers and uprooted the Islamic orientation from it. This has been helped by the tense ethnic divisions that have found expression in the North Alliance between the Tajik and Uzbek leaders, who have undertaken the role of the poisoned American spearhead, when they responded to the American demand to declare war against their Afghan Muslim brethren. They stood by the side of the US Air Force as they rain down upon them deadly weapons by night and day delivered by B52 fighter planes and the like. US was also helped by the majority of the rulers of the Islamic world at the head of which are the Arab rulers, the rulers of Pakistan, Turkey and those neighbouring Afghanistan. As Muslims they all have horribly neglected their duty towards the Muslims of Afghanistan. US disregarded the leaders of the tribes, the people of influence, position and standing in Afghanistan and replaced them with a handful of agents the majority of which are Westerners infatuated by the Western culture. It held with them fake negotiations for nine days in Bonn which ended in ratifying an agreement, through which US appointed an interim leader, five deputies and a number of ministers for the important cabinet posts. Through this agreement it set down a plan for their government, which they will follow for the next six months alongside a plan for after their rule relating to the future of Afghanistan. One day after signing the agreement i.e. on 12/6/2001, it obtained from the Security Council by consensus resolution number 1383 in which the following was stated: “The (Security Council) accepts the agreement relating to the provisional arrangements in Afghanistan pending the reestablishment of permanent government institutions”. The agreement hints at a dark future awaiting the people of Afghanistan at the hands of the US. The name of the United Nations (which in actual fact is synonymous with US) was mentioned more than 50 times in an agreement that is made up of seven pages. America has relied upon using the name of the UN and its flag to cover her action in order to deceive the Afghans.
Yes. What you say is Truth. But how to make this Truth known to our people, the victims of White Western racists and their zionist masters? For the past over 10 years we have been impressing upon the Muslim leadership of India on the need for our own media which here is the complete monopoly of the “Jews of India”. Even today the Muslim leadership has not realised its mistake. Except our little journal, though 21 years old, there is no other to print the Truth you write. Even now it is not late to wake up – EDITOR.
Dr. L. Jawahar Nesan, Dept. of Construction Engg. Materials & Industrial Design, College of Engg. & Applied Sciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008-5064, USA: The Indian community in Malaysia is facing racial discrimination. The ethnic Indians being minorities face largescale discriminations in all fields such as education, economy and power. A majority of the Malaysian Indians are Dalits. They are leading a subdued life which I personally witnessed. You will hardly see a degree-holder in Malaysian-Indian families. It is hard for them to get admissions in educational institutions and even if they get, they cannot afford such big expense. The govt. has lot of schemes for the Malay communities, which are mostly free and high quality. The Chinese having controlled the economy have managed to come up on their own. But the Indian origins are the only people who are suppressed in many ways. The above is the backdrop for those who are not aware of the Malaysian situation. With this backdrop, the Educated Chamber (Malaysian chapter) was started in the year 1999. The president of the Malaysian EC is Panjamurti, who is also the Gen. Secy. of IPF, a second large Indian political party and Gen. Secy, of DIO. The Malaysian EC is doing a lot to uplift the Malaysian Indians. The racial discrimination in educational institutions is worse than India’s. The Indians are dumb since they are minorities. But the situation has become so worse that one of the Indian leaders publicly voiced against the government’s inaction against this injustice. Panjamurti also expressed his solidarity to fight against this injustice.
R.K. Bhadra, Universal Times (opp. SBI), HC Boruah Rd., PO/dt. Sivsagar-785 640: I have been detached from the Dalit Voice for considerable years due to some unavoidable circumstances. Last few years I have been wandering from place to place and still so. While I was in West Bengal there used to be a regular correspondence with you and the most important, my favourite Dalit Voice which has shown me how to lead life in our polluted society. It gave me the external power to fight those against the Untouchables, the oldest superstition of our society. Still we are suffering. I have gone through a lot of books written by you on Indian Untouchables. I know, nobody, no power, can stop your fiery writings. Is Dalit Voice still coming out? If so I want to rejoin your family. Here in the North-East India I have seen with my own eyes how the Tribal people are in the dark about their rights. They are not interested to make a revolutionary world to fight the misleading Hindus. There are a lot of things to be told to you.
Dr. Ashok Adhav, MHB Colony, M36/2521, Yerawada, Pune 411 006: This refers to your Editorial of Dec. 1, 2001: “Why Dalits must take interest in US war?“, Your efforts to unite SC/ST/BC with Muslims/Christians/ Sikhs are praiseworthy. Your hopes are based on the number of population. (SC 20%, ST 10%, BCs 35%, Muslims 15%, Christians 2.5% and Sikhs 2.5% total- 85%). Each group has got its own social psychology. Each group lives with a kind of ego or super ego, inferiority or superiority complex. Many of them prefer to be stooges and slaves of Hindus, rather than equating themselves with Untouchables. The following are my experiences: (1) When I was 16 (1966) I was thinking that reservations are meant for Untouchables only. A barber community student was given admission to BC hostel. He was asked to submit the BC certificate. A left savarna leader and Dalit leader, friends of the father of the boy, took him to tahasildar office to obtain the certificate. His father was feeling restless and uncomfortable as he was made to stand in the queue with Mahars and Mangs (Untouchables). Though BCs are poor and do dirty and shameful work they are not ready to join the Untouchables. Therefore the BCs are the foundation of the Brahmana Jati Party (BJP). (2) In 1973, I was a medical student at the BJ Medical College, Pune, when the Dalit Panther movement was in full swing. Daya Pawar and Laxman Mane won Ford Foundation Award for their autobiographies. Lamxman Mane from the Kaikadi caste wanted to unite all nomadic people. Along with him we went to huts around Poona station. Huts were made up of torn clothes and plastic sheets. The inmates lived out of begging. Laxman Mane approached a man with beard and said, “Uncle I am also nomadic like you, I want to unite our people for our demands”. And the man said, “I am a Pathan and Muslim”. He said he was happy with whatever Allah has given him. There are very few like Dr. Ejaz Ali of Patna who are convinced of their roots. Rest of the Muslim brothers are not ready to accept the truth. Their religious and political leaders do not allow them to come out of the cocoon. This is the problem with Backward Muslims. However, DV has diluted the concentrated liquid into a palatable one by creating awareness at least among some Muslim intellectuals thanks to our Editor V.T. Rajshekar. (3) Dr. Ambedkar has used the term “Depressed Class” to refer to Untouchables (SCs) and Tribals and nomadic (STs). But the Tribal and the nomadics do not suffer from untouchability. This helps the Hindus to isolate the Tribals from Untouchables. The vaidiks have started hinduising the Tribals. In 1976, 1 was transferred to Kasara, Thane District of Maharashtra. I was newly married. My wife is from the Khoja community. She was born and brought up in Bombay that too in the Masjid Bunder area. She did not know what untouchability is. I was transferred from Kasara to Ambarnath. I was the only Dalit living in a chawl. There was another Untouchable living in the same chawl by concealing his “caste identity“. Marwaris had no objection at all. Warli and Katori tribals predominant in that area. Though My wife was a Gujarati as her mother tongue was Gujarati. But when the Tribals come to know I was an Untouchable they stopped coming to our house. This is the reason for Tribal leaders like Ajit Jogi. Gomang and so many others to join the original brahminical party, the Congress. (4) About Christians I have a different experience. Most of the Dalit Christians in cities are too much attached to the church. They are not willing to listen to anything other than Jesus, Bible and miracles. For them there is no other movement beyond the church. They are very slippery in their talk and jump from subject to subject. Christianity is getting eclipsed from the rural areas of Maharashtra since the conversion of Mahars to Budhism. (5) All the Untouchable subcastes (SCs) were never with Dr. Ambedkar. Gandhi and Congressmen broke the unity of Untouchables with help of Jagjivan Ram. After this conversion of Dr. Ambedkar (1956), Dalits were divided into neo-Budhist or Jai Bhimwalas and Hindu Harijans or gandhians. About a year ago a woman from Charmakar caste (not a Chamar from UP or MP) was rapedby Hindus. Charmakars from Pune took out a procession to the collector’s office. One of the speakers said that we are younger brothers of neo-Budhist (Mahars). A Dalit Panther leader, who had spent all his life in Dalit movement asked, “Where were you for the last eight decades?” Of course there was no answer. (7) About Sikh you know better than others. But I think they are honest friends and comrades too. (8) One thing is sure and certain that Hindus are not going to give anybody anything other than hatred for each other. As soon as they find that a particular man is of no use then they throw him out. I give full marks to Ram Raj (Udit Raj) more than Kanshi Ram, Mayawati, Athawale, Gavai, Kawade or Prakash. He has initiated a move in right direction. Without cultural unity there cannot be political unity.
- Krishna, C-22, Income Tax Colony, Peddar Road, Bombay 400 026: Thank you for giving a full-page advt. to my book, Bhagwan Buddha (DV Jan. 1, 2001 p.23). I have already completed 80% of the book in English. It will be completed by Jan. 15, 2002. You can keep the function for its release towards the end of January. My friends in Delhi organized a function on Dec.29 for release of the book in Delhi. So far ETV, C- news, In-Mumbai, All India Radio telecasted the news of my book release. Zee-TV also interviewed me regarding the book. The Times of India, Nav Bharat, The Sindh Samachar, the Chetna, Rashtriya Sahara have already published stories on the book. Over all, the book has become an instant hit and it will go a long way in spreading and strengthening our movement. We are negotiating for distributing the book all over. The book is being translated in Marathi as well as Gujarati. Let us hope that its English version will be translated in South Indian languages.
Sonu Maru, Cochin: The BJP-ruled Central Govt. asked all schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to delete such portions from history books which though factual and true are not palatable to the present rulers (read vaidiks) who are going mad. They are in a hurry to rewrite the history to suit their needs. They further want to claim the Indus Valley Civilisation as their own declaring the same as the Saraswathy Valley Civilisation created by the Aryans. I am shocked that the Bahujans are just mute spectators to this whole criminal exercise. The vaidiks are denying the very existence of caste system. By the time the present Central Govt. (read vaidik govt.) completes its tenure, we will have nothing but the vaidik history to be taught in schools and colleges. As it is all educational, scientific, defence, arts, cultural institutions have been packed with the choicest vaidiks owing allegiance to the Hindu nazi RSS philosophy. The nazi elements have became too powerful to defeat them. The present position of the Bahujan is like a lamb waiting helplessly to be devoured by the cruel wolf. The majority of the regional parties are a party to this criminal conspiracy. We can only cry and cry as predicted by our beloved Editor several times.
Brother Maru is right, we have been crying and crying but nobody is listening-EDITOR.
- Ramaswamy, Andhra Pradesh Budhist Trust, H.No. 10-4-771/3, Flat No. 403, Maphar Sheelings, Sreeram Nagar Colony, Hyderabad-500 028: The population of Ladakh region is over 75% Budhist. But they are poverty- stricken. The Kashmir Govt. is fully engaged in fighting terrorism for the last 50 years and has no time to think of the welfare of the people of Ladakh. Budhists of the world in general and Budhist readers of Dalit Voice should offer solidarity to the suffering Budhists of Ladakh. I congratulate Udit Raj for leading lakhs of Dalits into Budhism at the Nov.4 Delhi conversion ceremony (DV Dec. 1, 2001 p.14: “Ram Raj emerges as a mighty Dalit leader“). I expect Upasak Udit Raj to lead the Budhists under the banner of Bheemayana Budhism of Babasaheb Ambedkar as already discussed in Dalit Voice. We have decided to organise a conference on Budhism here to discuss the different problems debated in Dalit Voice. We need “100 best brains” and three months time to prepar for such a conference .
Arul, Advocacy Centre for Social Justice, Post Box No.54, Chidambaram-608 001: Other Backward Class people, constituting 52% of the Indian population, are the India’s unequal citizens. Their rights are always violated both by the govt. instruments and upper caste rulers. This is nothing but a minority ruling the majority with the conceptual mindset of “all human being are born… equal in dignity and rights” but not applicable to OBCs. Article 340 of the Indian Constitution said in 1950 “OBCs would be helped later, if need be”. But after 54 years of “independence” they are still waiting for justice. In this situation, it is appropriate now (at least now) for the OBCs to start discussing among themselves what happened to them so far and what should be done in the future. We are planning to collect and publish address directory of OBCs. We request you to collect and send us an address list of OBCs (including VIPs, activists, intellectuals, NGOs and interested individuals belonging to OBGs).
Prof. Indramohan Mandal, Dept. of History, Samsi College, Malda, W. Bengal: This refers to your article (DV Sept. 16, 2001 p.9): “14 shocks that Babasaheb suffered under brahminical conspiracy” by Brother Gurnam Singh Muktsar.
“But when he (Babasaheb) was elected by the great Chandals of West Bengal he suffered the eighth big blow. The Brahmins quickly conspired to transfer the entire East Bengal, where most Chandals were concentrated, to Pakistan. He was again defeated in the election. However, it was the kind-hearted British rulers who appointed Babasaheb to frame the Indian Constitution”
The above statement suffers from the following infirmities: (1) The word Chandal is incorrect. It should be Namasudras (vide census report 1911. To call the Namasudras as Chandals brings the writer and the editor within the mischief of the penal section 500 IPC. (2) It is a brazen-faced falsehood to say that Babasaheb was appointed by the British rulers to frame the Indian Constitution. It was Jawaharlal Nehru who on the advice of Gandhi took him to his cabinet and made him a member of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution. Later the Drafting Committee elected Babasaheb as chairman. (3) The Brahmins had no hand in the transfer of East Bengal to Pakistan. This took place according to the Cabinet Mission Plan. It is unfortunate that such wrong statements are published by you without scrutiny.
Bhag Singh, HL-459, Phase-VII, SAS Nagar (Mohali) -160 062: I have been reading Dalit Voice for one year. You are providing very useful material of national and international importance for the benefit of our society. May god bless your pen for fighting for the downtrodden society.
Ashok Kumar <asherwala@yahoo.com.au>: The Jatav name did not exist before. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar gave, this name to SC/ST people living in UP. He combined two castes “Jats” and “Yadavs” and created a new name “Jatav”. In fact Babasaheb created the Jatav word to replace Chamar.
Manoranjan Guru, Ambedkar Sangram Samiti, Dasabati, Puri, Orissa: This refers to the Letter of Girish Nayak (DV Dec. 16, 2001 p.19). We want to clear the confusion of Girish Nayak. As a student of Dalit movement and the DV school of thought, we know that the BSP is playing on caste contradictions. Even a “low caste” man is satisfied with his inferior status as long as there are some “lower” caste people below his jati. This is the magic produced by the graded casteism and also the strength of BSP. The highly neglected barber caste people are one of the examples to prove this point. In some areas of Puri, the barbers were not serving Dalits.. So, conscious members of our Ambedkar Sangram Samiti protested and opposed this practice. We made all possible efforts to convince the barbers. In some parts of Brahmagiri (Puri dt.) Khandayats (farming community) were committing atrocities on barbers for refusing to wash the feet of others at marriages. We appreciated the boldness of barbers for having realised their slavery and protesting the Khandayat arrogance. We were planning to have more dialogue with the barbers. Meanwhile, a non-barber styling himself leader of the barbers sought our support in their dharna before the Puri colletorate. Here lies the crux of the problem. On one side we were fighting for our human rights violated by the barbers on the other we were supporting the barbers in their fight against the Khandayats. We offered support on the condition that the barbers would serve our people. But they refused to serve us. That is why the ASS forced closure of seven hair-cutting saloons and lodged a complaint with the police. The police on April 17 last forced the barbers to serve the Dalits. The notable thing in the whole agitation was the role played by a dynamic barber youth, Niranjan Barik. Many non- Dalit youths were also in the forefront of our struggle for human rights.
Manohar Atey, President, Power to the People Movement, 1-190, Phase-1, Ashok Vihar, New Delhi – 110 052: Our party was formed on April 14, 1998 at Nagpur to overthrow the rule of brahminism. We believe in Ambedkarism which alone can overthrow the existing system based on exploitation. Hence a meeting of top activists of the 20 states of India (i.e. about 150 delegates) will be held on Jan.27, 2002 (Sunday) at 10 a.m. at the Indian Social Institute, 10-Institutional Area, Lodi Road, New Delhi-110 003 (Tel. No. 011-462 5015, 462 2379 Fax: 091-11-4690660) to network the all India activity on the above said issues and organise protests. We will take care of only the hospitality part of the meeting (lodging and boarding).
Syed Tanwir, 68-Satyanagar, Bhubaneswar-751007: Any sane person will condemn the dastardly act on New York and Washington which resulted in loss of innocent lives. History tells us that conflict among nations, communities, groups has always made innocent people its victim. Innocent people get entangled which is not their creation. The suffering is more for the aged ones, women and children. There is every possibility that this attack on USA has links to Palestine or to some such long outstanding issues. The Western media instead of going to the core of the issue is just superfluously looking at the problem. The sufferings of the Arabs and the defamation of Islam today is because of Israel. Israel was created by the British and supported by the West. Later on America adopted it as its illegitimate child. The development of the mass media within the last 50 years has been tremendous. Israel’s existence is also more than. 50 years. The Jews have a sizeable population in USA and their clout on media, government, economy and many other matters is very strong. USA being the strongest country in the world with effective influence on the world is guided by the Jews. The Jews want to justify the occupation of Palestine and forced USA to talk in line with Israel. Whatever was floated from USA was immediately accepted by the West in particular and the rest of the world in general. Israel adopted a policy of anti-Islam, anti-Arab and anti-Muslim. The result was that till now over 700 Hollywood pictures have been made showing Islam, Arabs or Muslims in a bad light. Over 60,000 books have been written against Islam and Muslims. But the truth is Islam is now the fastest growing religion in the West. It not only withstood the attack of the West but engraved more firmly in the Western soil. Till now not a single book has been written by the Muslims against any other religion. Islam prohibits degrading of other religions or its followers. Muslims never spit venom against others. It is the West which is always involved in anti-Muslim trade. Israel was successful in turning the Western media against Muslims. Today the situation is such that the victims are portrayed as the culprits. The Palestinians were driven out of their land, their rights snatched away from them, their economy shattered, houses crushed and innocent people killed mercilessly. The sufferings of the Palestinians is going on for the last 50 years and more. But no one has come to their rescue including the United Nations. The Western world is wearing a prejudiced glass against Islam and Muslims, when an issue about Muslims comes to them they are pricked. Immediately words like “Islamic fundamentalist”, “Islamic extremists”. “Islamic bomb”, “Islamic fanatics”, “Islamic terrorists” etc. are more reserved words which are thrown at Muslims. They do not analyse the fact but jump to conclusion. Take the case of Salman Rushdie, he was paid 8,00,000 £ for the book The Satanic Verses. Why the British Govt, is protecting Rushdie by spending 60,000 £ per month on his security? Why did the Western world shower heaps and awards on him? Was it because of the following things which he has written in his book:
“Londoners are bastards” p.3 (the word bastard used 29 times in the whole book). Mrs. Thatcher as Mrs. torture and Maggie the bitch (p.270). Mrs. Thatcher’s policy as f….ing policy. Black men are White men’s shit. Sita was a women of flirting nature. He had sex with the Queen in his dreams. White women are for f…ing, and thrown over and innumerable bad words which cannot be mentioned.
The problem with the Muslims is that they do not know how to tackle the situation. When they are emotional they go astray. The Muslims should have met Mrs. Thatcher who was the prime minister at that time and shown her what is written in the book about her. Ahmed Deedat offered 50,000£ to BBC to give him 5 minutes to read from The Satanic Verses. This offer was given to CNN also. But both refused. If a book is praised for its language and contents and given Booker Prize why then the few passages from the same book is not allowed to be read on the TV? What will you call this. When Tasleema Nasreen’s book was published the Muslims got angry. Tasleema Nasreen was a poor woman who had very little knowledge about Islam. May be she saw some of the sufferings of the Bangladeshi women and wrote the book Lajja and blamed Islam for this. The Western media saw that there is another food for feast. They started making it a big issue and called themselves the protector of freedom of expression. Believe me, if the Muslims would have kept silent nobody would have come to know about Tasleema Nasreen. The West has got a sick mind. They are sadists. They get pleasure when they hurt Muslims or Islam. Muslims have to start a media blitz. Talk of justice, peace, brotherhood and mutual co-existence. Whenever false accusations are made against Muslims they should not keep quiet. If you cannot win the media war today you will simply perish. How many Muslims today know about Paul Findley, ex- Senator of USA and his book They Dare to Speak Out? This book will answer all the questions of the West and give a clear picture and understanding of the Palestinian sufferings. Today the whole world is united so fast against terrorism that it seems previously it did not have this problem. Today if any country can be called a terrorist state, then it is none other than Israel. It tramples all UN resolutions, adamant in its behaviour and acts irresponsibly with scant respect for public opinion and human sufferings. Then what shall we call a state that supports a terrorist state like Israel? The Muslims do not have the military strength nor the economic power to wage war. But at least they can unfurl a media war. If the people come to know about the real facts then the situation will change. If the Muslims do not do this, they cannot solve the problem of Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya, Bosnia, Kosovo etc. How many Muslims have told their Christian friends that no Muslim is a Muslim. if he does not believe in Jesus or Moses. This is an article of faith for Muslims. They are always ready for dialogue with the West. It is the West which is always backing out. Its is a challenge to the whole world to find out a single contradictory statement in the Holy Quran. No religious book can stand the test of time as much as the Quran can, In spite of having all the plus points, Islam today is degraded and Muslims shunned. The Arabs and Muslims have to fight a long war with the West not with swords but with the pen. Just sharpen it and see the results. The international media is so biased against Islam and Muslims that it cannot digest anything in their favour. After the declaration at Durban conference recently the BBC asked Israelis of their view point. The victim is Palestine not Israel so why the view of Israel is taken. Why UN resolutions against Israel is not being implemented? How long will it to take to solve the problem of Kashmir, Palestine and Chechnya? Why the poor Palestinians are not given arms to defend themselves from Israeli atrocities? Why is the West not analysing the resentment among Arabs and Muslims towards US foreign policy? Every year USA is giving 50,000 visas to foreigners to add to its work force. Why not take the Israelis who are illegally grabbing lands of Palestinians? When Tamil Tigers wage war against Sri Lanka, they are not called Hindu extremists? When Protestants and Catholics fight on the streets of Belfast they are not called Christian terrorists or fanatics? From history, we come to know that all the havoc which was implanted on mankind particularly during World War-I and II, was in no way connected with Islam. Hitler is never mentioned as a Christian extremist. The Jews inspite of committing all terrorist activities are protected by the West but all the adjectives which are used by the West against Islam and Muslims is in fact most befitting for the Jews. We know what happened in Bosnia, Kosovo and who the perpetrators were but it was not said “ethnic cleansing” by the Christians. Slobodan Milosevich is not called a Christian terrorist. Nowhere in history Muslims as a nation or group have crushed the minorities as has been done by Christians and Hindus. There are some stray incidents in some Muslim countries but it cannot be compared to the West. When the question comes to Christians, the West is prompt in solving their problem.
We have seen East Temor getting independence on a platter without much struggle and with the support of the West. The leader of the freedom movement of East Timor got a Nobel Peace Prize. But Nelson Mandela did not get the prize at the beginning of his freedom struggle. Then why not the peace prize for the leaders of Kashmir, Chechenya, Albania, Mindano etc. The Edhi Foundation of Karachi has few parallels in the world but till now the Noble Prize has not been given to them. The achievements of Edhi Foundation is far ahead of Mother Terresa’s Missionary of Charity. The United Nation wanted a referendum to know the verdict of the East Timorese but the same opportunity is not provided to the people of Kashmir, Chechnya and Palestine. When the West wants something it will do it because of its might. Right or wrong, it does not care. But when it comes to the Muslims, rules of the game are changed. The West has to change its attitude towards Islam and Muslims and not to paint all Muslims with evil colour. The whole world made Osama bin Laden a scapegoat and his hunting for him but no one talks about the deep rooted reasons of resentment among the Muslims and Arabs. In the process of killing Bin Laden the innocent civilians of Afghanistan are killed. Previously when the kings went on hunting expeditions the animals were encircled and could not escape so hunting of animals became easy for the kings similarly for the people of Afghanistan all the boundaries are sealed and they have to face the attacks of USA. Unfortunately the whole world supports them. Since last 22 years the people of Afghanistan are suffering and in the near future there seems to be no immediate solution. Today the world will be one of the safest place to live if the long outstanding issues of Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya etc. are solved.
Brother Tanwir appears to be a brilliant and also thinking Muslim. We congratulate him for being an oasis amid India’s Muslim desert. He has traced the cause of Muslim failure and Identified it as lack of media. He is right. We went round the country thrice and met all top religious and other Muslim leaders, urging them to help set up a media of our own to bring out the Truth and Justice on the Muslim side. But sorry to say that everybody praised us but none came to support our proposal. Today, the Muslims are thrown into boiling water. The Muslim leadership refused to join hands with Dalits and that is why it is paying this heavy price for its grave mistake. Even now it is not too late. Have you any suggestions on the media front? We are experts in this line – EDITOR.
