2) “Muslim” means “anyone or anything that submits itself to the will of God”.

3) Islam is not a cult. Its followers number over 1.5 billion worldwide. Along with Judaism and Christianity, it is considered to be one of the three Abrahamic traditions.

4) There are five pillars of practice in Islam. These practices must be undertaken with the best of effort in order to be considered a true Muslim: A) Shahadah – declaration of faith in the oneness of God and that Muhammad is the last prophet of God. B) Formal prayer five times a day. C) Fasting during the daylight hours in the month of Ramadan. D) Poor-due “tax” – 2.5% of one’s savings given to the needy at the end of each year. E) Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once, if physically and financially able.

5) There are six articles of faith in Islam. These are the basic beliefs that one must have in order to be considered a true Muslim. They are belief in: A) the One God. B) all the prophets of God. C) the original scriptures revealed to Prophets Moses, David, Jesus, and Muhammad. D) the angels. E) the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter. F) the divine decree (or destiny).

6) Islam is a complete way of life that governs all facets of life: moral, spiritual, social, political, economical, intellectual, etc.

7) Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. To become Muslim, a person of any race or culture must say a simple statement, the shahadah, that bears witness to the belief in the One God and that Prophet Muhammad was the last prophet of God.

8 ) “Allah” is an Arabic word that means “God”. Muslims also believe that “Allah” is the personal name of God.

9) Allah is not the God of Muslims only. He is the God of all people and all creation. Just because people refer to God using different terms does not mean that they are different gods. Spanish people refer to God as “Dios” and French people refer to God as “Dieu”, yet they are all the same God. Interestingly, most Arab Jews and Arab Christians refer to God as “Allah”. And the word Allah in Arabic appears on the walls of many Arab churches.

10) The Islamic concept of God is that He is loving, merciful, and compassionate. But Islam also teaches that He is just and swift in punishment. Nevertheless, Allah once said to Prophet Muhammad, “My mercy prevails over my wrath.” Islam teaches a balance between fear and hope, protecting one from both complacency and despair.

11) Muslims believe that God has revealed 99 of His names (or attributes) in the Holy Qur’an. It is through these names that one can come to know the Creator. A few of these names are: the All-Merciful, the All-Knower, the Protector, the Provider, the Near, the First, the Last, the Hidden, and the Source of Peace.

12) Muslims believe in and acknowledge all the prophets of old, from Adam to Jesus. Muslims believe that they brought the message of peace and submission (islam) to different peoples at different times. Muslims also believe that these prophets were “muslims” because they submitted their wills to God.

13) Muslims neither worship Muhammad nor pray through him. Muslims solely worship the unseen and Omniscient Creator, Allah.

14) Muslims accept the original unaltered Torah (the Gospel of Moses) and the original Bible (the Gospel of Jesus) since they were revealed by God. However, none of those original scriptures are in existence today, in their entirety. Therefore, Muslims follow the subsequent, final, and preserved revelation of God, the Holy Qur’an.

15) The Holy Qur’an was not authored by Muhammad. It was authored by God, revealed to Muhammad, and written into physical form by his companions.

16) The Holy Qur’an has no flaws or contradictions. The original Arabic scriptures have never been changed or tampered with.

17) Actual seventh century Qur’ans, complete and intact, are on display in museums in Turkey and many other places around the world.

18) If all Qur’ans in the world today were burned and destroyed, the original Arabic would still remain. This is because millions of Muslims, called Hafiz (or “preservers”) have memorized the text letter for letter from beginning to end, every word and syllable. Also, chapters from the Qur’an are precisely recited from memory by every Muslim in each of the five daily prayers.

19) Muslims do not believe in the concept of “vicarious atonement” but rather believe in the law of personal responsibility. Islam teaches that each person is responsible for his or her own actions. On the Day of Judgment Muslims believe that every person will be resurrected and will have to answer to God for their every word, thought, and deed. Consequently, a practicing Muslim is always striving to be righteous.

20) Islam was not spread by the sword. It was spread by the word (Islamic teachings) and the example of its followers. Islam teaches that there is no compulsion in religion (the Holy Qur’an 2:256 and 10:99).

21) Terrorism, unjustified violence and the killing of innocent people are absolutely forbidden in Islam. Islam is a way of life that is meant to bring peace to a society, whether its people are Muslim or not. The extreme actions of those who claim to be Muslim may be, among other things, a result of their ignorance or uncontrolled anger. Tyrant rulers and those who commit acts of terrorism in the name of Islam are simply not following Islam. These people are individuals with their own views and political agendas. Fanatical Muslims are no more representative of the true Islamic teachings than Timothy McVeigh or David Koresh are of Christianity. Extremism and fanaticism is a problem that is common to all religious groups. Anyone who thinks that all Muslims are terrorists should remember that the famous boxer Muhammad Ali, perhaps the most celebrated person of our era, is a practicing Muslim.

22) The word “jihad” does not mean “holy war”. Instead, it means the inner struggle that one endures in trying to submit their will to the will of God. Some Muslims may say they are going for “jihad” when fighting in a war to defend themselves or their fellow Muslims, but they only say this because they are conceding that it will be a tremendous struggle. But there are many other forms of jihad which are more relevant to the everyday life of a Muslim such as the struggles against laziness, arrogance, stinginess, or the struggle against a tyrant ruler or against the temptation of Satan, or against one’s own ego, etc.

23) Women are not oppressed in Islam. Any Muslim man that oppresses a woman is not following Islam. Among the many teachings of Prophet Muhammad that protected the rights and dignity of women is his saying, “…the best among you are those who treat their wives well.” (Tirmidhi)

24) Islam grants women numerous rights in the home and in society. Among them are the right to earn money, to financial support, to an education, to an inheritance, to being treated kindly, to vote, to a dowry, to keep their maiden name, to worship in a mosque, etc., etc.

25) Muslim women wear the head-covering (hijab) in fulfillment of God’s decree to dress modestly. From a practical standpoint, it serves to identify one as attempting to follow God in daily life and, therefore, protects women from unwanted advances from men. This type of modest dress has been worn by righteous women throughout history. Prominent examples are traditional Catholic Nuns, Mother Teresa and the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus.

26) Arranged marriages are allowed in Islam but are not required. Whereas “forced” marriages, usually stemming from cultural practice, are forbidden. Divorce is permissible, however, reconciliation is what is most encouraged. But if there are irreconcilable differences then Islam permits a fair and just divorce.

27) Islam and the “Nation of Islam” are two different religions. Islam is a religion for all races and enjoins the worship of the one unseen God who, orthodox Muslims believe, never took human form. The “Nation”, on the other hand, is a movement geared towards non-whites and teaches that God appeared in the form of Fard Muhammad in 1930 and that Elijah Muhammad (a man who died in 1975) was a prophet of God. These beliefs clearly contradict the basic Islamic theology outlined in the Qur’an. The followers of “the Nation” adhere to some Islamic principles that are mixed with many other teachings that are alien to Islam. To better understand the difference between the two, read about Malcolm X, his pilgrimage to Mecca and his subsequent comments to the media. Islam teaches equality amongst all the races (Holy Qur’an 49:13).

28) All Muslims are not Arab. Islam is a universal religion and way of life which includes followers from all races of people. There are Muslims in and from virtually every country in the world. Arabs only constitute about 20% of Muslims worldwide. Indonesia has the largest concentration of Muslims with over 120 million.

29) In the five daily prayers, Muslims face the Kaaba in Mecca, Arabia. It is a cube-shaped stone structure that was originally built by Prophet Adam and later rebuilt by Prophet Abraham. Muslims believe that the Kaaba was the first house of worship on Earth dedicated to the worship of one god. Muslims do not worship the Kaaba. It serves as a central focal point for Muslims around the world, unifying them in worship and symbolizing their common belief, spiritual focus and direction. Interestingly, the inside of the Kaaba is empty.

30) The hajj is a simultaneous pilgrimage to the Kaaba made by millions of Muslims each year. It is performed to commemorate the struggles of Abraham, Ismail and Hagar in submitting their wills to God.

She often complains that though she knows I love her immensely but I never say it. She, like all the other women in the world, wants to hear it in words… but I don’t have the right words to express what she means to me. Five years back I had not even known the name Bazma but now my very being is encompassed within these five letters. Life’s strange, isn’t it?

Our relationship started on a funny note – “To? Shaadi ho gayi tumhari?” (So? You got married?) These were her first words to me. LOL. She never wanted to marry me but she did because she wanted to honour her father’s wishes. Maybe our starting off on a cold note helped us approach our relationship without any expectations from each other, absolutely open to accept anything and everything. That’s why we remained ourselves and bonded without straining to mould each other one way or the other. We managed to have our own spaces, yet share every moment of our lives. We still do.

Being the brat that she was supposed to be, no one could imagine how she would turn out to be a mother. And, like everytime, she surprised everybody. Zayaan couldn’t have asked God for a better deal! She is as perfect a mother as she is a daughter, a sister and a wife.

Bobo, it is not flattery. Your smile does brighten up my day, your hug does make my worries melt away and your support is what drives me  on to fight with every challenge that comes my way. How much I love you is not what matters. I love you more than I could love anybody. What is important is that you will always beleive in me and be with me.

Bazma and I had decided that we will go in for a baby in the 3rd year of our marriage. We wanted to enjoy the first two years together. So in a way we planned the arrival of Zayaan, though not very particularly. Bazma thoroughly enjoyed her pregnancy and we loved every moment of our baby’s growth. We subscribed to a weekly newsletter which kept us updated on pregnancy stages, we had a wonderful Gynecologist, a sweet little lady who made us so comfortable that we looked forward to her every appointment. We were like any other excited first time to be parents and we wanted everything for our child.

During the later stages of her pregnancy Bazma’s BP was almost always on the margin. So the doctor advised to go in for an early C-Section. So, on the morning of 13th September 2007 me Bazma and Mummy (Bazma’s mother) went for the usual appointment with the Gynae but were more or less prepared to go in for the delivery that very day. So when the doctor asked us if we were ready, she got a nervous nod from Me and Bazma… and then it all began!

I remember pacing the crowded gallery outside the operation theatre. There were many worried faces around me, specially a family who’s child was inside undergoing some very serious procedure. The crying mother made my nervousness border on fear and with constant prayers under my breath I counted every second. 

I had strolled up the stairs to the window and when I came back I saw a male nurse with a baby in his arms asking “Bajma? Bajma?” My heart skipped not one but many beats. Is that it? Is that my baby? I scampered up to him and nodded, my eyes never leaving the chubby pink face and the tightly shut eyes, hope soaring that the baby would open those small eyes and look at me any second. I wanted him to see me first. The nurse thrust out a hand from under the baby, “Mubarak ho, ladka hai!” (Congratulations, it’s a boy!). That wasn’t such a surprise. Somehow I had known it all along, since the day in the 7th week of Bazma’s pregnancy when we had the first ultrasound done and I heard his heartbeat on the machine – “dig-dig-dig-dig-dig-dig-dig-dig…” like hoof beats at full gallop, even faster. I will never forget that day, sitting in the hospital lounge a tear had rolled down which I did my best, unsuccessfully, to hide from Bazma sitting next to me.

Post - The Missionary Position

“Caught in this whirlpool of insane fanaticism were people who clung on to their traditions, their cultures, and their little rituals. Even those who converted to monotheistic beliefs found new meanings and applied definitions from their own understanding of life as they lived it. Like all Cultural imports Christianity and Islam got localized wherever they went…”

URL - http://kalabaaz.com/kalabaaz/posts/view/the-missionary-position

I ask, who is this Raj guy to prevent a citizen of India to visit any city, be it Mumbai, at his own free will? And what is our law keepers doing keeping mum on this ANTI-NATIONAL element who mocks our law, order and constitution at the drop of a hat? 

I say, on this very basis alone, all the politicians worth their salt should land up in Mumbai and stage a dharna right in front of Raj Kitty’s residence and office. They should demand that he be arrested and a case of instigating the general public to conduct anti-national acts that not only defames and mocks our constitution but is also aimed at threatening fundamental rights of an Indian citizen. Furthermore, this enemy of the state is also trying to instigate communal and regional divide to serve is own evil agenda.

Who all are in favour? Vote with your comments!

Coming back to my purpose of bringing this issue to the fore is primarily to question an aspect of our society that needs to be checked on the double. Probably the word “discrimination” is not the appropriate description of the problem here. Let’s zoom out a bit and redefine the issue here by analysing the situation at hand.

Why do we have such an extremist reaction from people who were wronged?

Indians are temperamentally reactionists. Sikhs were wronged in Delhi and we had the whole of Punjab and many other parts burning for over a decade. L.K. Advani’s Rath Yatra and the subsequent demolition of the Babri Masjid had it’s repercussions in all of India, specially Bombay. Let’s keep in mind that Bombay riots were in two phases – first, it was an impromptu clash between two communities and in the second phase muslims were specifically targeted with tacit support of the police and other administrative wings. Finally the army had to be brought in to control the situation. Some insane men decided to avenge an “insanity” by yet another insanity and planted bombs all over the city that killed innocent human beings. This was almost exactly repeated in Gujarat. Godhra was an impromptu act of violence and drew a reaction from the other community. Had it rested there the situation would still be tolerable. But then, the ruling political party (BJP) planned and executed such a vast scale of violence that one shivers even to think about it. 59 hindus were murdered in the Godhra carnage while 2500 plus muslims were slaughtered by the right wing hindu organisation lead terrorists in its aftermath. And that is only the numbers killed. The number of people displaced and families destroyed is many times over. We are witnessing attacks on the Christian community now. How long should we expect them to patiently accept the killings of their kins and not hit back?

That is one aspect of the problem – the protectors, not just aligning with these perpetrators of such heinous crimes, but joining them in their deeds. This shatters the faith of the muslim community in the very system of law and order in our country.

The second, and equally important aspect of this situation is the alienation of minority communities and their being constant targets for hate campaigns. Bal Thakerey and his Shiv Sena is a glaring example. They have been propagating the notion that muslims are unwanted in this country and for them it is Pakistan and that’s where they belong. He conveniently forgets the fact that there are more muslims in India than in Pakistan. And the Indian Muslims had a CHOICE at the time of partition and the choice was to remain to their roots. So how come they are aliens in their own land? 

In the same breath, I would like to add that this organisation in particular is not just against muslims. This is an organisation that is founded and runs on the policy of alienation. Their campaign against all the non-Marathis is an absolute crime against the constitution of this country. Why are they not being taken to the books on that? Why are we not standing up against this tirade? Why are we not labeling Bal Thakerey and his cronies and sympathisers as ANTI-NATIONAL elements?

Right now it is imperative for us, sane, educated and rationale Indians – whether a Hindu, a Muslim, a Christian or the follower of any other religion our country so proudly boasts off, to come together on one platform and join hands against these evil forces of our society. Before we go all out to tackle the imported terror, lets crush the termite within. I believe that if we successfully bring people from all communities together and make them understand who the real villains are, we’ll strike terror in the hearts of the terrorists.

Let there be a message that India is not yours or mine. It is OURS !!!

What really is discrimination, one asks. Let me give you an examples. This is not a story, but a truth for many young muslims – A young muslim worker is thrown out from his job by his employer who sympathises with right wing ideologies. Since the communal fires are heated up all around, he finds it difficult to find another job and day by day life becomes more and more difficult for him and his families. He manages odd jobs and somehow scraps a living but obviously cannot afford to pay his children’s school fees, so they drop out of school. The girl starts helping her mother who works as a maid and the boy is employed at a tea stall or a dhaba as a small time helper. Everyday when the family returns to their shack at night the father complains how no one is willing to employ him because of his religion. This fact is reaffirmed for the young child by the atmosphere around him all day, where he is exposed to small discussions of the customers who are so glad that the “hindu nationalism” is rising and the muslims do not belong here. This conditioning at such a young age forms the foundation of a growing belief. Although the father may find a job eventually and the children may go to school and get educated, their minds cannot let go of the humiliation and hatred they once faced. 

The twisted minds of some wretched muslims use this fuel to their benefit. They obviously have a ready warrior to do their bidding.

The second form of discrimination is what we saw yesterday, the Nanavati Commission. How can any literate, aware individual accept such lies? Justice Bannerjee Commission had conducted a similar enquiry right after the incidence and had submitted a report that it was an accidental event, a result of some altercation of the passengers with the locals at the Godhra Station a little while earlier. Now, six years later, right before the polls, the Nanavati Commission submits a PARTIAL REPORT and makes the entire accident out to be a “pre-planned attack”. Out of no where 140 litres of petrol appeared while the Bannerjee commission had specifically stated that there was no evidence of petrol. Moreover, it also gives a clean chit to Naredra Modi and his cronies, who have been disrobed by their very own men on camera. Such blatant twisting of facts is what leaves educated muslim population hurt and angry.

People like us – you and me, very often indulge in criticising everybody concerned, forgetting that we too are a part of this system and therefore, being somewhat more priviledged than many others, the onus is also on us to step up and do something. However, a majority of us have no clue of what to do.

A friend pointed out in his comment that the excesses are from both ends and the muslim community is to blame more because they have huge families which obviously they cannot take care off properly and hence the neglect that the children face, leads them on the path of crime or terror – because atleast their alliances provide them “2 waqt ki roti” (2 square meals) and an identity. My friend gives me an advice to fight the real terrorists – poverty, illiteracy and no family planning because they are the real culprits.

I agree with my friend 100%. These are the real culprits. As everyone would agree, all three are the root of all that’s going wrong in our society and each of these are linked – Poverty leads to illiteracy which results in no family planning. My question again is, who is responsible? From whatever I understand of our post-independence history, it is the discriminatory attitude of our rulers – which not only include the politicians but also the administration at all levels. Prove me wrong.

Although home to a Hindu majority, India has a Muslim population of some 150 million, making it the state with the second-largest Muslim population in the world after Indonesia. However, India’s booming economy has left the nation’s largest minority group lagging behind. Indian Muslims experience low literacy and high poverty rates, and Hindu-Muslim violence has claimed a disproportionate number of Muslim lives. Indian Muslims are marginalised in their very own homeland. The Muslim literacy rate ranks well below the national average and Muslim poverty rates are only slightly higher than low-caste Hindus, according to a November 2006 government report (PDF). Muslims make up 13.4 percent of India’s population, yet hold fewer than 5 percent of government posts and make up only 4 percent of the undergraduate student body in India’s elite universities. Muslims fall behind other groups in terms of access to credit, despite the fact that Muslims are self-employed at a far higher rate than other groups. The government provides help to the “dalits” in the form of “reservation” but why is it sleeping on the same situation that muslims have been facing for so long? 

My friends, it is time that we woke up and accept the fact that DISCRIMINATION is the real culprit. We call ourselves a “secular” nation then why are we tolerating the hatred spread out by organisations like the Bajrang Dal and the VHP? When India has a majority of Hindu population, why doesn’t the majority play a BIG BROTHER to the minority and make them feel secure and loved? Why does a Hindu go out and vote for BJP because it says it will build a temple at a place where 90% of our Hindu brothers will never ever go. Who knew of Babri Masjid before these power hungry politicians told us about it? For what reason were thousands of Muslims slaughtered in Gujrat?

Give me one valid reason please!

Let me warn you on the onset that many of the images below are absolutely gruesome and may not be for the faint hearted. I advise you to use discretion and skip this post if you can’t see blood, charred bodies of men, women and children… May Allah have mercy on these poor victims of the real Indian terrorists.

An old woman weeps over a life lost to the mindless fury of extremist Hindu organisation “activists”.
Namely Bajrang Dal & VHP terrorists.

A poor young labour with both his hands crushed by the Hindu terrorists.
I hope they healed, because if they didn’t, he’d be starving somewhere right now.
His fault? He is a muslim.

A young mother with her two children and the body of her husband killed by rioting Hindu terrorists.
With the sole breadwinner gone, I wonder what happened to these innocents.

Who is responsible? 

They?

Him and his likes?

or them?

Who did this to the innocents?

WARNING: The pictures below are gruesome

A poor young muslim lies in broad daylight in the middle of the road with his head crushed by a stone.
A policeman stands like a mute spectator. He doesn’t even have the decency to atleast cover the body.

A bunch of muslims where bundled together and set on fire. This is what remained of innocent living beings.

Charred bodies of muslim children and infants lined up for cremation. What kind of terrorists do such heinous acts?

The spectators!

And here are our honest, dutiful policemen doing what they do best – nothing!

The real hero!

A big salute to Mr Ahsan Jafri, who was martyred fighting to save innocent muslims who had taken shelter in his house.

I will put up the whole story of Mr. Ahsan Jafri’s last fight in a later post. Meanwhile, please feel free to post your thoughts on this.

Disclaimer: These pictures were downloaded from the internet and are not intended for any commercial use. If anyone owns these pictures, I request him/her to consider their usage here for the benefit of society, an act of righteousness.