Mumbai mein sampradayik dange ke liye
'Urdu Times' zimmedar hoga
Hindi Mahanagar (July 21, 2004)
Quran ki aad mein Musalmanon ko bhadkane ki
saazish
Hindi Mahanagar (July 19, 2004)
Teen talaq ke virodh kerne per: Javed Akhtar
ke khilaf musalmanon ko
bhadkane ki saazish
Hindi Mahanagar (July 13, 2004)
http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=92202
Triple talaq, unlimited debate
The debate
over reform in Muslim personal law rages on, poet
Javed Akhtar is targeted.
Express News
Service
Mumbai, July
20: On Tuesday afternoon, a
delegation of some progressive Muslim organisations met Police
Commissioner A N Roy.
They appraised
him of the ‘‘threats of violence’’ against lyricist Javed Akhtar
due to the essays published in a city Urdu daily.
Noted
poet-scriptwriter Javed Akhtar was at the receiving end of a
vitriolic essay on July 5 in the Urdu Times, the city’s
second-largest Urdu paper. ‘‘Once the community decides to
retaliate, you will find it difficult to hide yourself,’’said
the essay.
Akhtar heads
the Muslim for Secular Democracy (MSD), a body which had
recently urged the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB)
to change the community’s practice of triple talaq.
The outburst
against Akhtar was prompted by MSD’s call for reform in Muslim
personal law.
Muslim law as
practiced in India allows a man to divorce his wife immediately
by saying ‘talaq’ three times. Akhtar had called for the AIMPLB
to follow the guidelines of the holy Quran which says that
‘talaq’ should be pronounced over a period of three menstrual
cycles.
The delegation
demanded that the authorities should begin ‘‘criminal
prosecution’’ against the editors, publisher, proprietors and
columnists of the Urdu daily under section 153 A and other
sections of the Indian Penal Code.
The delegation
distributed translated copies of three essays published in the
Urdu daily, which denounce the progressive elements in the
community.
One essay
published last Wednesday asks those ‘‘happy marrying non-Muslims
in a registrar’s court,’’ to desist from ‘‘interfering’’ in
Muslim personal law.
The delegation
urged Roy to ensure that the principles of democratic dissent
and press freedom are upheld.
Commissioner
Roy assured the delegation that he was ‘‘examining the issue
legally,’’ and that the police would do what was required.
The delegation
comprised of Hasan Kamal (former editor of Urdu Blitz), Javed
Anand and Ghulam Pesh Imam (both from MSD), Teesta Setalvad
(secretary, Citizens for Justice and Peace), Nikhil Wagle
(editor, Apla Mahanagar). The memorandum was also signed by
noted playwright Vijay Tendulkar and Bollywood personality
Mahesh Bhatt.
Meanwhile, the
ideological divide between those advocating change and
continuity is still sharpening.
Abolition of
the triple talaq practice is certainly not on the cards, says
Yusuf Muchalla, counsel and member of AIMPLB.
‘‘We work under
certain legal restrictions which does not give us the authority
to ban something overnight,’’ said Muchalla at a media meet held
at the Mumbai Press Club on Tuesday.
‘‘The key to
our problems is social reform. The board cannot aim at any legal
reform,’’ said Muchalla.
Speaking at the
meet, Dr Saira Hamid (a Planning Commission member) advocated
the need for AIMPLB to take ‘‘concrete steps in eradicating
existing gender bias and injustice’’ in the community.
‘‘The board should establish its credibility by taking some
legal step. They have the power to do so,’’
she said.
http://telegraphindia.com/1040722/asp/nation/story_3526972.asp
Probe on Javed attack
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Mumbai, July 21: Police commissioner AN Roy has promised an
immediate inquiry into the charge that Urdu Times, a daily
published from the city, has mounted a malicious campaign against
poet-writer Javed Akhtar to incite communal hatred.
The Muslims
for Secular Democracy met the commissioner yesterday with the
complaint that the newspaper was also instigating violence
against Akhtar, who is the organisation president, and other
office-bearers and members.
The
commissioner told them that the media monitoring cell of the
Mumbai police had already drawn his attention to certain
articles in the Urdu Times.
Roy said he
would ask the legal cell of the Mumbai police to examine the
complaint. He promised police protection if any member of the
organisation perceived a threat of physical violence.
Urdu Times
launched its campaign against Akhtar after Muslims for Secular
Democracy held a meeting on the issue of the triple talaq
on July 2, before the Muslim Personal Law Board met on the
subject on July 4 in Kanpur, said Javed Anand, the general
secretary of the organisation.
The board
called for an end to the practice of triple talaq,
pointing out that it has been banned in every Islamic state
except Saudi Arabia, and asked for the reform of all personal
laws, saying they were all unfair to women.
This provoked
a certain section of the Muslim community here, which mounted
the campaign against Akhtar.
They chose
him and did not mention the names of the other members because
they felt he was a soft target as his “past” could be used
against him, said Anand.
For a week
while the campaign lasted, Akhtar was asked to be a Muslim
first, advised to stick to his profession and warned that
otherwise he would be put alongside Salman Rushdie and Taslima
Nasreen.
The
campaign brought up the subject of his divorce and questioned
his authority to speak on talaq. It also called him and
the other members “munafiqeen” — betrayers of Islam who
pretend to be Muslims — and said that post-9/11, a section of
Indian Muslims were acting on behalf of the US and Hindutva
forces against the community.
http://www.gunaah.com/drafts/article.php3?id=3846&name=SCOOPS%20AND%20NEWS&sid=14
Urdu Times: Inquiry
likely
By Our Correspondent,
Mumbai July 21: Mumbai Police Commissioner A N Roy promised prompt
inquiry in a complaint against Urdu Times, Mumbai news daily.
Accusing Urdu Times for launching a malicious communal
campaign, inciting religious hatred and violence against famous
lyricist and Muslim for Secular Democracy (MSD) President Mr. Javed
Akhtar, a delegation led by MSD convener Mr. Gulam Mohammad
approached Mr. Roy with a complain letter.
Speaking to the delegation Mr. Roy said, “He would soon, direct an
immediate investigation into their complaint against the editors,
publisher, proprietors and certain columnists of Urdu Times.”
Further Mr. Roy stated, “Media monitoring cell of Mumbai police had
already drawn its attention to certain reports and articles
published in the Urdu Times and police are seized of the
matter.”
The delegation, in a 6-page letter to the commissioner, complained
against Urdu Times for spreading holy abhorrence among Muslim
society.
The letter mentioned that MSD, a new all-India organization
committed to the promotion and protection of secular democratic
values launched at Mumbai on Gandhi Jayanti, October 2, 2003
received overwhelming response from majority of Muslims with
different socio-economic and educational backgrounds after
addressing large public meetings nation wide.
Not all Muslims, however, agreed with MSD’s secular-democratic
perspective, progressive outlook, aims and objects, one amongst them
was Urdu Times, which was highly critical of MSD since its
inception, avowed the letter
Further it stated that, MSD group members had no problems with
criticism per se as they are committed to fundamental rights,
freedom of conscience and a free press. But, now they are compelled
to demand a criminal prosecution against the daily since in the last
week or so, in blatant disregard of all norms of journalistic
ethics, it intensified its campaign of character assassination and
slander in its highly irresponsible attempt to spread hatred and
incite violence against MSD by projecting them as part of an
“international conspiracy against Muslims by the enemies of Islam”,
the letter held.
In order to illustrate their point precisely they also reproduced
excerpts translated in English from some of the news reports
published in Urdu Times.
Among the other things, the delegation members stressed before the
commissioner were that if any office-bearer or member of MSD is
physically harmed in the coming days, they would hold Urdu Times
fully responsible for the offence.
Further they stated that Urdu Times merely demonstrated it’s
own Talibani mind-set and it’s malicious intent by creating assorted
views on talaq. The delegation member pointed out that in no Muslim
countries does a Muslim male have the liberty to divorce his wife
instantly. Even in India it is only followers of “Hanafi section”
that defend the practice of triple talaq and in a July 4 meeting at
Kanpur, the very first resolution passed by All India Muslim
Personal Law Board was to launch a nationwide campaign against
‘wrongful’ practices of triple talaq, they said.
After calmly listening to the delegation members, Mr. Roy said,
“Mumbai police is fully committed to protecting every citizen’s
constitutional right to freedom of expression and his force would
act firmly against any group or organization that attempted to
stifle the voice of dissent through force or threat of violence.”
Mr. Roy also assured the delegation members that he would ask legal
cell of Mumbai police to examine the complaint and the attachment of
the inflammatory writings published in Urdu Times.
Apart from MSD group members, well-known playwright Vijay Tendulkar,
renowned film director Mahesh Bhatt and Yuva Kranti Dal President
Dr. Kumar Saptarshi have also demanded action against Urdu Times.
