Indian Muslims Need United Leadership to Put an End to Their Woes

By IndianMuslims.info staff

The challenges Indian Muslims have been facing are many. Some of them like protection of mosques and other Waqf properties as well as lack of a united leadership made headlines in Urdu newspapers this week.

It is not that mosques are desecrated and demolished by communal and fascist forces alone as happened in the demolition of Babri Masjid; they are also desecrated by law and order machinery, razed in the name of clean-city demolition drive and locked in the name of protecting ancient monuments. On June 4 Rashtriya Sahara, Akhbar-e-Mashriq and Awam reported Indian Muslims’ plea to open 600 historical mosques in the country, 53 in Delhi alone, presently under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), to say 5 times daily prayers therein. Jamaat-e-Islami Hind emerged as the first Muslim organisation to raise this issue. Its Ameer Dr. Abdul Haq Ansari called upon the Union Government to open and make these mosques accessible forthwith for Muslims to pray. The report lamented the tragedy that Muslims are prohibited from offering prayers in these mosques while foreign tourists and ASI workers are given free hand to violate their sanctity (by playing cards and consuming liquor, etc.). Expressing his grave concern on this painful situation, the Harvard-educated Jamaat chief called the ban “illegal� and “unconstitutional�.

Earlier, former Jamaat Ameer Maulana Muhammad Yusuf, in his February 5, 1979 letter to the Union Minister of Housing and Waqf Sikandar Bakht, and his successor Maulana Abul Lais Islahi Nadwi, in his February 21, 1984 letter to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had also drawn the attention of the Government authorities to restore the usurped right of saying prayers in these mosques to the Muslims, the report added.

Two mosques, allegedly built on occupied lands at Yamuna Pushta in the Vikas Marg area of New Delhi were demolished in the wee hours of June 10. In a bid to make the city neat and clean enough to host the Commonwealth Games 2010, the government has launched the demolition drive for the last few weeks, rendering thousands of poor jhuggi-dwellers roofless. The said two mosques were however saved from demolition last month. But on court orders they were now razed, Allah Bakhsh, a member of Masjid committee told the Express (June 11). Citing opinions of different Ulema and leaders like Mufti Muhammad Mukarram Ahmed and Maulana Asrarul Haque Qasmi, the Express of June 12 enlightened the community that a mosque built on an occupied land is not acceptable in the eyes of Shari’ah.

Illegal occupation of Waqf properties is another problem confronting Indian Muslims. The Express of June 10 reported some people in illegal possession of 950-year-old Muslim graveyard in Nabi Kareem (Pahad Ganj) area of New Delhi. The report said though Tis Hazari Court in its February 4, 2005 judgement had directed the authorities to get the graveyard vacated yet the illegal possession has been continuing till date by greasing the palm of police personnel thanks to the apathy of law and order machinery.
The Urdu dailies of June 6 reported a joint survey conducted by Mr. Yugendra Yadav, Senior Fellow of Center for Study of Developing Societies, Freelance journalist Anil Chamadya, and Jitendra Kumar of Media Study Group. The survey has revealed that Muslim representation in national media is very low. While Indian Muslims are 13-14% of the total population (unofficially about 20%), they hold only 4% key posts in media. In the national capital, no Muslim holds topmost post in the mainstream media. However in Hindi electronic media Muslim representation is 6%. The survey, conducted between May 30 to June 3, covered 315 senior journalists of 37 English and Hindi newspapers and TV channels.

Indian Muslims need a strong and united leadership to tackle such problems. But, as the sectarian differences and leaders’ vested interests would have it, this much desired leadership is not that conspicuous. The Awam of June 10 reported Muslim leaders in the various political parties standing in the dock for their indifference to the community issues. Addressing a workshop on “Political Worthlessness of Muslims in Maharashtra: Causes & Remedies� held in Mumbai on June 8 under the aegis of Movement for Peace and Justice (MPJ), most of the speakers shared the view that Muslim leaders are slave to their respective political parties, and held them responsible for the present pathetic condition of Muslims. They called upon the Ulema and political leaders to devise unity in the rank and file of Muslims if they really care for the progress and development of the community, the report said.

All Urdu dailies of June 11 reported Shahi Imam Jama Masjid Delhi Maulana Syed Ahmad Bukhari’s launch of a United Democratic Front with former Union Minister C.M. Ibrahim as its chairman and Rahat Mahmood Choudhury, the Imam’s right hand, as its General Secretary. In view of the forthcoming Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh, the Imam also announced the formation of the Front’s UP chapter namely Uttar Pradesh United Democratic Front on the pattern of Assam United Democratic Front.

While the Qaumi Awaz was critical of the Imam’s announcement to this effect in such a meeting which could never be called ‘a representative session of Indian Muslims,’ the Awam editorially hailed the Front, and underlined the need of good, selfless leaders who could really serve the community rising above differences of sorts. In the Express of June 12, Syed Atharuddin of Meerut, in his regular humorous column, Rab Hi Janey! (Only God Knows!), made light of the situation in which Muslims are getting ‘united’ under the banners of Imam Bukhari, Haji Yaqoob Qureshi, Kalb-e-Jawwad, Jamiatul Ulema, Mulayam Singh and V.P. Singh. His Buddhu exclaims: when Muslims are getting united so vehemently they will sure get strengthened, won’t they? Pat came the reply from Masterji: Rab Hi Janey Buddhu!

The Express of June 6 covered a symposium on reservation organised by Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO). Addressing the symposium, the organisation’s president Zameer Qadri called upon the authorities concerned to contain dropout cases if they really wanted to reap real benefits of reservation. The Mashriq of June 9 however reported Muzaffariya Educational and Welfare Trust holding an All India Educational Conference at Ghalib Academy where Mufti Rifaqat Husain Qasmi underlined the importance of modern education for madrasa graduates, and Maulana Asrarul Haq Qasmi emphasised the strengthening of primary education to provide the children with solid foundation.

Though Indian Muslims feel step-motherly treatment meted out to Urdu, there is some good news from Bihar, where Urdu, the second official language in the State, is now the second official language in the State Assembly as well. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made an announcement to this effect on June 9. Welcoming Mr. Kumar’s initiative, president Urdu Development Organisation Bihar Nasim Ahmad said the Chief Minister has also launched an Urdu half-yearly journal Tarjuman-e-Assembly and decided to run the proceedings of the Assembly in Urdu also (the Awam, June 10).