Islam and the world

THE demise of the USSR seems to have brought in its wake feverish playing-up of the doctrine “The clash of civilizations” by Huntington. And strange as it is, every passing day gathers more and more of this fury against Islam and especially against the Holy Quran. The abhorring incidents in Guantanamo Bay and some very recent ones in Israel are, indeed, glaring instances of this hate campaign.

Although it is difficult to stem this rising tide of antipathy by quoting only from the book titled, “The History of Moorish Empire in Spain,” by Robert Briffault, I deem this as a modest attempt to enlighten in a humble way both the biased and unbiased to what Islam had actually contributed to the western culture and civilization a long time ago:

“We may well consider with admiration the rapid progress and enduring effects of this extraordinary religion which everywhere brought order, wealth, and happiness in its train... which fastened the graceful arches of cathedrals, which placed its seal upon the earth in the measurement of a degree, and inscribed its character in living light amidst the glittering constellations of the heaven: which has left its traces in the most familiar terms of the languages of Europe; which affords daily proof of its beneficent office in the garments that we wear, in the books that we read, in the grains of our hearths, in the fruit of our orchards, in the flowers of our gardens and even in the choir that we sing in our churches, and which gave rise to successive generations of sovereigns whose supreme ambition seemed to be to exalt the character of their subjects, to transmit un-impaired to posterity the inestimable knowledge, and to extend and perpetuate the intellectual empire of man.”

Furthermore, it will be quite in order to quote from western scholars, thinkers and philosophers, the first reference being made to George Bernard Shaw who in his book, “A Collection of Eminent Scholars”, 1933, writes: “I have studied him — Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) — the wonderful man, and in my opinion far from being anti-Christ, he must be called the saviour of humanity.”

Next in the context of the Holy Quran, I dare quote the world famous versatile German philosopher Goethe, who after reading the Quran said, “If this is Islam, then we all thinking individuals are Muslims.” Likewise, the greatest historian of science, Dr George Sarton, who in his monumental work, “Introduction to the History of Science”, writes that “the driving force behind the blossoming of science in Islam was the inspiration received from the Holy Quran about the natural phenomena as signs of Allah and exhortations to study”.

BRIG (retd) HABIBULLAH
BABAR
Rawalpindi

South Court

MR Sameen Khan (June 17) should get his facts right before urging Mr M. A. Jinnah’s daughter Dina Wadia to relinquish her claim over South Court on 2-Mount Pleasant Road, recorded in the Mumbai municipality under the title of her mother, Ruttie Mohammad Ali Jinnah nee Ruttie Dinshaw Petit. South Court did not belong to Mr Jinnah, though it was from there that the Pakistan Movement began on Dec 22, 1939 and that was the criterion for declaring the property evacuee in December 1949.

My father, the late Hajibhai Esmail Dossa, described how the ownership of South Court came to vest with Ruttie Jinnah. Mr Jinnah was my father’s lawyer for his firm in Bombay. My father said South Court was bought by Mr Jinnah from Sir Victor Sassoon in 1912. Six years after the purchase of South Court, he gifted it to his wife Ruttie Jinnah as ‘mehr’, verified in the log of Khoja Shia Isna’asheri Jamaat, Pala Gali Mosque, Samuel Road.

Mr Jinnah and Ruttie Dinshaw Petit were married on April 19, 1918. Ruttie Jinnah died on Feb 20, 1929.

Legal entity to South Court, eight decades after the demise of Ruttie Jinnah, has remained unmutated, unchanged. In the extracts of the city deputy collector, Mumbai, South Court is still documented under the nomenclature of Ruttie Jinnah. Residents of this mansion in December 1949 were Dina Neville Wadia, her son Nusli, daughter Diana. She was estranged from her husband Neville. South Court was due for inheritance by Dina, since she had made up with her father who died in Karachi on Sept 11, 1948. However, additional custodian of evacuee property Narimann Meher in Mumbai presidency declared South Court as evacuee in December 1949, demanding Dina Wadia’s eviction from the premises. The case is with the Mumbai High Court.

South Court would have been transferred to Mr Jinnah’s daughter Dina from the estate of her mother, Ruttie, but she was a minor, 11 when her mother died. On Nov 15, 1938 at the age of 20, Dina married Neville Wadia against the explicit wishes of her father. Mr Jinnah refused to endow South Court to his daughter. Papers were drafted just before Mr Jinnah expired on Sept 11, 1948, but things went awry with the introduction of evacuee law. After the death of Ruttie on Feb 20, 1929, Mr Jinnah was more at his alternative homes in Heath House, London (1929-38), and 10 Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi (1939-47). He was seldom with Dina in South Court after she separated from Neville in 1943. No way must Dina Wadia part with her mother Ruttie Jinnah’s heirloom South Court.

MOHAMMED AZIZ HAJI DOSSA
Karachi

I AM amazed at Mr Sameen Ahmed Khan’s queer logic about the law of inheritance with reference to the “Quaid’s house in Mumbai” (June 17) — logic that dispossesses, on the basis of religion, the Quaid’s sole legal heir, Ms Dina Wadia, of her deceased father’s assets which after partition remained in India.

Although being the only surviving child, irrespective of her creed, she cannot be deprived of her legal inheritance under any law.

It is a well-established principle that the legacy left by a parent is the birthright of his child that is bestowed on him/her by the very scheme of nature.

ALTAMASH MANZOOR H. KURESHI
Karachi

Message for Dr A.Q. Khan

THE news of Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan’s illness (June 17) has alarmed the nation. Since there is no way of conveying a message directly to him, one is pinning hope on these columns to help do it.

There are countless Pakistanis who feel indebted to the “father of the Pakistani bomb”, who is still their hero. Many of them would surely be praying for his recovery, like this correspondent.

From the news report it appears that excessive stress is the underlying cause of his health problems. To repay the debt I feel I owe him as a Pakistani, here are some suggestions, based on experience, that should help him to manage the stress and improve his health, while staying at home.

Some breathing exercises and meditation are invaluable in lowering tension and blood pressure. Acupressure offers very simple and remarkably effective remedies for tension, insomnia, angina, arteriosclerosis, hypertension and diverse cardiac problems.

For tension (and insomnia), someone should stand behind him and press the two points located one on each side of the vertebral column where the neck meets the shoulders in the plane of the back. These acupressure points can be located by probing the area with the thumbs until the twin stretches, each of about one cm diameter, are located that are tender or painful to touch.

They are to be pressed attentively with medium pressure simultaneously, inward and down, with the thumbs held at approximately 45-degree angle to the shoulders, for 10 minutes preferably at bedtime. The treatment is to be continued for as many days or weeks as these points are painful on being pressed. This has ended several patients’ dependence on sedatives for sleep.

For the treatment of angina there is only one point located just above the collar-bone, on the left side wall of the left sternocleidomastoid muscle (the nearly vertical muscle adjacent to the windpipe that becomes fully apparent when the head is turned completely to the right) where it terminates in the supraclavicular fossa (the soft tissue above the collar bone). If it is painful upon pressing, this means treatment is required.

He can even press it himself with the right index finger daily for 10 minutes with light-to-medium pressure. For his assurance let me add I have used these and other points as an amateur practitioner to successfully treat headaches, tension, insomnia, angina and congestive heart, among other things.

All the treatments can be found in the excellent book. “The Healing Benefits of Acupressure” by F.M. Houston, published by Keats Publishing, CT, USA. Unfortunately, it is unlikely to be available in Pakistan but some friend or relative of Dr Khan could send it from the US.

Depression can be kicked by applying cognitive therapy for which the old classic, “Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy” by David D. Burns (Signet, USA) still gets my highest recommendation. Some hobbies with a therapeutic effect could be writing (especially poetry), drawing, painting, calligraphy and music. The idea is to find the best medium / media for self- expression; poetry tops my list.

Doctor Sahib would probably be feeling very angry and bitter about his incarceration, which is natural, but such emotions are very bad for the heart. If he can learn to forgive those concerned by realizing that any other establishment would likely have done the same thing due to the enormous pressures involved, that will lead to mental peace and good health.

Our trials come to increase our faith, patience and self- knowledge. That which we deem to be unfortunate and evil can impart to us our most profound lessons. The trial ends when we are able to transcend the adversities. But, it is also true that “The finest steel gets sent through the hottest furnace.” I don’t pretend to be wiser than Dr Khan is, but sometimes we get overwhelmed and a reminder can help; this letter may also benefit some other readers.

A WELL-WISHER
Karachi

‘Hate in America’

THIS refers to Art Buchwald’s column ‘Hate in America’ (June 14). As an American travelling to Pakistan this summer, I disagree with some, if not most, of his views or quotes.

First, Americans are not taught to hate at young age. This may be a view expressed by the syndicated column writer.

My parents taught me to always respect one. My family comes from an interesting background. My mother is an American (born and raised in North Carolina) and my father is a Pakistani. I am a practising Muslim. Our religion teaches us to respect one, not to hate.

Before 9/11, many Americans would travel around the world without fear. But after 9/11 many Americans are afraid of travelling even outside their own towns owing to the fear of Arabs and people who have a Middle Eastern background.

I for one am not afraid of travelling, and will stand up for the many Americans and foreigners who love to travel and are not afraid of a group of people who claim that America has infidels and that all Christians and other people should burn in hell, just because they do not follow Islam. Many in the US are peace-loving, and even if they do not appear so, they most certainly are.

Many do not understand the reasons behind the attacks on the World Trade Centre and other terroristic attacks. But I understand why these have happened.

I do not acknowledge these attacks as correct or even in the name of Islam. I do believe these were attacks by people who were oppressed, who had the urge to show their strength and their courage to fight a people that they know nothing about.

Many of these Islamists take an extreme view of religion which I do not understand or agree with. This is why Americans today fear and hate others. The end to this should be through tolerance and education.

FAROOQ J. KHAN
Karachi

The Holy Quran

THIS is in response to Mr Sanjay Saxena’s letter (June 21). It is very heartening to know that people of other faiths are trying to understand Islam. In his letter Mr Saxena says that he often finds some Ayats of the Holy Quran very simple but the interpretations are rather complex. He says that the copy of the Holy Quran he has is printed in the Saudi Arabia.

I would like to tell him that the Saudis follow the Wahabi faction of Islam and to understand Islam completely he must study the interpretations by scholars of other factions as well.

AHMED ALI MEMON
Karachi

‘Costly consultants’

THIS is in response to Mr Mahmud Iqbal Baig’s letter (June 8), which followed my own of May 19 with reference to Dawn’s news item of May 14 and a related editorial of May 15.

One wishes Mr Baig had read the draft policy he attempted to criticize apparently on behalf, if not behest, of the ministry of youth affairs. I say this because Mr Baig has referred to an old document (John Ewen’s draft policy of ’93), which is not meant for public access. If he has seen or read that, it means he is either a part of the senior bureaucracy of the ministry or has been specially briefed in this regard. But regardless of who he is, here is my response.

Nowhere in my letter had I implied that the draft policy furnished to the ministry in February was a perfect document. Premising on the ground realities Pakistan’s younger generation is living with, at best it had proposed a plausible way out that in our view viably fits with the government’s limitations and the youth’s aspirations. The contents of the draft had widest possible endorsement of all the stakeholders.

As for “disturbing structural weaknesses” of the draft, it is stated that its structure followed international standards for youth policies. It has five sections: the first sets the context by enunciating policy perspective and principles and values, the second gives a situational analysis, the third articulates vision, aims and objectives, the fourth outlines youth action plan with three — short, medium and long term — phases, and the fifth section recommends implementation and monitoring strategy including financing and reviewing mechanisms.

The policy has been conceived within the constitutional framework and the development priorities of the government; it is not a national reform and reconstruction programme that should have suggested constitutional amendments, as Mr Baig expected.

The draft espouses four fundamental values that the Pakistani youth ought to be instilled with, i.e., “Pakistaniat” (love for the country and fellow citizens), “Rawadaari” (tolerance combined with mutual respect), vigour for honesty and hard work, and rigour for excellence and healthy lifestyles. “Enlightened moderation” is not a part of the draft.

The policy recognizes eight sets of challenges that Pakistan’s youth faces, i.e., inequality in access to resources and information enabling fuller participation in society, unemployment, lack of access to quality education, lack of health facilities, health education and lifestyle choices, dismal political participation, undervalued creativity and limited cultural avenues, and lack of sports, recreation and adventure.

It then proposes 10 aims and ensuing objectives that prescribe how to effectively cope with these challenges. The action plan and the implementation strategy place emphasis on positive engagement and involvement of non-governmental and private sectors with a bias that youth needs to be encouraged and supported to be the agency of their own transformation and change. It also asserts that if our youth as a national resource are managed well they will be a demographic bonus, or else they would become a demographic stress as is happening now.

The thinking behind the policy formulation is not rooted in the (so-called) modernization theory. We did draw on post-development understanding, that is, state/government ought to give people informed choices along with putting in place mechanisms that ensure equitable access to national resources and opportunities. Conceptually, it entails the government should put more emphasis on facilitation and support than regulation and control.

However, our draft required a formal feedback from the ministry, which was never given. Instead, the secretary decided to take lot more pains and pen a new draft in May 2005 — ironically, a repeat of history as another secretary did the same after Professor John Ewen’s “excellent” draft in 1993.

Such polemics will neither benefit the youth nor policy approval. I am, therefore, opting not to respond to any follow-up critique/debate on this issue.

For now, let’s pray that the ministry announces a policy. I believe a flawed but approved policy is far better than an excellent draft indifferently placed on the elegant table of disinterested bureaucrats. Long live Pakistan’s youth and good luck to youth policy.

ARSHED H. BHATTI
Director, Connective Action
Islamabad

‘Image and reality’

MAHJABEEN ISLAM, in her article ‘Image and reality’ (June 21), has taken Gen Musharraf to task for his remarks on the NGOs and their motives in arranging Mukhtaran Mai’s tour abroad. It is not often that one agrees with Gen Musharraf and disagrees with Ms Mahjabeen, but the issue requires deeper scrutiny.

What was allegedly done to Mukhtaran Mai was barbaric and disgraceful in the extreme but it was not unique by any means. In the United States alone, according to Oprah Winfrey, one woman is reported raped every minute (not counting the many times more cases that go unreported).

She also notes that 25 per cent of all the children in the US have been molested, mostly by members of the family or by priests and 25 per cent of the wives are victim of violence by their husbands. In her book, Death By Fire: Sati, Dowry Death, and Female Infanticide in Modern India, Mala Sen records that in the Indian state of Bihar alone more than 160,000 female infants are murdered at birth every year because their parents consider women to be a burden as they are not breadwinners.

We find neither the Americans rushing to parade their molested women around the world, nor the Indians splashing their brutality on TV screens and in the press abroad. They deal with the issues in the best way they can, at home, where they belong.

All that Mukhtaran Mai’s visit will achieve, apart from some donations for her, is notoriety abroad for the Muslim societies, in general, and Pakistan, in particular. This is hardly the outcome most of Pakistan’s well-wishers would desire.

It will most likely have a negative effect, if any, on the state of women in the country. Those among us who are old enough will recall the fate of Bashir Masih, a Christian boy, who was paraded abroad in a similar fashion about 20 years ago. It did not do him much good in the end and only helped to alienate his community and created divisions in society that had not had existed before. Washing one’s dirty linen in public is never a good idea, least of all, in difficult and sensitive times such as we are experiencing now.

K. HUSSAN ZIA,
Mississauga, Canada

Mushtaq Ali

THE late Lala Amarnath, captain of the Indian Test team, on his return from the tour of Australia in 1947, said at a reception in Mumbai (then Bombay), “How could I do any better when I had left both my hands behind, my right hand Mushtaq Ali and left hand Fazal Mehmood?”

There can be no better tribute for this duo who left this world one after the other in a fortnight’s time.

A. F. SHAIKH
Karachi