The Interview with JIH President
Read three-part interview in Radiance of 8, 15 & 22 July 2023 by Janab Syed Sadatullah Hussaini, President Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. It was a great interview with no-holds-barred answers from him. Replies coming from his heart (not from mouth) proves that he is a simple, sober, down-to-earth, frank and dedicated personality.
We, the Muslims, require more such personalities for the progress of community and our dear nation.
May his tribe grow.
Farooq AbdulgafarBawani
Rajkot, Gujarat, India
History Rewriting in Kashmir
Hate and polarisation is continuing in Kashmir. According to a report in The Wire (July 23), the works of two critically-acclaimed Kashmiri writers have been dropped from the curriculum by two leading universities of Kashmir without an explanation. The University of Kashmir has dropped three poems by Kashmiri-American poet Agha Shahid Ali along with author and journalist Basharat Peer’s memoir from the curriculum of a post-graduate programme in English. Shahid’s famous poems – ‘Postcard from Kashmir’, ‘In Arabic’ and ‘The Last Saffron’ – and Peer’s Curfewed Night were taught in the third semester of the Masters of Arts (English) course at the university. The university has also removed the syllabus of the two-year masters programme from its website. Sources said that the syllabus will become accessible “once it has been updated.”
A similar decision to discontinue Shahid’s two poems, ‘I see Kashmir from New Delhi at Midnight’ and ‘Call me Ishmael Tonight,’ was taken by the Cluster University Srinagar (CUS).
This is part of ongoing history rewriting in India.
Prince Faisal
New Delhi
US Double-dealing
A July 20 news reports said that the US sharply denounced the storming of Sweden’s embassy in Iraq. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that while “freedom of peaceful assembly is an essential hallmark of democracy,” the assault on the diplomatic mission “was an unlawful act of violence.” In a statement, Miller said, “It is unacceptable that Iraqi Security Forces did not act to prevent protestors from breaching the Swedish Embassy compound for a second time and damaging it. We are in contact with our Swedish partners and have offered our support. Foreign missions should not be targets of violence.”
This is indeed unlawful and unacceptable; it should earn condemnation from all quarters. But the question is why didn’t the US react equally sharply when a copy of the Divinely Revealed Book, The Qur’ān was burnt in Sweden; and that too with the permission of Swedish administration?! Is there one policy for ‘us’ and quite contrary for ‘others’? This will not work. Miller’s remarks on the burning of Sweden’s Iraq embassy, despite its being in the fitness of things, shows US double-dealing.
Tarique Hasan
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
Türkiye, Saudi Arabia Bonhomie
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia signed a series of deals encompassing investment, the defence industry, energy and communications during the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Saudi city of Jeddahon July 17.The Turkish leader arrived in Saudi Arabia as part of a three-day Gulf tour to strengthen ties.On the first leg of his trip, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud and other officials welcomed Erdogan at the airport in Jeddah.Saudi Arabia also has invited Turkish companies to take part in the country’s Vision 2030 initiative. The Vision 2030 programme aims to reduce the Saudi economy’s dependence on oil and diversify the economy with dozens of projects planned for the public service sector. However, these deals reflect a welcome bonhomie between Türkiye and Saudi Arabia.
Muhammad Rizwan
Yanbu, Saudi Arabia