Those who do not attend Friday prayers “should simply be killed. Slit their throats!”: Deoband

Islam and Tolerance 24 Sep 2009, NewAgeIslam.Com Those who do not attend Friday prayers "should simply be killed. Slit their throats!": Deoband A person greatly admires Hazrat Maulana Rashid Gangohi, the outstanding scholar who was one of the founders of the Deoband madrasa. The gentleman to whom I refer is a kindly soul, who can be depended upon for help by others. However, when in the course of conversation I chanced to remark that the most basic virtue lay in kindness towards others, he contradicted me. Kindness, he contended, was reserved for "pious, practicing Muslims". As for others, they should be given...

Love and Marriage as part of Islamic Jihad or a Hindutva conspiracy? Translated from Urdu by Raihan Nezami)

Muslims and Islamophobia 24 Sep 2009, NewAgeIslam.Com Love and Marriage as part of Islamic Jihad or a Hindutva conspiracy? This controversy started when two Muslim students of M.B.A fell in love with two Hindu girls studying in the same college in Trivandrum. The evolution of such delicate emotional relationships over time among college students is no bolt from the blue, but in this case its consequences were atrocious. This affair led to the expulsion of the Muslim students on the ground of creating trouble in college premises. This intimate relationship continued even after leaving the college, ultimately...

Gilgit-Baltistan autonomy package wins few friends

Islam and Politics 25 Sep 2009, NewAgeIslam.Com Gilgit-Baltistan autonomy package wins few friends About the only thing that has been welcomed in the autonomy package is the renaming of the area as Gilgit-Baltistan, which better conveys that people with a distinct identity live in that region.Identity is key to the grievances of Gilgit-Baltistan people, estimated at 1.5 million since the last count in 1998. They do not consider themselves Kashmiri and have little in common with them. The majority are Shia, and a significant number are Ismaili. They belong to several non-Kashmiri ethnicities, and speak a host...

Madrasas: How They Survive and Why These Institutions are Proliferating?

Islamic Society 24 Sep 2009, NewAgeIslam.Com Madrasas: How They Survive and Why These Institutions are Proliferating? Zakaat is meant for the poor and the needy. The money can also be used for supporting religious education, especially for poor students. So, a major share of it goes to the Madrasas. Generally, during Ramazaan more zakaat is paid, for two reasons: Generally, people calculate their year taking Ramazaan as the standard. But more important reason is that if any good deed is done during Ramazaan, it attracts more 'sawaab' (return from God) compared to other times. This is the reason that it is common to find the teachers/ volunteers/managers from...

General Zia's Death, a Criminal Conspiracy

Current affairs 25 Sep 2009, NewAgeIslam.Com General Zia's Death, a Criminal Conspiracy General Zia ul Haq lived and died for Islam and Islamic cause. Having defeated and disintegrated Soviet Union, he was dreaming of Islamic reminiscence and translating Muslim unity into one ummah. This could have caused alarm for those believing in the opposite. The Plant at Kahuta, still in its infancy needed to be nursed and fertilized with blood. For his patriotism, commitment and aspirations, President Zia ul Haq was a willing donor. Pakistan under him could not be deterred from pursuing nuclear path without his taking....