Sinners and Saints, Spiritual Meditations, NewAgeIslam.com

Spiritual Meditations

Sinners and Saints

By Jug Suraiya

The 'scandal' of Nithyananda is of course not a scandal at all. A needless brouhaha has been created about self-styled 'godmen' who turn out to be satyrs in holy garb, sinners disguised as saints. Such distinctions would be meaningless both for the hedonist as well as the spiritualist. In Tantricism, for instance, to name just one spiritual discipline, sex is only a means to attain a higher level of consciousness, as are alcohol and narcotics, both of which are commonly viewed as vices.

However, the Catholic church's cover-up of alleged paedophilia and the 'sex guru' episode might revive that old chestnut: the nature of 'good' and 'evil', the difference between saints and sinners, angels and demons. Are good and evil polar opposites, implacable adversaries, like matter and anti-matter, absolute in themselves? That was the heretical Manichean worldview. This presented the problem of two absolutes, good and evil, or two infinities, which is a logical impossibility. In orthodox Christian theology, evil is not absolute in itself; it is an absence, a retraction of the good, the way a shadow is the lack of light. But this means that absolute good, or infinity, can be restricted, which again is logically impossible.

In the Indic perspective, good and evil aren't two sides of the same coin; they are the same side of the same coin. Or, to use the analogy of light, good and evil represent the two ends of the same spectrum, which ranges from infrared to ultraviolet. Seen in this light - both literally and metaphorically - good and evil are part of the same continuum, but at different margins of the same scale.

http://newageislam.com/sinners-and-saints/spiritual-meditations/d/2746

Contextually Relevant Ijtihad and a Culture of Intellectual Criticism, Ijtihad, Rethinking Islam, NewAgeIslam.com

Ijtihad, Rethinking Islam

Contextually Relevant Ijtihad and a Culture of Intellectual Criticism

By Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2008

Translated by Yoginder Sikand

To coolly and dispassionately listen to criticism is proof that one is not immersed in a personality cult. It is evidence that what is important for one is a principle, not a particular person. A true intellectual will accept the critique of an individual, including himself or someone whom he cherishes, but will not accept that a cherished principle be violated. This can only happen when the true spirit of religion is alive in a person. But when a community declines, people start blindly imitating certain supposed leaders and refuse to tolerate any criticism of them. They do not display the same zeal for defending principles as they do for defending these hallowed individuals. This is why they cannot tolerate criticism. And when they are faced with any criticism of these leaders of theirs they become enraged. This indicates that they are yet to reach the stage of the proper realisation of the Truth. They erroneously conflate some cherished individuals and their views with the Truth.

The Benefits of Criticism

To critique someone’s views is not to abuse him or to unnecessarily find fault with him. Rather, this sort of intellectual critique is a blessing. It opens new doors of knowledge and uncovers new aspects and dimensions of various issues. It leads to intellectual sharing between the critic and the person subject to critique, and this equally benefits both and helps expand their intellectual horizons. Genuine critique is actually an intellectual gift that is presented by the critic to the person whose views he critiques. This is why the second [Sunni] Caliph Umar Farooq asked for God to extend his mercy to those who presented him the gift of pointing out his faults.

http://newageislam.com/contextually-relevant-ijtihad-and-a-culture-of-intellectual-criticism--/ijtihad,-rethinking-islam/d/916

Prime Minister Gilani's first trip to the US: More downs than ups, Islam and the West, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and the West

Prime Minister Gilani's first trip to the US: More downs than ups

Saturday, August 02, 2008

On a slightly more positive note, the prime minister's pleasant personality seems to have won him some friends. He also spoke consistently of the need to combat terror for the sake of Pakistan and not the US, and this too has gone down well. But in the final analysis, the prime minister has failed to prove, despite his repeated claims, that he is his 'own' man. Most citizens in Pakistan are convinced that real decision making takes place elsewhere. US leaders too seem to have understood, at the end of the visit, that this is the reality of the new Pakistan. The visit indeed was seen in the US as an opportunity to assess the current Pakistani leadership. Some key analysts in Washington are now reported to have expressed concern over the nature of the setup in Pakistan and seem unconvinced that Mr Gilani has the dynamism needed to rescue the country from its state of crisis. This may be a rather harsh judgment on a man who has moved into the prime ministerial hot seat only months ago. While he may not be an especially slick speaker, Mr Gilani has shown he speaks from the heart. This in itself is a rare quality. But the fact is that life in public office is tough and the demands it imposes are formidable. There are questions at present over whether the prime minister has so far come up to the mark.

http://newageislam.com/-prime-minister-gilani-s-first-trip-to-the-us--more-downs-than-ups/islam-and-the-west/d/399

Kashmir: The present crisis too can be overcome, NewAgeIslam.com

Current affairs

Kashmir: The present crisis too can be overcome

The first step toward turning the tide of the agitation in the State will require making it absolutely clear that it will remain an integral part of India, come what may, and Jammu and Kashmir will not be separated.Apart from the blunders by the Jammu & Kashmir Government -- which have been discussed too threadbare to require reiteration -- one reason why the violent movement in the Valley has snowballed is the belief that the Government of India is losing the will to fight indefinitely to retain the State as an integral part of the country, and that a prolonged, massive upsurge will undermine whatever resolve it still has and force it to give independence to the Valley. This belief, which has to some extent been reinforced by some Indian eminences favouring independence for Kashmir, must immediately be shown as totally delusory.

http://newageislam.com/kashmir--the-present-crisis-too-can-be-overcome/current-affairs/d/649

Terror, bombs and torture, Islam,Terrorism and Jihad, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam,Terrorism and Jihad

Terror, bombs and torture

By Aqil Shah

But the clear-cut choice presented in the ticking bomb scenario is simplistic and misleading. For one, mass terror plots rarely involve a single bomber. Second, there is no evidence on how many actual bombs have been defused under such conditions. Third, the crude ends-means logic of the whole concept unravels on close examination: for every terrorist tortured, many more innocent people are likely to get whacked to a pulp. Not to mention the psychological costs they might suffer. And torture is a slippery slope. Once a government decides that torture is justified à la the Bush administration, there is no limit to the dehumanising cruelty government agents can inflict on an alleged terrorist. Think Abu Ghraib and Gitmo.

http://newageislam.com/terror,-bombs-and-torture/islam,terrorism-and-jihad/d/37

Call to take inspiration from poet Sufia Kamal’s works to establish equal rights of women, Islamic Society, NewAgeIslam.com

Islamic Society

Call to take inspiration from poet Sufia Kamal’s works to establish equal rights of women

Kamal’s work for women’s rights

Bangla Academy organised the function, entitled ‘Sufia Kamal’s devotion to poetry’ with eminent poet and former Jahangairnagar University vice-chancellor Zillur Rahman Siddiqui in the chair.

Professor of Bangla at Dhaka University Bishwajit Ghosh presented the keynote paper on the occasion. Writers Selina Hossain, Mofidul Hoque and director general of the academy Syed Mohammad Shahed spoke on the occasion. Praggha Laboni recited poems from Sanjher Maya at the function held in the seminar room of the academy in Dhaka.

Bishwajit said, ‘Sufia Kamal was one of the very few Muslim woman poets who have enriched Bangla poetry. She had established herself in the realm of poetry during the influential era of some renowned poets in the 1930s.’

‘Sufia Kamal has become an inspiration to all Bengalis through her 70-year of works relating to poetry,’ he added.

http://newageislam.com/call-to-take-inspiration-from-poet-sufia-kamal%E2%80%99s-works-to-establish-equal-rights-of-women/islamic-society/d/119