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Thursday, November 08, 2007


 

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   Islam in India


   

The Muslims, as the followers of Islam are known, form the second largest religious community in India accounting for over 11 percent of her total population.  Though spread over all parts of India, the ratio of Muslim population exceeds the national average in Lakshadweep Islands, Jammu & Kashmir, Assam and West Bengal.  Islam came to India along with the Muslim invasions.  It is a strictly monotheistic religion which professes the fatalistic acceptance of God's (Allah's) will.  It allows no 'graven images' to profane His worship.  Equality of all believers and a caste-free society are two other features of Islam.

Prophet Mohammed is believed to be the last and greatest of the prophets, and the Holy Koran, as revealed to him, is the sacred book of Islam.  The devout Muslim has five duties: belief in the one true God, i.e., Allah; praying five times a day, giving alms, a month's fast every year, and a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime.

 

 

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto threatened today to lead a mass protest heading to the capital unless President Pervez Musharraf quits as army chief, holds elections and restores the constitution. (Benazir Ultimatum To Pervez, Telegraph, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

Although Bollywood is much maligned for churning out mindless blockbusters, at times, it also obliquely depicts the ground realities. (Nation In Distress , Telegraph, Abhijit Bhattacharyya , Nov 08, 2007)

Former Prime Minister and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto today warned General Musharraf that she would launch a "long march" from Lahore to Islamabad next week if he failed to rescind the emergency, restore the Constitution and announced election schedule (Benazir Plans ‘Long March’, Tribune, Afzal Khan, Nov 08, 2007)

Bhutto, who flew into the capital from the southern city of Karachi on Tuesday to consult other opposition leaders on steps to oppose the emergency, said a public meeting scheduled for November 9 in the nearby garrison city of. . . (Take To The Streets, Bhutto Tells Pak , Deccan Herald, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

The last, wan defence but one is that Pakistan is too vast for any minority to rule effectively (Proud But A Failing State , Deccan Herald, Peter Preston, Nov 08, 2007)

Islamic militants have seized more than two-thirds of a key tourist valley in northwest Pakistan, despite a state of emergency imposed to tackle extremism, the police and residents said today. (Militants Seize Over Two-Thirds Of Swat Valley , Tribune, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

The former Pakistan Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, Wednesday urged the people to hold mass protests against the Emergency declared by President Pervez Musharraf, setting up a showdown with the military ruler. (Benazir Calls For Mass Protests, Hindu, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

Inspiration and motivation, undoubtedly increases effectiveness and efficiency. (Print Pick, Hindu, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

The scare tactics used by the U.K.’s MI5 chief this week may win a few headlines to help the state, but do grave long-term damage. (Fear Speeches Are Utterly Self-Defeating, Hindu, Simon Jenkins, Nov 08, 2007)

It may be that India remains the only stable democracy in this part of the world, but we are obliged to remember that our democratic habits and manners are under daily assault from different sources. (A Few Simple Lessons From Pakistan Statecraft, Hindu, Harish Khare , Nov 08, 2007)

Half a century ago D. D. Kosambi — whose birth centenary merits celebration at the national level — characterised the great uprising as ‘feudal’ and yet the final verdict on its significance was positive and it was perceived as a glorious struggle. (1857: What Does It Mean To Us?, Hindu, Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, Nov 08, 2007)

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf is likely to end emergency rule, that has drawn widespread international condemnation, in two to three weeks, the president of the country's ruling party told Dawn newspaper. (Pakistan Emergency Likely To End In 2-3 Weeks: Official, New Indian Express, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

From India's point of view, what can be the worst case scenario in Pakistan? It is the replacement of President Pervez Musharraf by a coalition of the Jamaat-e-Islami (Jamaat) and its allies, the Taliban-Al Qaeda combine and the fundamentalist . . . (Draft A Plan Of Action, Pioneer, Hiranmay Karlekar, Nov 08, 2007)

In modern times, a society's progress is measured by its achievements in the fields of intellect and technology. (Islam Can't Be Anachronism, Pioneer, A N Sudarsan Rao , Nov 08, 2007)

ONGOING political turmoil and deteriorating security have purportedly touched off the proclamation of emergency rule in Pakistan. (Other Voices - Pusto Press, Dawn, Editorial, Dawn, Nov 08, 2007)

REELING from serious setbacks on most foreign policy fronts, the Bush administration has undertaken a major effort to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Talk of the gambler’s last throw of the dice! (A Futile Peace Initiative, Dawn, Tariq Fatemi, Nov 08, 2007)

GEORGE Orwell understood both tyranny and language very well. One of his many insights in this context is that tyrannical governments change the meaning of words. (Emergency Or Martial Law?, Dawn, Editorial, Dawn, Nov 08, 2007)

From November 13, it will be former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto against Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf. (Benazir Announces March On Nov. 13, Asian Age, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

Undeterred by the Government's ban on public meetings under the Emergency rule, former Premier Benazir Bhutto-led Pakistan People's Party (PPP) on Wednesday vowed to go ahead with a planned rally in the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi on Friday. (Bhutto's Party Vows To Defy Ban On Rallies, Pioneer, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

Behind the public rage of Pakistan’s lawyers, who protested for a third day on Wednesday, lies a long-smoldering resentment toward the country’s military President, who at first held out a promise for educated, politically moderate Pakistanis. . . (Why Pak Lawyers Are At The Centre Of Protests Against General Musharraf, Indian Express, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

 

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