Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Killing The Inner Darkness

By Staff Reporter, *Thousands gravitate to Lahore for Mela Chiraghan* - Daily Times - Karachi, Pakistan
Saturday, March 27, 2010

Nearby roads dotted with stalls, all local food and delicacies on sale, dhamaals become a common sight. Lighting of earthen lamps a Sufi metaphor for ‘killing the inner darkness’ that people live with. Last day of the urs devoted to women, who throng the shrine in large numbers.

Lahore: Mela Chiraghan, or the Festival of Lights, which marks the birth of Sufi saint Hazrat Shah Hussain – also known as Madho Lal Hussain – began on Friday night. Thousands of devotees gathered from across the country to attend the inaugural ceremony of the three-day urs that will start today (Saturday).

Madhu Lal’s syncretic shrine – situated in Baghban Pura near the Shalimar Gardens – represents the long-gone era of spirituality rising above religious identities and rituals. The urs of Shah Hussain will continue until March 29 and hundreds of thousands of devotees are expected to throng the tomb.

During the three-day urs celebrations, the whole of Baghbanpura and surround areas come alive with different colourful activities and an atmosphere of ecstacy and joy prevails. Devotees distribute langar and lay floral wreaths and chaadars at the graves of Shah Hussain and Madho Lal Hussain.

Unbridled joy: The roads leading to the shrine are dotted with stalls, while locals have also set up television sets showing dances performed at stage shows or to entertain the devotees. All sort of food items are on sale: gol gappas, fruit chaats, qatlamas, sweetmeats and even bhang-laced pappars. Dhamaals [Trance dances] become a common sight as numerous groups of unbridled devotees dance to the beat of dhols.

Sufi metaphor: During the festival, devotees light thousands of earthen lamps and candles. The lighting of lamps is a Sufi metaphor for killing the ‘inner darkness’ that humans live with.

According to Sufi teachings, by invoking ‘spiritual light’ through love and self-knowledge, people can overcome their ‘inner demons’ and attain the mystical state of union with the Beloved [God].

Devotees also toss candles into a large mach (bonfire) as legend has it that anyone doing this would be granted their wish by God. Some believe that their prayers would be granted if they sit close to the fire.

A large segment of the festival crowd comprises young people and malangs, most of whom seem to be smoking hash-laced cigarettes.

A great number of malangs and malangnees [qalandars] were witnessed setting up tents around the shrine to celebrate the urs in their traditional style while chaylays were busy decorating the tents and preparing langar to host the increasing flux of devotees.

Females only: Women also perform dhamaals as a ritual. The last of the three days is made exclusive for women who come in large numbers to the shrine. A large number of foreigners also visit the shrine. Folk singers hailing from different parts of the country spend days and nights at the shrine and sing Hussain’s poetry.

All Sufis Of Pakistan

By Staff Reporter, *PAL geared up to host ‘Literary and Cultural Fest’* - Daily Times - Karachi, Pakistan
Saturday, March 27, 2010

Islamabad: Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) has planned to organise an international festival titled ‘Literary and Cultural Festival 2011’ next year to present soft image of Pakistan all over the world.

Fakhar Zaman, chairman PAL, said this on Friday while giving a briefing about successful celebration of ‘International Conference on Sufism and Peace’.

He said that the main objective of the next year’s ‘Literary and Cultural Festival’ is to demonstrate enlightened image of Pakistan. Talking about the recently held moot on Sufism, Zaman said that the primary objective of this conference was to present the true picture of Pakistan before international delegations that was love, tolerance and brotherhood.

“The way the indigenous and foreign media gave us coverage, we consider ourselves quite successful, as over 80 intellectuals, writers, and poets from 35 countries, participated in conference,” he said adding 200 intellectuals and writers from Pakistan also participated in that moot.

The PAL chief said arranging ‘International Conference on Sufism and Peace’ was the dream of Benazir Bhutto, which came true. He said that on the prestigious occasion of international conference, PAL had announced some publications, including Pakistan Kay Sufi Shuara’ra in Urdu, Chinese, English, Spanish, and French.

Beside international conference, Zaman briefed the audience about future projects of the academy. “In our future projects, the most important one is an international conference on which we have started work. In previous conferences I have already announced the establishment of a literary TV channel and FM channel, it’s a grand project on which we have started work and we are trying to accomplish it in coming three months,” Zaman added.

“We have full cooperation of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. This is also their desire to establish literary TV and radio channels in Pakistan,” he said.

He said that PAL had decided to celebrate 2011 as the Year of Faiz Ahmed Faiz. In this regard on February 13, 2011, birthday of Faiz will be celebrated in a national conference in which writers and intellectuals from all over the country would be invited.

“PAL has started construction of Faiz Ahmed Faiz Auditorium on its premises, which is going to be completed very soon,” he said.

Zaman said PAL is going to arrange ‘Sufi Conferences’ in provincial capitals, in which the papers will be presented on all Sufis of Pakistan.

He said that the academy has already started writers exchange programme with other countries.

“The latest development in this regard is this that on the occasion of international conference on Sufism and peace, we have decided to start writers exchange programme with Sweden, Austria, Italy, Morocco, Algeria, Nepal, Azarbaijan , and Tajikistan,” PAL chairman said.

The PAL chairman said that the academy in its publication projects had decided that it would publish separate books on the literature of Pakistan’s regional languages since 1947-2008.

He said PAL‘s future publication project is “Translating Pakistani and International Literature.”

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Seven Doctrines

By Gihan Shahine, *'A good choice after all'* -Al-Ahram Weekly - Cairo, Egypt
25 - 31 March 2010 / Issue No. 991

Will the appointment of a new grand sheikh restore Al-Azhar's credibility?

Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, who has served as president of Al-Azhar University since 2003, was appointed grand sheikh of Al-Azhar last week, the institution's top cleric, with the appointment immediately causing a heated public debate.

El-Tayeb, who also served as Egypt's mufti between 2002 and 2003, succeeded Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, who died of a heart attack in Saudi Arabia on 10 March at the age of 81.

El-Tayeb is widely perceived as being a government affiliate owing to his membership of the ruling National Democratic Party's (NDP) policies committee, and critics are concerned that his loyalty to the government, rather than his scholarly achievements, may have been the main reason why he was given precedence over other candidates nominated for the job, including Egypt's present Mufti Ali Gomaa.

Amr Hashem Rabei, a researcher and political analyst at the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, is among the staunchest critics of the new appointment, saying that the grand sheikh of Al-Azhar holds a prestigious position in the Muslim world, and this being so he should be completely independent.

Rabei speculated that, "as is the case with other government sectors, the regime, out of a sense of weakness, is trying to select leaders whom it trusts will toe the government line."

However, El-Tayeb's academic achievements outweigh those of many of his rivals, and he is thought of as moderate and enlightened cleric who promotes dialogue with the West. El-Tayeb received his doctoral degree from France's Sorbonne University in Paris, and he has written or translated works on science, Marxism and Islamic philosophy and culture.

Since his appointment, El-Tayeb has been much in evidence on television and in the press. In a televised interview with presenter Mona El-Shazli, El-Tayeb insisted that his being a member of the NDP and Al-Azhar's top cleric were two separate issues.

His loyalty to Al-Azhar was unquestionable, he said, and he refuted charges that the regime or the NDP had put pressure on Al-Azhar during his service as president of the institution or as mufti.

Prominent writer and expert on Islamic affairs Fahmy Howeidy welcomed the appointment as a "good choice after all", not paying much attention to the fact that El-Tayeb was an NDP member since "the regime would choose a government loyalist."

What might distinguish El-Tayeb from his predecessor was the fact that "he is more eloquent, has a better temper and is perhaps more pious than Tantawi was," Howeidy said.

However, Howeidy said that though El-Tayeb's appointment may be meant to "improve the image of the historic institution," restoring Al-Azhar's credibility was not an option since "the political environment, in which freedoms and rights are already curtailed, will not allow it."

Dependent on the state since the 1952 Revolution, Al-Azhar's staff, including its grand sheikh, have been turned into government employees, with the grand sheikh holding a rank analogous to that of prime minister.

The grand sheikh of Al-Azhar is appointed by presidential decree and remains in office for life. According to Sheikh Gamal Qotb, former head of Al-Azhar's fatwa council, the nature of the appointment means that the grand sheikh has little genuine independence, resulting in a loss of Al-Azhar's credibility.

Sometimes seen as being little more than a mouthpiece for the government, there is almost a consensus among analysts that Al-Azhar will not be able to restore its former prestige unless it regains its independence and its grand sheikh is elected by a committee of senior clergy and does not remain in post for life.

However, Qotb is optimistic that the new grand sheikh's philosophical background and academic achievements will "perhaps lend him more creativity and eloquence in achieving compromise".
Howeidy is equally optimistic that El-Tayeb will "not allow Al-Azhar's dignity to be lost, since he seems to fear God more than he fears the regime, and he has already been tactful when dealing with difficult issues."

Nevertheless, El-Tayeb is known for his hardline stance against the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition group. In 2006, he condemned a military-style parade by Brotherhood students at Al-Azhar University, in which they wore black facemasks "like Hamas, Hizbullah and the Republican Guard in Iran".

El-Tayeb has angered some conservative Muslims for being a critic of outward manifestations of piety such as the veil or the wearing of beards, which he has described as possibly coming at the expense of true spiritual development.

He supported his predecessor's ban on the niqab, or full face veil, among female Al-Azhar students on the grounds that it was not a religious obligation in Islam.

More ticklish issues are also on the new grand sheikh's agenda, Rabei saying that the stance Al-Azhar takes on resistance in the occupied Palestinian territories and rigging in the upcoming elections will help decide the degree of El-Tayeb's independence from the government.

Born in Upper Egypt in 1946, El-Tayeb joined an Al-Azhar affiliated school at the age of 10, and has enjoyed a career spanning 40 years at the institution. He became a faculty member at Al-Azhar University before becoming head of the philosophy department.

An ardent student, El-Tayeb's teachers included distinguished scholars such as Sheikh Abdallah Deraz, Ali Abdel-Qader and Abdel-Halim Mahmoud, who all managed to adapt their traditional upbringings to achieve coexistence with the foreign countries where they obtained their higher degrees.

"In college, we were introduced to seven doctrines, including those of the Shia and Sufism, and told they were all correct, something that distinguishes Al-Azhar from the world's other Islamic universities," El-Tayeb previously told the Weekly.

"Every student is free to follow the doctrine of his choice," and this has always meant that Egyptians are more tolerant, and less susceptible to extremist thinking, than people in some other Muslim countries, El-Tayeb said.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Sükran Köyü

By Vercihan Ziflioglu, *New Turkish art village to express gratitude to Anatolia* - Hürriyet Daily News - Istanbul, Turkey
Wednesday, March 24, 2010

In a unique new art project, one of the main builders of Istanbul’s French Street will establish a new village entirely devoted to art in the Central Anatolian province of Konya, home of the Sufi poet Rumi. Known as the ‘Village of Gratitude,’ the site will have room for painting and sculpture workshops, concert halls and locations for film

Turning the popular belief that the Central Anatolian province of Konya is a bastion of conservatism on its head, a new art initiative is planning to build a massive village dedicated solely to art.

The building of “Sükran Köyü” (the Village of Gratitude), will be directed by Mehmet Taşdiken, founder and executive board chairman of Istanbul’s Fransız Sokağı (French Street), previously known as Cezayir Street.

Taşdiken said the project, which is slated for completion in June, had great significance for him personally. “I was born in the Çavuş village of Konya. I have never forgotten the richness that this land gave to me. After long years I will go to my village to express my gratitude to it. This is why I have named it the ‘village of gratitude.’”

Konya, a province with a fast-growing industrial base, is best known as the final resting place of Rumi, a famous Sufi who settled in the city in the 13th century and began a Sufi order that preached tolerance and brotherhood.

Film setting in the village
According to Taşdiken, the art village, which will be built on a large, open plot of land, will be primarily constructed using bricks and soil so as to blend in with its surroundings.

Experts from Istanbul Technical University, meanwhile, are closely supervising the construction of the village that will host 45 structures, including painting and sculpture workshops, as well as concert halls.

Locations to shoot films, as well as the Cinema-Television and Plastic Arts departments of the Konya Selçuk University will also open in the village.

Taşdiken said the village would be located five kilometers away from Konya’s city center.
Although such a comprehensive arts center might be perceived as a tourist attraction, Taşdiken said he had no plans to promote the village as a tourist site so as to prevent its commercialization.

“When tourism is highlighted in a place, its value decreases and materiality comes to the fore. The system is indexed to money. We hope that the Village of Gratitude will be a place full of art and culture. We want artists to create their works in peace,” Taşdiken said.

Conservative Konya?
Apart from Rumi, Konya is most closely associated with political and social conservatism within the court of Turkish public opinion. Taşdiken, however, said: “I don’t agree that Konya is a conservative city. Unfortunately, our media and politicians portray Konya as a conservative city. This is wrong.”

He said the villagers of Çavuş would be invited to all the art events at the village.

Giving another example from Anatolia, Taşdiken said, “Until 10-15 years ago, being Anatolian was regarded as a drawback and was shameful. The people of Istanbul used to denigrate Anatolians, saying ‘provincial people.’ It was like a label on people.”

Taşdiken said he had similar difficulties while he was a student, but never denied his hometown. “Times have changed quickly. It is not a disadvantage to be an Anatolian anymore, but an advantage.”

Taşdiken has received extensive support from the Foundation for the Promotion and Protection of the Environment and Cultural Heritage, or ÇEKÜL, as well as Çavuş Municipality.

Picture: Mehmet Taşdiken. Photo: Hürriyet Daily News.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Together For Peace

Staff report: *Govt committed to protecting rights of minorities: Zardari* - Daily Times - Pakistan
Thursday, March 25, 2010

President for preserving, developing ancient cultural heritage of Gandhara to promote inter-faith harmony, revive tourism industry

Islamabad: The government is committed to protecting the rights and privileges of minorities, as enshrined in the constitution to bring them into the mainstream of national life, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Wednesday.

Talking to a 10-member delegation of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) led by its Secretary General Phallop Thaiarry at the Presidency, Zardari said the government had taken vigorous steps to protect the rights of minorities, which included allocation of five percent quota in government jobs, twofold increase in minorities’ development fund, establishment of skills development centres, commemoration of August 11 as the Minority Day and establishment of inter-faith harmony committees at the district level across the country.

Preservation: The president said that the government was keen to preserve and develop the ancient cultural heritage of Gandhara, not only as a means to promote inter-faith harmony but also to revive tourism in the country.

He said the Buddhist stupas (dome-shaped monument, used to house Buddhist relics) and monasteries in Gandhara, which are very sacred for Buddhists, are an important part of our historic culture.

He said the government had always welcomed tourists and foreign visitors to these sacred religious sites in Pakistan. Zardari also appreciated the various steps proposed by the WFB to promote Gandhara heritage of Pakistan, which included the establishment of a Gandhara chair in any of the renowned universities, association of the WFB with some of Pakistani institutions and the translation of literature on Gandhara.

Referring to the link between the civilisations of Pakistan and Thailand, the president said that the two countries enjoy cordial relations and had worked together for peace and regional stability.

Talking to Daily Times, Dr Anil Sakya, who is a monk by birth and is part of the WFB delegation, said that Buddhism and Sufism of the sub-continent had almost similar methodology. “Some elements of Sufism might be influenced by Buddhist practice,” he said. “I was born in Katmandu (Nepal) in 1960. I started my practices as a monk when I was 14 years old,” said Dr Anil, who has done his doctorate in anthropology.

He said a monk has to learn so many teachings based on meditation and self-control, however, modern education is also part of monks’ syllabus.

He seemed quite satisfied with the security arrangements made for his delegation in Pakistan. “We have visited Taxila. The people of Pakistan are friendly and kind,” he said.

Phallop Thiarry told Daily Times at a dinner arranged by the Ministry of Tourism at Damn-e-Koh that it was a great opportunity for him and his delegation to visit the culturally rich country.

“It is my first trip to Pakistan, and people here are very nice and friendly,” he said.

[Picture: map of ancient India. Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandhara]

In Unidentified Places

By SAPA/ Staff Reporter, *Rebels destroy more tombs* - News 24 - South Africa
Thursday, March 25, 2010

Mogadishu - Somalia's hardline rebels on Thursday destroyed more tombs of Sufi clerics as they intensified a drive to stop what they term "grave worshipping" by moderate Islamists.

Heavily-armed Shebab militia on Tuesday exhumed and took away the remains of a Sufi cleric buried in Mogadishu 30 years ago.

"The raids are continuing for the third day and we have excavated around seven graves so far," said Sheik Said Karatay, the Shebab official in charge of the tomb raids.

"We take their remains and rebury them in unidentified places to avoid them being recognised by people who continue worshiping them," he told reporters in Mogadishu.

"The operations will go on until we eradicate the culture of worshipping graves."Witnesses said the Shebab militia chanted "God is great" as they dug up and destroyed the graves using hammers and hoes.

Sufism, which is dominant in Somalia, emphasises the mystical dimension of Islam and includes practices considered as idolatry and innovations in the conservative Wahhabi current of Islam adopted by the Shebab.

The Shebab, who control much of the lawless Horn of Africa country, have set up a unit to destroy all tombs respected by Sufi Muslims.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Sufism Decreases Passions

By Iason Athanasiadis, *Libya’s Islamic reform model* - Global Post - USA
Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Gadhafi enlists a surprising ally in his jihad against Islamists — dervishes

Zliten, Libya — Dozens of boys and young men mill around the cavernous hall of the Muslim University madrassah in this Sufi shrine town in northwestern Libya. Pilgrims drift in and out of the enormous mosque recently built on the site of a Sufi saint’s tomb after paying their respects.

In addition to Libyans, African and Asian students from the majority Sunni sect of Islam attend this Islamic seminary.

“They study Quran and the Shariah and carry out missionary work for Islam in Africa and Asia to teach its tenets,” said Abd as-Salam Milad Shomeyla, one of the guardians of the shrine of 15th century Sufi saint Abd as-Salam al-Asmar. Sufi dervishes take part in ecstatic dancing and prayer sessions.

The Zliten shrine is flourishing now, but it was blacklisted by President Moammar Gadhafi's regime for many years and its financial affairs were removed from a private trust and assigned to the government's Ministry of Islamic Endowments.

It was all part of the restrictions imposed by Gadhafi on Sufi orders as part his efforts to control Islam in the country. Sufi places of worship were shut down or razed to the ground on the pretext that they encouraged a deviant form of Islam. Libya is now feeling the backlash against that policy.

Sufi ceremonies had been a mainstay of popular Islam in Libya. From the time of the Ottoman Empire through Italian colonialism and up to the era of the deposed King Idriss, they enjoyed significant social and political power. After Gadhafi seized power in 1969, he dissolved the main brotherhoods and prosecuted particularly fiercely the Sanussiyah order, which possessed extended charity and economic networks.

But Gadhafi has now reversed his policies to encourage Sufism, apparently because he is worred about the growth of support in Libya for a more fundamentalist, Wahhabist form of Islam.

Locals believe that Gadhafi changed his mind about Sufism after a near-death crash of his motorcade while passing outside Zliten one day. Allegedly taking it as a supernatural sign of displeasure by the Sufi saint, he immediately returned financial control of the shrine's affairs to its original owners.

But the real reason may have more to do with the revelations that large numbers of Libyan jihadis have targeted U.S. troops in Iraq. A 2007 U.S. Army report found the number of Libyan fighters in Iraq in the previous year had surged from 4 percent to 19 percent, placing them second in number only to the Saudis.

Militant training camps have bloomed in the barren, sparsely populated Sahara desert. Libyan intelligence has monitored the spread of radical Islam along the African Sahel since the political thaw that followed Gadhafi’s 2003 rapprochement with the West. In 2004, a desert operations camp was discovered belonging to the fundamentalist Algerian Islamic group the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat.

In Benghazi, Libya's second largest city after the capital Tripoli, Islamism is on the rise. The Mediterranean port was once so multi-cultural that it was dubbed by its expat residents “the poor man’s Alexandria.” Although its malls throb with imported goods, far fewer women walk its streets and those who do are heavily covered by their burqas or hijabs. This contrasts with the more liberal atmosphere for women in Tripoli.

Other signs of a rise in Muslim fundamentalism in Libya include the demonstrations in which a mob torched the Italian consulate in 2006 during the Danish cartoons controversy and the incident in 2008 in which an audience pelted a concert stage with stones, forcing Bob Geldof to cancel a concert, that had been organized by Gadhafi's westernized son.

Faced with the threat of hardline Islamists, Gadhafi is encouraging the kinder, more tolerant strand of Sufism.

Today, Zliten is booming off the back of a spike in pilgrimage traffic. Aside from the monumental new mosque, Libya’s Ministry of Education has contracted a U.S. firm to oversee a major expansion of the Al-Asmariya Islamic University. And across the country Sufi orders celebrated the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad in March by taking their musical, folk Islam to the streets and parading through town centers for 40 days.

“They demolished the zawaya [Sufi prayer halls] but they're now rebuilding them because they realize that Wahhabism failed and this is the only way to fight the influence of the U.S.,” said Khalifa Mahdaoui, a former military officer and government consultant who now runs a cultural center in Tripoli. “Sufism decreases passions while Wahhabism inflames them.”

But growing Muslim conservatism — sometimes referred to as "Wahhabism" after the theological trend followed by U.S. ally Saudi Arabia — is increasingly felt across Libyan society. This Bedouin culture was never freewheeling and liberal like Baathist Iraq or Syria in the 1960s and 1970s but Gadhafi’s post-revolution Islamization policy made society even more conservative.

“In the 1980s there was only one row of worshippers at prayer time in the mosques whereas now they're full,” said Abu Ajayla bin Khalid, a mosque attendee at central Tripoli’s Bourguiba Mosque.

When Gadhafi seized power in a 1969 coup against King Idriss as-Sanussi, he banned alcohol and upped Islam’s profile in this majority Sunni desert country of 6 million people, double the size of France. He crushed Sufi orders, especially the Sanussiyah, a brotherhood related to deposed King Idriss as-Sanussi, which boasted social relief and civil society networks in villages and cities more extensive than the government’s.

“When Wahhabism arrived in the late '80s they started to consider us heretics and to say we'd deviated from true religion,” said a follower of the Aroosiah Sufi order who insisted on anonymity in a sign of the continuing sensitivity felt by Sufis. “The bearded ones started popping up and making pronouncements as to what is halal and what is haram which had never happened before.”

Eastern Libya’s Cyrenaica region remains a hotbed of anti-regime militancy. The Libyan government fought a successful war against Islamist militants in the 1990s and claims to have broken the back of their militias despite occasional attacks continuing. More recently, a disproportionately large amount of Libyans have fought in Iraq.

The new, grassroots Islamization is coming at a time when unprecedented levels of consumer goods are flooding into the country. Alcohol remains banned but new five-star hotels are opening in Tripoli and construction cranes mark its still-humble skyline for Dubai-scale development. Young secular Libyans entertain themselves at low-profile house parties and beach excursions where cameras are banned as they consume designer drugs, homemade alcoholic drinks and bottles of vodka smuggled in from neighboring Algeria.

Although public spaces remain fully Islamic, Moroccan, Algerian and West African prostitutes frequent disreputable parts of town and the slums of African migrant workers around the ramshackle Old City.

“There's been an increase in mosques, madrassahs and a change in perspective on the part of a generation that were sinking in drugs and indolence,” said Sheikh Khaled, a plump, bearded Quranic instructor at a kuttab. “That is why we are using television to expand the missionary call.”

Picture: The Zawya of 'Abd es-Salam el-Asmar. Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zliten]

Friday, March 26, 2010

Sufism And Literature

By Ameer H. Ahmad, *Karachi Literature Festival concludes* - Daily Times - Pakistan
Monday March 22, 2010

Karachi: The two-day Karachi Literary Festival, organised by the British Council and the Oxford University Press (Pakistan) ended Sunday with a host of literary and cultural activities, featuring authors like Musharraf Ali Farooqi, Zulfikar Ghose, Husain Naqvi and Mohsin Hamid.

Comprising of tributes, readings, book launches and discussions, the festival was well attended by literary buffs, students, writers and the general public.

One of the highlights of the day was the launch of “50 Poems: 30 Selected 20 New” by the critically acclaimed author Zulfikar Ghose.

A panel discussion on Sufism and Literature brought together Samina Quraeshi, Amar Jaleel and Mahmood Jamal.

While Quraeshi read an excerpt from her recent book, Jamal read a poem directed at fundamentalists of all kinds while commenting that Sufism was not a deviant cult as many perceived it to be.

In the end, many in the audience were left frustrated as an interesting question by a student about the role of Shariah in the context of Sufism went unanswered and was cleverly deflected under the garb of sophisticated expression.

Ameena Saiyid, Managing Director of the Oxford University Press and Journalist Asif Noorani talked about what makes a best seller in Pakistan in an interactive session titled “From Manuscript to Bestseller”.

Peace Is The Path

By Staff Reporter, *SUFISM, LITERATURE AND PEACE. By Dr. Stephen Gill, Canada* - Pakistan Christian Post - Pakistan
Tuesday, March 23, 2010

A text of the talk presented by Dr. Stephen Gill, at the international conference on Sufism and Peaceheld from March 14 to March 16 organized by Pakistan Academy of Letters in Islamabad, Pakistan

Peace wombs the fetus of wisdom and the flowers of beauty. Peace is the path of prosperity and the breath of bliss. I congratulate Mr. Fakhar Zaman, head of Pakistan Academy of Letters, and members of his executive who have worked hard to organize this meaningful gathering of intellectuals to promote peace.

I have brought a message from the land of peace to the land that should be proud because of its sufi poets and sages who have played expressive roles for creating peace to make the world a better place.

When I talk of peace, I mean the absence of war and fear for every individual to walk around with an independent conscious to accept or to reject any ideology or philosophy. This is my dream and this is what I write about in my poetry.

The cradle of my dream is mind, a field where battles are fought first. This field—I mean the mind—is unsullied by prejudices when a child comes into this world. This is the field which is to be taken care of if human needs a life without the engines of destruction and a conscious that is not a slave to prejudices and hatred.

I would like to share that I was born in Sialkot before the partition of India. My parents migrated to New Delhi from Sialkot, and from New Delhi I migrated to different nations in search for the flower of peace. I settled finally in Canada where I have been living for the last more than forty years as a poet and as a writer for peace. I am happy to breathe again the air of the country where I was born and where my parents were born and where the bones of my ancestors are buried. I am happy to breathe the air of the nation that has produced great poets of peace in the past and is still producing and I am sure that this nation will keep producing a good crop of poets, artists and sages even more in the future. This area where we have assembled has produced poets, such as Shah Hussain , Sultan Bahu and Shah Sharaf. On the top of these there is Bulleh Shah from 1680 to 1757, a humanist and a philosopher.

Bulleh Shah, a prominent poet and philosopher from this area, was against violence. I would like to quote lines that are the English rendering of one of his poems:

Tear down the mosques
and also temples
break down all that divides
but do not break the human heart
because it is therewhere God resides


A few lines from another poem of Bulleh Shah:

Neither a Hindu Nor a Muslim
Sacrificing pride
Let us sit together
Neither a Shia Nor a Sunni
Let us walk the path
Of peace


I fully agree with Bulleh Shah. I believe God is peace and where God resides there is peace and where there is peace, there is plenty, there is health, prosperity, love and harmony. A country that has no peace, does not have prosperity. In such a country, no one would like to invest money. For a lack of investment, there are no jobs. As a result, the citizens of such a country may use wrong means to find money to feed themselves and to feed their children.

Because of the absence of peace and security, the rich persons of that country will deposit their money either in the Swiss banks or invest somewhere else. Highly educated and skilled people of that country migrate to other nations. It is called the brain drain. There is the lack of tourists also. Tourism is an industry by itself. Many nations rely on tourism for foreign currency. Tourists will not like to go to those countries where there is no security. As a result, the countries which lack security will not get foreign exchange even from tourists. This worsens the situation.

Leaders of such a nation look for reasons to blame others. Minorities become their soft targets. This gives rise to a clash between the majority and the minorities. A country in which the minorities are not happy, even the majority is not happy. The majority is always on the alert. The minorities do not feel safe in their own land. They begin to shift their loyalties.

Because of the lack of securities and money, the government will borrow heavily from other nations to carry on its day to day work. This starts another cycle. No one will lend money to a person or a nation that is not stable. The nation is surrounded with problems and problems and more problems.

I was talking about Bulleh Shah. His poetry reflects a turbulent period in Punjab’s history. He blames those who are in power, including intellectuals, academicians and religious authorities for giving wrong information to citizens and do not let the citizens discover the love of God.

Bulleh Shah was refused by the religious leaders to be buried in the community graveyard because of his unorthodox views in his poetry. Today the same person is remembered and his grave is being looked after by the city of Qasur for his global respect and recognition. It was because of the harmony and love he talked about.

Pakistan has produced poets of peace even after the death of Bulleh Shah. They were jailed for their boldness for speaking the truth. They are also remembered.

Peace is the result of human unity, and the human unity has been the dream of poets, prophets, priests, sages and reformers from time immemorial. These days, human unity is the agenda of peace activists and politicians. There is already geographical unity that has been caused by the technology and science. There is also global economy due to international exchanges and communication. We are already in the area of global culture. This change has been caused fast without letting humans to adjust to this change. In many ways the world has become one, but in thinking human is still divided as the primitive tribes were.

It is admirable that writers have and are still playing a vital role in most nations. They have and are still trying to improve race relationships. Changes in many countries were caused by the muscles of the pen. Shakespeare was right when he said in the sixteenth century that the pen is mightier than the sword. So was Shelley in the romantic age of English literature. Shelley said that poets are unacknowledged legislators of the world. In olden days only a selected few had access to books, because the rulers knew the power of written words. The Bible was kept locked and chained. In India, the Vedas were within the reach of only a handful of people. This story has been repeated and is still being repeated in several civilizations in different shapes.

There is no doubt that writers have the ability to change habits and attitudes of the citizens. Leo Tolstoy, a novelist from Russia, was largely responsible for changing the social consciousness of Europe. In the United States of America, the Pentagon Papers concerning Vietnam War also changed largely the thinking of the citizens. Before this, the civil war in the USA for the emancipation of the slaves was partly due to the book titled Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. This novels, written during the mid 19th and the early 20th centuries, reflects the condition of the slaves. The novelist herself says that she had written her book to show people what slavery was. The novel went a long way in changing the attitude of Americans towards slavery. The French revolutions were largely due to writers. Maxim Gorki is known today for his social realism. In the social and political fields, writers who reflect the spirit of their age are always remembered and read with unique respect.

Writers in Canada and also in Pakistan are active. They write for radio and TV. They are associated with newspapers and journals. They write novels, histories, poetry, plays and even speeches for the members of parliament and executive officers. Writers of today are associated with nearly every aspect of life.

Writers are in a better situation today to inform the world that harmony among racial and religious groups is essential to make the world better for citizens and for the children of citizens. Writers can inform the world that divided nations have fallen in the past and will fall even in the future, and the fruits of unity are sweet and manifold.

Therefore instead of wasting time at the alter of violence, hatred and pride, leaders should focus on improving the quality of life on earth. Writers can do it because they are involved in every aspect of life and are blessed with the gift of self-expression.

Sufi artists and thinkers are not politicians. They believe in the divine power that is peace. Sufis believe that for divine power all are equal. The sun of the Almighty, and rains as well as the air are free gifts from the Almighty for every individual. When Bulleh Shah says in a couplet “do not break the human heart”, he talks of multiculturalism.

Another Sufi poet from this area, Shaikh Fareed or Baba Fareed, is known for his love for everyone. He was against hypocrisy. He says every human heart is a pearl. He preaches not to break any heart. A substantial portion of his poetry has been incorporated into the Guru Granth Sahib, the religious book of the Sikhs. These and other sufi poets and thinkers focus on peace and tolerance as well as respect for all creations. Their literature teaches the wisdom to co-exist. Sufi literature is not to divide; it is for the love and tolerance that unify the diverse ethnic heritage.

This area of Pakistan where this gathering of peace-loving thinkers is being held, is known as Indus Valley. It was a flourishing area about three thousand years before Christ. It was flourishing largely because of mass migration for various reasons. This migration brought into the Indus Valley a significant diversity of human race and cultural traditions. Among the immigrants, included Aryans, Greeks, Mongols, Turks, Persians, Afghans and Arabs. The area became known for peace and respect for learned people.

The Indus Valley had a multicultural society as Pakistan has today in the form of different languages, ethnic groups, creeds and beliefs. My own country, Canada, has become multicultural in shape and through constitutional means. Canada has been declared multicultural by different governments. Tolerance is the base of this multiculturalism. Without tolerance there is no peace, and without peace there is no any kind of prosperity.

The world of today is a global village and this global village is of multicultural nature. To think of turning it into a village of one belief or ethnic group is impossible. Therefore humans have to learn to live side by side with the people of different cultures and creeds. This is the message of Sufis, and also the message of Canada where I live.

Citizens of this subcontinent are aware of the blood that was shed in 1947 in the name of religion. It was all due to the lack of tolerance. Lack of tolerance is a sword that divides families, citizens and nations. It divides the hearts of the people. It was this sword that divided India, and Pakistan came into existence. Again it was the same sword that divided Pakistan and Bangladesh came into existence. The same sword is flashing again in India, Pakistan and also in Bagladesh as well as in several other nations.

Intolerance leads to a fearful circle of revenge, opening doors for anarchy, making day-to-day life miserable. Intolerance also leads to unnecessary tensions which lay the foundation for insecurity and where there is no security there is no chance for prosperity and peace-- neither personal nor political. Intolerance leads to unnecessary tension and tensions leads to unnecessary divisions in the communities and nations. Intolerance leads to unnecessary fear, and fear leads to insane actions. In extreme form, fear becomes terror. Suspicion and fear split people into opposite camps, each trying to collect more poison to annihilate the other. No one will know how to get rid of the thunders of fear and how to end the maddening race of intolerance.

Tension and fear play havoc with the economic life of the nation. Happy minorities contribute towards the building of the nation. If minorities feel secure, they will do everything to feel proud of their heritage. Absence of security and harmony leads to econo/ political disaster that endangers the stability of the majority. Protection of minorities is in the interest of the majority and the whole nation, even the world. This approach is for the prosperity and survival of everyone.

Sufi poets and thinkers look upon the entire humanity as one body. As the peace of the heart and mind depends on the peace of every part of the body, the peace of entire humanity depends on the peace of every community and group. Even if a part of the finger or tooth or eye is painful, the whole body becomes painful. The different parts of the body are like different communities, ethnic and cultural groups. They all are supposed to coexist in harmony and peace. This is the message of Sufis.

This is what Canada practices and teaches. Canada has the policy of multiculturalism that is based on the concept of tolerance or co-existence. Canadian politicians and architects of Canadian future and welfare came to this conclusion independently through their own wisdom that the only way to survive with dignity is to learn to live in a multicultural environment. Canadians came to this conclusion from the beginning of the formation of the nation. Consequently, Canada has become the choicest place to live largely because of her recognition of peaceful co-existence. This is the Canadian identity. In a country of around thirty two million people, there are about two hundred and fifty ethnic news media, and around one hundred and fifty languages spoken and understood.

This is the way of Canada, a multicultural society which permits free development of every culture, language and religion to work together to achieve a higher form of the principles of freedom and democracy. This is the blueprint that is the base of the Canadian strength, and I believe, this is the blueprint that shall be the strength of the rest of the world.

In order to improve the strength, more diversity boom is expected in Canada, according to a population growth report released in March 2010 by Statistics Canada. The report says that Canada will stop using the word minority soon because the minorities will become the majority. Canada is going to educate citizens more widely and vigorously to have open minds so that minorities may feel comfortable working with others who are different from the point of culture and religion. The report reveals that shortly Christians will be in minority and the number of non-Christians will be doubled and half of them will be Muslims. This diversity will give muscles to Canada to grow further and be more peaceful and be a much better nation.

Pakistan does not have to struggle to be multicultural nation. Pakistan is already blessed with diversity, and diversity is a strength. Diversity becomes a strength when tolerance is practiced. If Pakistan listen to these Sufi thinkers, Pakistan will become envy of the world. Instead of going abroad, other nationalities would like to come and settle here. All it needs is tolerance.

If the world wants to bring the global village together more closely, it will have to be on the principles of these Sufis, who believe in tolerance. I have no doubts that tolerance is the key to peace and the foundation of democracy. Tolerance for the faiths of others as well as for the cultures of others gives birth to a legitimate child of bliss. This is the message of this international gathering, and this is the message that I have brought from Canada.

Stephen Gill has authored more than twenty books, including novels, collections of poems and literary criticism. His poetry and prose have appeared in more than five hundred publications. His works have been recognized with doctorates and other honors

[Picture: Dr. Stephen Gill. Visit Dr. Stephen Gill's website http://www.stephengill.ca/]

Thursday, March 25, 2010

This Disastrous Charade

By Jawed Naqvi, *How we turned a Cold War into a hot potato* - Dawn.com - Pakistan
Monday, March 22, 2010

Far too many innocent men, women and children have died and many more uprooted from their homes in the Kashmir tragedy since its emergence as a violent and volatile issue in 1947. Its essential history, however, is at variance with most contemporary narratives of India-Pakistan rivalry, brutal military occupation, rabid religious zealotry and an indigenous struggle to keep a moderate inclusive Islam as its nodal characteristic.

I have often wondered who among the Pakistani stakeholders in Kashmir is today more keen for an early solution to the dispute – is it the army, which has its hands full with a raging insurgency in the northwest but may see advantages in getting even with India by establishing the centrality of the prickly discussion as a requirement to meet its vital international obligations of containing anti-west Muslim extremists elsewhere? Assuming and not conceding that Pakistan has its way in Kashmir, with or without overt international help, is it ready for the consequences of adding one more ethnic headache to its existing four or five? And are the Kashmiris going to be happy with an overstretched nation state which is already in a turbulent flux?

Or is it a strategic quest for the narrow-minded religious militant groups who see in the eclectic and primarily Sufi Kashmir a staging post for their wider jihad against India and against everybody who fits into their crosshairs, including, ironically enough, the current pro-west state of Pakistan. The world on its part doesn’t seem to be excited about another Islamic state much less a religious nursery in this part of the world, and India will not allow what it considers to be its territories to be pared down to make itself more vulnerable than it is to Pakistan, China and assorted domestic and foreign insurgents. These are the elements of the regular narrative within which current discussions on Kashmir are staged and its many realistic and far-fetched solutions are posited by nation-states and well-heeled NGOs. Most of the contemporary elements in the Kashmir saga are completely new though and unrelated to the original colonial perfidy that drove its politics before the Cold War harnessed the dispute to American strategies in the region.
Rakesh Ankit, who studied history at Delhi and Oxford, has culled out enough recently declassified British government papers to reassemble a useful picture of Kashmir’s emergence as a key plank in the geographical architecture conceived and planned by colonialism and handed over to the Cold War. 1948: The crucial year in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, published in the current issue of Economic and Political Weekly, could prove to be a seminal work as it seeks to guide us to the roots of the problem and its many lingering shadows from the past that may yet decide its future.

Initially, according to Ankit, the British didn’t want the Kashmir conflict at all for two reasons. First, their military minds held that they needed both India and Pakistan to secure “the peace, welfare and security…from the Mediterranean to the China Sea” and to confront the “intrigue from Sinkiang and intervention from north” with “implications far beyond Kashmir”. They now had to choose one of the two.

Second, they had been worried about the weakening strategic hold in Palestine and Greece, unhappy with the increasingly autonomous and assertive American involvement there “without due regard to British interests”, anxious about Egypt and Iraq and arguing for “…a pan-Islamic federation/Arab league…to thwart Russia”. Against this backdrop, the Kashmir conflict made them concerned about losing control of Pakistan as well.

Losing Pakistan was not an option for London, says Ankit. The British chief of staff (COS) had underlined this five times between May 1945 – when Pakistan was but an idea of a few – and July 1947, when it was about to be a reality for all. They had first reported to Winston Churchill that Britain must retain its military connection with India in view of the “Soviet menace” for India was a valuable base for force deployment, a transit point for air and sea communications, a large reserve of manpower. Moreover, it had air bases in the north-west (now in Pakistan) from which Britain could threaten Soviet military installations. They repeated to Clement Attlee the importance of these north-west airfields.

In July 1946, they identified the crucial arc from Turkey to Pakistan, in view of essential oil supplies, defence and communications requirements, with the Russian threat. In November 1946, they summed up that “Western India” (post-1947 Pakistan) – with Karachi and Peshawar – was strategically and ideologically crucial for British Commonwealth interests. Five weeks before Partition, the COS concluded:

“The area of Pakistan is strategically the most important in the continent of India and the majority of our strategic requirements could be met by an agreement with Pakistan alone. We do not therefore consider that failure to obtain the [defence] agreement with India would cause us to modify any of our requirements.” Can we see shades of the current expediencies in that comment?

The Foreign Office (FO) viewed the Kashmir conflict as a religious war which “might be used by Russia as a pretext for intervening”. It felt that the “Russians tend to favour India as against Pakistan”. Moreover, any initiatives had to keep in mind “the present difficult position over Palestine” which made any “talks about HMG being unfair to Pakistan (over Kashmir) undesirable”. It reminded the Muslim countries via its embassies: “HMG might easily have handed over the whole of India to the Hindu majority. But they loyally protected the Muslim minority, even to the point of facilitating the creation of a separate independent Muslim state by going out of their way. This is what the Muslims themselves demanded. We have recognised Pakistan as a Dominion and have supported its admission to UNO. We would always come to Pakistan’s help.”

As India and Pakistan battled for their claim on Kashmir, the British had their own axe to grind. When India got the Instrument of Accession, disputed by Pakistan as a confirmed fact, and Indian troops landed in Srinagar, Lawrence Graffety-Smith, the UK High Commissioner in Pakistan (1947-51), spoke for many when he sent this report to London two days after Kashmir’s accession to India: “Indian government’s acceptance of accession of Kashmir [was] the heaviest blow yet sustained by Pakistan in her struggle for existence. Strategically, Pakistan’s frontiers have been greatly extended as a hostile India gains access to NWFP. This will lead to a redefinition of the Afghan policy for worse. Second, Russian interests will be aroused in Gilgit and NWFP which creates a new international situation which HMG and the US government cannot overlook. Third, there is a serious threat to Pakistan’s irrigation systems; hydroelectric projects from the accession [all five rivers draining the Pakistani Punjab flow from India, three through Kashmir] and finally, two-three million Kashmiri Muslims will worsen the already massive refugee problem with five-and-a-half million Muslims having been driven out of East Punjab.”

But the British were even-handed in their dealings with the new Dominions were they not? Here’s how they did that. Philip Noel-Baker headed the Commonwealth relations Office (1947-50). He worried that “incursions now taking place in Kashmir constitute an ‘armed attack’ upon Indian territory in view of their scale and of the fact that Kashmir has acceded to the Indian Union. This is so irrespective of whether forces in question are organised or disorganised or whether they are controlled by, or enjoy the convenience of, Government of Pakistan. India is therefore entitled to take measures which she may deem necessary for self-defence pending definitive action by Security Council to restore peace – prima facie – repelling invaders but possibly pursuit of invaders into Pakistan territory. Security Council could not decide out of hand that India was not justified in so doing in the case envisaged.”

The newly released British papers certainly make the current diplomatic and military manoeuvres on Kashmir and other colonial era disputes stalking the region look tame by comparison. There is much to laud in Ankit’s effort in putting together an argument. And there is much to ponder in the new and dangerous direction all the unresolved issues are taking us. It’s a shame that India and Pakistan, in the tradition of good old client states, continue to engage in a mindset that helps their foreign minders sow more discord between them. The Kashmiri people are the worst sufferers in this disastrous charade in which national servility on both sides passes for national interests.

Picture: The mother of a missing Kashmiri youth, cries during a demonstration by the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons in Srinagar. On the tenth of every month, members of APDP assemble in a park in Srinagar to highlight the issue of missing persons in Kashmir and remember their loved ones. The APDP says that more than 8,000 people have gone missing, most of them after their arrest by Indian security forces in the troubled Kashmir region since a rebellion broke out at the end of 1989. But authorities deny the allegations and say their investigations have revealed that most of the missing people have crossed the heavily militarised Line of Control which separates India and Pakistan into Pakistani Kashmir for arms training. –Reuters Photo/Fayaz Kabli

Mystical Trading Route

By BWW News Desk, *Silk Road's 'Sounds of the Sufis' CD Launch Set for Nexus Cabaret, 3/25* - Broadway World - Australia
Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Silk Road: Sounds of the Sufis CD Launch on Thursday 25 March, 8pm at Nexus Cabaret.

The mystical Silk Road region winds and turns over soaring mountains and majestic plains, past grand ancient cities and through desert oases.

Take a musical journey to the heart and soul of this timeless trans-continental trading route, and celebrate the launch of Inderjit Singh's new CD, Sounds of the Sufis.

Inderjit Singh is an accomplished Punjabi keyboard and harmonium player and singer. With Sounds of the Sufis, Inderjit has created a beautiful album of North Indian devotional music inspired by sufi traditions and the music and songs of the Sikh faith.

To celebrate the release of the CD, you are invited to a soulful evening of sufi ghazals (love poetry songs) performed by Inderjit on the harmonium, accompanied by Jay Dabgar on tablas, Josh Bennett on sitar and dilruba and Keith Preston on santoor.

For tickets, click here.
[Visit Nexus Cabaret in Adelaide, Australia http://www.nexus.asn.au/]

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

43 Muslim Women

By Lynne Walker, *Sisters, Crucible Studio Theatre, Sheffield* - The Independent - UK
Monday, March 22, 2010

A revealing look behind the veil

The captain of the British Muslim women's football team, an intersex waiting for the operation that will reassign her gender, and a daughter driven to contemplate knifing her belligerent father.

These are just some of the characters in Stephanie Street's engaging new play, Sisters. If representatives of all Muslim sisterhood seem to be gathered together in the home of the Khan family that's a tribute to the 43 Muslim women whom Street interviewed in Sheffield and to the deft way in which she collates her verbatim material into 17 contrasting characters played by just five actors.

Ruth Carney's simple production makes good use of the newly refurbished Studio's intimate configuration. Dozens of photos of Muslim women are suspended from the roof and the message is clear: "These women may be framed and silent but they have voices and opinions".

The Khans' front room is typically working-class – you don't actually see the flocked wallpaper but you know it's there. The samosas, and later jam tarts, that are handed round the audience may be an awkward way of welcoming outsiders to the family's Sunday get-together but it also typifies a willingness to reach out to fellow sisters. Lifting the veil on a closed world of cultural customs and family traditions is a tricky business and Street, who also plays three roles, has left in the hesitations, occasional reluctance and often burning passion of the women whose stories and opinions we hear.

Sisters is loosely inspired by the 7 July London bombings and the reactions of Muslim women, in response to society's increasingly suspicious attitudes towards them. Street is bold in her representation of the divided feelings and often shocking experiences and treatment of Muslim women. The ensemble cast responds with an array of complex, colourful characters.

Issues such as the wearing of a head-covering are debated with the help of voices from the television in which President Sarkozy's decision to ban the veil in France and Jack Straw's opinion on the niqab fuel the often heated discussion. The constant threat of violence towards women within their own families, the problems of closet alcoholism, the ingrained loathing of gay women (and men), the challenges of mixed-race marriage, and the way that the Koran is open to varied interpretation are sensitively explored. A drop of leaflets entitled "Discover Islam – the Muslim Woman" gives Street the slightly stilted opportunity to have passages read aloud decrying the rights of Muslim women to go out to work. The same verses reveal the elevated status Islam confers on mothers.

Mrs Khan (Denise Black), locally born and married to a British Pakistani, is the beating heart of the family, surviving many struggles and the heartbreak of the loss of her only son. Of the three daughters whom we meet, we glimpse the diversity within one family in the secularised, the liberated and the firm traditionalist. As the women slip into other identities, they present the gay woman abducted and forced into marriage by her relatives, the middle-class and working Caucasian Sufi, the religious scholar and a trio of young women juggling the freedom of student life with the strict demands of a family.

It's not the first time Sheffield Theatres has drawn on the lives of Muslim women in the city. In 2006, the company worked with groups of Pakistani, Yemeni and Somalian women and young people to research Handful of Henna, resulting in a fascinating play by Rani Moorthy, now revived and currently touring the country. More of this sort of work, please, to help us understand each other better.

To 27 March (0114 249 6000)

Punjab Online

By Parul, *Web of Words* - India Express - India
Monday, March 22, 2010

City websites devoted to art and culture are bringing like-minded people together

In an effort to revive and promote Punjabi language and culture through poetry, art, books, music and films, the Academy of Punjab in North America (APNA) recently launched a new website, www.apnaorg.com.

The new initiative will tackle the pressures on Punjabi language and culture created by the advancement of communication technology, says Safir Rammah, APNA’s coordinator.

The new site is symptomatic of a larger trend where websites on arts, books and cultural topics are bringing like-minded people together on a common platform, initiating discussions and debates on a wide range of ideas. It is stimulating an interest to read while encouraging an easier and quicker way of disseminating information.

Log on to apnaorg.com and you will be inundated with anthologies of Punjabi poetry, a large collection of Punjabi music including Sufi, folk, film, pop and bhangra music albums and a variety of Punjabi and Punjab-related online books. APNA also has a Punjabi magazine Sanjh (Gurmukhi version from Ludhiana and Shahmukhi version from Lahore).

Twenty-two new e-books have been uploaded on APNA web. To overcome geographical limitations, APNA transcribes essential Punjabi literature in all scripts and makes arrangements to publish them in India, Pakistan and abroad.

Members are also regularly updated on the seminars, workshops and theatre activities.

Visit APNA: http://www.apnaorg.com/

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Artificial Barriers

By Gocha Guniava, *Our neighbours: Dagestan* - Expert Club - Tbilisi, Georgia
Friday, March 19, 2010

Tense events that are taking place in the North Caucasus and can any minute turn into large-scale armed confrontation are followed with intense attention not only by neighbouring people but also countries of the entire region.

This is mainly true with Georgia which is practically in war with the country that annexed 20 percent of its territory and part of which are our historical closest neighbours.

The Club of Experts decided to remind its readers short informative data about those neighbours. We will try to present well-known historical facts as well as our view on today's certain painful and pressing issues. Our first article will be about Dagestan.

"Whoever owns Dagestan owns and controls the Caucasus". That was what was said by all kinds of conquerors and so Scyths, Persians, Arabs, Mongols, Turks and Russians were coming to take control of it. They were coming and going but Caucasians remained. Maybe the time has come for Caucasians to themselves control and manage their own affairs. They many times proved to the world that they have no less ability, talent and historical experience than others.

Dagestan
Among seven North Caucasian republics Dagestan is the biggest by both its territory (50.3 thousand square kilometers) and its population (2 700 000). In the east it bordered with 530 km sea coastline in the north it is bordered with Kalmykia and Stavropol Krai. And in the south its neighbour is Azerbaijan. While in the west it borders with Georgia and Chechnya. The capital of Dagestan is Makhachkala which was formerly called Petrovsk-Port and in 1922 it was renamed into Makhachkala in honour of Bolshevik revolutionary Makhach Dakhadaev.

There are 40 administrative districts in Dagestan as well as 8 cities and 14 urban-type settlements. The main cities of the republic are Makhachkala, Derbent, Khasavyurt, Buynaksk, Izberbash, Kaspiysk, Kizlyar, Sovetskoe.

Around 30 ethnic groups live in Dagestan. The most numerous of them are Avars who are 760 thousand, then come Dargins – 426 thousand, Kumyks – 15 thousand, Lezgins – 14 thousand, Laks - 14 thousand, Tabasarans – 5 thousand, Nogais -2 thousand, Rutuls – 24 thousand, Aguls – 23 thousand, Tsakhurs – 8 thousand, Tats – 1 thousand, Chechens are 100 thousand and so on. Apart from the above-mentioned there is also certain amount of Azeris ant Russians.

Dagestan language group is part of Iberian-Caucasian language family and consists of three subgroups: Avar-Andic-Didoic, Lak- Dargin and Lezgic.

Literary languages of Dagestan nowadays are using Russian alphabet. Before that they were trying to use Arabic alphabet.

According to archeological data people lived on the territory of Dagestan back in the III century BC.

Ancestors of Dagestan people at various times were under influence of Skyths, Sarmats, Albanians, Persians, Arabs, Mongols and others. Starting from the XVI century contacts with Russia began to develop. In 1722 Pyotr I added Dagestan coastline to Russia but under Treaty of Ganja was forced to give it up to Persia in 1735. In 1813 according to Gulistan Treaty final incorporation of Dagestan into Russian territory was registered which caused intensification of opposition on the part of Muslim cleric circles. An attempt to create a theocratic state that was led by Imam Shamil and their long war with the Russian Empire ended in defeat in 1859.

In 1860 Dagestan that was given a status of okrug was incorporated in the Caucasus that was headed by Vice Roy.

After the October revolution RevCom was established headed by Buynaksk who was shot by decision of the shariat court in 1919. In 1920 the Russian 11th Army led by Orjonikidze and Kirov entered Dagestan. In 1921 Autonomic Republic of Dagestan was created.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union the Republic of Dagestan remained a part of the Russian Federation. According to the Constitution that was approved in 1994 the Legislative body of Dagestan was a directly elected People's Assembly. The Executive body was Collegial President that consisted of representatives of 14 titular nations, but as such institution of collective leadership was not successful the Constitutions was amended. According to this amendment political parties of the republic are to present several candidates for the post of Dagestan president to the Russian president. One of them is chosen and later sent to the People's Assembly for approval; after that a newly elected president appoints a head of the government.

By the above mentioned method in February 2010 a representative of the Party Edynaya Rossia, Magomedsalam Magomedov was appointed as the president and the latter presented member of the same party Magomed Abdulaev as his Prime Minister.

The majority of the population of Dagestan is Muslim.

It is considered that Dagestan is the most Islamized region of Russia. Dagestanis differ from their neighbouring Muslim people with special strive towards Muslim fate and culture. It was Dagestan where Islam first appeared in Russia and then it started to spread in neighbouring peoples.

It was a place where first was established branch of Islamic Sufism - Miuridism under flag of which Imam Shamil and North Caucasian peoples had been fighting against Russian imperial armies for decades.
In conditions of Soviet authority this confrontation became less intense but erupted with new force from nineties of the last century when teachings of Salafits started to enter into the region from the Middle East. Later it became known by the name of Wahhabism and it now have already gathered thousands of radical people of the region around itself at the pretext of restoration of Islam in its primary form and fighting against injustice.

Well-known leader of so-called Caucasus Emirate Doku Umarov declared Dagestan together with other Islamic republics of North Caucasus a part of the future Islamic state unit ideology of which was declared Wahhabism and Jihad.

In the course of the last years unyielding radicalism turned into insurgency that turned Dagestan together with Chechnya and Ingushetia into hotspots of the Caucasus.

Frequent special operations could not manage to break armed underground. Moreover, intensified repressions resulted in doubled activization as a result of which attacks on law enforcers became more systematic and led to hundreds of victims among militants and government forces. A term of railway jihad appeared.

An important factor is that killings of Muslim clerics became more frequent: that is explained with their criticism of Wahhabits and the connections with Russian security services on the part of those clerics.

Political parties: After the collapse of the Soviet Union many political parties and organizations were created in Dagestan. One part of them had been created under influence of Russian governmental bodies. Another part was forming through support of local and outside religious forces. The most influential party of the Russian Federation Edynaya Rossia has quite large and influential branch in Dagestan. In 2010 during election/appointment of the president of Dagestan representatives of the above party became both president and prime minister.

Dagestan Party of Reforms has certain authority in the republic and is headed by one of the famous political figure and wealthy person – the mayor of Makhachkala Said Amirov who is ethnic Dargin. His unbridled strive towards wealth became a reason for four terrorist acts that was carried out against him. He survived but just and since then he is in a wheelchair. Due to his high intellect and ability he is called Dagestani Roosevelt.

Islamic Democratic Party is also very popular and large and mainly consists of significant part of Degastani intelligentsia that are believers.

National movement of Lezgins "Sadval" (unity) that was created in the eighties unites compatriot living in Dagestan and Azerbaijan and its goal is to form a new united political unit at the expense of two districts of Northern Azerbaijan and south Dagestan that will join independently the Russian federation.

It should not take long to understand whose interests are expressed by this party that was created to put pressure on Azerbaijan and which is headed by retired Soviet general and former political figure Kakhrimanov.

Political plans of "Sadval" and his associates cause serious irritation and protest in Azerbaijan.

The Communist Party is also very popular in Dagestan which mainly unites middle-aged and elderly people. It might sound paradoxical but Stalin actually is respected and his name cherished in Dagestan unlike other North Caucasian republics. There even is a society in his name.

Today political climate in the republic is created by groups and unions of religious nature also clans that are behind them. No political, personnel or everyday decision will be implemented without first consulting and getting their consent.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Dagestan: the most highly-explosive place on ethnic ground is considered to be Southern Dagestan that is populated by Lezgins. Their public movement "Sadval" plans to unite Dagestani Lezgins with their compatriots living in two districts - districts of Kuba and Kusara in Azerbaijan and to create a new territorial, political unit that will independently join the Russian Federation.

Despite the fact that Azerbaijan government creates every conditions for Lezgins that live on their territory and social, economical and cultural level of Lezgins that live in Azerbaijan is much higher than that of their Dagestani compatriots anti-Azerbaijan separatism and strive towards the north still thrives in them.

Another unsolved problem in the relations between Azerbaijan and Dagestan is the River Samur that separates them. Roots of unsolved problems regarding use of its water go back to historical past. There are fertile lands on both sides of the River Samur and their productivity is very important for the economy of both sides.

Despite various negotiations of the highest level Dagestan declared itself oppressed and protests that Azerbaijan uses 90 % of irrigation water resources.

Factors for confrontation between Chechnya and Dagestan emerged back in XIX century when Shamil's fight against Russia was aimed at creation of a new Islamic state of North Caucasian peoples headed by Chechnya and Dagestan. Reemergence of these ideas again started after the collapse of the Soviet Union which was also joined by Chechen field commanders together with Wahhabi missionaries from Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries.

The main issue of confrontation and dispute between Chechnya and Dagestan is Khasavyurt district that is situated on the border between them and which is populated by 100 thousand Chechens. Until 1921 it belonged to Chechnya but later it was added to Dagestan under the name of the Khasavyurt national okrug.

In the nineties a movement for secession of Khasavyurt district from Dagestan and incorporation into Chechnya started. Later Chechen and Dagestani wahhabits united and started to prepare for Jihad – holy war against Russia. At the same time Dagestani wahhabits declared villages of the Buynaksk district - Karamakh, Chabanmakh and Kadar territory of Islamic autonomous republic and abolished local authorities. As it is known Russian aviation, artillery and Special Forces completely destroyed these three villages.

Today the path laid by Shamil and later by Arab field commanders and interested Islamic circles is being followed by the Caucasus Emirate that was formed by Doku Umarov. Their goal, same as Shamil's, is to unite Chechnya, Dagestan and other North Caucasian territories populated by Muslims and to create a new Islamic state.

Another painful issue for Dagestan is Turkish-language Nogais and Kumyks. Their national movement "Birlik" demands a separate autonomy to be created for Turk-language peoples of the North Caucasus and federalization of Dagestan where this unit will enter as a full subject of the new entity.

Georgian-Dagestan relations were quite difficult over the centuries. Back in the III century BC King Parnavaz of Kartli (Georgian kingdom) together with Dagestan people was fighting against foreign invaders. And after the spread of Christianity in Georgia Georgian missionaries appeared in Dagestan. Their trace can be seen in a Georgian church of village of Datuna in Koisu gorge. Spread of Christianity stopped in the XIV century due to complete Islamization of Dagestan. Georgian-Dagestan relations became difficult in the following centuries.

In XVIII century Dagestani feudals, at instigation of Turks, were attacking systematically villages of Georgian provinces of Kakheti and Kartli.

In 1754 and 1755 Georgian troops defeated army of Avary khan Nursul Bek at Mchadijvari and Kvareli. In 1785 Kakheti was devastated by 20 000 army of Avary khan Omar.

A term of "Lekianoba" (inroads from Dagestan) arouses unpleasant associations in Georgians even today. It is known that continuous inroads of marauder gangs from Dagestan facilitated Erekle II of Kartli and kakheti to decide on placing Georgia under protection of Russia.

Dagestanis in Georgia - In 1895, and with the help of Ilia Chavchavadze, Colonel Magomed Aga Osman Ogli Atskursky received consent to settle Avars in Kakheti. As a result three villages appeared there – Tivi, Tebeljokhi and Areshi. In 1944 population of these villages were exiled to Chechnya. But when Chechens returned from exile from the Central Asia Dagestanis went back to Kakheti. In 1991 4200 Dagestanis lived in the Kvareli distirct.

During the Soviet authorities, until 1994, shepards from Dusheti, Tianeti, Kazbeki had been using for decades winter pastures of Kizlyar in Dagestan.

In 1990 at instigation of certain forces Georgian informal armed formations went to villages with Dagestani population and asked them to leave Georiga.

On June 26th 1990 rallies in support of Dagestanis were held in Makhachkala and Khasavyurt which were led by leader of national movement of Avars Haji Makhachev.

In April 1991 eviction of Avars from Georgia started. But after Georgian-Dagestan talks majority of Avars remained in Kakheti.

On November 2nd 1991, with support of Russian security services National Front of Avars named after Shamil, organization Jamaat and movement Democratic Dagestan took part in the third meeting of the Caucasian mountainous peoples held in Sukhumi.

In recent years Dagestan authorities laid territorial claims against Georgia. At instigation of outside forces Diklo mountain that is near the border and was used by the Tush (Georgian people) from ancient times became disputed.

But the time is not far when malevolent outside forces will be deprived of possibility to create artificial barriers between peoples living there. And Georgians and Dagestani people will resolve the issue of Diklo mountain and establish stable good-neighbourly relations.

Monday, March 22, 2010

A Timeless Thought

By Music Editor, *Straight from the heart * - The Hindu - India
Thursday, March 18, 2010

Kailash Kher continues to make news. The talented singer-composer is now judging “IPL Rockstars” with Sukhwinder Singh on Colors. Here the participants, drawn from popular reality shows, sing in a stadium where an IPL match is played.

Kailash says the real challenge is holding your own in front of a boisterous crowd. He says the channel has chosen the right judges as both Sukhwinder and he can teach a thing or two about singing in front of a live audience.

“The good thing is there is no SMS voting. The decision of the judges will be final.”

Excerpts from an interview:

What has been your experience of singing in live concerts in front of a huge crowd?
It is the real test of a singer. It requires a lot of energy and confidence. Technology and modern equipment help only in reducing the stress on the vocal chords or balancing the echo. In seventh standard, I once choked in front of a gathering. I was not prepared. After that I decided that if I have to be a singer I have to be ready 24 hours a day. I have sung in front of all kind of audiences – a three lakh strong crowd, people who don't understand a word of Hindi and corporate honchos who refuse to show their joy.

What is your opinion on the copyright issue?
I see it is as a never ending debate between people whose stomachs are full. Vidhu Vinod Chopra has said that Sonu Nigam's non-film albums have not been successful. But how will he explain my case. All my non-film albums have been successful. In fact people recognise me because of my non-film songs. Recently in a washroom, I overheard one person telling another that the man, who is standing next to you, has sung that famous song “Teri Deewani”! People have claimed that songs become hit because of actors. I humbly ask when “Allah Ke Bande” is played; do you imagine Arshad Warsi or Kailash Kher? At the end of the day filmmaking is a team work where everybody has a role to play. As it is a creative field there can't be a scientific formula to determine who played the bigger role.

What about the relationship between the composer and the singer?
Composer is the creator. He is one who envisions the song. But then he is like gur (jaggery) and the singer is like cheeni (sugar). He is the person who helps assimilate the composition in public conscience. Being a composer as well, I know one can't sing all the compositions. So here again no one can claim superiority.

Sufi music is getting repetitive in our films?
Real Sufi cannot get repetitive. It is a timeless thought. I don't see anybody using Bulle Shah or Amir Khusrau's thoughtful verse. When Hazrat Nizamuddin died, Khusrau wrote “Gori soi sej pe”. We don't see anything of this sort being written these days. What is actually getting repetitive is the usage of words like Maula Maula, which some ignorant people claim as Sufi.

What's next?
I have been blessed with a son. We have named him Kabir. I want to convey my joy through an album. It will have songs devoted to emotions, like utsav [English = festival].

Sunday, March 21, 2010

The Surest Route To God

By Mian Ridge, *India tour: How one impoverished teen helps preserve 700-year-old landmark* - The Christian Science Monitor - USA
Thursday, March 18, 2010

Youths living in New Delhi’s historic Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti neighborhood are being trained as India tour guides in an effort to protect the ruins but also support livelihoods

New Delhi: Umair Naqi, a newly minted India tour guide, points to the shabby stone arch that leads into his Delhi neighborhood. The teenager recently discovered that this familiar landmark, at which he had kicked countless balls, was 700 years old – and one of the reasons tourists traipse the lanes around his home, peering at rundown buildings and bewildering the locals.

Mr. Naqi lives in the Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti, a warren of medieval streets that sprang up in the 14th century around the tomb of Hazrat Nizamuddin, India’s most revered Sufi saint. As a Muslim teenager, Naqi knew the tomb was important, but he had no idea that his neighborhood – crammed with old houses, exquisite mosques, and hidden tombs – was one of the most historically significant in India.

He does now. Over the past two years Naqi, with 14 other local young people, has undergone training as a tour guide. The poorly educated youngster has learned English from scratch, studied medieval history, and memorized countless dates and architectural details. He now shows groups of visitors around the basti (an Urdu word meaning settlement) and intends to become a tour guide specializing in Muslim monuments.

“I understand when local people say, ‘What are these people doing here? What is there to see?’ ” says Naqi, the son of a painter, who trips over his new English words in his hurry to point out pillars and porticos. “We didn’t know why people came here either.”

Naqi is part of a a nonprofit-led program to protect India’s historic monuments, but not at the expense of people living among them.

Instead, in an area where most households exist on $100 a month, Naqi’s new language skills and training will make him wealthier than most of his friends, according to Farhad Suri, the local Congress Party councilor and former mayor of Delhi.

“You can talk about heritage, but in a poor area like this there are more pressing problems,” he says. “Without involving local people, by helping them, there would be big local opposition to conservation work.”

Delhi’s endangered heritage

The training project is run by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which preserves Islamic buildings worldwide. In India, the AKTC has won plaudits for its 2003 restoration of Humayun's Tomb, the bulbous-domed 16th-century precursor to the Taj Mahal, which is one of Delhi’s biggest tourist attractions.

This project is different, because unlike Humayun’s tomb, which stands in its own gated garden, the basti is densely populated.

The AKTC started working in here when part of a large 14th-century step-well, over which a concrete house had been built, collapsed. Other examples of neglect abound. A 14th-century mosque has been refaced with concrete. Several tombs, that have not yet been dated but are thought to be hundreds of years old, are inhabited by extended families.

Delhi is dotted with remnants of its invaders, from the Muslim emperors who ruled it for more than 500 years to the British colonialists who followed. But these monuments are increasingly endangered as more people live right up against – in some cases on top of – precious ruins. As pressure on land and housing grows, property developers are more likely to demolish whatever stands in their way.

Few of India’s heritage buildings are protected by law. The Archaeological Survey of India, a government body, has a list of more than 3,600 protected monuments. But the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization, says there are at least 70,000 old buildings and monuments that should be granted government protection.

Supporting the ruins and residents

Without proper governmental protection of such buildings, the AKTC, in partnership with local government and other NGOs is trying a different approach: to build local support for conservation.

Besides training local youngsters as tour guides, AKTC has funded improvements to the local primary school including the introduction of arts education. It has upgraded a health clinic, set up a pathology laboratory, and built new public toilets.

It is also supporting traditional arts and crafts. “We want to show you can get economic benefits from heritage and that conservation can improve lives,” says Ratish Nanda, the AKTC projects director in India. “The focus is on living heritage.”

That is why, in a tour of 14th-century monuments, Naqi points out goats, halal butchers, and stores selling perfume oil in colored-glass bottles.

But he is also wise to another of the basti’s fascinations. Nizamuddin, like other sufis, taught that love – rather than religious ritual – was the surest route to God. On Thursday nights, when sufi songs are sung in the marble complex housing his tomb, many of the visitors are Hindu – remarkable in a country in which communal discord runs deep.

“All the different religions,” says Naqi. “That’s why the basti is important.”

Picture:An Indian Muslim youth waits at the Shrine of the Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin moments before breaking his fast in New Delhi, in this September 2007 file photo, during the holy month of Ramadan. Photo: Pedro Ugarte/AFP/Newscom/File

Sheikh Versus Shaikh

By Manoj R Nair, "The High Court wants to read hate preacher’s speeches" - Mumbai Mirror - Mumbai, India
Friday, March 19, 2010

The Bombay High Court puts off Maulana Sheikh Rabbani’s anticipatory bail hearing until it has gone through transcripts; tells police not to arrest cleric till next hearing on April 7

The Bombay High Court has asked for the transcripts of two CDs, in which a cleric belonging to the radical Ahle Hadees sect allegedly spews hatred against Dargah-going Muslims, especially followers of the Sufi saint Khwaja Garib Nawaz.

On Thursday, the court heard the anticipatory bail application of the cleric, Maulana Sheikh Mehraj Rabbani, whose earlier plea for bail had been rejected by the Sessions Court. Rabbani had approached the courts for bail after a complaint was filed at the Ghatkopar Police Station against him by a local resident, Siraj Ahmed Shaikh, who alleged that he had hurt the sentiments of other Muslims with his offensive comments about the saint.

The comments were made by Rabbani at a meeting on January 28 at Chirag Nagar in Ghatkopar.

The police have registered a case under Sections 295 (A) and 153 (A) of the IPC that relates to incitement of religious hatred. The bail application will be heard again on April 7 and the police have been instructed by the court not to arrest the cleric till it gives its decision on bail. The court wanted to see the transcripts before giving its decision in the bail application.

The High Court also asked the police to take custody of Rabbani’s passport that has been deposited with the Sessions Court. Rabbani has also been asked not to make any public speeches till his application is disposed of. Shaikh’s lawyer, Rizwan Merchant, said that they informed the court about the presence of hundreds of CDs that feature speeches against Sufis and dargahs.

“There are statements exhorting people to take up jihad and demolish dargahs,” said Merchant.

Radical Muslim sects consider dargahs as ‘grave worship’ and hence, against Islamic principles. However, Rabbani’s representatives told the court that the speech mentioned by the complainant was recorded in Saudi Arabia several years ago.

Rabbani’s lawyer, Basil Qazi, said that his client has not insulted Sufi saints in his speeches. “He has been falsely implicated. Even the statements made by him in the CDs and at Ghatkopar were said in a particular context. If you listen to the whole speech, you will realise that he has not said anything offensive,” said Qazi.

Picture: Maulana Sheikh Mehraj Rabbani’s earlier plea for bail had been rejected by the Sessions Court

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Killing The Inner Darkness
No comments:
By Staff Reporter, *Thousands gravitate to Lahore for Mela Chiraghan* - Daily Times - Karachi, Pakistan
Saturday, March 27, 2010

Nearby roads dotted with stalls, all local food and delicacies on sale, dhamaals become a common sight. Lighting of earthen lamps a Sufi metaphor for ‘killing the inner darkness’ that people live with. Last day of the urs devoted to women, who throng the shrine in large numbers.

Lahore: Mela Chiraghan, or the Festival of Lights, which marks the birth of Sufi saint Hazrat Shah Hussain – also known as Madho Lal Hussain – began on Friday night. Thousands of devotees gathered from across the country to attend the inaugural ceremony of the three-day urs that will start today (Saturday).

Madhu Lal’s syncretic shrine – situated in Baghban Pura near the Shalimar Gardens – represents the long-gone era of spirituality rising above religious identities and rituals. The urs of Shah Hussain will continue until March 29 and hundreds of thousands of devotees are expected to throng the tomb.

During the three-day urs celebrations, the whole of Baghbanpura and surround areas come alive with different colourful activities and an atmosphere of ecstacy and joy prevails. Devotees distribute langar and lay floral wreaths and chaadars at the graves of Shah Hussain and Madho Lal Hussain.

Unbridled joy: The roads leading to the shrine are dotted with stalls, while locals have also set up television sets showing dances performed at stage shows or to entertain the devotees. All sort of food items are on sale: gol gappas, fruit chaats, qatlamas, sweetmeats and even bhang-laced pappars. Dhamaals [Trance dances] become a common sight as numerous groups of unbridled devotees dance to the beat of dhols.

Sufi metaphor: During the festival, devotees light thousands of earthen lamps and candles. The lighting of lamps is a Sufi metaphor for killing the ‘inner darkness’ that humans live with.

According to Sufi teachings, by invoking ‘spiritual light’ through love and self-knowledge, people can overcome their ‘inner demons’ and attain the mystical state of union with the Beloved [God].

Devotees also toss candles into a large mach (bonfire) as legend has it that anyone doing this would be granted their wish by God. Some believe that their prayers would be granted if they sit close to the fire.

A large segment of the festival crowd comprises young people and malangs, most of whom seem to be smoking hash-laced cigarettes.

A great number of malangs and malangnees [qalandars] were witnessed setting up tents around the shrine to celebrate the urs in their traditional style while chaylays were busy decorating the tents and preparing langar to host the increasing flux of devotees.

Females only: Women also perform dhamaals as a ritual. The last of the three days is made exclusive for women who come in large numbers to the shrine. A large number of foreigners also visit the shrine. Folk singers hailing from different parts of the country spend days and nights at the shrine and sing Hussain’s poetry.
Read More
All Sufis Of Pakistan
No comments:
By Staff Reporter, *PAL geared up to host ‘Literary and Cultural Fest’* - Daily Times - Karachi, Pakistan
Saturday, March 27, 2010

Islamabad: Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) has planned to organise an international festival titled ‘Literary and Cultural Festival 2011’ next year to present soft image of Pakistan all over the world.

Fakhar Zaman, chairman PAL, said this on Friday while giving a briefing about successful celebration of ‘International Conference on Sufism and Peace’.

He said that the main objective of the next year’s ‘Literary and Cultural Festival’ is to demonstrate enlightened image of Pakistan. Talking about the recently held moot on Sufism, Zaman said that the primary objective of this conference was to present the true picture of Pakistan before international delegations that was love, tolerance and brotherhood.

“The way the indigenous and foreign media gave us coverage, we consider ourselves quite successful, as over 80 intellectuals, writers, and poets from 35 countries, participated in conference,” he said adding 200 intellectuals and writers from Pakistan also participated in that moot.

The PAL chief said arranging ‘International Conference on Sufism and Peace’ was the dream of Benazir Bhutto, which came true. He said that on the prestigious occasion of international conference, PAL had announced some publications, including Pakistan Kay Sufi Shuara’ra in Urdu, Chinese, English, Spanish, and French.

Beside international conference, Zaman briefed the audience about future projects of the academy. “In our future projects, the most important one is an international conference on which we have started work. In previous conferences I have already announced the establishment of a literary TV channel and FM channel, it’s a grand project on which we have started work and we are trying to accomplish it in coming three months,” Zaman added.

“We have full cooperation of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. This is also their desire to establish literary TV and radio channels in Pakistan,” he said.

He said that PAL had decided to celebrate 2011 as the Year of Faiz Ahmed Faiz. In this regard on February 13, 2011, birthday of Faiz will be celebrated in a national conference in which writers and intellectuals from all over the country would be invited.

“PAL has started construction of Faiz Ahmed Faiz Auditorium on its premises, which is going to be completed very soon,” he said.

Zaman said PAL is going to arrange ‘Sufi Conferences’ in provincial capitals, in which the papers will be presented on all Sufis of Pakistan.

He said that the academy has already started writers exchange programme with other countries.

“The latest development in this regard is this that on the occasion of international conference on Sufism and peace, we have decided to start writers exchange programme with Sweden, Austria, Italy, Morocco, Algeria, Nepal, Azarbaijan , and Tajikistan,” PAL chairman said.

The PAL chairman said that the academy in its publication projects had decided that it would publish separate books on the literature of Pakistan’s regional languages since 1947-2008.

He said PAL‘s future publication project is “Translating Pakistani and International Literature.”
Read More

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Seven Doctrines
No comments:
By Gihan Shahine, *'A good choice after all'* -Al-Ahram Weekly - Cairo, Egypt
25 - 31 March 2010 / Issue No. 991

Will the appointment of a new grand sheikh restore Al-Azhar's credibility?

Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, who has served as president of Al-Azhar University since 2003, was appointed grand sheikh of Al-Azhar last week, the institution's top cleric, with the appointment immediately causing a heated public debate.

El-Tayeb, who also served as Egypt's mufti between 2002 and 2003, succeeded Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, who died of a heart attack in Saudi Arabia on 10 March at the age of 81.

El-Tayeb is widely perceived as being a government affiliate owing to his membership of the ruling National Democratic Party's (NDP) policies committee, and critics are concerned that his loyalty to the government, rather than his scholarly achievements, may have been the main reason why he was given precedence over other candidates nominated for the job, including Egypt's present Mufti Ali Gomaa.

Amr Hashem Rabei, a researcher and political analyst at the Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, is among the staunchest critics of the new appointment, saying that the grand sheikh of Al-Azhar holds a prestigious position in the Muslim world, and this being so he should be completely independent.

Rabei speculated that, "as is the case with other government sectors, the regime, out of a sense of weakness, is trying to select leaders whom it trusts will toe the government line."

However, El-Tayeb's academic achievements outweigh those of many of his rivals, and he is thought of as moderate and enlightened cleric who promotes dialogue with the West. El-Tayeb received his doctoral degree from France's Sorbonne University in Paris, and he has written or translated works on science, Marxism and Islamic philosophy and culture.

Since his appointment, El-Tayeb has been much in evidence on television and in the press. In a televised interview with presenter Mona El-Shazli, El-Tayeb insisted that his being a member of the NDP and Al-Azhar's top cleric were two separate issues.

His loyalty to Al-Azhar was unquestionable, he said, and he refuted charges that the regime or the NDP had put pressure on Al-Azhar during his service as president of the institution or as mufti.

Prominent writer and expert on Islamic affairs Fahmy Howeidy welcomed the appointment as a "good choice after all", not paying much attention to the fact that El-Tayeb was an NDP member since "the regime would choose a government loyalist."

What might distinguish El-Tayeb from his predecessor was the fact that "he is more eloquent, has a better temper and is perhaps more pious than Tantawi was," Howeidy said.

However, Howeidy said that though El-Tayeb's appointment may be meant to "improve the image of the historic institution," restoring Al-Azhar's credibility was not an option since "the political environment, in which freedoms and rights are already curtailed, will not allow it."

Dependent on the state since the 1952 Revolution, Al-Azhar's staff, including its grand sheikh, have been turned into government employees, with the grand sheikh holding a rank analogous to that of prime minister.

The grand sheikh of Al-Azhar is appointed by presidential decree and remains in office for life. According to Sheikh Gamal Qotb, former head of Al-Azhar's fatwa council, the nature of the appointment means that the grand sheikh has little genuine independence, resulting in a loss of Al-Azhar's credibility.

Sometimes seen as being little more than a mouthpiece for the government, there is almost a consensus among analysts that Al-Azhar will not be able to restore its former prestige unless it regains its independence and its grand sheikh is elected by a committee of senior clergy and does not remain in post for life.

However, Qotb is optimistic that the new grand sheikh's philosophical background and academic achievements will "perhaps lend him more creativity and eloquence in achieving compromise".
Howeidy is equally optimistic that El-Tayeb will "not allow Al-Azhar's dignity to be lost, since he seems to fear God more than he fears the regime, and he has already been tactful when dealing with difficult issues."

Nevertheless, El-Tayeb is known for his hardline stance against the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition group. In 2006, he condemned a military-style parade by Brotherhood students at Al-Azhar University, in which they wore black facemasks "like Hamas, Hizbullah and the Republican Guard in Iran".

El-Tayeb has angered some conservative Muslims for being a critic of outward manifestations of piety such as the veil or the wearing of beards, which he has described as possibly coming at the expense of true spiritual development.

He supported his predecessor's ban on the niqab, or full face veil, among female Al-Azhar students on the grounds that it was not a religious obligation in Islam.

More ticklish issues are also on the new grand sheikh's agenda, Rabei saying that the stance Al-Azhar takes on resistance in the occupied Palestinian territories and rigging in the upcoming elections will help decide the degree of El-Tayeb's independence from the government.

Born in Upper Egypt in 1946, El-Tayeb joined an Al-Azhar affiliated school at the age of 10, and has enjoyed a career spanning 40 years at the institution. He became a faculty member at Al-Azhar University before becoming head of the philosophy department.

An ardent student, El-Tayeb's teachers included distinguished scholars such as Sheikh Abdallah Deraz, Ali Abdel-Qader and Abdel-Halim Mahmoud, who all managed to adapt their traditional upbringings to achieve coexistence with the foreign countries where they obtained their higher degrees.

"In college, we were introduced to seven doctrines, including those of the Shia and Sufism, and told they were all correct, something that distinguishes Al-Azhar from the world's other Islamic universities," El-Tayeb previously told the Weekly.

"Every student is free to follow the doctrine of his choice," and this has always meant that Egyptians are more tolerant, and less susceptible to extremist thinking, than people in some other Muslim countries, El-Tayeb said.
Read More

Monday, March 29, 2010

Sükran Köyü
No comments:
By Vercihan Ziflioglu, *New Turkish art village to express gratitude to Anatolia* - Hürriyet Daily News - Istanbul, Turkey
Wednesday, March 24, 2010

In a unique new art project, one of the main builders of Istanbul’s French Street will establish a new village entirely devoted to art in the Central Anatolian province of Konya, home of the Sufi poet Rumi. Known as the ‘Village of Gratitude,’ the site will have room for painting and sculpture workshops, concert halls and locations for film

Turning the popular belief that the Central Anatolian province of Konya is a bastion of conservatism on its head, a new art initiative is planning to build a massive village dedicated solely to art.

The building of “Sükran Köyü” (the Village of Gratitude), will be directed by Mehmet Taşdiken, founder and executive board chairman of Istanbul’s Fransız Sokağı (French Street), previously known as Cezayir Street.

Taşdiken said the project, which is slated for completion in June, had great significance for him personally. “I was born in the Çavuş village of Konya. I have never forgotten the richness that this land gave to me. After long years I will go to my village to express my gratitude to it. This is why I have named it the ‘village of gratitude.’”

Konya, a province with a fast-growing industrial base, is best known as the final resting place of Rumi, a famous Sufi who settled in the city in the 13th century and began a Sufi order that preached tolerance and brotherhood.

Film setting in the village
According to Taşdiken, the art village, which will be built on a large, open plot of land, will be primarily constructed using bricks and soil so as to blend in with its surroundings.

Experts from Istanbul Technical University, meanwhile, are closely supervising the construction of the village that will host 45 structures, including painting and sculpture workshops, as well as concert halls.

Locations to shoot films, as well as the Cinema-Television and Plastic Arts departments of the Konya Selçuk University will also open in the village.

Taşdiken said the village would be located five kilometers away from Konya’s city center.
Although such a comprehensive arts center might be perceived as a tourist attraction, Taşdiken said he had no plans to promote the village as a tourist site so as to prevent its commercialization.

“When tourism is highlighted in a place, its value decreases and materiality comes to the fore. The system is indexed to money. We hope that the Village of Gratitude will be a place full of art and culture. We want artists to create their works in peace,” Taşdiken said.

Conservative Konya?
Apart from Rumi, Konya is most closely associated with political and social conservatism within the court of Turkish public opinion. Taşdiken, however, said: “I don’t agree that Konya is a conservative city. Unfortunately, our media and politicians portray Konya as a conservative city. This is wrong.”

He said the villagers of Çavuş would be invited to all the art events at the village.

Giving another example from Anatolia, Taşdiken said, “Until 10-15 years ago, being Anatolian was regarded as a drawback and was shameful. The people of Istanbul used to denigrate Anatolians, saying ‘provincial people.’ It was like a label on people.”

Taşdiken said he had similar difficulties while he was a student, but never denied his hometown. “Times have changed quickly. It is not a disadvantage to be an Anatolian anymore, but an advantage.”

Taşdiken has received extensive support from the Foundation for the Promotion and Protection of the Environment and Cultural Heritage, or ÇEKÜL, as well as Çavuş Municipality.

Picture: Mehmet Taşdiken. Photo: Hürriyet Daily News.
Read More

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Together For Peace
No comments:
Staff report: *Govt committed to protecting rights of minorities: Zardari* - Daily Times - Pakistan
Thursday, March 25, 2010

President for preserving, developing ancient cultural heritage of Gandhara to promote inter-faith harmony, revive tourism industry

Islamabad: The government is committed to protecting the rights and privileges of minorities, as enshrined in the constitution to bring them into the mainstream of national life, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Wednesday.

Talking to a 10-member delegation of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) led by its Secretary General Phallop Thaiarry at the Presidency, Zardari said the government had taken vigorous steps to protect the rights of minorities, which included allocation of five percent quota in government jobs, twofold increase in minorities’ development fund, establishment of skills development centres, commemoration of August 11 as the Minority Day and establishment of inter-faith harmony committees at the district level across the country.

Preservation: The president said that the government was keen to preserve and develop the ancient cultural heritage of Gandhara, not only as a means to promote inter-faith harmony but also to revive tourism in the country.

He said the Buddhist stupas (dome-shaped monument, used to house Buddhist relics) and monasteries in Gandhara, which are very sacred for Buddhists, are an important part of our historic culture.

He said the government had always welcomed tourists and foreign visitors to these sacred religious sites in Pakistan. Zardari also appreciated the various steps proposed by the WFB to promote Gandhara heritage of Pakistan, which included the establishment of a Gandhara chair in any of the renowned universities, association of the WFB with some of Pakistani institutions and the translation of literature on Gandhara.

Referring to the link between the civilisations of Pakistan and Thailand, the president said that the two countries enjoy cordial relations and had worked together for peace and regional stability.

Talking to Daily Times, Dr Anil Sakya, who is a monk by birth and is part of the WFB delegation, said that Buddhism and Sufism of the sub-continent had almost similar methodology. “Some elements of Sufism might be influenced by Buddhist practice,” he said. “I was born in Katmandu (Nepal) in 1960. I started my practices as a monk when I was 14 years old,” said Dr Anil, who has done his doctorate in anthropology.

He said a monk has to learn so many teachings based on meditation and self-control, however, modern education is also part of monks’ syllabus.

He seemed quite satisfied with the security arrangements made for his delegation in Pakistan. “We have visited Taxila. The people of Pakistan are friendly and kind,” he said.

Phallop Thiarry told Daily Times at a dinner arranged by the Ministry of Tourism at Damn-e-Koh that it was a great opportunity for him and his delegation to visit the culturally rich country.

“It is my first trip to Pakistan, and people here are very nice and friendly,” he said.

[Picture: map of ancient India. Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandhara]
Read More
In Unidentified Places
No comments:
By SAPA/ Staff Reporter, *Rebels destroy more tombs* - News 24 - South Africa
Thursday, March 25, 2010

Mogadishu - Somalia's hardline rebels on Thursday destroyed more tombs of Sufi clerics as they intensified a drive to stop what they term "grave worshipping" by moderate Islamists.

Heavily-armed Shebab militia on Tuesday exhumed and took away the remains of a Sufi cleric buried in Mogadishu 30 years ago.

"The raids are continuing for the third day and we have excavated around seven graves so far," said Sheik Said Karatay, the Shebab official in charge of the tomb raids.

"We take their remains and rebury them in unidentified places to avoid them being recognised by people who continue worshiping them," he told reporters in Mogadishu.

"The operations will go on until we eradicate the culture of worshipping graves."Witnesses said the Shebab militia chanted "God is great" as they dug up and destroyed the graves using hammers and hoes.

Sufism, which is dominant in Somalia, emphasises the mystical dimension of Islam and includes practices considered as idolatry and innovations in the conservative Wahhabi current of Islam adopted by the Shebab.

The Shebab, who control much of the lawless Horn of Africa country, have set up a unit to destroy all tombs respected by Sufi Muslims.
Read More

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Sufism Decreases Passions
No comments:
By Iason Athanasiadis, *Libya’s Islamic reform model* - Global Post - USA
Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Gadhafi enlists a surprising ally in his jihad against Islamists — dervishes

Zliten, Libya — Dozens of boys and young men mill around the cavernous hall of the Muslim University madrassah in this Sufi shrine town in northwestern Libya. Pilgrims drift in and out of the enormous mosque recently built on the site of a Sufi saint’s tomb after paying their respects.

In addition to Libyans, African and Asian students from the majority Sunni sect of Islam attend this Islamic seminary.

“They study Quran and the Shariah and carry out missionary work for Islam in Africa and Asia to teach its tenets,” said Abd as-Salam Milad Shomeyla, one of the guardians of the shrine of 15th century Sufi saint Abd as-Salam al-Asmar. Sufi dervishes take part in ecstatic dancing and prayer sessions.

The Zliten shrine is flourishing now, but it was blacklisted by President Moammar Gadhafi's regime for many years and its financial affairs were removed from a private trust and assigned to the government's Ministry of Islamic Endowments.

It was all part of the restrictions imposed by Gadhafi on Sufi orders as part his efforts to control Islam in the country. Sufi places of worship were shut down or razed to the ground on the pretext that they encouraged a deviant form of Islam. Libya is now feeling the backlash against that policy.

Sufi ceremonies had been a mainstay of popular Islam in Libya. From the time of the Ottoman Empire through Italian colonialism and up to the era of the deposed King Idriss, they enjoyed significant social and political power. After Gadhafi seized power in 1969, he dissolved the main brotherhoods and prosecuted particularly fiercely the Sanussiyah order, which possessed extended charity and economic networks.

But Gadhafi has now reversed his policies to encourage Sufism, apparently because he is worred about the growth of support in Libya for a more fundamentalist, Wahhabist form of Islam.

Locals believe that Gadhafi changed his mind about Sufism after a near-death crash of his motorcade while passing outside Zliten one day. Allegedly taking it as a supernatural sign of displeasure by the Sufi saint, he immediately returned financial control of the shrine's affairs to its original owners.

But the real reason may have more to do with the revelations that large numbers of Libyan jihadis have targeted U.S. troops in Iraq. A 2007 U.S. Army report found the number of Libyan fighters in Iraq in the previous year had surged from 4 percent to 19 percent, placing them second in number only to the Saudis.

Militant training camps have bloomed in the barren, sparsely populated Sahara desert. Libyan intelligence has monitored the spread of radical Islam along the African Sahel since the political thaw that followed Gadhafi’s 2003 rapprochement with the West. In 2004, a desert operations camp was discovered belonging to the fundamentalist Algerian Islamic group the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat.

In Benghazi, Libya's second largest city after the capital Tripoli, Islamism is on the rise. The Mediterranean port was once so multi-cultural that it was dubbed by its expat residents “the poor man’s Alexandria.” Although its malls throb with imported goods, far fewer women walk its streets and those who do are heavily covered by their burqas or hijabs. This contrasts with the more liberal atmosphere for women in Tripoli.

Other signs of a rise in Muslim fundamentalism in Libya include the demonstrations in which a mob torched the Italian consulate in 2006 during the Danish cartoons controversy and the incident in 2008 in which an audience pelted a concert stage with stones, forcing Bob Geldof to cancel a concert, that had been organized by Gadhafi's westernized son.

Faced with the threat of hardline Islamists, Gadhafi is encouraging the kinder, more tolerant strand of Sufism.

Today, Zliten is booming off the back of a spike in pilgrimage traffic. Aside from the monumental new mosque, Libya’s Ministry of Education has contracted a U.S. firm to oversee a major expansion of the Al-Asmariya Islamic University. And across the country Sufi orders celebrated the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad in March by taking their musical, folk Islam to the streets and parading through town centers for 40 days.

“They demolished the zawaya [Sufi prayer halls] but they're now rebuilding them because they realize that Wahhabism failed and this is the only way to fight the influence of the U.S.,” said Khalifa Mahdaoui, a former military officer and government consultant who now runs a cultural center in Tripoli. “Sufism decreases passions while Wahhabism inflames them.”

But growing Muslim conservatism — sometimes referred to as "Wahhabism" after the theological trend followed by U.S. ally Saudi Arabia — is increasingly felt across Libyan society. This Bedouin culture was never freewheeling and liberal like Baathist Iraq or Syria in the 1960s and 1970s but Gadhafi’s post-revolution Islamization policy made society even more conservative.

“In the 1980s there was only one row of worshippers at prayer time in the mosques whereas now they're full,” said Abu Ajayla bin Khalid, a mosque attendee at central Tripoli’s Bourguiba Mosque.

When Gadhafi seized power in a 1969 coup against King Idriss as-Sanussi, he banned alcohol and upped Islam’s profile in this majority Sunni desert country of 6 million people, double the size of France. He crushed Sufi orders, especially the Sanussiyah, a brotherhood related to deposed King Idriss as-Sanussi, which boasted social relief and civil society networks in villages and cities more extensive than the government’s.

“When Wahhabism arrived in the late '80s they started to consider us heretics and to say we'd deviated from true religion,” said a follower of the Aroosiah Sufi order who insisted on anonymity in a sign of the continuing sensitivity felt by Sufis. “The bearded ones started popping up and making pronouncements as to what is halal and what is haram which had never happened before.”

Eastern Libya’s Cyrenaica region remains a hotbed of anti-regime militancy. The Libyan government fought a successful war against Islamist militants in the 1990s and claims to have broken the back of their militias despite occasional attacks continuing. More recently, a disproportionately large amount of Libyans have fought in Iraq.

The new, grassroots Islamization is coming at a time when unprecedented levels of consumer goods are flooding into the country. Alcohol remains banned but new five-star hotels are opening in Tripoli and construction cranes mark its still-humble skyline for Dubai-scale development. Young secular Libyans entertain themselves at low-profile house parties and beach excursions where cameras are banned as they consume designer drugs, homemade alcoholic drinks and bottles of vodka smuggled in from neighboring Algeria.

Although public spaces remain fully Islamic, Moroccan, Algerian and West African prostitutes frequent disreputable parts of town and the slums of African migrant workers around the ramshackle Old City.

“There's been an increase in mosques, madrassahs and a change in perspective on the part of a generation that were sinking in drugs and indolence,” said Sheikh Khaled, a plump, bearded Quranic instructor at a kuttab. “That is why we are using television to expand the missionary call.”

Picture: The Zawya of 'Abd es-Salam el-Asmar. Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zliten]
Read More

Friday, March 26, 2010

Sufism And Literature
No comments:
By Ameer H. Ahmad, *Karachi Literature Festival concludes* - Daily Times - Pakistan
Monday March 22, 2010

Karachi: The two-day Karachi Literary Festival, organised by the British Council and the Oxford University Press (Pakistan) ended Sunday with a host of literary and cultural activities, featuring authors like Musharraf Ali Farooqi, Zulfikar Ghose, Husain Naqvi and Mohsin Hamid.

Comprising of tributes, readings, book launches and discussions, the festival was well attended by literary buffs, students, writers and the general public.

One of the highlights of the day was the launch of “50 Poems: 30 Selected 20 New” by the critically acclaimed author Zulfikar Ghose.

A panel discussion on Sufism and Literature brought together Samina Quraeshi, Amar Jaleel and Mahmood Jamal.

While Quraeshi read an excerpt from her recent book, Jamal read a poem directed at fundamentalists of all kinds while commenting that Sufism was not a deviant cult as many perceived it to be.

In the end, many in the audience were left frustrated as an interesting question by a student about the role of Shariah in the context of Sufism went unanswered and was cleverly deflected under the garb of sophisticated expression.

Ameena Saiyid, Managing Director of the Oxford University Press and Journalist Asif Noorani talked about what makes a best seller in Pakistan in an interactive session titled “From Manuscript to Bestseller”.
Read More
Peace Is The Path
No comments:
By Staff Reporter, *SUFISM, LITERATURE AND PEACE. By Dr. Stephen Gill, Canada* - Pakistan Christian Post - Pakistan
Tuesday, March 23, 2010

A text of the talk presented by Dr. Stephen Gill, at the international conference on Sufism and Peaceheld from March 14 to March 16 organized by Pakistan Academy of Letters in Islamabad, Pakistan

Peace wombs the fetus of wisdom and the flowers of beauty. Peace is the path of prosperity and the breath of bliss. I congratulate Mr. Fakhar Zaman, head of Pakistan Academy of Letters, and members of his executive who have worked hard to organize this meaningful gathering of intellectuals to promote peace.

I have brought a message from the land of peace to the land that should be proud because of its sufi poets and sages who have played expressive roles for creating peace to make the world a better place.

When I talk of peace, I mean the absence of war and fear for every individual to walk around with an independent conscious to accept or to reject any ideology or philosophy. This is my dream and this is what I write about in my poetry.

The cradle of my dream is mind, a field where battles are fought first. This field—I mean the mind—is unsullied by prejudices when a child comes into this world. This is the field which is to be taken care of if human needs a life without the engines of destruction and a conscious that is not a slave to prejudices and hatred.

I would like to share that I was born in Sialkot before the partition of India. My parents migrated to New Delhi from Sialkot, and from New Delhi I migrated to different nations in search for the flower of peace. I settled finally in Canada where I have been living for the last more than forty years as a poet and as a writer for peace. I am happy to breathe again the air of the country where I was born and where my parents were born and where the bones of my ancestors are buried. I am happy to breathe the air of the nation that has produced great poets of peace in the past and is still producing and I am sure that this nation will keep producing a good crop of poets, artists and sages even more in the future. This area where we have assembled has produced poets, such as Shah Hussain , Sultan Bahu and Shah Sharaf. On the top of these there is Bulleh Shah from 1680 to 1757, a humanist and a philosopher.

Bulleh Shah, a prominent poet and philosopher from this area, was against violence. I would like to quote lines that are the English rendering of one of his poems:

Tear down the mosques
and also temples
break down all that divides
but do not break the human heart
because it is therewhere God resides


A few lines from another poem of Bulleh Shah:

Neither a Hindu Nor a Muslim
Sacrificing pride
Let us sit together
Neither a Shia Nor a Sunni
Let us walk the path
Of peace


I fully agree with Bulleh Shah. I believe God is peace and where God resides there is peace and where there is peace, there is plenty, there is health, prosperity, love and harmony. A country that has no peace, does not have prosperity. In such a country, no one would like to invest money. For a lack of investment, there are no jobs. As a result, the citizens of such a country may use wrong means to find money to feed themselves and to feed their children.

Because of the absence of peace and security, the rich persons of that country will deposit their money either in the Swiss banks or invest somewhere else. Highly educated and skilled people of that country migrate to other nations. It is called the brain drain. There is the lack of tourists also. Tourism is an industry by itself. Many nations rely on tourism for foreign currency. Tourists will not like to go to those countries where there is no security. As a result, the countries which lack security will not get foreign exchange even from tourists. This worsens the situation.

Leaders of such a nation look for reasons to blame others. Minorities become their soft targets. This gives rise to a clash between the majority and the minorities. A country in which the minorities are not happy, even the majority is not happy. The majority is always on the alert. The minorities do not feel safe in their own land. They begin to shift their loyalties.

Because of the lack of securities and money, the government will borrow heavily from other nations to carry on its day to day work. This starts another cycle. No one will lend money to a person or a nation that is not stable. The nation is surrounded with problems and problems and more problems.

I was talking about Bulleh Shah. His poetry reflects a turbulent period in Punjab’s history. He blames those who are in power, including intellectuals, academicians and religious authorities for giving wrong information to citizens and do not let the citizens discover the love of God.

Bulleh Shah was refused by the religious leaders to be buried in the community graveyard because of his unorthodox views in his poetry. Today the same person is remembered and his grave is being looked after by the city of Qasur for his global respect and recognition. It was because of the harmony and love he talked about.

Pakistan has produced poets of peace even after the death of Bulleh Shah. They were jailed for their boldness for speaking the truth. They are also remembered.

Peace is the result of human unity, and the human unity has been the dream of poets, prophets, priests, sages and reformers from time immemorial. These days, human unity is the agenda of peace activists and politicians. There is already geographical unity that has been caused by the technology and science. There is also global economy due to international exchanges and communication. We are already in the area of global culture. This change has been caused fast without letting humans to adjust to this change. In many ways the world has become one, but in thinking human is still divided as the primitive tribes were.

It is admirable that writers have and are still playing a vital role in most nations. They have and are still trying to improve race relationships. Changes in many countries were caused by the muscles of the pen. Shakespeare was right when he said in the sixteenth century that the pen is mightier than the sword. So was Shelley in the romantic age of English literature. Shelley said that poets are unacknowledged legislators of the world. In olden days only a selected few had access to books, because the rulers knew the power of written words. The Bible was kept locked and chained. In India, the Vedas were within the reach of only a handful of people. This story has been repeated and is still being repeated in several civilizations in different shapes.

There is no doubt that writers have the ability to change habits and attitudes of the citizens. Leo Tolstoy, a novelist from Russia, was largely responsible for changing the social consciousness of Europe. In the United States of America, the Pentagon Papers concerning Vietnam War also changed largely the thinking of the citizens. Before this, the civil war in the USA for the emancipation of the slaves was partly due to the book titled Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. This novels, written during the mid 19th and the early 20th centuries, reflects the condition of the slaves. The novelist herself says that she had written her book to show people what slavery was. The novel went a long way in changing the attitude of Americans towards slavery. The French revolutions were largely due to writers. Maxim Gorki is known today for his social realism. In the social and political fields, writers who reflect the spirit of their age are always remembered and read with unique respect.

Writers in Canada and also in Pakistan are active. They write for radio and TV. They are associated with newspapers and journals. They write novels, histories, poetry, plays and even speeches for the members of parliament and executive officers. Writers of today are associated with nearly every aspect of life.

Writers are in a better situation today to inform the world that harmony among racial and religious groups is essential to make the world better for citizens and for the children of citizens. Writers can inform the world that divided nations have fallen in the past and will fall even in the future, and the fruits of unity are sweet and manifold.

Therefore instead of wasting time at the alter of violence, hatred and pride, leaders should focus on improving the quality of life on earth. Writers can do it because they are involved in every aspect of life and are blessed with the gift of self-expression.

Sufi artists and thinkers are not politicians. They believe in the divine power that is peace. Sufis believe that for divine power all are equal. The sun of the Almighty, and rains as well as the air are free gifts from the Almighty for every individual. When Bulleh Shah says in a couplet “do not break the human heart”, he talks of multiculturalism.

Another Sufi poet from this area, Shaikh Fareed or Baba Fareed, is known for his love for everyone. He was against hypocrisy. He says every human heart is a pearl. He preaches not to break any heart. A substantial portion of his poetry has been incorporated into the Guru Granth Sahib, the religious book of the Sikhs. These and other sufi poets and thinkers focus on peace and tolerance as well as respect for all creations. Their literature teaches the wisdom to co-exist. Sufi literature is not to divide; it is for the love and tolerance that unify the diverse ethnic heritage.

This area of Pakistan where this gathering of peace-loving thinkers is being held, is known as Indus Valley. It was a flourishing area about three thousand years before Christ. It was flourishing largely because of mass migration for various reasons. This migration brought into the Indus Valley a significant diversity of human race and cultural traditions. Among the immigrants, included Aryans, Greeks, Mongols, Turks, Persians, Afghans and Arabs. The area became known for peace and respect for learned people.

The Indus Valley had a multicultural society as Pakistan has today in the form of different languages, ethnic groups, creeds and beliefs. My own country, Canada, has become multicultural in shape and through constitutional means. Canada has been declared multicultural by different governments. Tolerance is the base of this multiculturalism. Without tolerance there is no peace, and without peace there is no any kind of prosperity.

The world of today is a global village and this global village is of multicultural nature. To think of turning it into a village of one belief or ethnic group is impossible. Therefore humans have to learn to live side by side with the people of different cultures and creeds. This is the message of Sufis, and also the message of Canada where I live.

Citizens of this subcontinent are aware of the blood that was shed in 1947 in the name of religion. It was all due to the lack of tolerance. Lack of tolerance is a sword that divides families, citizens and nations. It divides the hearts of the people. It was this sword that divided India, and Pakistan came into existence. Again it was the same sword that divided Pakistan and Bangladesh came into existence. The same sword is flashing again in India, Pakistan and also in Bagladesh as well as in several other nations.

Intolerance leads to a fearful circle of revenge, opening doors for anarchy, making day-to-day life miserable. Intolerance also leads to unnecessary tensions which lay the foundation for insecurity and where there is no security there is no chance for prosperity and peace-- neither personal nor political. Intolerance leads to unnecessary tension and tensions leads to unnecessary divisions in the communities and nations. Intolerance leads to unnecessary fear, and fear leads to insane actions. In extreme form, fear becomes terror. Suspicion and fear split people into opposite camps, each trying to collect more poison to annihilate the other. No one will know how to get rid of the thunders of fear and how to end the maddening race of intolerance.

Tension and fear play havoc with the economic life of the nation. Happy minorities contribute towards the building of the nation. If minorities feel secure, they will do everything to feel proud of their heritage. Absence of security and harmony leads to econo/ political disaster that endangers the stability of the majority. Protection of minorities is in the interest of the majority and the whole nation, even the world. This approach is for the prosperity and survival of everyone.

Sufi poets and thinkers look upon the entire humanity as one body. As the peace of the heart and mind depends on the peace of every part of the body, the peace of entire humanity depends on the peace of every community and group. Even if a part of the finger or tooth or eye is painful, the whole body becomes painful. The different parts of the body are like different communities, ethnic and cultural groups. They all are supposed to coexist in harmony and peace. This is the message of Sufis.

This is what Canada practices and teaches. Canada has the policy of multiculturalism that is based on the concept of tolerance or co-existence. Canadian politicians and architects of Canadian future and welfare came to this conclusion independently through their own wisdom that the only way to survive with dignity is to learn to live in a multicultural environment. Canadians came to this conclusion from the beginning of the formation of the nation. Consequently, Canada has become the choicest place to live largely because of her recognition of peaceful co-existence. This is the Canadian identity. In a country of around thirty two million people, there are about two hundred and fifty ethnic news media, and around one hundred and fifty languages spoken and understood.

This is the way of Canada, a multicultural society which permits free development of every culture, language and religion to work together to achieve a higher form of the principles of freedom and democracy. This is the blueprint that is the base of the Canadian strength, and I believe, this is the blueprint that shall be the strength of the rest of the world.

In order to improve the strength, more diversity boom is expected in Canada, according to a population growth report released in March 2010 by Statistics Canada. The report says that Canada will stop using the word minority soon because the minorities will become the majority. Canada is going to educate citizens more widely and vigorously to have open minds so that minorities may feel comfortable working with others who are different from the point of culture and religion. The report reveals that shortly Christians will be in minority and the number of non-Christians will be doubled and half of them will be Muslims. This diversity will give muscles to Canada to grow further and be more peaceful and be a much better nation.

Pakistan does not have to struggle to be multicultural nation. Pakistan is already blessed with diversity, and diversity is a strength. Diversity becomes a strength when tolerance is practiced. If Pakistan listen to these Sufi thinkers, Pakistan will become envy of the world. Instead of going abroad, other nationalities would like to come and settle here. All it needs is tolerance.

If the world wants to bring the global village together more closely, it will have to be on the principles of these Sufis, who believe in tolerance. I have no doubts that tolerance is the key to peace and the foundation of democracy. Tolerance for the faiths of others as well as for the cultures of others gives birth to a legitimate child of bliss. This is the message of this international gathering, and this is the message that I have brought from Canada.

Stephen Gill has authored more than twenty books, including novels, collections of poems and literary criticism. His poetry and prose have appeared in more than five hundred publications. His works have been recognized with doctorates and other honors

[Picture: Dr. Stephen Gill. Visit Dr. Stephen Gill's website http://www.stephengill.ca/]
Read More

Thursday, March 25, 2010

This Disastrous Charade
No comments:
By Jawed Naqvi, *How we turned a Cold War into a hot potato* - Dawn.com - Pakistan
Monday, March 22, 2010

Far too many innocent men, women and children have died and many more uprooted from their homes in the Kashmir tragedy since its emergence as a violent and volatile issue in 1947. Its essential history, however, is at variance with most contemporary narratives of India-Pakistan rivalry, brutal military occupation, rabid religious zealotry and an indigenous struggle to keep a moderate inclusive Islam as its nodal characteristic.

I have often wondered who among the Pakistani stakeholders in Kashmir is today more keen for an early solution to the dispute – is it the army, which has its hands full with a raging insurgency in the northwest but may see advantages in getting even with India by establishing the centrality of the prickly discussion as a requirement to meet its vital international obligations of containing anti-west Muslim extremists elsewhere? Assuming and not conceding that Pakistan has its way in Kashmir, with or without overt international help, is it ready for the consequences of adding one more ethnic headache to its existing four or five? And are the Kashmiris going to be happy with an overstretched nation state which is already in a turbulent flux?

Or is it a strategic quest for the narrow-minded religious militant groups who see in the eclectic and primarily Sufi Kashmir a staging post for their wider jihad against India and against everybody who fits into their crosshairs, including, ironically enough, the current pro-west state of Pakistan. The world on its part doesn’t seem to be excited about another Islamic state much less a religious nursery in this part of the world, and India will not allow what it considers to be its territories to be pared down to make itself more vulnerable than it is to Pakistan, China and assorted domestic and foreign insurgents. These are the elements of the regular narrative within which current discussions on Kashmir are staged and its many realistic and far-fetched solutions are posited by nation-states and well-heeled NGOs. Most of the contemporary elements in the Kashmir saga are completely new though and unrelated to the original colonial perfidy that drove its politics before the Cold War harnessed the dispute to American strategies in the region.
Rakesh Ankit, who studied history at Delhi and Oxford, has culled out enough recently declassified British government papers to reassemble a useful picture of Kashmir’s emergence as a key plank in the geographical architecture conceived and planned by colonialism and handed over to the Cold War. 1948: The crucial year in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, published in the current issue of Economic and Political Weekly, could prove to be a seminal work as it seeks to guide us to the roots of the problem and its many lingering shadows from the past that may yet decide its future.

Initially, according to Ankit, the British didn’t want the Kashmir conflict at all for two reasons. First, their military minds held that they needed both India and Pakistan to secure “the peace, welfare and security…from the Mediterranean to the China Sea” and to confront the “intrigue from Sinkiang and intervention from north” with “implications far beyond Kashmir”. They now had to choose one of the two.

Second, they had been worried about the weakening strategic hold in Palestine and Greece, unhappy with the increasingly autonomous and assertive American involvement there “without due regard to British interests”, anxious about Egypt and Iraq and arguing for “…a pan-Islamic federation/Arab league…to thwart Russia”. Against this backdrop, the Kashmir conflict made them concerned about losing control of Pakistan as well.

Losing Pakistan was not an option for London, says Ankit. The British chief of staff (COS) had underlined this five times between May 1945 – when Pakistan was but an idea of a few – and July 1947, when it was about to be a reality for all. They had first reported to Winston Churchill that Britain must retain its military connection with India in view of the “Soviet menace” for India was a valuable base for force deployment, a transit point for air and sea communications, a large reserve of manpower. Moreover, it had air bases in the north-west (now in Pakistan) from which Britain could threaten Soviet military installations. They repeated to Clement Attlee the importance of these north-west airfields.

In July 1946, they identified the crucial arc from Turkey to Pakistan, in view of essential oil supplies, defence and communications requirements, with the Russian threat. In November 1946, they summed up that “Western India” (post-1947 Pakistan) – with Karachi and Peshawar – was strategically and ideologically crucial for British Commonwealth interests. Five weeks before Partition, the COS concluded:

“The area of Pakistan is strategically the most important in the continent of India and the majority of our strategic requirements could be met by an agreement with Pakistan alone. We do not therefore consider that failure to obtain the [defence] agreement with India would cause us to modify any of our requirements.” Can we see shades of the current expediencies in that comment?

The Foreign Office (FO) viewed the Kashmir conflict as a religious war which “might be used by Russia as a pretext for intervening”. It felt that the “Russians tend to favour India as against Pakistan”. Moreover, any initiatives had to keep in mind “the present difficult position over Palestine” which made any “talks about HMG being unfair to Pakistan (over Kashmir) undesirable”. It reminded the Muslim countries via its embassies: “HMG might easily have handed over the whole of India to the Hindu majority. But they loyally protected the Muslim minority, even to the point of facilitating the creation of a separate independent Muslim state by going out of their way. This is what the Muslims themselves demanded. We have recognised Pakistan as a Dominion and have supported its admission to UNO. We would always come to Pakistan’s help.”

As India and Pakistan battled for their claim on Kashmir, the British had their own axe to grind. When India got the Instrument of Accession, disputed by Pakistan as a confirmed fact, and Indian troops landed in Srinagar, Lawrence Graffety-Smith, the UK High Commissioner in Pakistan (1947-51), spoke for many when he sent this report to London two days after Kashmir’s accession to India: “Indian government’s acceptance of accession of Kashmir [was] the heaviest blow yet sustained by Pakistan in her struggle for existence. Strategically, Pakistan’s frontiers have been greatly extended as a hostile India gains access to NWFP. This will lead to a redefinition of the Afghan policy for worse. Second, Russian interests will be aroused in Gilgit and NWFP which creates a new international situation which HMG and the US government cannot overlook. Third, there is a serious threat to Pakistan’s irrigation systems; hydroelectric projects from the accession [all five rivers draining the Pakistani Punjab flow from India, three through Kashmir] and finally, two-three million Kashmiri Muslims will worsen the already massive refugee problem with five-and-a-half million Muslims having been driven out of East Punjab.”

But the British were even-handed in their dealings with the new Dominions were they not? Here’s how they did that. Philip Noel-Baker headed the Commonwealth relations Office (1947-50). He worried that “incursions now taking place in Kashmir constitute an ‘armed attack’ upon Indian territory in view of their scale and of the fact that Kashmir has acceded to the Indian Union. This is so irrespective of whether forces in question are organised or disorganised or whether they are controlled by, or enjoy the convenience of, Government of Pakistan. India is therefore entitled to take measures which she may deem necessary for self-defence pending definitive action by Security Council to restore peace – prima facie – repelling invaders but possibly pursuit of invaders into Pakistan territory. Security Council could not decide out of hand that India was not justified in so doing in the case envisaged.”

The newly released British papers certainly make the current diplomatic and military manoeuvres on Kashmir and other colonial era disputes stalking the region look tame by comparison. There is much to laud in Ankit’s effort in putting together an argument. And there is much to ponder in the new and dangerous direction all the unresolved issues are taking us. It’s a shame that India and Pakistan, in the tradition of good old client states, continue to engage in a mindset that helps their foreign minders sow more discord between them. The Kashmiri people are the worst sufferers in this disastrous charade in which national servility on both sides passes for national interests.

Picture: The mother of a missing Kashmiri youth, cries during a demonstration by the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons in Srinagar. On the tenth of every month, members of APDP assemble in a park in Srinagar to highlight the issue of missing persons in Kashmir and remember their loved ones. The APDP says that more than 8,000 people have gone missing, most of them after their arrest by Indian security forces in the troubled Kashmir region since a rebellion broke out at the end of 1989. But authorities deny the allegations and say their investigations have revealed that most of the missing people have crossed the heavily militarised Line of Control which separates India and Pakistan into Pakistani Kashmir for arms training. –Reuters Photo/Fayaz Kabli
Read More
Mystical Trading Route
No comments:
By BWW News Desk, *Silk Road's 'Sounds of the Sufis' CD Launch Set for Nexus Cabaret, 3/25* - Broadway World - Australia
Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Silk Road: Sounds of the Sufis CD Launch on Thursday 25 March, 8pm at Nexus Cabaret.

The mystical Silk Road region winds and turns over soaring mountains and majestic plains, past grand ancient cities and through desert oases.

Take a musical journey to the heart and soul of this timeless trans-continental trading route, and celebrate the launch of Inderjit Singh's new CD, Sounds of the Sufis.

Inderjit Singh is an accomplished Punjabi keyboard and harmonium player and singer. With Sounds of the Sufis, Inderjit has created a beautiful album of North Indian devotional music inspired by sufi traditions and the music and songs of the Sikh faith.

To celebrate the release of the CD, you are invited to a soulful evening of sufi ghazals (love poetry songs) performed by Inderjit on the harmonium, accompanied by Jay Dabgar on tablas, Josh Bennett on sitar and dilruba and Keith Preston on santoor.

For tickets, click here.
[Visit Nexus Cabaret in Adelaide, Australia http://www.nexus.asn.au/]
Read More

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

43 Muslim Women
No comments:
By Lynne Walker, *Sisters, Crucible Studio Theatre, Sheffield* - The Independent - UK
Monday, March 22, 2010

A revealing look behind the veil

The captain of the British Muslim women's football team, an intersex waiting for the operation that will reassign her gender, and a daughter driven to contemplate knifing her belligerent father.

These are just some of the characters in Stephanie Street's engaging new play, Sisters. If representatives of all Muslim sisterhood seem to be gathered together in the home of the Khan family that's a tribute to the 43 Muslim women whom Street interviewed in Sheffield and to the deft way in which she collates her verbatim material into 17 contrasting characters played by just five actors.

Ruth Carney's simple production makes good use of the newly refurbished Studio's intimate configuration. Dozens of photos of Muslim women are suspended from the roof and the message is clear: "These women may be framed and silent but they have voices and opinions".

The Khans' front room is typically working-class – you don't actually see the flocked wallpaper but you know it's there. The samosas, and later jam tarts, that are handed round the audience may be an awkward way of welcoming outsiders to the family's Sunday get-together but it also typifies a willingness to reach out to fellow sisters. Lifting the veil on a closed world of cultural customs and family traditions is a tricky business and Street, who also plays three roles, has left in the hesitations, occasional reluctance and often burning passion of the women whose stories and opinions we hear.

Sisters is loosely inspired by the 7 July London bombings and the reactions of Muslim women, in response to society's increasingly suspicious attitudes towards them. Street is bold in her representation of the divided feelings and often shocking experiences and treatment of Muslim women. The ensemble cast responds with an array of complex, colourful characters.

Issues such as the wearing of a head-covering are debated with the help of voices from the television in which President Sarkozy's decision to ban the veil in France and Jack Straw's opinion on the niqab fuel the often heated discussion. The constant threat of violence towards women within their own families, the problems of closet alcoholism, the ingrained loathing of gay women (and men), the challenges of mixed-race marriage, and the way that the Koran is open to varied interpretation are sensitively explored. A drop of leaflets entitled "Discover Islam – the Muslim Woman" gives Street the slightly stilted opportunity to have passages read aloud decrying the rights of Muslim women to go out to work. The same verses reveal the elevated status Islam confers on mothers.

Mrs Khan (Denise Black), locally born and married to a British Pakistani, is the beating heart of the family, surviving many struggles and the heartbreak of the loss of her only son. Of the three daughters whom we meet, we glimpse the diversity within one family in the secularised, the liberated and the firm traditionalist. As the women slip into other identities, they present the gay woman abducted and forced into marriage by her relatives, the middle-class and working Caucasian Sufi, the religious scholar and a trio of young women juggling the freedom of student life with the strict demands of a family.

It's not the first time Sheffield Theatres has drawn on the lives of Muslim women in the city. In 2006, the company worked with groups of Pakistani, Yemeni and Somalian women and young people to research Handful of Henna, resulting in a fascinating play by Rani Moorthy, now revived and currently touring the country. More of this sort of work, please, to help us understand each other better.

To 27 March (0114 249 6000)
Read More
Punjab Online
No comments:
By Parul, *Web of Words* - India Express - India
Monday, March 22, 2010

City websites devoted to art and culture are bringing like-minded people together

In an effort to revive and promote Punjabi language and culture through poetry, art, books, music and films, the Academy of Punjab in North America (APNA) recently launched a new website, www.apnaorg.com.

The new initiative will tackle the pressures on Punjabi language and culture created by the advancement of communication technology, says Safir Rammah, APNA’s coordinator.

The new site is symptomatic of a larger trend where websites on arts, books and cultural topics are bringing like-minded people together on a common platform, initiating discussions and debates on a wide range of ideas. It is stimulating an interest to read while encouraging an easier and quicker way of disseminating information.

Log on to apnaorg.com and you will be inundated with anthologies of Punjabi poetry, a large collection of Punjabi music including Sufi, folk, film, pop and bhangra music albums and a variety of Punjabi and Punjab-related online books. APNA also has a Punjabi magazine Sanjh (Gurmukhi version from Ludhiana and Shahmukhi version from Lahore).

Twenty-two new e-books have been uploaded on APNA web. To overcome geographical limitations, APNA transcribes essential Punjabi literature in all scripts and makes arrangements to publish them in India, Pakistan and abroad.

Members are also regularly updated on the seminars, workshops and theatre activities.

Visit APNA: http://www.apnaorg.com/
Read More

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Artificial Barriers
No comments:
By Gocha Guniava, *Our neighbours: Dagestan* - Expert Club - Tbilisi, Georgia
Friday, March 19, 2010

Tense events that are taking place in the North Caucasus and can any minute turn into large-scale armed confrontation are followed with intense attention not only by neighbouring people but also countries of the entire region.

This is mainly true with Georgia which is practically in war with the country that annexed 20 percent of its territory and part of which are our historical closest neighbours.

The Club of Experts decided to remind its readers short informative data about those neighbours. We will try to present well-known historical facts as well as our view on today's certain painful and pressing issues. Our first article will be about Dagestan.

"Whoever owns Dagestan owns and controls the Caucasus". That was what was said by all kinds of conquerors and so Scyths, Persians, Arabs, Mongols, Turks and Russians were coming to take control of it. They were coming and going but Caucasians remained. Maybe the time has come for Caucasians to themselves control and manage their own affairs. They many times proved to the world that they have no less ability, talent and historical experience than others.

Dagestan
Among seven North Caucasian republics Dagestan is the biggest by both its territory (50.3 thousand square kilometers) and its population (2 700 000). In the east it bordered with 530 km sea coastline in the north it is bordered with Kalmykia and Stavropol Krai. And in the south its neighbour is Azerbaijan. While in the west it borders with Georgia and Chechnya. The capital of Dagestan is Makhachkala which was formerly called Petrovsk-Port and in 1922 it was renamed into Makhachkala in honour of Bolshevik revolutionary Makhach Dakhadaev.

There are 40 administrative districts in Dagestan as well as 8 cities and 14 urban-type settlements. The main cities of the republic are Makhachkala, Derbent, Khasavyurt, Buynaksk, Izberbash, Kaspiysk, Kizlyar, Sovetskoe.

Around 30 ethnic groups live in Dagestan. The most numerous of them are Avars who are 760 thousand, then come Dargins – 426 thousand, Kumyks – 15 thousand, Lezgins – 14 thousand, Laks - 14 thousand, Tabasarans – 5 thousand, Nogais -2 thousand, Rutuls – 24 thousand, Aguls – 23 thousand, Tsakhurs – 8 thousand, Tats – 1 thousand, Chechens are 100 thousand and so on. Apart from the above-mentioned there is also certain amount of Azeris ant Russians.

Dagestan language group is part of Iberian-Caucasian language family and consists of three subgroups: Avar-Andic-Didoic, Lak- Dargin and Lezgic.

Literary languages of Dagestan nowadays are using Russian alphabet. Before that they were trying to use Arabic alphabet.

According to archeological data people lived on the territory of Dagestan back in the III century BC.

Ancestors of Dagestan people at various times were under influence of Skyths, Sarmats, Albanians, Persians, Arabs, Mongols and others. Starting from the XVI century contacts with Russia began to develop. In 1722 Pyotr I added Dagestan coastline to Russia but under Treaty of Ganja was forced to give it up to Persia in 1735. In 1813 according to Gulistan Treaty final incorporation of Dagestan into Russian territory was registered which caused intensification of opposition on the part of Muslim cleric circles. An attempt to create a theocratic state that was led by Imam Shamil and their long war with the Russian Empire ended in defeat in 1859.

In 1860 Dagestan that was given a status of okrug was incorporated in the Caucasus that was headed by Vice Roy.

After the October revolution RevCom was established headed by Buynaksk who was shot by decision of the shariat court in 1919. In 1920 the Russian 11th Army led by Orjonikidze and Kirov entered Dagestan. In 1921 Autonomic Republic of Dagestan was created.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union the Republic of Dagestan remained a part of the Russian Federation. According to the Constitution that was approved in 1994 the Legislative body of Dagestan was a directly elected People's Assembly. The Executive body was Collegial President that consisted of representatives of 14 titular nations, but as such institution of collective leadership was not successful the Constitutions was amended. According to this amendment political parties of the republic are to present several candidates for the post of Dagestan president to the Russian president. One of them is chosen and later sent to the People's Assembly for approval; after that a newly elected president appoints a head of the government.

By the above mentioned method in February 2010 a representative of the Party Edynaya Rossia, Magomedsalam Magomedov was appointed as the president and the latter presented member of the same party Magomed Abdulaev as his Prime Minister.

The majority of the population of Dagestan is Muslim.

It is considered that Dagestan is the most Islamized region of Russia. Dagestanis differ from their neighbouring Muslim people with special strive towards Muslim fate and culture. It was Dagestan where Islam first appeared in Russia and then it started to spread in neighbouring peoples.

It was a place where first was established branch of Islamic Sufism - Miuridism under flag of which Imam Shamil and North Caucasian peoples had been fighting against Russian imperial armies for decades.
In conditions of Soviet authority this confrontation became less intense but erupted with new force from nineties of the last century when teachings of Salafits started to enter into the region from the Middle East. Later it became known by the name of Wahhabism and it now have already gathered thousands of radical people of the region around itself at the pretext of restoration of Islam in its primary form and fighting against injustice.

Well-known leader of so-called Caucasus Emirate Doku Umarov declared Dagestan together with other Islamic republics of North Caucasus a part of the future Islamic state unit ideology of which was declared Wahhabism and Jihad.

In the course of the last years unyielding radicalism turned into insurgency that turned Dagestan together with Chechnya and Ingushetia into hotspots of the Caucasus.

Frequent special operations could not manage to break armed underground. Moreover, intensified repressions resulted in doubled activization as a result of which attacks on law enforcers became more systematic and led to hundreds of victims among militants and government forces. A term of railway jihad appeared.

An important factor is that killings of Muslim clerics became more frequent: that is explained with their criticism of Wahhabits and the connections with Russian security services on the part of those clerics.

Political parties: After the collapse of the Soviet Union many political parties and organizations were created in Dagestan. One part of them had been created under influence of Russian governmental bodies. Another part was forming through support of local and outside religious forces. The most influential party of the Russian Federation Edynaya Rossia has quite large and influential branch in Dagestan. In 2010 during election/appointment of the president of Dagestan representatives of the above party became both president and prime minister.

Dagestan Party of Reforms has certain authority in the republic and is headed by one of the famous political figure and wealthy person – the mayor of Makhachkala Said Amirov who is ethnic Dargin. His unbridled strive towards wealth became a reason for four terrorist acts that was carried out against him. He survived but just and since then he is in a wheelchair. Due to his high intellect and ability he is called Dagestani Roosevelt.

Islamic Democratic Party is also very popular and large and mainly consists of significant part of Degastani intelligentsia that are believers.

National movement of Lezgins "Sadval" (unity) that was created in the eighties unites compatriot living in Dagestan and Azerbaijan and its goal is to form a new united political unit at the expense of two districts of Northern Azerbaijan and south Dagestan that will join independently the Russian federation.

It should not take long to understand whose interests are expressed by this party that was created to put pressure on Azerbaijan and which is headed by retired Soviet general and former political figure Kakhrimanov.

Political plans of "Sadval" and his associates cause serious irritation and protest in Azerbaijan.

The Communist Party is also very popular in Dagestan which mainly unites middle-aged and elderly people. It might sound paradoxical but Stalin actually is respected and his name cherished in Dagestan unlike other North Caucasian republics. There even is a society in his name.

Today political climate in the republic is created by groups and unions of religious nature also clans that are behind them. No political, personnel or everyday decision will be implemented without first consulting and getting their consent.

Relations between Azerbaijan and Dagestan: the most highly-explosive place on ethnic ground is considered to be Southern Dagestan that is populated by Lezgins. Their public movement "Sadval" plans to unite Dagestani Lezgins with their compatriots living in two districts - districts of Kuba and Kusara in Azerbaijan and to create a new territorial, political unit that will independently join the Russian Federation.

Despite the fact that Azerbaijan government creates every conditions for Lezgins that live on their territory and social, economical and cultural level of Lezgins that live in Azerbaijan is much higher than that of their Dagestani compatriots anti-Azerbaijan separatism and strive towards the north still thrives in them.

Another unsolved problem in the relations between Azerbaijan and Dagestan is the River Samur that separates them. Roots of unsolved problems regarding use of its water go back to historical past. There are fertile lands on both sides of the River Samur and their productivity is very important for the economy of both sides.

Despite various negotiations of the highest level Dagestan declared itself oppressed and protests that Azerbaijan uses 90 % of irrigation water resources.

Factors for confrontation between Chechnya and Dagestan emerged back in XIX century when Shamil's fight against Russia was aimed at creation of a new Islamic state of North Caucasian peoples headed by Chechnya and Dagestan. Reemergence of these ideas again started after the collapse of the Soviet Union which was also joined by Chechen field commanders together with Wahhabi missionaries from Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries.

The main issue of confrontation and dispute between Chechnya and Dagestan is Khasavyurt district that is situated on the border between them and which is populated by 100 thousand Chechens. Until 1921 it belonged to Chechnya but later it was added to Dagestan under the name of the Khasavyurt national okrug.

In the nineties a movement for secession of Khasavyurt district from Dagestan and incorporation into Chechnya started. Later Chechen and Dagestani wahhabits united and started to prepare for Jihad – holy war against Russia. At the same time Dagestani wahhabits declared villages of the Buynaksk district - Karamakh, Chabanmakh and Kadar territory of Islamic autonomous republic and abolished local authorities. As it is known Russian aviation, artillery and Special Forces completely destroyed these three villages.

Today the path laid by Shamil and later by Arab field commanders and interested Islamic circles is being followed by the Caucasus Emirate that was formed by Doku Umarov. Their goal, same as Shamil's, is to unite Chechnya, Dagestan and other North Caucasian territories populated by Muslims and to create a new Islamic state.

Another painful issue for Dagestan is Turkish-language Nogais and Kumyks. Their national movement "Birlik" demands a separate autonomy to be created for Turk-language peoples of the North Caucasus and federalization of Dagestan where this unit will enter as a full subject of the new entity.

Georgian-Dagestan relations were quite difficult over the centuries. Back in the III century BC King Parnavaz of Kartli (Georgian kingdom) together with Dagestan people was fighting against foreign invaders. And after the spread of Christianity in Georgia Georgian missionaries appeared in Dagestan. Their trace can be seen in a Georgian church of village of Datuna in Koisu gorge. Spread of Christianity stopped in the XIV century due to complete Islamization of Dagestan. Georgian-Dagestan relations became difficult in the following centuries.

In XVIII century Dagestani feudals, at instigation of Turks, were attacking systematically villages of Georgian provinces of Kakheti and Kartli.

In 1754 and 1755 Georgian troops defeated army of Avary khan Nursul Bek at Mchadijvari and Kvareli. In 1785 Kakheti was devastated by 20 000 army of Avary khan Omar.

A term of "Lekianoba" (inroads from Dagestan) arouses unpleasant associations in Georgians even today. It is known that continuous inroads of marauder gangs from Dagestan facilitated Erekle II of Kartli and kakheti to decide on placing Georgia under protection of Russia.

Dagestanis in Georgia - In 1895, and with the help of Ilia Chavchavadze, Colonel Magomed Aga Osman Ogli Atskursky received consent to settle Avars in Kakheti. As a result three villages appeared there – Tivi, Tebeljokhi and Areshi. In 1944 population of these villages were exiled to Chechnya. But when Chechens returned from exile from the Central Asia Dagestanis went back to Kakheti. In 1991 4200 Dagestanis lived in the Kvareli distirct.

During the Soviet authorities, until 1994, shepards from Dusheti, Tianeti, Kazbeki had been using for decades winter pastures of Kizlyar in Dagestan.

In 1990 at instigation of certain forces Georgian informal armed formations went to villages with Dagestani population and asked them to leave Georiga.

On June 26th 1990 rallies in support of Dagestanis were held in Makhachkala and Khasavyurt which were led by leader of national movement of Avars Haji Makhachev.

In April 1991 eviction of Avars from Georgia started. But after Georgian-Dagestan talks majority of Avars remained in Kakheti.

On November 2nd 1991, with support of Russian security services National Front of Avars named after Shamil, organization Jamaat and movement Democratic Dagestan took part in the third meeting of the Caucasian mountainous peoples held in Sukhumi.

In recent years Dagestan authorities laid territorial claims against Georgia. At instigation of outside forces Diklo mountain that is near the border and was used by the Tush (Georgian people) from ancient times became disputed.

But the time is not far when malevolent outside forces will be deprived of possibility to create artificial barriers between peoples living there. And Georgians and Dagestani people will resolve the issue of Diklo mountain and establish stable good-neighbourly relations.
Read More

Monday, March 22, 2010

A Timeless Thought
No comments:
By Music Editor, *Straight from the heart * - The Hindu - India
Thursday, March 18, 2010

Kailash Kher continues to make news. The talented singer-composer is now judging “IPL Rockstars” with Sukhwinder Singh on Colors. Here the participants, drawn from popular reality shows, sing in a stadium where an IPL match is played.

Kailash says the real challenge is holding your own in front of a boisterous crowd. He says the channel has chosen the right judges as both Sukhwinder and he can teach a thing or two about singing in front of a live audience.

“The good thing is there is no SMS voting. The decision of the judges will be final.”

Excerpts from an interview:

What has been your experience of singing in live concerts in front of a huge crowd?
It is the real test of a singer. It requires a lot of energy and confidence. Technology and modern equipment help only in reducing the stress on the vocal chords or balancing the echo. In seventh standard, I once choked in front of a gathering. I was not prepared. After that I decided that if I have to be a singer I have to be ready 24 hours a day. I have sung in front of all kind of audiences – a three lakh strong crowd, people who don't understand a word of Hindi and corporate honchos who refuse to show their joy.

What is your opinion on the copyright issue?
I see it is as a never ending debate between people whose stomachs are full. Vidhu Vinod Chopra has said that Sonu Nigam's non-film albums have not been successful. But how will he explain my case. All my non-film albums have been successful. In fact people recognise me because of my non-film songs. Recently in a washroom, I overheard one person telling another that the man, who is standing next to you, has sung that famous song “Teri Deewani”! People have claimed that songs become hit because of actors. I humbly ask when “Allah Ke Bande” is played; do you imagine Arshad Warsi or Kailash Kher? At the end of the day filmmaking is a team work where everybody has a role to play. As it is a creative field there can't be a scientific formula to determine who played the bigger role.

What about the relationship between the composer and the singer?
Composer is the creator. He is one who envisions the song. But then he is like gur (jaggery) and the singer is like cheeni (sugar). He is the person who helps assimilate the composition in public conscience. Being a composer as well, I know one can't sing all the compositions. So here again no one can claim superiority.

Sufi music is getting repetitive in our films?
Real Sufi cannot get repetitive. It is a timeless thought. I don't see anybody using Bulle Shah or Amir Khusrau's thoughtful verse. When Hazrat Nizamuddin died, Khusrau wrote “Gori soi sej pe”. We don't see anything of this sort being written these days. What is actually getting repetitive is the usage of words like Maula Maula, which some ignorant people claim as Sufi.

What's next?
I have been blessed with a son. We have named him Kabir. I want to convey my joy through an album. It will have songs devoted to emotions, like utsav [English = festival].
Read More

Sunday, March 21, 2010

The Surest Route To God
No comments:
By Mian Ridge, *India tour: How one impoverished teen helps preserve 700-year-old landmark* - The Christian Science Monitor - USA
Thursday, March 18, 2010

Youths living in New Delhi’s historic Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti neighborhood are being trained as India tour guides in an effort to protect the ruins but also support livelihoods

New Delhi: Umair Naqi, a newly minted India tour guide, points to the shabby stone arch that leads into his Delhi neighborhood. The teenager recently discovered that this familiar landmark, at which he had kicked countless balls, was 700 years old – and one of the reasons tourists traipse the lanes around his home, peering at rundown buildings and bewildering the locals.

Mr. Naqi lives in the Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti, a warren of medieval streets that sprang up in the 14th century around the tomb of Hazrat Nizamuddin, India’s most revered Sufi saint. As a Muslim teenager, Naqi knew the tomb was important, but he had no idea that his neighborhood – crammed with old houses, exquisite mosques, and hidden tombs – was one of the most historically significant in India.

He does now. Over the past two years Naqi, with 14 other local young people, has undergone training as a tour guide. The poorly educated youngster has learned English from scratch, studied medieval history, and memorized countless dates and architectural details. He now shows groups of visitors around the basti (an Urdu word meaning settlement) and intends to become a tour guide specializing in Muslim monuments.

“I understand when local people say, ‘What are these people doing here? What is there to see?’ ” says Naqi, the son of a painter, who trips over his new English words in his hurry to point out pillars and porticos. “We didn’t know why people came here either.”

Naqi is part of a a nonprofit-led program to protect India’s historic monuments, but not at the expense of people living among them.

Instead, in an area where most households exist on $100 a month, Naqi’s new language skills and training will make him wealthier than most of his friends, according to Farhad Suri, the local Congress Party councilor and former mayor of Delhi.

“You can talk about heritage, but in a poor area like this there are more pressing problems,” he says. “Without involving local people, by helping them, there would be big local opposition to conservation work.”

Delhi’s endangered heritage

The training project is run by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), which preserves Islamic buildings worldwide. In India, the AKTC has won plaudits for its 2003 restoration of Humayun's Tomb, the bulbous-domed 16th-century precursor to the Taj Mahal, which is one of Delhi’s biggest tourist attractions.

This project is different, because unlike Humayun’s tomb, which stands in its own gated garden, the basti is densely populated.

The AKTC started working in here when part of a large 14th-century step-well, over which a concrete house had been built, collapsed. Other examples of neglect abound. A 14th-century mosque has been refaced with concrete. Several tombs, that have not yet been dated but are thought to be hundreds of years old, are inhabited by extended families.

Delhi is dotted with remnants of its invaders, from the Muslim emperors who ruled it for more than 500 years to the British colonialists who followed. But these monuments are increasingly endangered as more people live right up against – in some cases on top of – precious ruins. As pressure on land and housing grows, property developers are more likely to demolish whatever stands in their way.

Few of India’s heritage buildings are protected by law. The Archaeological Survey of India, a government body, has a list of more than 3,600 protected monuments. But the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization, says there are at least 70,000 old buildings and monuments that should be granted government protection.

Supporting the ruins and residents

Without proper governmental protection of such buildings, the AKTC, in partnership with local government and other NGOs is trying a different approach: to build local support for conservation.

Besides training local youngsters as tour guides, AKTC has funded improvements to the local primary school including the introduction of arts education. It has upgraded a health clinic, set up a pathology laboratory, and built new public toilets.

It is also supporting traditional arts and crafts. “We want to show you can get economic benefits from heritage and that conservation can improve lives,” says Ratish Nanda, the AKTC projects director in India. “The focus is on living heritage.”

That is why, in a tour of 14th-century monuments, Naqi points out goats, halal butchers, and stores selling perfume oil in colored-glass bottles.

But he is also wise to another of the basti’s fascinations. Nizamuddin, like other sufis, taught that love – rather than religious ritual – was the surest route to God. On Thursday nights, when sufi songs are sung in the marble complex housing his tomb, many of the visitors are Hindu – remarkable in a country in which communal discord runs deep.

“All the different religions,” says Naqi. “That’s why the basti is important.”

Picture:An Indian Muslim youth waits at the Shrine of the Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin moments before breaking his fast in New Delhi, in this September 2007 file photo, during the holy month of Ramadan. Photo: Pedro Ugarte/AFP/Newscom/File
Read More
Sheikh Versus Shaikh
No comments:
By Manoj R Nair, "The High Court wants to read hate preacher’s speeches" - Mumbai Mirror - Mumbai, India
Friday, March 19, 2010

The Bombay High Court puts off Maulana Sheikh Rabbani’s anticipatory bail hearing until it has gone through transcripts; tells police not to arrest cleric till next hearing on April 7

The Bombay High Court has asked for the transcripts of two CDs, in which a cleric belonging to the radical Ahle Hadees sect allegedly spews hatred against Dargah-going Muslims, especially followers of the Sufi saint Khwaja Garib Nawaz.

On Thursday, the court heard the anticipatory bail application of the cleric, Maulana Sheikh Mehraj Rabbani, whose earlier plea for bail had been rejected by the Sessions Court. Rabbani had approached the courts for bail after a complaint was filed at the Ghatkopar Police Station against him by a local resident, Siraj Ahmed Shaikh, who alleged that he had hurt the sentiments of other Muslims with his offensive comments about the saint.

The comments were made by Rabbani at a meeting on January 28 at Chirag Nagar in Ghatkopar.

The police have registered a case under Sections 295 (A) and 153 (A) of the IPC that relates to incitement of religious hatred. The bail application will be heard again on April 7 and the police have been instructed by the court not to arrest the cleric till it gives its decision on bail. The court wanted to see the transcripts before giving its decision in the bail application.

The High Court also asked the police to take custody of Rabbani’s passport that has been deposited with the Sessions Court. Rabbani has also been asked not to make any public speeches till his application is disposed of. Shaikh’s lawyer, Rizwan Merchant, said that they informed the court about the presence of hundreds of CDs that feature speeches against Sufis and dargahs.

“There are statements exhorting people to take up jihad and demolish dargahs,” said Merchant.

Radical Muslim sects consider dargahs as ‘grave worship’ and hence, against Islamic principles. However, Rabbani’s representatives told the court that the speech mentioned by the complainant was recorded in Saudi Arabia several years ago.

Rabbani’s lawyer, Basil Qazi, said that his client has not insulted Sufi saints in his speeches. “He has been falsely implicated. Even the statements made by him in the CDs and at Ghatkopar were said in a particular context. If you listen to the whole speech, you will realise that he has not said anything offensive,” said Qazi.

Picture: Maulana Sheikh Mehraj Rabbani’s earlier plea for bail had been rejected by the Sessions Court
Read More