India book fest reaches out to Muslims over Rushdie

JAIPUR: Organizers of India’s Jaipur Literature Festival met with Muslim groups on Thursday seeking an agreement to enable author Salman Rushdie to speak at the event after protests against his work.

Several Muslim leaders have called for Rushdie to be banned from attending the festival due to lingering anger over his 1988 book “The Satanic Verses”, which was alleged to have insulted the religion of Islam.

He had been due to appear at the first day of the festival on Friday, but his name was dropped from the schedule over fears for his security.

“We had a meeting today with different Muslim organizations,” festival producer Sanjoy Roy told reporters in Jaipur. “We presented our point of view and we heard their point of view.”

Roy confirmed that Rushdie would not be at the start of the five-day event, a free annual fair that attracts tens of thousands of Indian and foreign book fans, but added that he hoped Rushdie would attend at some stage.

Rushdie, a British citizen who was born in Mumbai, spent a decade in hiding after Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa in 1989 calling for his death over “The Satanic Verses”.

The row over Rushdie appearing at the festival was triggered by demands from the influential Darululoom Deoband seminary in northern India that he should be kept out of the country.

Roy gave no further details about Thursday’s discussions but said that the Jaipur organising committee was determined to uphold the principle of free speech.

“First and foremost, we stand for the freedom of expression,” he said. “The festival has always stood by issues of minority communities and other religions.

“This is a platform where we allow for free speech as long as it is done in a peaceful and democratic way.”

Political leaders in Rajasthan state, of which Jaipur is the capital, said they had been lobbied by Muslim groups opposed to Rushdie’s visit, which would pose a major security challenge amid the dispute.

“Representatives of some Muslim organizations met us and appraised of their feelings and objections,” Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said. “I wouldn’t like any untoward happening, and we will ensure it.”

The Jaipur festival, which Rushdie attended without incident in 2007, has mushroomed in recent years into a major literary, business and social occasion in the Indian calendar.

Among the speakers this year are biologist and author Richard Dawkins, Indian best-selling novelist Chetan Bhagat and US television star Oprah Winfrey. AGENCIES

Sir Syed’s death anniversary today

KARACHI: Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, the reformer, educationist and author is being remembered today at his death anniversary today.

Sir Syed was born in Delhi, India on 17th October, 1817. He was great Muslim educator, jurist and author, founder of the Anglo-Mohammedan Oriental College at Aligarh, UP, India, and principal motivating force behind the revival of Indian Islam in the late 19th century.

His prominent works in Urdu, include Essays on the Life of Muhammad (PBUH) and commentaries on the Bible and on the Quran.

Sir Syed was made a Knight Commander of the Star of India in 1888. Syed Ahmed had a versatile personality, and his position in the judicial department left him time to be active in many fields.

His career as an author (in Urdu) started at the age of 23 with religious tracts. In 1847 he brought out a noteworthy book, Athar Assandid (“Monuments of the Great”), on the antiquities of Delhi. He began establishing schools, at Muradabad (1858) and Ghazipur (1863). A more ambitious undertaking was the foundation of the Scientific Society, which published translations of many educational texts and issued a bilingual journal – in Urdu and English.

In the late 1860s there occurred developments that were alert the course of his activities. In 1867 he has transferred to Benares, a city on the Ganges with great religious significance for Hindus. At about the same time a movement started at Benares to replace Urdu, the language cultivated by the Muslims, with Hindi.

This movement and the attempts to substitute Hind for Urdu publications of the Scientific Society convinced Syed that the paths of the Hindus and the Muslims must diverge. During a visit to England (1869-70) he prepared plans for a great educational institution. On his return he set up a committee for the purpose and also started an influential journal, Tahdhib al-Akhlaq (“Social Reform”), for the “uplift and reform the Muslim”.

A Muslim school was established at Aligarh in May 1875, and after his retirement in 1876, Syed devoted himself to enlarging it into a college. In January 1977 the Viceroy laid the foundation stone of the college. In 1886 Syed organised the All-India Muhammadan Educational Conference, which met annually at different places to promote education and to provide the Muslims with a common platform.

Until the founding of the Muslim League in 1906, it was the principal national centre of Indian Islam. Syed advised the Muslims against joining active politics and to concentrate instead on education. Muslims, generally, followed his advice and abstained from politics until several years later when they had established their own political organisation i.e. Muslim League.

This great scholar and leader died on 27th March, 1898, at Aligarh, India. TrendPK

Muslim population growth to outstrip non-Muslims: report

The worlds Muslim population will grow twice as fast as the non-Muslim population in the next 20 years, when Muslims are expected to make up more than a quarter of the global population, a study published Thursday predicts.

Using fertility, mortality and migration rates, researchers at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life project a 1.5-per cent annual population growth rate for the worlds Muslims over the next two decades, and just 0.7 per cent growth each year for non-Muslims. The study, called The Future of the Global Muslim Population, projects that in 2030 Muslims will make up 26.4 per cent of the worlds population, which is expected to total around 8.3 billion people by then. That marks a three-percentage-point rise from the 23.4-per cent share held by Muslims of the globes estimated 6.9 billion people today, the study says. More than six in 10 followers of Islam will live in the Asia-Pacific region in 2030, and Pakistan, which has seen a rise in radical Islam in recent months, will overtake Indonesia as the worlds most populous Muslim nation. In Africa, the Muslim population of the sub-Saharan country of Nigeria will be greater than that of Egypt in 20 years, the study projects. Israel will become nearly a quarter Muslim. The Palestinian territories have one of the highest growth rates in the world.And in Europe, Pew predicts the Muslim population will grow by nearly a third in 20 years, from 44.1 million people, or six per cent of the regions inhabitants in 2010, to 58.2 million or eight per cent of the projected total population by 2030.Some European Union (EU) countries will see double-digit percentages of Muslims in their population by 2030: Belgiums Muslim population is projected to rise from six per cent to 10.2 per cent over the next 20 years, while Frances is expected to hit 10.3 per cent in 2030, up from 7.5 per cent today.In Sweden, Pew predicts Muslims will comprise nearly 10 per cent of the population compared to less than five per cent today.Britains Muslim population is predicted to rise from 4.6 per cent to 8.2 per cent by 2030, and 9.3 per cent of the population of Austria is forecast to be Muslim by then, compared to less than six per cent of residents of the alpine country now.Russia, which is not a member of the EU, will continue to have the largest Muslim population in absolute terms in Europe in 2030, with 18.6 million Muslims or 14.4 per cent of the total population of the vast country.The United States, meanwhile, is projected to have a larger absolute number of Muslims by 2030 than any European countries other than Russia and France, but proportionally, Muslims will make up a much smaller percentage of the population of the United States than they do in Europe. The Muslim share of the US population is projected to grow from its current level of less than one percent to 1.7 per cent by 2030, making Muslims roughly as numerous as Jews or Episcopalians are in the United States, the study says.

Altaf urges religious leaders to end blasphemy protests

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain today urged the country’s religious leaders to end their ongoing protests following Prime Minister’s assurance to not amend blasphemy law.

In a telephonic address from London, he said that no Muslim can even imagine showing disrespect toward Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

“I appeal to religious leaders to end their protests on blasphemy law after Premier Gilani’s assurance,” he said.

“Islam preaches modesty, not extremism and coercion while religious radicalism is also against the teachings of Islam.

“Not only Islam teaches peace to Muslims, it guarantees peace and safety to non-Muslims also.”

“Bombing mosques, sacred shrines, worship places and imambargahs and killing innocent Muslims are not anti-Islamic actions?” he questioned.

Islam Opposes Terrorism: Grand Mufti

MAKKAH: The Muslims can face the formidable challenges only with enforcement of the principles of Islam,Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia Al-Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah said here on Monday in Hajj sermon.

The rulers are responsible for protection of life, property and honour of the citizens, speaking at Masjid-e-Nimra to a mammoth gathering of Muslims, the Grand Mufti said.

He said Islam opposes terrorism but Muslims are subjected to oppression in various parts of the world, why the United Staes and Europe are silent over this oppression.

The Muslim youths are being misguided today, he said, the poverty-hit young men are being taken to the path of misguidance, the Grand Mufti said and called the rulers and the people to join hands to confront this problem.

Mob in Athens abuses Muslims as they celebrate Eid

ATHENS: Dozens of far-right activists and local residents threw eggs and taunted hundreds of Muslim immigrants as they gathered to pray in a central square for Eid al-Adha surrounded by a protective cordon of riot police.

Greece, which has become the main immigrant gateway to the European Union, has a growing Muslim community and tensions between locals and incomers have run high in some Athens areas such as Attiki square, the scene of Tuesday’s incident.

Athens’ Muslim community is without an official mosque and prayers are usually held at cultural centres or community halls or private apartments around the city. The Muslim community in Greece is estimated at about 1 million, in a country where most people are Greek Orthodox Christians.

While the Muslims prayed, some locals shouted obscenities from their balconies and waved Greek flags. Leaflets that

Eid being celebrated in US, Europe and Middle East today

Staff Report

KARACHI: Eid-ul-Adha is being celebrated in the United States (US), Europe and all countries of Middle East today.

After performing Eid prayers, more than 350 million Muslims residing in Gulf countries slaughtered the sacrificial animals to recall the act of Abraham (AS).

Majority of the Muslims settled in the United States and European countries are also celebrating Eid today.

Last night called Chand Raat, London’s Pakistani community came out in bulk to make shopping of their choices for Eid.

London’s Asian area, South Hall, was packed with Pakistani families especially women and girl shoppers. Trend Pk

Haj 2010 – Trend Pk VIDEO

About two million Muslims across the world perform Haj 2010. (November 12, 2010)

Haj 2010 – Trend Pk VIDEO

About two million Muslims across the world perform Haj 2010. (November 12, 2010)

Muslims should avenge Pakistani jailed in US: Zawahiri

WASHINGTON: Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri called on Muslims on Thursday to avenge the sentencing of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist jailed for 86 years by a US court, the SITE monitoring service said.

Zawahiri made the appeal in an audio message entitled “Who Will Avenge the Scientist Aafia Siddiqui,” which was released on jihadist forums, the US-based SITE Intelligence Group said.

He promised “to attack … (Americans) as long as they attack” Muslims and said “the ummah (Islamic nation) will not stop pursuing you.”

And Zawahiri told Pakistanis their “government humiliated them by letting the Americans and Crusaders occupy the country.”

He called for them to “take the only available path, that of jihad … which will liberate Aafia Siddiqui.”

On September 23, a New York court jailed Siddiqui, 38, for the attempted murder of US

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