AMU and its minority character

EXCERPTS OF E-MAIL EXCHANGES WITH DR. RAZI RAZIUDDIN AND OTHERS OVER AMU AND ITS MINORITY CHARACTER IN 2006

FW: RE: [worldofaligs] What a Day! What a Sense of Relief! Rejoice & Jubilate--AMU Has Its Minority Ch.

From: Shane Alam [mailto:shanealam@rediffmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 4:11 AM
To: Salim, Tanvir
Subject: Re: RE: [worldofaligs] What a Day! What a Sense of Relief! Rejoice & Jubilate--AMU Has Its Minority

Dear Tanveer Bhai,
A/A

Indeed a wonderful mail, you've rightly stated the fact in the second Para. Infact AMU has raised us to a platform from where we should now look at other challenges and options for our community beyond AMU, besides letting this great seat of learning serve its purpose of educating the masses.

Sincere regards
Allah Hafiz
Shane Alam

On Tue, 25 Apr 2006 Salim,Tanvir wrote :

It is very good news indeed. Now comes the hard part, and that is how to get the best out of it. To see that this helps in providing for the needs of those for which it was created. Simply not for those who are at the helms of the affairs, and will use it for their advantage. Please don't call it victory yet. It is just the first step towards a long and treacherous path. A path, which ultimately will take us to the fulfillment of the reasons, for which this institution was created. What we can do differently so that to prove that we have taken the lessons from the mistakes of the past. Are we capable of doing so?

Do we know what the mistakes were?

We tend to believe that destiny of Muslims is linked with the happenings in AMU. We try to gauge our helplessness simply by linking it to AMU and in the process we neglect and ignore what else is out there for us to achieve. AMU has done tremendous service to all of us and we all have benefited from it at one time or another but we should try to walk as is called in my native land as "leek se hut kur chalo".

Tanvir Salim
Boston, USA

From: worldofaligs@yahoogroups.com [mailto:worldofaligs@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2006 1:44 PM

To: worldofaligs@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [worldofaligs] What a Day! What a Sense of Relief! Rejoice & Jubilate--AMU Has Its Minority Ch.

ASAK all,

"khabar karo merey kharman key khosha-cheenoN ko"

What a day; a day of rejoicing, of relief, of reckoning, and of jubilation. Still in a state-of-respite, nonetheless the Supreme Court asserts its vision to say that Aligarh Muslim University can retain its Minority Character. There are those who understand and interpret Constitution, and there are those who understand but 'mis-interpret that very same Constitution. In this fairplay, there is a victory for all those forces who truly believe in the fairness and in the integrity of the Constitution, the guarantees and protections enshrined for the citizens of India, for her minorities.

So, it is a day for celebration;
"ye mera chaman hai mera chaman, maiN apnay chaman ka bul-bul hooN"

wa-as-salam,
Razi Raziuddin

Cartoon controversy

AN E-MAIL RESPONSE OVER THE CONTROVERSY RAGING OVER SOME CARTOONS IN A WESTERN MAGAZINE IN 2006

From: muslimindians@yahoogroups.com [mailto:muslimindians@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Salim, Tanvir
Sent: Friday, February 03, 2006 11:59 AM
To: 'muslimindians@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: RE: [muslimindians] French Editor Fired Over Cartoons

ASAK

My experience with media has been positive. I remember during 1990s media (Boston Globe) was using the word "Muslims" in negative stories associated with people who were also Muslims. I called the newspaper manifold. An attempt was made to bomb World Trade Center and subsequently some arrests were made. I was expecting the news next day going to be as Muslims arrested for doing wrong things. But instead Boston Globe published the front page main story as ""Four Men Arrested...", rather than saying "Four Muslims Arrested..." as was the norm those days.

The point I am trying to make is that in spite of all, western media is often ignorant and maybe naïve and most of the time they are willing to learn and rectify. We have to know how to approach them in the right manner.

I totally condemn the cartoons. Freedom of press is a great blessing but it also comes with responsibility. It is a positive sign that the editor was fired. That person should have been qualified enough to know about the sensitivities about another religion, otherwise you don't deserve that position. We should be on vigil for these things and should always be willing to mentor or coach ones who are ignorant or simply not fit for the job they are doing.

Tanvir Salim
B.Sc. Engg. 1983
Boston, USA

Democracy in Infancy

An e-mail exchange about "Democracy in Infancy"

-----Original Message-----
From: muslimindians@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:muslimindians@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 20, 2006 8:32 PM
To: muslimindians@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [muslimindians] review of headlines

ASAK

I will not be so harsh to consider India as "flawed democracy" but in my opinion more appropriate term will be "democracy in infancy". There are hurdles ahead but they all seem surmountable. There is a great future for democratic India and a few follies of the past will not derail the fast track on which this democracy is heading.

Tanvir Salim

Comment - India decides on 27% OBC Reservation

The Indian Supreme Court (SC) has put a stamp of approval on the 27% reservation for the Other Backward Class (OBC) in the educational institutions. It is good news for the Indian Muslims, because this action will benefit a certain section of the Indian Muslims who are categorized in the ranks of OBCs. Now it is up to this class of Muslims to avail this opportunity, and utilize it to their benefit. This category of Muslims who are included in the list, will find it difficult to compete with other OBCs, because they are better prepared to avail this opportunity. The exclusion of creamy layer from the reservation is a wise decision of the SC.

There are many, who will ask for more, and they may be right in doing so. The report of the Sachar Committee has very clearly pointed out the fact that Muslims are at the very bottom of the barrel. There are demands for reserving seats for the Muslims in all spheres of life. Also there are promises that this will be done. In my opinion, this is not going to happen. This is not going to happen because this is contrary to the principles of the Indian Constitution. So during election times, the Indian Muslims should not go for the bait, and should pose some tough questions to the ones who are making promises for the Muslim reservation.

Tanvir Salim
April 2008

Pathetic conditions of muslims in India

E-MAIL RESPONSE OVER PATHETIC CONDITIONS OF MUSLIMS IN INDIA

From: "Salim, Tanvir"
Reply-To: muslimindians@yahoogroups.com
To:
Subject: RE: [muslimindians] Where Do Indian Muslims Go From Here
Date: Sun, 21 May 2006 16:03:56 -0500

ASAK

"But after more than a decade hardly any Urdu teachers have been hired for the numerous schools, and Urdu with which their heritage is directly linked continues to die."

Thanks for analyzing the pathetic condition of Indian Muslims. Based on my knowledge, Mulayam Singh's government did hired many Urdu teachers in the past. I think the number goes in dozen of dozens. These things will happen from time to time but will not make any substantial difference in the living condition of Muslims. By hiring hundreds of people as Muslim teachers, maybe the problem of those families may get some temporary relief but this will not change the landscape for Indian Muslims. How long they can wait for the government to do for them. Don't they know that they have been empowered by virtue of being living in a democratic state and are full participant in the Indian election process? The problem lies in their ability to patronage good, effective and progressive leaders. When they let be hijacked by simpletons like Yaqoub Qureshi and the so called Shahi Imam, how can their misery will ever end?

The other problem lies in pointing the finger towards Hindu as if they are the root cause of all the problems bestowed on us. Definitely Hindu's will be biased for their types, and so are we. The blaming game will take us no where. In the future, history will blame us for our inaction. We have our own limitations and basically most of us don't' do much. I hope this will change and will change for good.

Tanvir Salim

Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi!

A e-mail response over 'Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi!'

On 3/16/06, Salim, Tanvir wrote:

ASAK

You ask that: 'Woh subah kabhi toh aayegi!'

I think that the 'subhah' is already here and we are living in it. Your posting itself answers it. You write about how you see the girls are eagerly going to school. This itself is a very positive step. There are many other good things that are happening but we turn our faces away from them and always put the worst under the microscope to gain attention. This way we are creating the phobia and telling others, that look we are down in the ditch. This way lot of people will not even make an attempt to come out to the surface because they are told that it is a lost cause anyway. We are told that Saniyas and others are just isolated cases (by sheer chance), and you don't even hold a chance because you are a Muslim living in India. Being Muslim and living in India is not a b! ad thing. There are worst places in the world to live. We should be counting our blessings.

This will take time, but our Activists have no patience, because their time is today and they want to bask in the glory right now. It can be very easily done by pointing fingers. Fifty plus years is not enough. Maybe we have to keep working towards our goal and the rewards will be reaped by the generations to come. That will not be a bad thing.

Tanvir Salim Boston, USA

Where degrees are sold like toffees

EXCHANGE OF COMMENTS ON NEWS ITEM IN "THE TIMES OF INDIA" THAT SAYS THAT IN AMU DEGREES ARE SOLD LIKE TOFFEES

The question asked is, "do we care enough"? On the surface it seems like a very simple question, directed towards all. The answer should be simple too. There is no doubt as to what the answer should be. The problem starts after we announce the answer and claim victory. Yes, in our own way, we all care enough. But this doesn't take us anywhere. In this forum and in other places we have challenged the happenings at AMU, and have often dared to ask the tough questions, which sometimes don't find receptive audiences. But we don't stop and keep on raising the issues. Why? Because we care.

The issue raised in the latest issue of a newspaper published in India is disturbing. We do accept that AMU is not the Harvard of the east, but for God's sake, please don't trash the institution. We all live in an imperfect world and AMU is no exception. But we will be equally wrong to trash that particular article as farce, and go to sleep in peace. We can't afford to do that. We have to speak up.

In my stay at AMU, I never saw a store, where degrees were sold like toffees. I will like to know if this is the case today. My question to the general audience is whether there is anyone, who is acquainted of something like this going on there. If the allegations are true, then why not we speak about it amongst ourselves in private e-mail exchanges, so that to know the intensity of the stench.

We have always been very vocal about the shortcomings at AMU. It reminds me of one of the comments made by Mrs. Indira Gandhi on corruption, where she rightly stated that "corruption is a global phenomenon." Same holds true for AMU. All the shortcomings which we talk about are everywhere, and AMU is no exception. So why AMU gets crucified all the time. Many will be quick to jump to the answer and will see it written in the name itself.

Unfortunately it is not that simple. No doubt AMU has produced great minds, but in today's world AMU has ceased to function like an institution to fulfill the objectives for which it was conceived. Today AMU is in the news for all the wrong reasons. The burden is on all to prove them wrong. How are we going to do that? Please speak up.

Tanvir Salim
September 30, 2007

Excerpts of e-mail exchanges over sad state of politics and politicians

From: muslimindians@yahoogroups.com [mailto:muslimindians@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2006 8:24 AM
To: muslimindians@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [muslimindians] 2 Articles: Yaqoob Qureishi Rally, Madrassa teachers forced to attend

ASAK:

These are street smart politicians and since politics is generally 'local' they have sufficient clout in local areas to shout you down, if you are not like them. The blame goes to their mentors, like in this case to the Chief Minister, who because of local compulsion and vote politics is helpless. Helpless, because everything is a number game. A simple and competent person can not win an election on its own and these ruffians because of their muscle and money power can manipulate the elections very easily. That is the reason they are courted by all.

There are honest persons at the top level. No one can point a finger to the top players like the present PM and the President, but you start looking at the lower levels, you will realize that it is a hopeless situation. An honest person like V.P. Singh was hounded out because he was not willing to provide meal tickets to the people who really matters in Indian political scheme of things.

Tanvir Salim

From: muslimindians@yahoogroups.com [mailto:muslimindians@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2006 8:02 AM
To: muslimindians@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [muslimindians] 2 Articles: Yaqoob Qureishi Rally, Madrassa teachers forced to attend
There must be someone with guts and gumption to expose these self serving hypocrites. May God save us from such opportunistic persons.

Tariq