The hidden truth of Shri Ram’s Ayodhya By Rohini Verma

Ayodhya is one of the most important holy cities for the Hindus. It is situated on the banks of Saryu river. The other holiest places of the Hindus are Mathura, Haridwar, Kashi, Kanchi, and Ujjain. These holy cities are believed to be the places that assure the visitors Moksha or Nirvana. The difference between Ayodhya and other places is that the Hindus are forbidden from worshipping at the Ram Janam Bhoomi. The disputed site has been contentious for over a hundred years now.

Maryada Purushottam:

Belief in the Hinduism and feeling of strong nationalism have always complemented each other. The message of Hinduism and life of Lord Rama is nonviolence, patience and compassion for all living beings. Shri Ram is the seventh avtaar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu. Shri Ram is called Maryada Purushottam i.e. an ideal person.

Findings of the excavations:

In 1975-80, the Archaeological Survey of India, under the leadership of Prof B. B. Lal, took up extensive excavations, in different parts of India. The aim of these excavations was to establish the various sites mentioned in Ramayan. Similar excavations were undertaken in Ayodhya, including in two places around the Babri structure. The team established that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi site was occupied prior to 7th century BC. There is enough proof of destruction of a mandir in honour of Shri Ram at Ayodhya in 1528. Two pits were dug near the Babri structure. This led to the discovery of bases of pillars of the destroyed temple. These were aligned in the same direction. The pillars had distinctive Hindu carvings of the 12th century period. Even the Muslim records attest to the fact of the destruction. 

Archaeological excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India in and around the disputed site in 1970, 1992 and 2003 have indicated a large ancient complex existed prior to the Babri structure. Another important evidence is the land revenue records maintained by the British, that have identified the site as Janmasthan of Lord Ram. 

Destruction of temples: “a Ghazi he became”:

The Islamic invaders, all over the world, destroyed the indigenous places of worship. India also faced these barbaric attacks in which thousands of temples were demolished and thousands of Hindus were killed. When Babur invaded India, he also had religious ambitions which are clearly shown in his diary called Babur Nama. He says:

“For Islam’s sake, I wandered in the wilds,
Prepared for war with Pagans and Hindus,
Resolved myself to meet the martyr’s death,
Thanks be to God! a Ghazi I became.”

The fact that the Babri structure was named after Babur also points out to the role of this Islamic invader in the destruction of the temple in 1528. In 1528, the Babri Mosque was constructed by Babur's general, Mir Baqi on the orders of Babur after the demolition of the Ram Mandir. At that time the janambhoomi was controlled by mahatama Shyamanand.

Cheating the Hindu Guru Mahatama Shyamanand:

Mahatama Shyamanand was so famous among masses that even Muslim saints like Kajal Abbas Musa came to him for learning religion and philosophy. Another Muslim Faqir Jalal Shah came to mahatama for getting his teachings. But he was a fanatic who cheated his Hindu Guru and convinced Kajal Abbas Musa that the Ram mandir should be demolished. Demolition of this temple would have established strong roots of Islam in India. Both of them first won confidence of Babur. They forcibly started burying dead Muslims around the Ram janam bhoomi. Finally they got consent of Mir Baqi to demolish the temple. Mahatama Shyamanand was deeply upset and he immersed idols of Lord Ram in the Saryu river and went to Himalayas for meditation.

Killings of Pujaris:

Four Hindu Pujaris who tried to save the temple were beheaded. A Hindu king Raja Mahtaab reached Ayodhya with a force of Ram Bhakats. But in the continous fight with Mughals spreading over many days, all the innocent Hindu Ram Bhakats were killed in count of Lakhs. After killing Hindus, canons were used to demolish the Ram mandir. According to the renowned Historian, Cunnigham, almost 1.5 Lakh Hindus were killed by forces of Mir Baqi. It believed that in place of water, blood of Hindus was used in the construction of the Masjid.

Killing of ninety thousand Hindus:

With in days, a devout Hindu Devideen Panday collected a force of Ram Bhakats and attacked the masjid. People from far away villages came to take part in this battle of self respect. Devideen Panday was hit by bricks by the body guard of Mir Baqi. Later Panday killed the body guard who had hit him. But Mir Baqi attacked the wounded Devideen Panday and killed him. Ninety thousand Hindus were killed in this battle.

King of Hanswar, Ranvijay Singh fought a battle with Mir Baqi with 25000 Hindus. After a battle of 10 days, all 25000 Hindus perished in the war. Three thousand Hindu brave women under the leadership of widow of Ranvijay Singh attacked the masjid. But this time too the Mughal forces defeated Hindus.

Swami Balramchari formed a force of Hindus and attacked the masjid 20 times. Around 15 times he captured janambhoomi but this control lasted for little time. Due to continued and long wars Swami Balramchari’s health started deteriorating and he died.

Formation of a small chabootra under reign of Akbar:

Akbar formed a small temple/chabootra for worship at Janambhoomi. That was his political policy to maintain a control over Hindus.

Massacre of Hindus by Aurangzeb:

When Aurangzeb captured power, he attacked Ayodhya multiple times and demolished many temples and idols. During his reign, in 1640, Baba Vaishnav Das fought a battle against Mughal general Janbaj Khan. A separate force of sages and saints joined the Hindu force and defeated the Mughal Force. This way, the temple made under the rule of Akbar was protected.

In 1660, Aurangzeb sent another force under Sayyad Hasan Ali. He fought the combined force of Hindus and Sikhs under the Guru Gobind Singh. Mughals were defeated and the Mughal general was killed.

In 1664, Mughal forces again attacked and killed more than 10000 Hindus. Many battles continued even after this battle. The chabootra or the temple destroyed by Aurangzeb was rebuilt.

In 1858 again Hindu leader Baba Ramcharan Das tried to capture the janam bhoomi but he was hanged by the British. The tree on which he was hanged, was cut by the British so that it does not become an important place of devotion for Hindus. Wherever Muslims demolished the Hindu structures, new Islamic buildings were made on the ruins of the Hindu buildings to give a political message that the Hindus have been conquered by the Muslims.

Proof of demolition in Babur Nama:

In the English translation of the Persian Babur Nama, Annete Beveridge mentions specifically the destruction of the temple. She says that Babur was impressed with the dignity and sanctity of the ancient Hindu temple at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi. As an obedient follower of Mohammed, Babur regarded the substitution of the temple by a mosque as a dutiful and worthy action. So demolition was done to spread Islam. The Babri Masjid was a monument of the slavery and subjugation of the Hindus. When the temple was demolished, its construction matter was used in building the mosque.

Demand of only the important sites:

The Hindus are not asking for the thousands of the vandalised sites, but only the most important to them.  Prior to 1947, there have been a total of 77 recorded attempts to wrest the control of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi from the clutches of Islam. The first recorded communal clashes over the site date back to 1853. In 1859 the colonial British administration put a fence around the site, denominating separate areas of worship for Hindus and Muslims. The Mahants were allowed to construct a raised platform in front of the mosque - the chabootra - to commemorate the birthplace of Ram. A grill fence was raised between the space of the mosque and that of the mandir.

Sacrifice of a cow and appearance of idols of Shri Ram:

In 1934, clashes occurred on Id-ul Zuha day, when, following the sacrifice of a cow, the Bairagis of Hanuman Garhi took over the mosque and destroyed two of the domes. But any further action was stopped by government forces. In December 1949, the idols of Shri Ram and Sita appeared in the Babri structure. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru ordered that the idols be removed, but the court restrained the order and allowed the puja to continue. In 1986 a district judge ordered the gates of the mosque to be opened after almost five decades and allowed Hindus to worship inside the disputed structure. The Court declined the removal of the idols and prohibited Muslims within 200 feet of the idols. In February 1986, on court orders the locks at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi were removed. In effect, the mosque was shut down. During the prime ministership of V P Singh, Chandrashekar, and Narsimha Rao great efforts were made to recover the complete site. But all the Prime ministers lacked the political will to do so due to vote bank politics. They would have lost the Muslim votes if they had taken any pro-Hindu step. The practice of secularism in this country means that Hindu sentiments are not to be considered.

Movement for temple:

The movement for temple was launched in 1984 by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to reclaim the site for Hindus by erecting a temple dedicated to the infant Rama (Ramlalla), at this spot. The former Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had said that the construction of a temple at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi is an expression of the national sentiment. The site belongs to the Hindus. The Babri structure that stood there cannot be considered to be a place of worship. It was a political monument to remind the Hindus that they were slaves. The Hindus have made many sincere efforts to find a peaceful solution to the problem, through negotiations. What happened on December 6, 1992, was an expression of the Hindu frustration at being denied what legitimately belongs to them. 

         

Babri masjid was not a masjid as per Islamic law:

According to Islam, for a mosque to be declared as mosque, it is necessary that the five daily prayers are offered on a place on a permanent basis. Records show that since the mid-1930s, Muslims stopped offering namaz at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi site. This argument points to the fact that it was a structure associated with Muslims but was not a mosque as per Islamic law. At the same time, Hindu worship at Ram Chabootra and Sita-ki-Rasoi, which existed within the Babri structure compound, has been continuously going on from the late 16th century. Since December 1949, Hindus started to offer pujas to Ram Lalla within the structure. This worship at the spot continues even to this day, with the full sanction of the judiciary. 

Role of Mulayam Singh in killing innocent Hindus:

The foundation stone of the temple was laid on November 10, 1989. In 1990, the then BJP president Lal Krishna Advani took out a cross-country rathyatra to garner support for the move to build a Ram temple at the site. Almost 200,000 villages sent bricks, 300,000 pujas of the Ram Shilas were performed and altogether about 100 million people attended the various processions that carried the bricks to and from Ayodhya.  Prime Minister Chandrashekhar intervened and tried to negotiate with the various groups but talks failed. 

So called secular forces had decided to stop the movement. The then U.P. government used extreme force to stop the karsevaks. On Nov.2, 1990 the Hindu karsevaks were brutally killed in the police firing. This killing of unarmed innocent Hindus was done on the orders of the then Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh: Mulayam Singh Yadav. The dead bodies of killed Hindus were thrown in Saryu river. Hindus were dragged out of their homes and were killed. The religious feelings took the shape of a mass movement and the symbol of subjugation was brought to ground on Dec. 6, 1992. It is to be noted that in the process of demolition, no Musliim was killed or targeted. A very serious riot broke out in Bijnor in 1990. Curfew had to be imposed for ten days. Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav gave a speech on October 9, in which he promised to protect Muslims from any activities of Hindus. There were arrests of karsevaks who were subsequently imprisoned in Bijnor. On October 30, when the BBC announced that the VHP had hoisted its flag on the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, Hindu victory processions marched in Bijnor. They were stoned by Muslims, leading to widespread rioting. In all the cases of murders of Hindus, no Muslim was prosecuted.

Bombay Blasts and killings of Hindus:

After the demolition of the masjid, there were Bombay blasts in 1993 to avenge the demolition. The blasts took place in Hindu majority areas. In all the riots following the demolition, Hindus were killed, their businesses and shops were burnt. No prosecution was done of any Muslim. Mumbai witnessed two spells of rioting from December 6 to 12, 1992, and then from January 7 to 16, 1993. In Pakistan too, various temples were demolished and minority Hindus were persecuted. 

What is true secularism in India?:

Whenever such incident happens in any country there is a mass killing or genocide of one community by the majority community. On the other hand, the Hindus only demolished the masjid that was illegally made. No Muslims were attacked or killed. It is in India that secularism has turned in to being anti-Hindu. This is the country where anybody is safe but the Hindus. The majority community has been targeted and hurt time and again. Even when Hindu karsevaks did not kill any one, they were called “Hindu Militias”.

Godhra carnage:

In 2002, the VHP set March 15 as the deadline for construction of temple to begin. Hundreds of volunteers converged on the site. On February 27, at least 58 people were killed in Godhra, Gujarat, in an attack on a train carrying Hindu volunteers from Ayodhya. These people were burnt alive by Muslims. Riots followed in the state and over 1000 people were reported to have died in these riots. 

ASI’s report to the High Court:

In 2003 the Archaeological Survey of India reported to the high court that its excavations found distinctive features of a 10th century temple beneath the Babri Mosque site. The Sunni Central Waqf Board termed the report as 'vague and self-contradictory'. The ASI report said there is sufficient proof of existence of a massive and monumental structure having a minimum dimension of 50x30 metres in north-south and east-west directions respectively just below the disputed structure.

In July 2005 Islamic militants attacked the disputed site, using a jeep laden with explosives to blow a hole in the wall of the complex. Security forces killed 6 militants.

On 30 September 2010, Allahabad High Court ruled that the 2,400 square feet disputed land in Ayodhya will be divided into three parts: the site of the Ramlala idol, Sunni Wakf Board gets one third and Nirmohi Akhara gets Sita Rasoi and Ram Chabutara.

Structures like Babri masjid are the symbols of subjugation and no self respecting nation can tolerate such a shame. There have been demolitions of more than 3,000 temples, fraudulent or forceful conversion of crores of Hindus. This is the time that there should be a magnificent Ram Mandir which is a right of Hindus. Thousands of temples have been broken by Muslims all across India, which are not demanded by Hindus. But the birth place of Lord Ram is the right of Hindus. If Mecca and Madina can not be taken from Muslims, if the Vatican can not be denied to Christians, then why Ayodhya is denied to the Hindus?

Courtesy: http://vhp.org, http://en.wikipedia.org/, http://www.ndtv.com/, http://www.rediff.com, http://www.bbc.com, http://www.massviolence.org,  http://islamqa.info, http://babrimasjid.info, http://www.frontline.in

The pain behind the halal meat By Rohini Verma

We all have heard of the word “Halal”, do we know what goes in to the process of Halal? There is a need to open people’s eyes about this issue. Halal is the Arabic word for “lawful” or “permitted”. Halal is the word that is used in reference to foods and drinks that are permissible for Muslims to eat or drink under Islamic Shariah law.

What is Haram food?

In regard to halal, there is also a term ‘haram’ that signifies the food that can not be eaten by Muslims. This food is pork meat, so other than pork Muslims are allowed to eat any animal. The food that is haram for Muslims includes blood, pork, alcoholic drinks, and most importantly the animals which are not killed by the process of Halal. Halal also forbids consumption of some carcass parts including the testicles and bladder.

What is halal food?

Muslims eat only that food which comes from a supplier that uses halal practices. Specifically, the slaughter must be performed by a Muslim, who must do the slaughter by invoking the name of Allah and then saying three times "Allahu akbar" (God is the greatest). Animals must be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter and all blood should be drained from the carcass. The animal being slaughtered must face Mecca. During the process, a Muslim will recite a dedication, known as tasmiya or shahada. Then, the animal must be slaughtered with a sharp knife by cutting the throat, windpipe and the blood vessels in the neck, causing the animal's death without cutting the spinal cord. Lastly, the blood from the veins must be drained.  This is such inhumane and painful process that the animal dies slow and painful death.

Halal meat requires that the animal should be alive and conscious at the moment its throat is cut. In the Quran, it is provided that the animal should listen to the prayers of Allah. If it’s unconscious, then it won’t be able to do that. In the halal process animal is not killed in one go rather the animal slides on the ground, gets onto its knees, regains its feet with its throat gushing out the blood. To stop the animal from getting up again, the slaughterman slashes the tendon of its rear leg. The tongue of the animal comes out and the poor animal is so distressed. On particular festivals, animal after animal is sliced openly while they are fully conscious. They make pitiful bleating and gurgling sounds as they choke in their own blood. It is a chilling sound that, once heard, stays with you for days. The ritual involves binding the animal, typically around the muzzle or legs, and slitting the throat. The animal will eventually bleed out in a painful and gruesome display. Many times the animal is beaten, sometimes to death, before the blood is drained. Halal slaughter during the month of Eid is performed as a public ritual, often in the open streets of Muslim communities. Blood from the countless sacrifices pools in the public squares and is tracked around by spectators.

Support for Halal in Quran and Hadith:

Isn’t it shameful and inhumane? Killing the animals is so much painful way? Which religion or which God allows killing living beings in such horrendous way? Quranic verses regarding halal foods include: 2:173, 5:5, and 6:118-119, 121. I don’t think any other religion describes topics like the method of killing of animals, that too in so ghastly manner. The requirement to invoke Allah's name is a must for slaughter of any animal in halal. Kosher meats, which are consumed by Jews, are permitted to be eaten by Muslims because there is a similarity between their method of slaughter and halal meat.

Some investigators on the other hand claim that nowhere in the Quran does it say that animals have to be slaughtered in this way. No Muslim is bound by his or her religion to eat halal meat. It also says that while the blood must be drained from the body it doesn’t have to happen while the animal is alive.

Such a painful process of halal is demanded by fundamentalists and its source is Hadith – teachings written 300 years after the Prophet died. These teachings are used to justify hard-line views. The confusion about these teachings is exploited to mislead both Muslims and non-Muslims. In India, the killing of animal is done in a swift blow called “Jhatka” in which there is an instant beheading with one single strike. This process reduces the pain for the animal.

Criticism of halal meat in Britain:

Globally, halal food has been criticized by anti-Halal lobby groups and animal rights activists. The British Veterinary Association, along with citizens who assembled a petition with 100,000 signatures, have raised concerns regarding a proposed halal abattoir in Wales, in which animals are not to be stunned prior to killing.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) says that “all animals should be effectively stunned before slaughter to improve the welfare of these animals” and killing animals without stunning them causes “unnecessary suffering”.

In Feb. 2015 a horrific footage was secretly filmed in an abattoir in North Yorkshire that raised anger among animal rights activists. This gruesome video showed sheep being "hacked to death". Four slaughtermen had their operating licenses suspended by the Food Standards Agency in the light of the footage. The film showed the Muslim workers kicking sheep in the face and hurling them into solid structures.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that there has been a sharp rise in the number of animals killed in abattoirs without first being stunned, after some Muslim groups campaigned for the adoption of more traditional practices. The British government has no intention of banning religious slaughter, may be due to the large Muslim population living there. This Muslim appeasement is a tool to secure Muslim votes in elections.

Are the animals conscious when they are killed?

Some animals killed for halal meat in the UK are stunned electrically before their throats are slit. The method, known as "pre-stunned slaughter", aims to minimise pain felt by the animal. But Muslims think that the practice is contrary to the specifications of zabiha and prefer to eat halal meat that has not been pre-stunned. In this case the animals are fully conscious at the time of their killing.

Let us look at few numbers:

About 40 million cattle, sheep, pigs and calves and 900 million poultry birds are killed in British abattoirs each year and one estimate has suggested that 114million of these animals, including poultry, are killed using the halal method. The value of the market could be £2bn a year or more. Vets say unstunned cattle take about 20 seconds (but up to 2 minutes) to lose consciousness, sheep six or seven seconds (but up to 20) and poultry seven or eight seconds, but all these times can be far longer. Campaigners are urging the government to introduce clear labeling to say whether meat is slaughtered by halal methods. So, that people who are not Muslims or who are against halal meat, they should know while buying whether the animal was killed by Halal or not. By not labeling the Halal food, unknowingly people are following Muslim laws.

Stunning cannot be used to kill an animal, according to the Halal Food Authority (HFA), a non-profit organisation that monitors adherence to halal principles in the UK. But it can be used if the animal survives and is then killed by halal methods, the HFA adds. The Halal Food Authority, estimates that a staggering 25% of the entire UK meat market is halal. But Muslims are about 5% of the UK population, therefore there is as much as 5 times more halal meat than Muslims. Many slaughterhouses have chosen to move to halal processes so they do not lose Muslim customers.

Stunning of livestock in Europe:

Stunning of livestock has been mandatory in the EU since 1979, but member states can grant exemptions for religious slaughter. Some countries, including Denmark, have decided to ban non-stunning slaughter altogether. Concern about slaughtering, without prior stunning, has resulted in the religious slaughter of animals being banned in Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

Criticism of halal meat in Australia:

In Australia, the national standard for meat production requires that all animals must be effectively stunned (unconscious) prior to slaughter. The vast majority of halal slaughter in Australia complies with this standard. But there are a small number of abattoirs in Australia that have been granted permission from the relevant State or Territory food authority to conduct religious slaughter without prior stunning – for either Halal or Kosher (Jewish slaughter) purposes. Currently, Australia is witnessing a strong campaign to boycott halal-certified food. Anti- Halal groups claim that certification pushes up prices and the money goes towards funding terrorism. On the other hand for Muslims, Sharia requires that the animals should be killed by Muslims only which leads to employment generation for Muslims in the west. So, even if you are not educated enough, if you are a Muslim, one career opportunity is safest for you – i.e. to become a slaughterman.

Live meat export from Australia:

The combined value of live sheep and cattle exports for slaughter in 2012-2013 was $533 million. These animals are sent to Muslim nations for Halal. There are revelations of routine and unacceptable animal suffering of those animals exported live from Australia, both onboard ships and in importing countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, etc. The Australian Meat Industry Employee Union (AMIEU) opposes the live export trade and estimates that the live export industry has cost 40,000 meat workers' jobs. Apart from meat, there are products like creams, soaps and chocolates that bear the label of Halal that indicates that things forbidden by Islam for example alcohol has not been used in the products.

In Muslim nations, cattle are stabbed, slashed and butchered while still alive. There are horrendous conditions for animals being shipped as during long haul voyages cattle are unable to stand. They suffer debilitating injuries and are deprived of water during extreme heat. There were deaths of more than 4,000 sheep who perished from heat-stress on a live export voyage from Australia to the Middle East in 2013.

In another incident, 20,000 Australian sheep were rejected by Bahrain for disease fears. An export company official allegedly falsified documents to get them into Pakistan. When Pakistani authorities discovered the deception, the animals were clubbed, stabbed and buried alive in muddy trenches. Now Australia is planning to amend its laws to prohibit live export after 2017.

Nexus of Halal certification:

Muslim groups put pressure on companies to get Halal certification. The Halal certification industry has grown worldwide. This certification is obviously provided by a Muslim body, which charges a fees and checks the products of a company for halal compliance. This certification is raking up $20 to $30 million a year in Australia alone. The anti Halal campaigners in Australia insist that this money goes to fund Islamic Charities which have links to terror groups like Hamas. Halal industry creates jobs for Muslims. On the other hand Non-Muslims buy this expensive halal meat and unknowingly pay the Zakat tax. The principle of “zakat” in Islamic law makes it obligatory for all Muslims to give 2.5% of their income to charity. The extra money raised in this way goes to fund terrorist organisations. It also leads to imposition of Shriah law on Non-Muslims too. Even in India many local food vendors proudly claim to carry Halal food, when it is forbidden under the Hindu laws. Many food outlets like KFC, Subway, Pizza Express, etc. also carry label of Halal food.

Opposition in Sri Lanka:

The Sinhalese Buddhist majority in Sri Lanka has called for the abolition of the Muslim Halal system of certifying foods & other goods and said NO to any new Mosques. They abhor the Halal ritual slaughter which Muslims insist is necessary to produce halal meat. This outdated 7th Century Ritual Slaughter is unnecessarily cruel to livestock. A four year Dialrel Study carried  out by Veterinary Scientists from many countries of Europe concluded that halal ritual slaughter causes unnecessary suffering to animals. Buddhist monks have urged Sri Lanka’s non-Muslim majority to boycott any product with the Halal label and asked the government to outlaw Islamic clerics issuing such certifications. Muslims make up less than 10% of the Sri Lankan population , but the majority are seeing a rise in halal certified products. This unwanted over-production of Halal products is considered by the majority to be threatening their culture and their valued traditions. 

‘Festival of Sacrifice’:

The ‘Festival of Sacrifice’ of Muslims is an international religious festival but the cruelty that has come to be associated with it has nothing to do with religion. In Jordan, investigators documenting illegal sheep sales in roadside markets have reported that one company was offering locals four live sheep in exchange for beating up anyone with a camera. Malaysia, Mauritius, Jordan, Kuwait, Indonesia, Israel, Gaza, Egypt — everywhere laws are being broken whether it be illegal sales, cruel methods of restraint, or brutal street slaughter. Poor animals are suffering the horrendous consequences every where. In Egypt in 2004 an abattoir was declared a ‘benchmark’ for animal welfare despite eye stabbing and tendon slashing of cattle being standard practice at this notorious facility.

In this festival only one animal is supposed to be sacrificed per family but many are sacrificed. This slaughter is done in open grounds with children watching. Many times the distressed animals are let loose and cause stampede. Every year crores of animals are slaughtered this way with the streets running with their blood.

The government in Denmark has been accused of anti-Semitism after passing a law banning the religious slaughter of animals for halal and kosher meat. Muslims have called it interference in their religion. Even in the UK there is an ongoing campaign to ban Halal Slaughter houses and sale of Halal Meat. Russia has denied Muslims the right to celebrate the Eid al-Adhu (Feast of Sacrifice).

After going through all these facts, I feel what kind of religion is this that tells humans to kill animals so painfully and mercilessly. Can’t the festivals be enjoyed without giving painful deaths to poor animals? India is a Hindu majority nation and Hinduism teaches to have compassion for all living beings. Various animals are worshipped by Hindus. But in India, people kill animals in the name of religion or “festival of sacrifice”. Why we are silent? Respecting all forms of life is integral to Hinduism. Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism agree in their support of nonviolence and a meatless lifestyle. Many deeply religious souls in the West too eat meat because it is sanctioned in their holy books. Jains even follow dietary codes regulating the types of plants they eat. Hinduism believes that vegetarianism promotes spiritual life.

Recently, in Maharashtra, cow slaughter was banned. The punishment for the sale of beef or possession of it could be prison for five years with an additional fine of Rs 10,000. If such a law can be passed by one state then, why not by the central government for whole country?

In reaction to this ban, in a shameful incident, Christians and Muslims of Kerela state arranged a beef feast free for all. Beef was cooked in the open. Beef is the most-favoured meat in the state. The annual sale of beef is estimated at 2.3 lakh metric tonnes against the corresponding figure for poultry -- 1.51 lakh metric tonnes.

Digging into the beef curry before returning to the Assembly, CPM legislator P Sreeramakrishnan said, "I eat my beef. And so do many others in Kerala. Nothing will change." This is the shameful state in a Hindu majority country. Can Muslims or any other community dare to arrange a pork feast in Pakistan, Oman, Saudi Arabia or Egypt?

It is high time for the animal rights activists and some organisations like RSS and VHP to take a stand against such killings of poor animals in the name of religion. No God can be made happy by killing animals. It is not religious freedom rather it is bringing shame to religions.

Courtesy: en.wikipedia.org,  http://www.theweek.co.uk, http://www.theguardian.com, http://www.bbc.com, http://kb.rspca.org.au, http://www.animalsaustralia.org, http://www.aph.gov.au, http://www.dailymail.co.uk, http://www.hinduismtoday.com, http://www.firstpost.com, http://www.ndtv.com/ , http://www.abc.net.au, http://www.boycotthalal.com/sri-lanka-call-halal-boycott/ , http://madworldnews.com/muslims-furious-bans-halal/

Wary of Islam, countries rise against Muslims By Rohini Verma

Post 9/11, there have been many terrorist incidents like blasts all across the world. In the last few months, the world has seen terror of groups like ISIS. The throat cutting videos and fanatic fatwas from Muslim clerics have forced the world nations to look at Islam with a new approach. This approach is influenced by Islamophobia. There have been many incidents of killing innocent people, rapes and demolishing buildings related to other religions. So, various countries are taking steps to control Islamic terror activities.

Recently, Austria passed a law banning foreign funding of mosques and Islamic organisations. This step was taken so that Islamic radicals can't arrange funding for terrorist activities. Such laws controlling the funding are very much needed in our nation too.

We all have heard about French laws on religious symbols like wearing Hijab. In July 2014, the European Court of Human Rights upheld a ban by France on wearing the Muslim full-face veil - the niqab. French law says that nobody can wear in a public space clothing intended to conceal the face. France was the first European country in modern times to ban public wearing of the full-face veil. Belgium adopted a similar ban in 2011. In Spain, the city of Barcelona has brought in similar ban, as have some towns in Italy. The court admitted that the full-face veil is a potential security risk, as it conceals a person's identity.

In our neighbor China, the legislators in Xinjiang province have passed a law to prohibit residents from wearing burqas in public which they believe is religious extremism. In August 2014, another city in Xinjiang banned people wearing Islamic-style clothing and large beards from riding public buses during a provincial sporting event. In China Muslims have been involved in many ethnic fights.

In another area of Khotan, Imam’s sermon at Friday Prayer must run no longer than a half-hour, the rules say. Prayer in public areas outside the mosque is forbidden. Government workers are not permitted to practice Islam, which means the slightest sign of devotion, a head scarf on a woman, for example, could lead to a firing. The Chinese government believes that insurgent groups in Xinjiang pose one of the biggest security threats to China and religious extremism threatens to destabilize the region.

Apart from such laws, Muslims are unwelcome in many countries. This applies to Indian Muslims too. We can not forget the incident of detention of Shah Rukh Khan by US authorities in 2012 for 90 minutes at White Plains airport near New York. In 2009 the actor was detained for two hours at Newark airport and was released after India's embassy in the US intervened. The actor said then that he was stopped because he had a Muslim name.

In 2009, America's Continental Airlines apologised to former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam for frisking him before he boarded a flight to the US.

According to the Global Muslim Travel Index, Ireland is among the least friendly places for Muslims to visit. Muslim tourists demand the presence and accessibility of “halal” restaurants and the provision of prayer rooms at airports, shopping centres and hotels. They are also considered a serious threat to nation’s security there.

According to this index, Mexico is the least Muslim-friendly country in a list of 25 countries with Ireland being at second-last place. The United Kingdom was at sixth place and the US was the 14th most welcoming country for Muslims. According to the index, Muslims prefer the nations where they get halal meat and where mosques are easily available.

With an increase in Islamist militant attacks, most of the nations have rising anti-Muslim sentiments. However, there is no such problem in countries like Malaysia which is the most preferred global destination for Muslims. Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Indonesia followed Malaysia in choice of holiday destinations by them. The Muslim tourists wearing Hijab and skull caps are seen as threats to the local liberal cultures in increasingly large number of nations now.

Unfortunately, Muslim tourists have also been engaged in different crimes in the countries that they visit. Recently Charlie Hebdo massacre took place in France. When a moment of silence was to be observed for the victims, Muslim students yelled “Allahu Akbar!.” They refused to comply with the moment of silence. In another incident, a group of young Muslims dishonored the moment of silence, telling their teacher, “You reap what you sow,” the Washington Post reported. At another school in Seine-Saine-Denis, some 80 percent of students refused to honor the moment of silence, saying that the Charlie Hebdo staff “deserved what they got” for insulting Prophet Muhammad.

In another incident in 2014, a Georgia Tech Muslim student Saamer Akhshabi was making a bomb when it detonated. He had third-degree burns over 90 percent of his body. He later died due to his injuries.

In another incident a British Muslim student killed 20 in suicide bomb attack in Somalia. The 21-year-old student blew himself up at a military checkpoint killing up to 20 soldiers in the southern Somali town of Baidoa.

Similarly, a Muslim student was involved in the Boston Marathon bombings. Tsarnaev, 21, had carried out the attacks to avenge the deaths of Muslims overseas after learning how to build pressure-cooker bombs through Al-Qaeda propaganda. The bombing killed three people and wounded 264, on April 15, 2013. There are hundreds of such incidents involving Muslim tourists and students in violent crimes.

Let us see the other side too, where people of different faiths visit the Muslim countries and the treatment they get there. Generally, the non-Muslim tourists are considered threats to Muslim culture. Various Muslim nations have issued guidelines and even threats for the western tourists visiting Muslim nations.

For example, Turkey is a very popular destination for tourists from the west. But it shares a long border with war-torn Syria where Islamic State fighters operate. Turkey’s beaches are toured by devout Muslim men who hand out leaflets to foreign women telling them to cover up and dress from head to foot. The tourists are given the examples of local Muslim women who wear all-in-one bathing costumes that cover their bodies from head to foot. These fanatic Muslims have threatened tourists especially women that if they do not follow the guidelines issued, they would be attacked.

According to an estimate one out of 66 people in Istanbul is the victim of a crime each year. Criminal incidents involving foreigners tend to be concentrated in tourist areas. There have been violent criminal acts committed against tourists especially women.

In many Muslim nations people are forbidden from following their religious practices in open. Under these circumstances, people have to think carefully before they visit any Muslim country. On the other hand, due to Muslim tourists and students’ involvement in crimes, some innocent Muslims are also suffering. Many Indian Muslim students and tourists visit nations like the UK, USA, Europe and Australia. But due to actions of few people, the whole community is suffering. Due to these crimes the general sentiment about Muslims across the world is turning negative. Now, it is the time for the community to do some soul-searching exercise and find a solution that is peaceful for all the humanity.

Courtesy: http://www.irishtimes.com/, http://www.dailystar.co.uk/, www.bbc.com, http://www.breitbart.com/, http://www.dcclothesline.com/, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, http://www.skynews.com.au/, http://edition.cnn.com/, http://www.nytimes.com/

Why countries are rising against Muslim tourists? By Rohini Verma

Post 9/11, there have been many terrorist incidents of killings and blasts across the world. In the last few months, the world has seen terror of groups like ISIS. The throat cutting videos and fanatic fatwas from Muslim clerics have forced the world nations to look at Islam with a new approach. This approach is influenced by Islamophobia. There have been many incidents of killing innocent people, rapes and demolishing buildings related to other religions. So, various countries are taking steps to control Islamic activities.

Recently, Austria passed a law banning foreign funding of mosques and Islamic organisations. This step was taken so that Islamic radicals can't arrange funding for terrorist activities. Such laws controlling the funding are very much needed in our nation too.

Apart from such laws, Muslims are unwelcome in many countries. This applies to Indian Muslims too. We can not forget the incident of detention of Shah Rukh Khan by US authorities in 2012 for 90 minutes at White Plains airport near New York. In 2009 the actor was detained for two hours at Newark airport and was released after India's embassy in the US intervened. The actor said then that he was stopped because he had a Muslim name.

In 2009, America's Continental Airlines apologised to former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam for frisking him before he boarded a flight to the US. This incident also happened due to a Muslim name. In this way, innocent Muslims across the world are seeing discriminatory treatment in all across the world.

According to the Global Muslim Travel Index, Ireland is among the least friendly places for Muslims to visit. Muslim tourists demand the presence and accessibility of “halal” restaurants and the provision of prayer rooms at airports, shopping centres and hotels. They are also considered a serious threat to nation’s security there.

According to this index, Mexico is the least Muslim-friendly country in a list of 25 countries with Ireland being at second-last place. The United Kingdom was at sixth place and the US was the 14th most welcoming country for Muslims. According to the index, Muslims prefer the nations where they get halal meat and where mosques are easily available.

With an increase in Islamist militant attacks, most of the nations have rising anti-Muslim sentiments. However, there is no such problem in countries like Malaysia which is the most preferred global destination for Muslims. Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Indonesia followed Malaysia in choice of holiday destinations by them. The Muslim tourists wearing Hijab and skull caps are seen as threats to the local liberal cultures in increasingly large number of nations now.

Unfortunately, Muslim tourists have also been engaged in different crimes in the countries that they visit. Recently Charlie Hebdo massacre took place in France. When a moment of silence was to be observed for the victims, Muslim students yelled “Allahu Akbar!.” They refused to comply with the moment of silence. In another incident, a group of young Muslims dishonored the moment of silence, telling their teacher, “You reap what you sow,” the Washington Post reported. At another school in Seine-Saine-Denis, some 80 percent of students refused to honor the moment of silence, saying that the Charlie Hebdo staff “deserved what they got” for insulting Prophet Muhammad.

In another incident in 2014, a Georgia Tech Muslim student Saamer Akhshabi was making a bomb when it detonated. He had third-degree burns over 90 percent of his body. He later died due to his injuries.

In another incident a British Muslim student killed 20 in suicide bomb attack in Somalia. The 21-year-old student blew himself up at a military checkpoint killing up to 20 soldiers in the southern Somali town of Baidoa.

Similarly, a Muslim student was involved in the Boston Marathon bombings. Tsarnaev, 21, had carried out the attacks to avenge the deaths of Muslims overseas after learning how to build pressure-cooker bombs through Al-Qaeda propaganda. The bombing killed three people and wounded 264, on April 15, 2013. There are hundreds of such incidents involving Muslim tourists and students in violent crimes.

Let us see the other side too, where people of different faiths visit the Muslim countries and the treatment they get there. Generally, the non-Muslim tourists are considered threats to Muslim culture. Various Muslim nations have issued guidelines and even threats for the western tourists visiting Muslim nations.

For example, Turkey is a very popular destination for tourists from the west. But it shares a long border with war-torn Syria where murderous Islamic State fighters operate. Turkey’s beaches are toured by devout Muslim men who hand out leaflets to foreign women telling them to cover up and dress from head to foot. The tourists are given the examples of local Muslim women who wear all-in-one bathing costumes that cover their bodies from head to foot. These fanatic Muslims have threatened tourists especially women that if they do not follow the guidelines issued, they would be attacked.

According to an estimate one out of 66 people in Istanbul is the victim of a crime each year. The most common crimes involve theft, pick-pocketing, bag-snatching, and purse slashing. Criminal incidents involving foreigners tend to be concentrated in tourist areas. There have been violent criminal acts committed against tourists. Foreign women are verbally harassed, stared at, pinched, or followed.

In many Muslim nations people are forbidden from following their religious practices in open. Under these circumstances, people have to think carefully before they visit any Muslim country. On the other hand, due to Muslim tourists and students’ involvement in crimes, the innocent Muslims are suffering. Many Indian innocent Muslim students and tourists visit nations like the UK, USA, Europe and Australia. But due to actions of few people, the whole community is suffering. Due to crimes committed by few, the general sentiment about Muslims across the world is turning negative. 

Courtesy: http://www.irishtimes.com/, http://www.dailystar.co.uk/, www.bbc.com, http://www.breitbart.com/, http://www.dcclothesline.com/, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, http://www.skynews.com.au/

Why countries are rising against Muslim tourists? By Rohini Verma

After the 9/11 incident, there have been many incidents of killings and blasts across the world. In the last few months, the world has seen terror of groups like ISIS. The throat cutting videos and fanatic fatwas from Muslim clerics have forced the world nations to look at Islam with a new approach. This approach is influenced by Islamophobia. There have been many incidents of killing innocent people, rapes and demolishing buildings related to other religions. So, various countries are taking steps to control Islamic activities.

Recently, Austria passed a law banning foreign funding of mosques and Islamic organisations. This step was taken so that Muslims do not get money for terrorist activities. Such laws controlling the funding are very much needed in our nation too. Apart from such laws, Muslims are unwelcomed in many nations.

According to the Global Muslim Travel Index, Ireland is one of the least friendly places for Muslims to visit. Muslim tourists demand the presence and accessibility of “halal” restaurants and the provision of prayer rooms at airports, shopping centres and hotels. They are also considered a serious threat to nation’s security.

According to this index, Mexico is the least Muslim-friendly country in a list of 25 countries with Ireland being at second-last place. The United Kingdom was at sixth place and the US was the 14th most welcoming country for Muslims. According to the index, Muslims prefer the nations where they get halal meat and where mosques are easily available.

With an increase in Islamist militant attacks, most of the nations have rising anti-Muslim sentiments. But there is no such problem in nations like Malaysia which is the most preferred global destination. Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Indonesia followed Malaysia in choice of holiday destinations by Muslims. The Muslim tourists wearing Hijab and skull caps are seen as threats to the local liberal cultures. Moreover, Muslim tourists are also engaged in different crimes in the countries that they visit.

Now, let us see the other side, where people of different faiths visit the Muslim countries and the treatment they get there. Generally, these tourists are considered threats to Muslim culture. Various Muslim nations have issued guidelines and even threats for the western tourists visiting Muslim nations.

For example, Turkey is a very popular destination for tourists from the west. But it shares a long border with war-torn Syria where murderous Islamic State fighters operate. Turkey’s beaches are toured by devout Muslim men who hand out leaflets to foreign women telling them to cover up and dress from head to foot. The tourists are given the examples of local Muslim women who wear all-in-one bathing costumes that cover their bodies from head to foot. These fanatic Muslims have threatened tourists especially women that if they do not follow the guidelines issued, they would be attacked. In many Muslim nations people are forbidden from following their religious practices in open. Under these circumstances, people have to think carefully before they visit any Muslim country.

Courtesy: http://www.irishtimes.com/, http://www.dailystar.co.uk/, www.bbc.com

India’s daughter in danger By Rohini Verma

“India’s daughter” these are the two words which have created a controversy in India. It is a heart-wrenching documentary made by Israeli-born British film maker - Leslee Udwin. It has provoked grief and anger in India about the sensitive issue of rape. The documentary is based on the brutal rape of girl known as Nirbhaya in India. She was brutally raped in a moving bus on 16 December 2012. She was raped by five men and a 17-year-old (“juvenile”) and later was thrown on to the road. Later she died due to her ghastly injuries.

In the following 30 days, people demonstrated on the streets in all parts of the nation against rape and demanded death for the rapists. This film India’s Daughter is to be broadcast on BBC4 on the International Women’s Day – March 8. It is scheduled to be shown in various countries including India, Switzerland, Norway and Canada.  On 9 March, the film will be screened in New York.

What has shamed the entire nation is the outrageous comments made in the film by the defence lawyers of the rapists. ML Sharma, defence lawyer, says, “We have the best culture. In our culture, there is no place for a woman.” The second defence lawyer, AP Singh, says if his daughter or sister “engaged in pre-marital activities … in front of my entire family, I would put petrol on her and set her alight”. These comments are shocking and have brought shame to our entire nation.

Apart from the comments made by these senseless lawyers, there are comments by the rapists. While there is no need to give publicity to rapists by showing their interviews, on the other hand we also get to know the sickening mindset of such people, who rape and brutalize women.

Home minister Rajnath Singh told the Rajya Sabha that a restraining order had been obtained against the interview's telecast, and a report has been sought from Tihar Jail where the rapist was incarcerated. The government has taken a serious view of the matter and sought an explanation from Tihar Jail authorities about who allowed the interview. "Our government condemns the incident of 2012. The government has taken necessary action and secured a court order restraining telecast of the film," the minister said. But may be the action taken by the government is already too late. The outrageous comments of the rapist Mukesh Singh are already out in media in which he blamed the victim for her rape and death.

Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh were found guilty for the gang rape and murder of Nirbhaya and were sentenced to death. The fifth accused Ram Singh was found hanging in his cell in Tihar Jail. The sixth accused was a juvenile and found guilty by the juvenile justice board. He was sent to a juvenile correctional facility for about three years.

The rapist Mukesh Singh said the women who went out at night had only themselves to blame if they attracted the attention of gangs of male molesters. He also said that had the girl and her friend not tried to fight back, the gang would not have inflicted the savage beating, which led to her death later. He also said, "When being raped, she shouldn't fight back. She should just be silent and allow the rape. Then they'd have dropped her off after 'doing her', and only hit the boy." Describing the gruesome act, he also told, “The juvenile put his hand in her and pulled out something. It was her intestines …We dragged her to the front of the bus and threw her out.”

All these comments are so shocking and show the mindset of such criminals. In this film, the film maker has also interviewed another rapist Gaurav, a 34-year-old man serving 10 years for raping a five-year-old. He too had no remorse rather he declared, “She was a beggar girl, her life was of no value.” 

These comments show the mindset of men about women. According to estimates, a rape occurs in India every 20 minutes. In England and Wales, 85,000 women are raped every year. In Denmark one in five women has experienced a sexual assault. So, it is not the problem only prevalent in India. But being an Indian I feel ashamed by such incidents in our society. Gender-inequality, rape, trafficking, child marriage, female foeticide and honour killings, a female is the victim every where. There is no lack of stringent laws but the problem is there implementation.

Article 14 of the Indian Constitution confers absolute equal rights on women. But in actual practice there is no equality, which is a blot on our 21^st century India.  Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India on Tuesday evening issued a notice to all television channels asking them not to broadcast the Nirbhaya documentary.  Despite the prohibiting orders from court, Udwin, a rape victim herself, said the film would be released worldwide as planned. It will be shown in India on NDTV at 21:00 local time on March 8^th.

Here, a question worth asking is even if we ban the film, can we turn away our faces from the horrible crimes that are committed against women. If such criminals are awarded death sentences then why there is such a delay which defeats the very purpose of our laws? A film “India’s daughter” might be banned but in reality it is not the film but the real India’s daughter who is in danger.

Courtesy: http://www.theguardian.com,  https://in.news.yahoo.com, http://zeenews.india.com/, http://www.bbc.com/ , www.ndtv.com

Curtailing Islam and banning foreign money for Muslim groups by Rohini Verma

Austrian parliament recently passed a law that will regulate how Islam is administered and practiced in Austria. Such a law is the need of the hour in our country too.

German translation of the Koran:

The Austrian law bans foreign funding for Islamic organizations that will go a long way in stopping funding for terrorism. This law requires Austrian Muslims to use a standardized German translation of the Koran so that people at large know what is preached in mosques. The new law also requires imams to be able to speak German. The legislation requires the nearly 450 Muslim organizations in Austria to demonstrate a "positive approach towards society and the state" in order to continue receiving official licensing.

This law met small resistance in the country which is majorly Roman Catholic. Austria's biggest Islamic organization, IGGiO, has accepted the law but its youth wing opposed it. The law was also opposed by the Turkish-financed Turkish-Islamic Union in Austria (ATIB), which runs many mosques.

Islamist militancy on the rise:

While the government supported the bill saying that Islamist militancy is on the rise all across the world and around 170 people have left Austria to join jihadists in countries like Syria and Iraq. Austria's neighbor Germany has also experienced an upsurge of anti-Islam sentiment. Earlier this month, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls also raised the notion of banning foreign funding of Islamic organizations.

Halal meals:

The negative point of this law is that Muslims in Austria will have the right to halal meals in their institutions as well as in public schools. They will also be allowed time off work on Islamic holidays.

Opposition from Turkey:

Turkey supports Muslim organisations in Austria financially. This law has been criticized by Muslims and Turkey’s Government. This law will have an impact of relationship of Austria with Muslim countries, especially Turkey.

Targeting jihad recruiters:

Here, it is important to mention another news of November 2014. Austrian police arrested 13 people and raided homes, prayer rooms and mosques around the country in a mass operation targeting suspected jihad recruiters. Media reports said that a Vienna-based Serbian preacher was the main suspect. Police also seized “terrorist propaganda,” computer files and money in various homes. The Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said, “The operation confirms our clear message to all jihadists in Austria: you are not safe here”.

Need of such a law in India:

Such a law that aims at tackling Islamist radicalism is needed in our country too that is battling Islamist militancy for decades. The Muslim groups say the ban on foreign funding is unfair. The legislation reflects a widespread mistrust among people about Muslims.

Now, the question is if we can follow various policies supported by the West, do we have guts to pass such a law in India? We know that many mosques and Madrassas are not doing any service to the country apart from generating anti national elements.

In regard to stopping foreign funding of Muslim establishments, we all know well that terrorist outfits and organisations associated to them are funded from Pakistani establishment. If we are able to pass such a law, then the security agencies will be a lot more successful in curtailing terrorism in India. 

Now, it is up to the think tanks and government of India to decide whether they will continue to follow the appeasement policy or will they take any tough stand against the money flowing in Kashmir and other parts aimed to attack innocent people of our country.

  

PUBLISHED ON - http://shankhnaad.net/india/social-harmony/item/207-curtailing-radical-islam-foreign-funding-austria 

Courtesy: http://america.aljazeera.com/, http://www.bbc.com/, http://www.jihadwatch.org/, http://www.reuters.com/