Author Archives: Naim Naqvi

Oct
09
2010

Freida Pinto as Miral – a Palestinian Rebel

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Miral, as it is claimed by the filmmakers, is a fast sweep across decades of the Mideast conflict. It shows the beautiful Palestinian landscapes and Pinto as a ravishing Arab beauty that is the part of legend.

BORN ON October 18, 1984 in Mumbai in a Mangalorean Catholic family, Freida Pinto, known best for her portrayal of Latika in the 2009 Academy Award winning film Slumdog Millionaire has moved from the Dharawi slums to the refugee camps of West Bank – Palestine.

She is acting in the film “Miral” a defiant Palestinian girl who fights against the tyranny of Israel with her limited resources and courage. For the Western audiences that are more used to movies showing Arabs as jokers, debauches and Islamic militants this film might compel to give a second thought to their biased obsession. It would try to offer a balanced and compassionate view of the Palestinians.

In the world so tightly controlled by Zionist and capitalists the film would come as a whiff of fresh air. “Miral” is directed by award-winning artist Julian Schnabel, a prominent Jew and with cameos by Willem Dafoe and Vanessa Redgrave.

Schnabel was named best director at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 and awarded him a top prize for his movie “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.” Yasmine al-Massri, a Paris-based Palestinian actress, who is playing as Pinto’s mother described the message of the film as follows:

“The ordinary American, who knows nothing about Palestine and knows nothing about our cause – it will be the first time he will sit and watch this story. We hope Pinto’s star power would draw audiences into cinemas and that Schnabel’s Jewish faith would deflect claims of bias.”

Miral, as it is claimed by the filmmakers, is a fast sweep across decades of the mid-east conflict. It shows the beautiful Palestinian landscapes and Pinto as a ravishing Arab beauty that is the part of legends. The director has tried to ensemble as much Palestinian history as possible. Miral was premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last month.

In this film the mother of the heroine is an alcoholic and commits suicide. Her conservative Muslim father struggles to raise her according to his rules.

She is admitted to a Palestinian children’s institution in Jerusalem. Miral tumbles headlong into the political storms of 1980’s and rebells against Israel’s military occupation. Miral tries to fight Israel and battle her father simultaneously. She falls for a handsome Palestinian fighter. The film runs for 112-minutes.

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Oct
08
2010

‘Bichrey sabhi bari bari’: How sad it is for Salman Khan!

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'Bichrey sabhi bari bari': How sad it is for Salman Khan!

'Bichrey sabhi bari bari': How sad it is for Salman Khan!

To lose one girl makes you Devdas; to lose four makes you Salman Khan. I know there is one naughty Salman hiding in every boy. We hear love songs, we love ‘love songs.

‘ We all look for unconditional love; we all want to feel love.

I AM tired of politics and politicians; I am tired of their crooked ways and I want to talk abou

t love – no hate. I am looking for solace in life myself! Real life is too cruel for thos
e who got their dreams fulfilled and even for those who failed in life. There is theory of natural balance that works in real life.

From ‘Jab pyar kiya to darna kya’ to ‘Julie – I love you’ and to the present day’s ‘Sunday ko pyar hua; Monday Iqrar Hua; One day na jane ab kya hoga’, I am looking for genuine love and genuine lovers. My exploration and expedition has brought me to Mumbai (It was Bombay when the story started).

It was the deep green blue sea and the waves were lashing the foundations of ‘The Gate Of India’ and they were playing the old melody on boats ‘Teri do takiya kee noukri, mera lakhon ka savan jai…’. Life was going smooth and a lot of friends were telling about their exploits, successes and break ups.

We know that even the most diffident and shy boys want to fall in love at some stage of life. They always try somewhere with someone. Success and failures are secondary as long you don‘t decide to cut your wrist with or jump from the harbour with a determined intention not to come out of the deep end. Personal life of the scribe is not relevant here as the love in the cottage are not worth to discuss. I want to talk about the love stories that involved larger than life personalities.

No I can‘t discuss about Nehru flirtations with Lady Mountbatten or Dilip – Madhubala’s tragedy. They are too reverential to bring in this mundane talk. I would like to talk about the smooth operator Salman Khan – the boy one of us.

To lose one girl makes you Devdas; to lose four makes you Salman Khan. I know there is one naughty Salman hiding in every boy. We hear love songs, we love ‘love songs.’ We all look for unconditional love; we all want to feel love. We think about it, hope for it, fantasise about it, go to great lengths to achieve it, and feel that our lives are incomplete without it. We try to get it and don’t get. This we realise after marriage also and before a break-up also. We all live in make-believe world that is full of compromises. The lack of unconditional love is the cause of most of our anger and confusion and our emotional need for unconditional love is just as great as our physical need for air and food.

I believe Salman Khan looked for unconditional love in Sangeeta, Somi, Aishwarya and now in Katrina. Someone should tell the unlucky boy – he is looking for sprite!

The crux of the problem is – he is unaware of what unconditional love really is. You get it only from your parents and that also up to a certain age. Once you cross the milestone even the parental love becomes conditional. Crossing that threshold, our parents show their love and appreciation only when we do the right things—when we were clean, quiet, obedient and otherwise ‘good’— they love us. They smile at us and speak in gentle tones. But once we jump the lines from naughtiness to nastiness we are ‘bad’, and all those signs of ‘love’ instantly vanish. The first lesson of nature is – love is conditional, that we had to buy ‘love’ from the people around us with our words and behaviour.

So what kind of love Salman is looking for?

Real love! What is real love? Real love is caring about the happiness of another person without any thought for what we might get for ourselves. Real love is when we make foolish mistakes, when we fail to do what other people want, and even when we get in their way, but they don’t feel disappointed or irritated at us.

You are lucky if you get the real love and that love alone has the power to heal all wounds and create relationships quite beyond our present capacity to imagine. Salman Khan lives in a world of glinting crystals and frothing luxuries and here what you get what you got. Give up the dreams for . Settle in life with the new realities before it is too late.

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Oct
07
2010

And Rahul Gandhi has thrown the gauntlet

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No one should be blamed to conclude that RSS is learning to profit from the doctrines of Hitler. Its totally another matter that in its blind enmity against Muslims its favorite country in the world is Israel.

IT WAS vintage Rahul Gandhi, an embodiment of courage and honesty, a modest youth leader who has finally thrown the gauntlet in the court of obscurantist, communalists and fascists. In his press conference in Bhopal on Wednesday he equated Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh with the banned Students Islamic Movement of India.

He said that both are preaching hard-line fundamental ideologies. SIMI was a proscribed outfit and RSS is a Nagpur based right-wing Hindu group. According to him,” Both these organizations preach fundamentalist ideologies. That’s a fact and nothing is going to change the fact.”

The Sangh Parivar reacted by saying – Only a sick mind can do it. He seems to have lost his mental balance. The RSS is an institute of nationalist thought while SIMI is banned by Congress government as it was banned by us when we were in power.

The writer is neither an particular admirer of Congress, Sonia Ji, Manmohan Singh or Rahul Baba. However, one must not fail to register the appreciation where and when it is due; one should not hesitate also to put the mirror if someone challenges the fundamental principle of co-existence and democracy.

Following are the pearls of wisdom from the top luminary of RSS and it is left for the reader to draw his own conclusions.

“To keep up the purity of the Race and its culture, Germany shocked the world by her purging the country of the Semitic races—the Jews. Race pride at its highest has been manifested here. Germany has also shown how well nigh impossible it is for Races and cultures, having differences going to the root, to be assimilated into one united whole, a good lesson for us in Hindustan to learn and profit by.”

– Madhavrao Golwalkar, We, or Our Nation Defined, Nagpur: Bharat publications, 1939, p. 37

No one should be blamed to conclude that RSS is learning to profit from the doctrines of Hitler. Its totally another matter that in its blind enmity against Muslims its favorite country in the world is Israel. All fascist movements have few things in common.

They begin as quasi-religious “spirited’ movements; they indoctrinate their follower to believe that they are in minority even if they are in majority and they put a lot of emphasis on health and purity of body. RSS is no exception. What they forget that the enlightened youth of India is not going to buy their anachronistic philosophy.

The ordinary Indian youth recoil at the thought that they could be bound together by the chains of dogma and prejudice. Needless to say that no Muslim has any problem with Hindutva as long as it doesn’t trample upon their fundamental rights; as long they are allowed to live with dignity; as long there is no apartheid.

They know that followers of other faith won’t accept the saffronization of their lives at any cost.

RSS has a flawed vision that inspires to debunk the secularism and adopt the undercurrents of TMI (Toxic Majoritarian Ideology). This is where Rahul Baba has hit them, this is where he has nailed them to the counter.

The time is not very far when the Indians would realize that this organization is trying to wring the last drop of juice from Hindu ideology. We have full trust in the emerging enlightened youth. Well done Rahul !

And to conclude the write-up: “As a final result of the poison, the country had to suffer the sacrifice of the invaluable life of Gandhiji. Even an iota of the sympathy of the Government or of the people no more remained for the RSS. In fact, opposition grew. Opposition turned more severe when the RSS men expressed joy and distributed sweets after Gandhiji’s death.” – Sardar Patel – freedom fighter, first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Oct
04
2010

Babur must have been turning in his grave

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Babur

Babur

Babur was born on February 14, 1483, in the town Andejan situated in the Farghana Valley. He was sixth in the line of Amir Taimur’s descendent, while his mother belonged to the family of the Mongol, Changez Khan.

DR N S Rajaram is a noted writer, who has published several books on topics related to ancient Indian history and Indian archeology. He has always felt the presence of Eurocentric biased undercurrents in mainstream Indology and the way history is taken in Independent India. According to him, “Its creators were driven mainly by European colonial and Christian missionary interests.”

Further reference of the readers: ‘The Baburnama: Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emperor’. Translated, edited and annotated by Wheeler M Thacktson, 1996. Oxford University Press: New York and London; 472 pages.

Even Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru has said that the greatness of Babur lay not in capturing India but in capturing the hearts of Indians.

Those who remember those stormy euphoric days before the destruction of Babri Masjid, they could still vividly recollect the funny provocative slogan- “Tel laga ke Dabur ka, nam mita do Babur Ka”. I don’t remember if the company that manufactures this oil raised any objection.

That is the tragedy of India today that people, who don’t have time to read history and have the guts to connect Dabur with Babur judge the larger-than-life characters like Babur for us. Instead of enjoying his many adventures and achievements of his short (47 years only) life, people are misled into one belief that he was a mere iconoclast. In fact, amongst the rulers of Central Asia and India, Babur was one of the most colourful personalities.

Western historians and intellectuals, who usually have a stiff eyebrow over the snobbish corridors of history have spoken highly of him. He was an expert in the art of warfare and conquest and he was a noted literary genius, a writer of Uzbeki prose. He was ardent lover and admirer of poetry and fine arts. He wrote several books on prosody, music and the art of war. He is the inventor of a calligraphic writing even today known as Khat-i-Babri.

Babur was born on February 14, 1483, in the town Andejan situated in the Farghana Valley. He was sixth in the line of Amir Taimur’s descendent, while his mother belonged to the family of the Mongol, Changez Khan. Babur’s mother was the pillar of Babur’s character and education. She was well versed with the literature of Turkish, Arabic and Persian and she could play lullaby for the future emperor form the folk songs. Babur was only 11 years old when his father died and he was declared his successor and ruler of the Farghana Valley. As a child he faced several challengers to the throne but successfully surmounted all of them. Babar’s education ended with his initial years of life as he found no second chance at it. Interestingly, he was least impressed with his childhood teachers.

From the slew of resources I can sum up the history as follows:

Mir Baqi, a nobleman of Babur’s court built the mosque at Ayodhya in 1528. It was the custom of the time that most of the nobles used to implement things in the name of their king. The only source for these credits are the inscriptions on the mosque. In Babur’s autobiography there is no mention of this. In Babur’s memoirs he had been forthright where he mentions that he ordered the mutilation of the nude idols in Urwah Valley near Gwalior on the grounds of obscenity. Babur would not have failed to mention or hide the demolition of a temple had it been done on the grounds of religious conviction. There are doubts about his visit to Ayodhya itself.

There are no contemporary accounts about this episode and one has to draw inferences from the fact that there is no mention of the demolition of any temple in any of the sources at that time. A medieval Persian chronicle, Ain-i-Akbari, written in the 17th century by Abul Fazl refers to Ayodhya as ‘one of the holiest of places of antiquity’. It doesn’t mention any demolition and replacement of a temple by a mosque. Even Tulsidas, one of the greatest Ram bhakts of all time could not have missed this. He lived just a quarter of a century after Babur and it is totally unlike him not to have mentioned this had it taken place just 25 to 50 years before his time.

Babur came to India and adopted India as his country like Aryans, who had also came before him from Central Asia. Babur has defeated Lodhis who were Muslims.

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Oct
03
2010

Fiddlers on the Knesset

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IT COULD have been the case of ‘left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing’ if it didn’t involve Benjamin Netanyahu and his most powerful Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. “A final agreement between Israel and the Palestinians has to be based on a programme of exchange of territory and populations,” Lieberman told the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

And a quick repartee from the Prime Minister’s Office “Lieberman’s address was not coordinated with the prime minister,” adding that “Netanyahu is the one handling the negotiations on Israel’s behalf. The various issues surrounding a peace agreement will be discussed and decided only at the negotiating table, and nowhere else.”

The Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman gives the impression that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is spreading illusions and silly talk about peace. There is no chance for a permanent settlement for a generation. According to FM ‘exchange’ populated areas and adjust the state to its correct size which means that the Arab citizens of Israel must be expelled to the Palestinian side of the border. He suggested ceding parts of Israel with large Arab populations to a future Palestinian state in exchange for Israel keeping large settlement blocs in the West Bank, a proposal which has been part of his party’s platform. He said he expected the process ‘could take a few decades’.

Defenders or protégés of Prime Minister say, “Every time Foreign Minister Lieberman voices his skepticism about achieving peace, he undermines Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s credibility.”
But the irony is that Netanyahu had never considered the views of Lieberman views as illegitimate and he didn’t chastise his foreign minister for the speech.

Does it not reflect that Israel is a country which doesn’t have a responsible coherent foreign policy?
For few weeks Netanyahu had been investing or pretending to do so with gusto to convince the leaders of the world that he is serious about peace with the Palestinians. He had asked them to ignore the resumption of settlement construction, and tried to convince Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas not to quit the negotiations.

Settlement have started and dozers and dumpers are trampling the land of helpless Palestenians. Israel is least worried about the legitimacy or world opinion.

Now the most senior diplomat of PM tells the world that it is all crap that Netanyahu is faking. Even worse: the foreign minister is implying that Netanyahu’s demand that the Palestinians recognise Israel as a Jewish state is merely cover for the expulsion of Arab citizens.

The foreign minister made it clear on Tuesday (September 28) that his political partnership with Netanyahu is coming to an end. Lieberman will not back the peace process, which he considers unnecessary and damaging. Those, who know the reality were never in doubt about the expected performance of power game and political circus of Israel. While President Obama is trying to show going for his image, the poor Palestinians continue to suffer under the yoke of cruel and belligerent occupiers. That proves the adage – Might is Right!

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Oct
01
2010

Ayodhya Judgement: A victory of faith over reason

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Ayodhya

Ayodhya

This judgment must be challenged in the Supreme Court and we hope that the august body would give a second thought to its legal, social, ethical and political repercussions.

THAT THE Ayodhya verdict was hailed with euphoric exultation by the Ram Janam Bhumi lawyers, who were showing the victory signs soon after the announcement, despite the restrictions on any such show by court in advance, simply reflects the respect of law they have.

That this verdict is victory of forces, who had pulled down the historic mosque does need any proof for the readers and viewers. Sangh Parivar rightly felt that it would pave the way for the grand Ram temple and they lost no time in indirectly advising Muslims to give up the one third of the area the verdict has given to them.

Should there be any need in future to cite an example where faith and belief prevailed so powerfully over the law and reason, this judgment would be available for easy reference. It would beckon form the ramparts of temples of Justice. Ironically, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat talked about the need to see the verdict “not as a victory of one group or defeat of another, but an opportunity to forget ill-will, hard feelings that were the results of the past conflicts.” I don’t know if he could have uttered the same dialogues if the verdict was gone against their designs.

Many Muslims are sulking and they have no choice but to knock the doors of Supreme Court against the verdict. For RSS and its cronies, this judgment has given a boost to their sagging morale. Their political movement got legitimacy and they can boast of victory. This judgment has opened the new avenues for their future adventures – Kashi, Mathura.

The judgment had nothing to say, as it was not asked to say though it delved in to different domains which had little relevance to the legal aspects of the case, about the criminal razing of a historical structure. It is strange that the court accepted that no mosque was pulled down to build Babri Masjid and Ram Lalla was never there before 1949. Still, to maintain the law and order it thought it appropriate to give precedence to Astha and belief over the concrete history, evidence and reason.

There are thousands of monuments, Buddhist temples, Jain temples, churches, mosques and synagogues which are built at places which have outlived their original utility. What is the difference between pulling down Babri Mosque and razing the Statues of Buddha in Afghanistan. Both the acts are akin and reprehensible in nature. In a majority dominated country if a ground fact that was created by the honchos of majority in 1949 with the connivance of State administration could become an integral part of faith in a judgment in 2010, we have little light to see at the end of the tunnel.

This judgment must be challenged in the Supreme Court and we hope that the august body would give a second thought to its legal, social, ethical and political repercussions.

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Sep
28
2010

Lata Mangeshkar, Mehdi Hassan coming together for Tera Milna

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Lata Mangeshkar, Mehdi Hassan coming together for Tera Milna

Lata Mangeshkar, Mehdi Hassan coming together for Tera Milna

Few musical creations could be so pregnant with sentiments, history and talent as the forthcoming duet ‘Tera Milna’ between the singing legends Lata Mangeshkar and ‘Shehanshah-e-Ghazal’ Mehdi Hassan.

THERE IS always a silver lining with the darkest of clouds. As the adage goes : “Unka jo kam hai woh ahle siyasat janen, mera paigham mohabbat hai jahan tak pahuche.” Politicians could mind their business. My message is love no matter where it reaches.

So the two greatest muslical talents of India and Pakistan are telling the world.

Few musical creations could be so pregnant with sentiments, history and talent as the forthcoming duet “Tera Milna” between the singing legends Lata Mangeshkar and ‘Shehanshah-e-Ghazal’ Mehdi Hassan. Needless to say that this much awaited magic melody would be the first where the Nightingale of India would be seen with the Pride of Gazal from Pakistan. Mehdi Hassan Saheb is not keeping well for so many years. He always wanted to sing with Lata and finally his cherished dream has been fulfilled.

As the music lovers say – “Once in a lifetime, a man is born who will shake the consciousness and passion of the music industry. Such a man is Mehdi Hassan.”

According to Lata Mangeshkar, “He is the voice of God. Mehdi Saab always wanted to sing with me. In fact he sent me 2-3 recorded songs years back but he had to quit singing due to his prolonged illness. ‘Tera milna’ is one of them. I recorded my version here in Mumbai and Mehdi Saab’s version was recorded in Pakistan a year back. We have made a duet compiling the two versions.” Lata Ji would turns 81 on Tuesday.

Mehdi Hassan was born in Luna, a town near Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Music runs in his blood for fifteen generations. His education in music began as soon as he could talk. Mehdi Hassan’s father, Ustad Azim Khan, was a notable classical singer in his time and a favorite of Maharaja of Jaipur.

Mehdi Hassan gave his first public performance at Maharaja of Barodi’s place when he was only 8 years old. He is master of vocal music like ‘Dhrupad’, ‘Khayal’, ‘Thumri’ and ‘Dadra’.

His family migrated to Pakistan after partition and young Mehdi adopted the profession of an automobile mechanic. However, lady luck was with him and with the would-be Ghazal lovers and he resumed his music career with in short while. Mehdi Hassan moved to Karachi and created his space in the music world.

In 1952, from Radio Pakistan Lahore, his first perennial ghazal,

‘Gulon may rang bharay, baad-e-nau bahar chalay’ was broadcasted. It was composed by Ghulam Qadir, the elder brother of Mehdi Hassan. It was also his first successful rendition which earned him name, fame and critical acclaim.

Though confined to his bed, he still rules the hearts and minds of Ghazal lovers all over the world.

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Sep
15
2010

Desecrating the Holy Books – a religious madness

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SOMETIMES BACK this author had written about the insensitive, irrational and idiotic idea of putting a mosque near Ground Zero. “Unnecessary Provocation” is not the way of Islam. The irony is that the followers of all religions, when they delve into the faith of their interpretation and imbibe, the more fanatic and unreasonable they become. Jews believe themselves to be the most religious and today they are committing the most inhuman heinous crimes against Palestinians. The fanatical Muslims around the globe are leaving no stone unturned to make the world believe that Muslims can’t live in peace and harmony with others. Christians have done no better in Bosnia and elsewhere. Buddhists hang their heads in shame when they talk about the Pre-Second World War atrocities of Imperial Japan in China and other parts of East Asia. Pol-Pots are not the old story. Back home, we have our own Gujarats and Orissas. Recently, the world was about to witness the most inglorious and maddening spectacle – a drama that was pregnant with the possibilities of centuries of new fights between Crusaders and Ghazis. The Christian minister of a small church in Florida had announced to burn The Holy Koran to protest against the building of mosque near Ground Zero. He has now canceled on Thursday his plan to burn copies of the Quran that had been scheduled for Saturday, the ninth anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States. The planned protest had sparked angry demonstrations by Muslims around the world. The Reverend Terry Jones announced his change of heart at a news conference late Thursday in front of his church in Gainesville, Florida.

And here is what Sarah Palin the Republican contender of Vice Presidential post of U.S. last election said: “Book burning is bad. But the Muslim cleric who is running for parliament in Afghanistan is calling for the murder of American children in response to scorched Korans, which is worse. Where is the media’s focus? Book burning is antithetical to American ideals. People have a constitutional right to burn a Koran if they want to, but doing so is insensitive and an unnecessary provocation – much like building a mosque at Ground Zero. I would hope that Pastor Terry Jones and his supporters will consider the ramifications of their planned book-burning event. It will feed the fire of caustic rhetoric and appear as nothing more than mean-spirited religious intolerance. Don’t feed that fire. If your ultimate point is to prove that the Christian teachings of mercy, justice, freedom, and equality provide the foundation on which our country stands, then your tactic to prove this point is totally counter-productive. Our nation was founded in part by those fleeing religious persecution. Freedom of religion is integral to our charters of liberty. We don’t need to agree with each other on theological matters, but tolerating each other without unnecessarily provoking strife is how we ensure a civil society. In this as in all things, we should remember the Golden Rule. Isn’t that what the Ground Zero mosque debate has been about?

President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and numerous religious leaders around the country spoke out against the planned protest and urged the previously obscure Florida minister to abandon the idea. Jones also poke to Defense Secretary Robert Gates shortly before his news conference. Pentagon officials say Gates urged the minister not to go ahead with his protest on Saturday, arguing that it would put the lives of U.S. soldiers serving abroad at risk. Pastor Terry Jones said he called off the Quran burning protest because he had secured an agreement with Muslim leaders in New York City to move the location of a controversial planned Islamic center and mosque away from the site of the 2001 terrorist attacks known as Ground Zero in lower Manhattan.

“The American people do not want the mosque there and, of course, Muslims do not want us to burn the Quran,” said Terry Jones. The imam has agreed to move the mosque. We have agreed to cancel our event on Saturday. And on Saturday, I will be flying up there to meet with him. I get a little bit emotional,” he said. “This has been, of course, for us a very, very difficult, trying time. We have been in very much thought and prayer over this whole period. A lot of times we were asked, what would it take to call this thing off.”
Jones said an idea came to him while praying that he would call off the planned burning of the Quran, if Muslim leaders in New York City would agree to move the site of Islamic center away from site of the 2001 terrorist attacks in lower Manhattan.

“The American people, as a whole, do not want the mosque at the Ground Zero location,” said Jones. “That if they were willing to either cancel the mosque at the Ground Zero location or if they were willing to move that location, willing to move it away from that location, we would consider that a sign from God. I will be flying up there on Saturday to meet with the imam at the Ground Zero mosque. He has agreed to move the location.”

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Sep
08
2010

On this Eid, a prayer for everyone

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On this Eid, a prayer for everyone

On this Eid, a prayer for everyone

Today, our social institutions are torn apart and we are sowing dissention and strife instead of the message of love, peace and brotherhood in this world. In this spiritual day of Eid- what is the message of Islam that we want to convey to the world?

THE PROPHET of Islam Hazrat Mohammed (PBUH) said, “Allah will continue to help his servant as long as the servant is helping his brother.” If you seek Allah’s mercy care for your fellow human beings. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “The merciful ones will be shown mercy by the all-merciful (Allah). Be merciful to those on earth, Allah will be merciful to you.”

Unfortunately, instead of showing mercy on the fellow human beings fanatical Muslims around the globe are killing mercilessly even their fellow travellers in religion as we witnessed recently in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan. Today, our social institutions are torn apart and we are sowing dissention and strife instead of the message of love, peace and brotherhood in this world. More than any other time we should seriously examine at this spiritual day of Eid- what is the message of Islam that we want to convey to the world?

Let us start the fundamental unit of existence – our own home. Husband and wife should be a source of mercy to each other. Allah says in holy book, “Among his signs is that He has created for you from yourselves spouses, in order that you dwell together with them in peace and tranquility. And He has made between you love and mercy. Surely in this are signs for people who do reflect.”

In the fast moving society, amongst Muslims and in other communities, the divorce rate is rising exponentially. If we show tolerance, respect and love at home, we should be an example of blessed co-existence to the entire world. Simple expression of love and respect could change the turbulent flow of life. It can smoothen the rough contours of life. The parents should be merciful to their children.

Similarly, the children should be merciful to their parents. The greatest example of the merciful child of Islam is Prophet Hazrat Ismail (Alayhi al-Salaam) – son of Prophet Abraham (Alayhi al-Salaam). When informed by his father, Ibrahim (Alayhi al-Salaam), that he was to sacrifice him, he mercifully responded, “Oh, father! Do that which you have been commanded. You will find me, Insha Allah (God willing), amongst the patient.” Let us show respect for our elders and we should genuinely care for them.

We should be a source of mercy to our fellow human beings. It will emphasise the fact that we are a merciful people. We are a merciful people whose mercy shouldn’t be confined to our immediate circle of associates and acquaintances. It should extend to the entire living beings.

We should be grateful to God that we are blessed to be born in a democratic country where we enjoy all the freedoms of civilised society. We have all been blessed to gather on the ‘Eid Day’ in safety and security where our fellow countrymen share our joy and celebrate the happiness of Eid with us. Let us remember those who are gathering in the shadow of tanks and cannons today. We should never forget those men, women, and children whose prayers could be interrupted at any moment by the bombs, shower of bullets in their own so-called Islamic countries; those who can‘t openly celebrate Eid if they disagree with the Eid date declared by their despotic Muslim rulers.

Amongst ourselves we should learn to resolve our differences in peace and harmony in order to become a unified, viable and positive force of change and sanity in this world. On this auspicious day we should not forget those who literally had no proper Iftar this Ramadan. For many Muslims, daily existence is still a continuous fast. We should ask ourselves, “What have we done for them; what we can do for them?” Let us go into retrospect and question ourselves. “Have we adequately expressed our thanks to Allah for the many blessing He has heaped upon us?”

Eid Mubarak to all! Let us make together this planet a heaven of peace and happiness.

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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Aug
22
2010

Anarkali Madhubala: She still rules the hearts

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Anarkali Madhubala: She still rules the hearts

Anarkali Madhubala: She still rules the hearts

Madhubala was the name given to her by Devika Rani. Her original name was Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dahelvi. She was the daughter of an imperious father Ata Ullah Khan, who had forced her to act in films at the delicate age of eight years.

OUT OF the distance of several decades, I can still vividly recollect my first pilgrimage to the city of my dreams – Bombay (now Mumbai). Before embarking on that journey I had always lived like and anchorite, with two ambitions in heart: first – to make enough money in this Eldorado and come back to my snobbish and aristocratic home town and demand and command respect from those, who had dropped me down as unprosperous connection. Second, to visit the grave of the fairy of my dreams – Madhubala – a human being I loved as a kid, as a child, as a juvenile delinquent and as a mature young man.

Madhubala was the name given to her by Devika Rani – a legend unto herself. Her original name was Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dahelvi. She was the daughter of an imperious father Ata Ullah Khan, who had forced her to act in films at the delicate age of eight years.

She was born on Valentine Day, on February 14, 1937, and she died on February 23, 1968, just nine days after her birthday. Few days before her death she had asked her sister to bring the mirror. She was so shocked to see the face in mirror that she couldn’t speak coherently till she breathed her last. Her dominating and commanding father picked for her so many inconsequential films that it took longer than necessary to establish her as a serious actress again. His father for whatever reasons never liked Dilip Saheb.

“Mahal” was the film directed by legendary Kamal Amrohi that catapulted her to stardom. She had played the enigmatic role of the daughter of a gardener against super star Ashok Kumar. Before the release of the film, Kamal Amrohi’s advisers told him to punch out the song – ‘Ayega anewala’. They said it was meaningless and would confuse the viewers. Kamal refused to accept argument saying that Madhubala’s presence on the screen would clear all confusions. He was right as even today this song of Lata Mangeshkar remains one of the favourite of millions.

Her life was marked with disappointments. In 1951, she had met Dilip Kumar on the set of ‘Tarana’. She was 18 then. She fell in love with Dilip Kumar and sent her hair dresser with a billet doux (love letter) in Urdu along with a Red Rose asking him to accept it if he loved hem. The tragedy-king was amused and intrigued at the gesture and accepted the rose. The flame of this ill-fated romance kindled on for seven years and finally it was extinguished by her father in an ugly melodrama which bruised and wounded her till she entered her last resting place.

She was laid to bed with a heart disease. However, she carried her work in films despite her illness. She had a punctured heart valve and she often used to cough up blood on sets.
Eventually her illness forced her to end her career in ‘Jwala’.

She died but her magic lives on. Even after 40 years of her death she commands immense respect, love and adoration. Her posters are sold at premium price on the urban streets. People still visit the houses where her pictures are hung just to have a look at her oxygenated smile. The deep expression of her eyes and the curl of her lips still transport the viewer into the ethereal dream. I don’t know how much I would write if I have no constraint of space. I have seen all her 70 movies during my stay in Bombay and visited her grave like a Sajjadah Nasheen (one who takes care of the grave).

The only thing I forgot about her was the time I had spent when I had visited the grave of the Venus of Indian screen for the first time.

Naim Naqvi

Naim Naqvi

Did his graduation in Science discipline from AMU in 1972-73. He was Secretary of University Ali Society in 1970 and M.M. Hall Literary Society in early 70 's and member of Tayyabji Literary Society. Did his Diploma in Bakery Administration from HTT College Oxford Street London in 1987. Worked with National Herald - Delhi, Blitz - Bombay as Trainee Journalist and in Production Department with 'Naya Sansar Pictures' of Khwaja Ahmed Abbas at Bombay in early 70's. Traveled for study and training purposes to Germany, U.K., Switzerland, France, Dubai, Oman, AbuDhabi, Bahrain and Philepines.

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