Chennai: Sama Urimai (Equal Right), a five-month-old Chennai- (India) based Tamil monthly magazine founded and edited by Mr. S. M. Hidayatullah, a well known leader and social activist, is fast becoming popular, thanks to its excellent editorials and thought provoking articles from eminent personalities like Mr. Kaviko Abdur Rahaman, a noted Tamil poet and Chairman, Tamil Nadu Waqf Board, who is its honourary editor. Its Executive Editor Mr. Aembal Tajammul Mohammed and Asst. Editor Mr. Abdul Khader are also endeavouring their best to make this periodical more and more useful to the society, particularly the Muslim community.
I like to give a glimpse of its latest editorial published in its December 2009 issue to TwoCircles.net readers for their information and appraisal of its authenticity.
“Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have deposited billions of Dollars in American banks and the accruing interest amount is quite large but they do not accept the same as it is haraam (prohibited) in Islam. The unfortunate state of affairs is that this forsaken huge money is diverted to Israel for purchase of arms and ammunitions. Saddam Hussain warned the Arab countries 13 years ago and wanted them to withdraw the amounts from the U.S. banks and deposit them elsewhere. Taken aback with this warning, America conspired and put an end to Saddam Hussain.”
The monthly has also said that there is also grapevine about the interest free deposits in some other countries being utilised for anti Muslim activities and suggested that the interest amount should be taken and given for charitable purposes. It says that there are even fatwas to this effect. Its further contention is that Islamic banking sytem can be the best solution for this and that we must join together to achieve it as it is the urgent need of the present time.
Another article in the issue which makes one ponder over is the write-up of the poet Mr. Kaviko Abdur Rahman in his column “Kaviko Page” which reads as follows:
“It happened ten years ago. Place: Viyasarpadi, Satyamurthi Nagar. One Abdul Majeed passed away. He had married a Hindu girl. In spite of that some Jamaat people wanted the mayyit (dead body) for burial in a Muslim graveyard. But it was turned down by his in-laws who were Hindus. His body was taken to the cremation ground and cremated.
What happened recently is: A woman passed away and her body was buried in a qabristan (graveyard) in Royapettah. Some people opposed it on the suspicion that she was a Qadiyani. Her body was taken back from the grave. She was buried in a cremation ground.
Another incident: He was a namesake Muslim, not by practice. He never prayed, never fasted and had no sign of Islamic values in him. He used to drink, gamble and even indulged in prostitution. He passed away. His body was taken to a qabristan and buried without any hesitation or opposition. It is not an incident. Such things happen in large numbers.”
Kaviko has not commented anything but just reported the happenings of the past and the present and made people search their hearts for truth and decide what should be our stand on issues like these.
The Tamil magazine is the mouthpiece of Islamia Ilakkia Kazhagam (Islamic Literacy Movement). I like to mention here that this movement organized one-day Islamic Tamil Literary Conference on December 13, 2009 in Sadaq Arts and Science College in Chennai by inviting Governor of Tamil Nadu Shri Surjit Singh Barnala and other eminent personalities. Many programmes such as seminars on different topics like theology, history, science etc. and patti manram (literary debate) were conducted by different Tamil scholars and were highly successful. Many leading literary and social activists were honoured in the conference. The noted revolutionary Tamil poet M. Mehta was honoured with Umar Pulavar Award consisting of Rupees one lakh given by Partheebanoor Marhoom Mohammed Mustafa Education Trust. Previous recipients of this award were Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Dr. Kalaigner M. Karunanidhi and Dr. Kaviko Abdur Rahman.
Islamia Ilakkia Kazhagam is an active welfare organisation which has conducted public meets to create awareness for better educatinal and economical improvements, helped people for giving tuition to +2 students, contributed much for achieving reservation for Muslims in Tamil Nadu by conducting a big Islamic Tamil Literary Conference, encouraged jamaats to start Baitul Maals by donating Rs.10,000/- to every jamaat which comes out with a Baitul Maal. So far it has helped more than 60 jamaats in different places in Tamil Nadu.
The Movement has also distributed pamphlets on Islamic thoughts meant for the reformation of the society. One of its write-ups says in bold Tamil letters as follows:
Prophet Mohammed (sal-am) who said Haj is one time in life performed Haj only once. When the divine verse "And pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto Allah for mankind for him who can find a way thither"(3:97) was revealed, people asked: “Is it for every year?” It was asked several times. Prophet Mohammed said, “No, only once.” At that time a divine verse was revealed which reads: “O ye who believe! Ask not of things which if they were made known unto you would trouble you but if ye ask of them when the Quran is being revealed they will be made known unto you. Allah pardoneth this, for Allah is forgiving, clement.” (Al-Quran 5:101). Prophet also said that “Give up what I have not said. People before you perished because of this. You follow what I have said as much as possible and give up what I have prohibited.” (Ali ibn Abi Thalib, Abu Huraira, Ibn Abbas - Sahih Bukhari, Abu Dawood etc.)
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