பல்லாயிரக்கணக்கான இந்துக்களை கொன்று வெறியாட்டம் போட்ட சயதீ மீது வழக்கு

பஙக்ளாதேஷ் சுதந்திர போராட்டத்தின் போது, பாகிஸ்தான் ராணுவத்தின் சார்பில், பல்லாயிரக்கணக்கான இந்துக்களை கொன்று வெறியாட்டம் போட்ட சயதீ மீது வழக்கு

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee indicted

The International Crimes Tribunal yesterday framed 20 specific charges against Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee for committing genocide and crimes against humanity during the Liberation War of 1971.

The charge framing represents a watershed in the country’s history as it marks the beginning of the war crimes tribunal’s first trial since its formation on March 25 last year.

Sayedee, aged 71, sat in the dock throughout the 80-minitue proceedings. He pleaded not guilty after the court read out the charges.

The charges include murdering civilians; collaborating with the Pakistani occupation army to kill and torture unarmed people, loot valuables and torch houses and other properties; persecuting people on religious and political grounds; and committing atrocities on the Hindu community.

According to those, Sayedee was directly involved in abduction, confinement and raping of some girls. He raped a Hindu girl on several occasions. He also forced some Hindus to convert to Islam, an act the court considers a crime against humanity.

He perpetrated the offences in Pirojpur between March 25 and December 16, 1971, sometimes as part of a group of individuals and sometimes as a member of Shanti (peace) Committee. He often led teams of razakars (collaborators).

After the war started, Peace Committee and Razakar Bahini were formed to collaborate with the Pakistan occupation forces.

The 20 charges against Sayedee, Jamaat nayeb-e-ameer, cover crimes against humanity; genocide; attempt, abetment or conspiracy to commit any such crimes; and complicity in or failure to prevent of commission of any such crimes, according to different subsections of section 3(2) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973.

The offences carry a maximum sentence of death.

One of the charges cites Sayedee’s involvement in killing three Bangalee government officials in the then sub-division of Pirojpur and throwing their bodies in the Baleshwar river.

Foyzur Rahman Ahmed, father of famed writer Humayun Ahmed and noted educationalist-writer Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, was among the three. He was a police officer.

The other two were Saif Mizanur Rahman and Abdur Razzak, deputy magistrate and sub-divisional officer (in charge).

The prosecution pressed 31 specific charges against Sayedee on July 11. Three days later, the tribunal took the charges into cognisance. Last month, it heard arguments from the prosecution and the defence.

Tribunal Chairman Justice Md Nizamul Huq along with its two other members–Justice ATM Fazlul Kabir and AKM Zaheer Ahmed– started the proceedings at 10:30am yesterday.

Though charge framing was the only item on the day’s agenda, the tribunal issued a show-cause notice against national daily New Age for publishing an article, which it said was contemptuous and written with the intention of blemishing the tribunal’s image.

Passing the order on charge framing, the court gave an introduction to the case, first in its history. It also introduced itself and explained the context of crimes it is dealing with.

Besides, the tribunal narrated a brief history of the partition of India in 1947, Bangladesh’s liberation in 1971, formulation of International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, and formation of the tribunal in 2010.

After reading out the charges in English, the presiding judge asked Sayedee if he was guilty or not.

At that point, Sayedee’s counsel Tajul Islam said the charges should be read out in Bangla too so that his client can understand those properly before pleading guilty or not guilty.

He repeatedly demanded the court allow Sayedee to consult with his lawyers before pleading anything.

In reply, Justice Md Nizamul Huq asked Tajul not to say anything that might taint his own image. The judge then directed the police to bring Sayedee to the front dock.

At that time, Tajul hurriedly walked towards Sayedee and whispered something in his ears.

Seeing this, Justice Nizamul Huq said: “Tajul sahib, this is not fair. Now he [Sayedee] is talking to the tribunal.”

After the court read out the charges in Bangla, Sayedee said he had understood the charges when those were read out in English. He also asked for the court’s permission to consult with his lawyer.

The judge told him there was no scope for him to consult with his lawyer at that stage, and that he was supposed to plead guilty or not.

In response, the Jamaat leader said he wanted to say something before pleading anything.

After the court gave him the permission, Sayedee gave a 15-minute speech, reciting verses from the Quran.

He claimed he is a “victim of lies and political vengeance” of the government.

Complaining that a prosecutor mispronounced his name, Sayedee told the tribunal chairman: “As you’ve recently performed hajj, I expect you to ask the prosecutor about it.”

He then went on to explain the value of judges to Allah.

He said there have been no complaints against him in the years following the Liberation War. But when he became a member of Majlish-e-Sura of Jamaat in 1980, he started being referred to as a former member of Shanti Bahini and razakar.

“Let me say this in clear terms, I’m not a razakar. Indian razakars call me a razakar,” Sayedee said, adding that he never worked against humanity and that he rather spoke for humanity in many countries.

“Every line, word and sentence in the investigation report is a lie,” he told the court. “I was never a razakar or Al-badar. Those who prepared this false [report] have no fear of Allah.”

He said the entire proceedings and the case against him are stage-managed. He claimed he was never part of any of the activities mentioned in the charges and he never held any meeting with the Pakistani army for even a minute.

He appealed to the court for exemption from the “false accusations”.

“I’m an innocent man,” he said, “Allah’s curse will befall them who have isolated me from the people and humiliated me.”

Terming his accusers “dictators”, he said he would wait to see Allah’s gazab (wrath of god) and lanat (curse) come down on them.

Tribunal Member AKM Zaheer Ahmed then told Sayedee that framing charges does not mean he will be punished. He also explained the process of holding the trial.

The court has set October 30 as the date for opening statement of prosecution and examination of prosecution witnesses.

“The proceedings shall take place every workday until further order,” it said.

Sayedee’s counsel Tajul Islam sought three months’ time for preparations to defend his client. The court, however, did not respond to his prayer.

According to the tribunal’s rules of procedure, the accused will get three weeks for preparing his defence if he pleads not guilty.

The International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, allows a convicted person to appeal to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against his conviction and sentence.

பாகிஸ்தான்: 85 வயது கிழவனுக்கு 12 வயது பெண் விற்கப்பட்டாள்

இஸ்லாமில் பூத்துகுலுங்கும் பெண் உரிமைகளை பாரீர்

தமிழர்களே ஏமாறாதீர்கள்.

தமிழ் சிறுமிகளின் எதிர்காலத்தை காப்பாற்றுங்கள்.

இஸ்லாம், கிறிஸ்துவம் போன்ற தீய மதங்களை புறக்கணியுங்கள்

Child marriage: 12-year-old girl given in wani to 85-year-old

By Shamsul Islam

Published: October 1, 2011

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1^st, 2011.1st, 2011.

" Ahmed said that Faiz had taken his wife from him and therefore ‘owed him a wife’. Then he agreed to take his daughter," Eyewitness Raheem Shah.

FAISALABAD: 

A 12-year-old girl was given in marriage to an 85-year-old man in Chiniot on Friday.

According to eyewitnesses, tehsil Bhowana Adlana Japay resident Faiz sold his daughter Rani to his rival for five acres of land.

Eyewitnesses told police that Faiz had allegedly killed his cousin, the groom, Ahmed’s sister Anwar Bibi 8 years ago and a panchayat decided that he would give his daughter to settle the blood debt.

(Read: Film, discussion seek to raise awareness)

After being released from jail last week Faiz wed Rani to his rival Ahmed, who said that he had also paid for the girl by giving land. Residents informed police chowki in- charge Mangwana Zafar Baant about the case but he initially said that it was not in his jurisdiction to arrest people accused of wani.

Faiz was arrested by the police and was booked under section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) eight years ago and remained in jail during the trial of the case. However, with the intervention of elders of the area, a deal was struck between the relatives of deceased Anwar Bibi and Faiz’s family.

Anwar Bibi’s family said they would pardon Faiz in the presence of the relatives of both parties and elders of the area during if he gave the hand of his 12-year-old daughter Rani Bibi to Ahmad.

“Ahmed said that Faiz had taken his wife from him and therefore ‘owed him a wife’.

Then he agreed to take his daughter,” eyewitness Raheem Shah said.

Ahmad is 82-years-old and is a wealthy landlord owning more than 20 acres of land. “He was married thrice. His first wife died young and the second got a divorce. The third, Anwar Bibi, was murdered by Faiz,” Shah told reporters. “The deal also stipulated that 5 acres of land be given to Faiz for handing over his daughter and the property has been transferred,” he added.

The nikah of Ahmad and Rani Bibi was solemnised 3 months ago but the marriage ceremony as held on Friday and was attended by over 100 people.

When contacted, Langrana Station House Officer (SHO) Zafar Bhatti said that he had conducted a raid but found that no laws were broken. “I cannot arrest anyone here because the girl is an adult as per Islamic Law and Shariah. She is 12-years-old and that is not too young for marriage,” he said.

“I have submitted a report with the court in this regard and it is up the court to prosecute,” he added. “The marriage needs a wali and her father is her guardian. It was his choice to give her in marriage,” he said.

Age is not just a number

As per CRA section 2,.(a) “child” means a person who, if a male, is under eighteen years of age, and if a female, is under sixteen years of age;

(b) “Child marriage” means a marriage to which either of          the contracting parties is a child;

(c) “Contracting party” to a marriage means either of the   parties whose marriage is or is about to be thereby solemnized;

(d) “Minor” means person of either sex who is under eighteen years of   age.

In this case girl was according to the parents is 12 years old, however the area SHO stated that she was an adult according to Shariah law.

According to Section 5 of the CRA, the punishment for solemnising a child marriage is as follows

“Whoever performs, conducts or directs any child marriage shall be punishable with simple imprisonment which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both, unless he proves that he had reason to believe that the marriage was not a child marriage.”

Similarly, Section 6 says that the “punishment for parent or guardian concerned in a child marriage.

(1) Where a minor contracts a child marriage any person having charge of the minor, whether as parent or guardian or in any other capacity, lawful or unlawful, who does any act to promote the marriage or permits it to be solemnized, or negligently fails to prevent it from being solemnized, shall be punishable with simple imprisonment which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both:

Provided that no woman shall be punished with imprisonment.

எகிப்திலிர்ந்து எல்லா கிறிஸ்துவர்களையும் துரத்த திட்டம். சர்ச்சுகள் எரிப்பு

எகிப்துக்கு அரபுகள் வருவதற்கு முன்னாலிருந்த எகிப்தியர்கள் கிறிஸ்துவர்கள். எகிப்துக்கு அரபுகள் வர ஆரம்பித்து அங்கிருந்த சமுதாயத்தை அழித்து முஸ்லீம்கள் ஆக்கிரமித்தார்கள்.
இப்போது எகிப்தில் இருக்கும் கொஞ்ச நஞ்ச ஒரிஜினல் கிறிஸ்துவர்களையும் துரத்த எகிப்திய முஸ்லீம்கள் திட்டம் போட்டு கிறிஸ்துவர்களது மிக மிக புராதனமான சர்ச்சுகளை எரிக்க ஆரம்பித்திருக்கிறார்கள்.

இதே போலத்தான் இந்துக்களை துரத்தி காஷ்மீரை முஸ்லீம்கள் ஆக்கிரமிக்க முனைகிறார்கள்.

கிறிஸ்துவர்களும் முஸ்லீம்களிடம் பாடம் கற்றுகொள்ளவில்லை.
இந்துக்களும் பாடம் கற்றுகொள்ளவில்லை.

Egyptian Muslims Burn Coptic Church in Aswan Province

Egyptian Muslims have returned to "business as usual," with another attack on a Coptic Christian church, this one in Aswan.

By Chana Ya'ar

First Publish: 10/2/2011, 11:13 AM

Muslim-Coptic violence in Egypt

Israel news photo: copts.com

Egypt is back to “business as usual” with the Islamic majority harassing and attacking its Christian minority.
A group of Muslims burnt down part of a church Friday – the Islamic Sabbath – in the village of Marinab, according to a report published in the daily Al Masry Al Youm. The village, situated close to the town of Edfu in the Aswan Governorate, is located some 800 kilometers south of Cairo.
Security sources said Muslims rampaged through the village in what appeared to be a pogrom, clashing with the Christian residents and destroying their shops. Central Security Forces cordoned off the village “to control the clashes,” according to the newspaper report.
Christian websites reported in September that a group of Salafi Islamists had threatened the Christians, warning them not to leave their homes in the villageunless they first removed the church dome. Saint George's Church had been restored earlier in the month, according to the report.
A gang of Salafi Muslims boasted to a victim they were torturing in March, “We won't leave any Christians in this country,” according to a report published several months ago in the Wall Street Journal. The attackers were never arrested.
The phenomenon of Muslims attacking Coptic Christians in Egypt is not new.  But during the Tahrir Square Revolution that unseated former President Hosni Mubarak in February, protesters claimed the “new order” would bring peace and equality between the country's majority and minority populations.
But although intentions may have been positive among the organizers, the rank and file have since returned to their roots.
Since the revolution, there have been numerous murders by Muslims visited upon the Coptic Christian community, which comprises about 10 percent of the 83 million-strong Egyptian population.

More on this topic

பங்களாதேஷ் இந்துக்கள் மீது முஸ்லீம்களின் தொடரும் அராஜகம், அடக்குமுறை வன்முறை

Fresh atrocities on Hindu families in Bangladesh

by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
September 4, 2011

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Hindu leaders speaking at a press conference after the burning of Hindu Holy Sciprtures in Bangladesh.

During last five days, there had been at least two major incidents of attacking the Hindu temples, ransack of Hindu residences as well as physical assault and rape of Hindus in Bangladesh. Persecutions of Hindus are continuing in Bangladesh since the independence of the country. None of the political parties have ever spared the Bangladeshi Hindus from such notoriety. The ruling Bangladesh Awami League, which proclaims to be secularist and a political party more sympathetic towards religious minorities, particularly Hindus, in reality is no exception that those Islamist and pro-Islamist political parties in Bangladesh, as far as repression and persecution of Hindus and religious minorities are concerned. The latest incidents took place at Kishoreganj and Comilla districts respectively.

According to information, a group of thugs led by local Awami League leader Engraj Miah attacked the residences of a local Hindu family of [Sanyashi cast] and demolished their residences while destroyed at least 50 trees within the compound at Kishoreganj district [100 kilometers from the capital] During this attack, minors in the family were also beaten by the members of the attacking gang while at least several female members were raped and molested. The houses of Paresh Sanyashi, Pranesh Sanyashi and Jibon Sanyashi were destroyed during this attack. Valuables and ornaments were looted during this brutality. Elderly female member of the Sanyashi family, Mrs. Bina Sanyashi was severely beaten by the perpetrators. They raped some of the female members at gun point. Awami League leader Engraj Miah personally led the entire incident, which continued for hours. Members of law enforcing agencies did not come forward in salvaging the members of the attacked Hindu community, as the attackers belong to the ruling party. Following the attack, Bina Rani said "This is not the Bangladesh for which we sacrificed blood. This is not the Awami League, which claims to protect our interest. I have not seen such brutality even from the Pakistani occupation forces during the war of independence of this country. We have become captive in the hands of the politicians. Whether they are secularists or Islamists, all are anti-Hindus."

She said "They assaulted me physically and violated a number of the female members of our family. How many more Hindu female will be violated in this independent Bangladesh? Don't we deserve equal right as the citizen of this country?"

It is also reported that, the thugs led by the ruling party leader not only attacked and violated Hindu families, they also physically assaulted a Muslim housewife named Shamima Azad Moni, who came forward protesting the brutality on the Hindus. One of the attackers put a knife on the throat of Mrs. Moni and started beating her son. Later she was 'molested' by the members of the gang. Police did not take any action against the perpetrators, as they are influential members of the ruling party and enjoys patronization from the local Member of Parliament.

Meanwhile, in another incident, which took place at Comilla district [90 kilometers from the capital] seven Hindu families were attacked by local thugs led by local leader of Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP] Masum Billah. From the early hours of the day, some of the local Muslims started anti-Hindu propaganda on loudspeakers. At around 8:00 am in the morning on August 31, 2011, the perpetrators attacked the house of Ajit Das and his relatives. 25 rooms in 9 houses were ransacked during this attack while valuables were looted. Members of the attacked Hindu families complained that the attackers looted gold ornament worth TK. 25 million, two million Taka in cash and some electronic items. Hindu deities were also demolished during this attack.

Ajit Das said, the attackers tried to violet the female members of the family. At this stage, Lovely Das, aged 35 [wife of Uttam Das], Isha Das aged 10 [daughter of Uttam Das], Rinku Das aged 30 [wife of Gautam Das] and Priya Das aged 10 [daughter of Swapan Das] confronted the perpetrators and tried to save the members of the family from being violated. But the attackers started beating them and even raped a few of the members of the family. As the second incident of attack on Hindu families were by opposition activists, police rushed to the spot and arrested a few culprits immediately after the incident.

Serialized persecution of Hindus and religious minorities is continuing in Bangladesh for decades and none of the political parties have shown any willingness of stopping such notoriety. Rather, in most cases, perpetrators are backed by influential political quarters in the country. Since Bangladesh Awami League came in power in 2009, Hindus were feeling relaxed thinking this secularist party will accord safety and security to them. But, in reality, series of attacks on Hindu temples, grabbing of Hindu properties and burning of Hindu religious holy books continued as before. On April 2, 2011 an ancient Hindu temple at Sylhet district [250 kilometers from the capital] came under attack of the perpetrators in broad-day-light. Deities were smashed, Hindu religious books such as Bhagwat Geeta burnt and local Hindu community members were physically assaulted. The attackers also severely injured Siddha Gaur Das Brahmachari and attempted to kill the priest-in-charge of the temple.

Following this tragic incident of Hindu persecution and burning of Hindu religious Holy Scripture, a local Hindu leader, Gobinda Chandra Pramanik said, "Hindus are unfortunately considered as enemies and Indian agents in Bangladesh. Well organized anti-Hindu propaganda continues in the country for decades, which certainly fuels such notoriety. On the other hand, some Islamic NGOs and madrassas are actively engaging in abducting Hindu girls thus forcibly converting them into Islam. This is a well planned conspiracy of systematically eliminating Hindus from Bangladesh."

தாய்லாந்து பௌத்தர்களை கொன்று குவிக்கும் முஸ்லீம் பயஙக்ரவாதிகள்

Insurgents kill 4 soldiers guarding Thai school

(AP) – 

PATTANI, Thailand (AP) — Muslim insurgents disguised as paramilitary rangers attacked troops guarding a school in southern Thailand on Wednesday, killing four soldiers and wounding two others, police said. A 6-year-old boy was shot in the stomach during the assault.

Police Lt. Gen. Satanfah Wamasing said 15 assailants walked up to the school and began talking with soldiers assigned to guard teachers there. They opened fire at close range and fled with four of the soldiers' M-16 automatic rifles.

The bloodshed in Narathiwat province's Rue So district is the latest in a wave of violence in Thailand's Muslim-dominated southernmost provinces since an Islamist insurgency flared in 2004.

Government soldiers are often designated to guard teachers and monks in the region.

Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch, said in a tweet that the New York-based group has warned Thai authorities "that the simultaneous use of school for military and education purposes will put civilians at risk."

But Sunai condemned the attack, saying: "Insurgents knew they could also harm students and teachers. Such brutality is sickening."

In a separate incident Wednesday in neighboring Pattani province, two gunmen on a motorcycle fatally shot a 48-year-old person in a market in Nong Chik district, police Lt. Gen. Chonnavi Chamaroek said.

On Wednesday, Amnesty International condemned the insurgents for targeting civilians in the conflict, saying such attacks constitute war crimes.

It said noncombatants have accounted for two-thirds of the nearly 5,000 deaths reported during the insurgency in the past eight years, while close to 8,000 people have been wounded.

Most of the violence has been confined to three southern provinces dominated by ethnic Malay Muslims who are a minority in mostly Buddhist Thailand. The area used to be an Islamic sultanate until it was annexed by Thailand in the early 20th century.

Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

கார் ஓட்ட முயன்ற சவுதி பெண்மணிக்கு சவுக்கடி தண்டனை

கார் ஓட்ட முயன்ற சவுதி பெண்மணிக்கு சவுக்கடி தண்டனை கொடுக்க சவுதி அரசு முடிவு செய்திருக்கிறது.

Saudi woman to be lashed for driving car

A Saudi woman has been sentenced to to 10 lashes for challenging a ban on women driving.

A Saudi Arabian woman is to be lashed for driving a car days after women were given the vote in the kingdom (file photo) Photo: ALAMY

12:28AM BST 28 Sep 2011

166 Comments

Amnesty International reported the sentence just two days after Saudi King Abdullah granted women the right to vote and run in municipal elections.

"Flogging is a cruel punishment in all circumstances but it beggars belief that the authorities in Saudi Arabia have imposed lashes on a woman apparently for merely driving a car", Philip Luther, an Amnesty regional deputy director, said in an emailed statement.

"Allowing women to vote in council elections is all well and good, but if they are still going to face being flogged for trying to exercise their right to freedom of movement, then the king's much trumpeted 'reforms' actually amount to very little," Mr Luther said.

Two other women are also believed to be facing charges related to driving, the Amnesty statement said.

Najla Hariri, one of the women facing charges, told Reuters: "They called me in for questioning on a charge of challenging the monarch on Sunday... I signed a pledge not to drive again, although my driving was a result of necessity not an act of defiance."

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Under Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic laws, women require a male guardian's permission to work, travel abroad or undergo certain types of surgery.

There is no law banning women from driving, but there is a law requiring citizens to use locally issued licences while in the country. Such licences are not issued to women, making it effectively illegal for them to drive.

In May, as pro-democracy protests swept the region, some women in Saudi Arabia called for the right to drive. A campaign dubbed Women2Drive issued calls on social media such as Twitter and Facebook to challenge the ban.

Some women posted on Twitter that they drove successfully in the streets of Jeddah, Riyadh and Khobar while others said they were stopped by police who later let them go after signing a pledge not to drive again.

On May 22, Manal Alsharif, who posted a YouTube video of her driving in the streets of Khobar, was arrested. She was later released but her case proved a deterrent for many women.

"I am very upset and disturbed... I believe that this is a message which intends to tell women that they will not get all their demands," said Naila Attar, an activist and one of the women who organised the campaign Baladi (My Country), calling for Saudi women to have the right to vote.

"We are now working on a petition to the king ... asking him to stop the lashing order," she said.

பாகிஸ்தானில் வெள்ள நிவாரணம் இந்துக்களுக்கு கிடையாது.

இஸ்லாம் வந்ததும் மனித நேயம் ஓடிவிட்டது.

பாகிஸ்தானில் இந்துக்களுக்கு வெள்ள நிவாரணமாக துண்டு ரொட்டி கூட கொடுக்கவில்லை. இதெல்லாம் ஒரு அரசாங்கம்.
ஆனால் முஸ்லீம் அரசுகள் இப்படித்தான் நடக்கும். அதில் தவறு ஒன்றுமில்லை என்று நம் இந்துக்களே உளறுவார்கள். அந்த கேனத்தனத்துக்குத்தான் விடிவுகாலம் கிடையாது

Flood relief by caste, creed

By Zofeen T. Ebrahim | DAWN.COM

September 22, 2011 (5 days ago)

Family members sit on a donkey cart as they escape through the flooded streets in the Badin district of Pakistan's Sindh province September 21, 2011. – Reuters Photo

BADIN: With just the clothes on their backs, Moora Sanafdhano, 68, and his family of nine waded through waist-deep flood waters swirling through theirvillage of Allah Ditto Leghari, saving themselves in the nick of time.
“We heard that the water rose up to nine feet,” says Sanafdhano, as the others nod in agreement. But, the lives of these mostly low-caste Hindus, considered the most marginalised group in Pakistan, are far from being out of danger.
They are being turned out of makeshift camps set up in schools, and relief material sent to them hijacked by people who know that low-caste Hindus are so abject that they would not dare retaliate.
Sanafdhano’s village is about 80 to 90 km from Badin town in Sindh province, and about 200 km from the provincial capital and port city of Karachi.
It is populated predominantly by low-caste Hindus – officially known as scheduled castes – such as Kohlis, Meghwars, Jogis and the Bheels, most of whom are sharecroppers for wealthy Muslim landlords.
The system of land tenure is so heavily weighted in favour of the landlords that these poor farmers and their families are as good as bonded labour. Sanafdhano says he owes his landlord about Pakistani rupees 50,000 (570 dollars) and is helpless in the face of a catastrophe such as the present floods.
“I’d grown rice on five acres of land and the standing paddy is all but gone,” says Sanafdhano. Estimates by the Sindh-Balochistan Rice Mills Association say the floods have damaged 20 – 25 percent of paddy crops in Sindh.
According to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority a severe drought followed by abnormally heavy monsoon rains in August and September have severely affected seven of Sindh province’s 23 districts and disrupted life in 11 more.
The death toll now stands at 342 with some 1.2 million homes and 1.7 million acres of arable land destroyed.
The worst affected district of Badin has a population of 1.8 million people of whom 1.6 million have directly been affected by the floods. About 20 percent of the affected are low-caste Hindus.
Pakistan has three million Hindus and 2.5 million of them are from the scheduled castes, the upper castes having fled to India after the 1947 partition when British India was carved up along religious lines.
Some 6,000 villages in Badin have been wiped out by the floods and according to National Assembly speaker, Fehmida Mirza, who belongs to the area, there is no high ground left to set up rescue camps.
Officials deny that the Hindus are being discriminated against in the matter of relief. “Catastrophes see no caste, creed or religion,” says Dadlo Zuhrani, deputy district officer in Badin. “Relief activities are area specific, not community specific, and I protest against charges that we are discriminating against certain communities.”
But on the ground, for people like Sanafdhano, relief from the government and from aid agencies have passed them by. Unwritten caste rules prevent relief from reaching those who need it most.
“Those from the Hindu faith will never drink from the same well or vessel. They will also never eat from the same plate,” says Jewat Ram, a local schoolteacher. “Hindu masons may build a mosque, but never enter it, and Muslims who attend a Hindu wedding will not partake of food there. This is accepted, though the practice is slowly changing.”
But, Ram saw something in the camps which left him disturbed. “The school I teach in has been turned into a camp for the flood-affected people, but when three Hindu families from the Kohli caste sought refuge there, they were denied it.
“When the Kohli families insisted on staying, one of the men from the displaced Muslim community began contemptuously urinating in full view of the Kohli women and they had little choice but to leave,” said Ram.
“They treat dogs better than they treat us human beings,” said Ram in anger and helplessness.
Moolchand Sakromal, a Hindu government official who tried to give refuge to the Kohlis, says low-caste Hindus are probably the “most neglected” of Pakistan’s minorities.
“It’s a double whammy for them – they are poor and then they belong to the scheduled caste,” says Vikio Rajwani, a Hindu and head master at the government primary school.
The district administration in Badin has set up 278 camps in public schools and other government buildings, providing relief to 81,000 displaced people, but nothing has been assigned for the Hindus. Most of the displaced people from the scheduled castes are camping wherever they can on the roadside in makeshift tents, fending for themselves.
Even charities have shown a preference for giving handouts to displaced Muslims, rather than Hindus.
Donations of material made to Hindus do not reach them. A week ago the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), a non-governmental organisation, sent two truckloads of relief goods for 200 Hindu families in a camp set up in Golarchi (another town in Badin district), but it was hijacked by Muslims.
“When the truck reached our compound, some 20 armed men surrounded the trucks and began looting. Soon the police came and the PFF men were told by the police superintendent to leave,” said Shanker Das, a Hindu lawyer, who was present.
“Protests were made to the district coordination officer but even he couldn’t do much. All he did was to call up his deputy and order him to send rations, but in the end they were told point blank that there was nothing for them.”
Jabbar Habibiani, a politician associated with the newly formed Awami Jamhoori Party, says there is massive corruption in the distribution of relief with political affiliation given priority over actual need.
Officials deny widespread charges of inefficiency. “It is impossible to satisfy a man with a week’s rations for his family when he has lost his life’s savings; we are doing our best but our resources are limited,” said administrator Zuhrani.
In the midst of such chaos, the low-caste Hindu communities remain invisible. They have no representation in the local government. Even their votes are cast on their behalf by their landlords.
Source: Inter Press Service

இந்தோனேஷியாவில் சர்ச்சில் தற்கொலைப்படை: குண்டுகள்

இரண்டு கிறுக்கு மதங்கள் ஒன்றை ஒன்று தாக்கிக்கொள்வதில் மனிதர்கள் இறக்கிறார்கள்.

Homemade bomb found after Indonesia suicide attack

(AFP) – 8 hours ago  

JAKARTA — Indonesian police on Monday said it found a home-made bomb in Ambon, a city with a history of major sectarian violence, a day after a suicide bomber attacked a packed church in Central Java province.

National police spokesman Anton Bachrul Alam told reporters that the bomb was found near a church in Ambon, and is investigating any link to Sunday's suicide attack in Solo town of Central Java.

The Solo bombing, which wounded 27 people, was the latest in a spate of attacks on minority religious groups in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation.

Police has so far questioned 15 witnesses over the attack, the spokesman added.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Sunday the bomber was part of a network based in Cirebon, 300 kilometres east of Jakarta, where in April a suicide bomber attacked a police mosque, killing only himself and wounding 30 with a bomb of nails, nuts and bolts.

Authorities say they suspect the Solo bomber was a 23-year-old involved in the April attack, who sat through the Sunday church service, and later stood up and detonated a bomb strapped to his stomach.

But a DNA test is yet to confirm the identity of the bomber.

Most of Indonesia's 200 million Muslims are moderates, but the country has struggled to deal with numerous attacks by radical extremists, like the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) which carried out the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people.

Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved. More »

மொரதாபாத்தில் குரு க்ரந்த் சாஹிபை முஸ்லீம்கள் எரித்ததால், இந்துக்களும் சீக்கியர்களும் போராட்டம்

மொரதாபாத்தில் குரு க்ரந்த் சாஹிபை முஸ்லீம்கள் எரித்ததால், இந்துக்களும் சீக்கியர்களும் போராட்டத்தில் இறங்கியுள்ளார்கள்.


Hindu-Sikhs in Moradabad furious over torching of Guru Granth Sahib.

ਜੋ ਬੋਲੇ ਸੋ ਨਿਹਾਲ, ਸਤ੍ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ



Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh), Sep.14 (ANI): Sikhs staged protests in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, over the torching of the Guru Granth Sahib by four unidentified men in a village.

Speaking to mediapersons, Sardar Manjeet Bagga, a protestor said that four unidentified men had torched their holy book on Monday, thereby insulting their religious beliefs.

“Near Pilibhit, on (sic.) road, a village falls almost 13 kilometres away where four men knocked down the wall of the Gurudwara, then torched our ‘Guru Granth Sahib’ (the holy book of Sikhs) and after that they insulted it,” said Sardar Manjeet Bagga, a protestor.

The protestors were seen holding swords in their hands and shouting Sikh slogans of ‘Jo Bole So Nihaal’ (whoever utters the phrase, shall be fulfilled) and ‘Sat Sri Akal’ (Eternal is the Great Timeless Lord), venting their ire over the incident.

The protest caused a jam on the Delhi-Lucknow highway, causing inconvenience to the commuters.

The protestors demanded the government to immediately investigate the matter and take strict action against the guilty.

“We demand justice. Those who have insulted Guru Granth Sahib should be hanged; we want justice from the government. We want to know that who has insulted our religion and why he has insulted it, we want to know the reason, we want justice,” said Jasmeet Kaur, another protestor.

Guru Granth Sahib is the religious text of Sikhism, a collection of ‘shabad’ or ‘baani’ (hymns), which contains religious teachings and deemed as the Sikh community’s spiritual guide. (Source : ANI)

HE Media Source reports from Aligarh : After the Florida Koran burning, this Indian sub-continent saw many cases of burning of Hindu Scripture – Gita and Christian Scripture – Bible, now Sikh Scripture – Guru Granth Sahib is perhaps under the wrath of Allah and the fire of Islam.

In India the Muslim fundamentalists always try to spread the communal tension hitting over the religious processions of Hindu-Sikh-Jains and other non Muslim sects along with their agenda to desecrate holy books like Vedas, Gita and Guru Granth Sahib and Hindu-Sikh worship places (Temples-Gurdwara etc.) including robbing and stealing from it.

Traditionally, the Mughals and the perpetrators in Islam destroyed many Hindu-Sikh shrines, libraries, Hindu-Sikh habitations and killed many Sikh Gurus and Hindu Saints in a very brutal way of persecution.

Hindu Existence appeals to all concerned to keep peace and harmony and to urge a greater Hindu-Sikh Unity to fight against all the anti-Dharma, anti-Sangat and anti-Indian forces very much active in India to destroy the Hindu-Sikh strength and unity for ever.

Courtesy : ANI | PTI.