He created the heavens
And the earth
In true (proportions):
He makes the Night
Overlap the Day, and the Day
Overlap the Night:
He has subjected
The sun and the moon
(To His law):
Each one follows a course
For a time appointed.
Is not He the Exalted
In Power - He Who forgives
Again and again?
--
He created you (all)
From a single Person:
Then created, of like nature,
His mate; and He
Sent down for you eight head
Of cattle in pairs:
He creates you,
In the wombs
Of your mothers,
In stages, one after another,
In three veils of darkness.
Such is God, your Lord
And Cherisher: to Him belongs
(All) dominion : There is
No God but He : then
How are ye turned away
(From your true Lord)?
(Holy Quran : 39: 5 and 6)
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Third Wedding Anniversary for Peer and Shuba
And Among His Signs
Is this, that He created
For you mates from among
Yourselves, that you may
Dwell in tranquility with them,
And He has put love
And mercy between your (hearts):
Verily in that are Signs
For those who reflect.
(The Holy Quran:30:21)
Is this, that He created
For you mates from among
Yourselves, that you may
Dwell in tranquility with them,
And He has put love
And mercy between your (hearts):
Verily in that are Signs
For those who reflect.
(The Holy Quran:30:21)
Sunday, August 29, 2010
A prayer for the Holy month of Ramzan
Our Lord! pour out on us
Patience and constancy, and take
Our souls unto Thee
As people who bow to thy will.
(Quran: 7:126)
Patience and constancy, and take
Our souls unto Thee
As people who bow to thy will.
(Quran: 7:126)
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Tamil magazine apologizes for carrying visual purportedly representing Prophet Muhammed
Chennai, April 4: After Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaat (TNTJ), a Muslim outfit, protested publication of a drawing purportedly depicting Prophet Muhammed in a Tamil weekly, the magazine's publisher apologized profusely. The magazine Mutharam from Kungumam group of publications was reportedly taken off newsstand shelves immediately. The publisher apologized in the next issue for hurting religious sentiments.
Hundreds of volunteers of TNTJ thronged the weekly’s office in Mylapore here last fortnight after the magazine carried what is purportedly a drawing of Prophet Muhammad along with a three-page life story of him written by one Athanur Chozhan. The publication of the drawing had created furore among sections of Muslims across the state.
“We immediately contacted the magazine office and expressed displeasure over publishing such an image along with distorted information on the Prophet who is revered by Muslims across the globe as God’s messenger,” said Mr Ansari, headquarters secretary, TNTJ told this journalist.
As hundreds of volunteers gathered in front of the magazine office, the representatives of the magazine has assured them that the distribution of the magazine in the market was already stopped.
“Realising our mistake, we immediately stopped the distribution of the magazine in the market. We have assured the protestors that an apology would be carried in the next issue of the magazine,” said one of the editorial committee members of the magazine.
In an apology letter given to the TNTJ, the magazine editor has said that it was an inadvertent mistake and would be rectified by carrying an apology in the forthcoming issue.
Some Muslim outfits in Thanjavur and other parts of the state agitated against the magzine. As the magazine is more subscription-based, the outfits have insisted on carrying an apology in the next issue.
The magazine lived up to its promise and carried a profound apology in its next issue on the edit page.
Hundreds of volunteers of TNTJ thronged the weekly’s office in Mylapore here last fortnight after the magazine carried what is purportedly a drawing of Prophet Muhammad along with a three-page life story of him written by one Athanur Chozhan. The publication of the drawing had created furore among sections of Muslims across the state.
“We immediately contacted the magazine office and expressed displeasure over publishing such an image along with distorted information on the Prophet who is revered by Muslims across the globe as God’s messenger,” said Mr Ansari, headquarters secretary, TNTJ told this journalist.
As hundreds of volunteers gathered in front of the magazine office, the representatives of the magazine has assured them that the distribution of the magazine in the market was already stopped.
“Realising our mistake, we immediately stopped the distribution of the magazine in the market. We have assured the protestors that an apology would be carried in the next issue of the magazine,” said one of the editorial committee members of the magazine.
In an apology letter given to the TNTJ, the magazine editor has said that it was an inadvertent mistake and would be rectified by carrying an apology in the forthcoming issue.
Some Muslim outfits in Thanjavur and other parts of the state agitated against the magzine. As the magazine is more subscription-based, the outfits have insisted on carrying an apology in the next issue.
The magazine lived up to its promise and carried a profound apology in its next issue on the edit page.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Chennai in 2009
Chennai, Jan. 1: Chennai cityscape has undergone tremendous changes in the year gone by. The landmark Central Jail is razed to make way for the annexe of government general hospital. The landmark Kalaivanar Arangam is razed to make way for a modern auditorium. Padi flyover, Pallikaranai flyover at two different ends of the city and other new flyovers have made commuting easier for Chennaiites. Nearly 230 parks have been renovated, expanding the city’s lung space.
People were allowed to visit the 172-year-old Central Jail before it was demolished in July to accommodate extension of government general hospital. The 35-year-old Kalaivanar Arangam was demolished in December and a new auditorium is coming up at the place as part of the upcoming new Secretariat complex.
Marina beach got a make-over just at the end of the year, redefining the experience of the visitors to the second longest beach in the world. The city’s bus stops sported a cosy look and the process is yet to be completed.
Three platforms at the Central railway station in the city got expanded to accommodate 24-coach trains. New subways near Saidapet, Thillai Ganga Nagar and airport and new flyovers in Padi, Pallikaranai, M.K.N. Road, Cenotaph road made traveling easier.
The city’s waters got its first private leisure boating service. The works for connecting port with national highways started. The process of cleaning up Cooum river started with the setting up of Chennai River water authority.
The city’s traffic islands are decked up with fiberglass sculptures of traditional Tamil images such as Poikkal Kuthirai, Puliyattam, Therukkoothu. 42 more such sculptures at traffic islands will alter the cityscape and A vestige of British era, King George V’s statue was removed from public space, and landed in the government museum at Egmore.
Just one year into the project, the restoration of Adyar Poonga in 58 acres near Adyar estuary is progressing well ahead of its target. It is already looking green and inviting migratory birds to the heart of the city.
The city is looking forward to have a world-class Secretariat, Asia’s second biggest library and a world-class airport in 2010 and many more flyovers. Despite continuance of garbage burning at different parts of the city, efforts are on to make the city cleaner and more livable.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Ganesha procession at Muthupettai violated court order
Chennai, Sept. 4: A fact-finding committee of human rights activists have faulted the Tiruvarur district administration for not adhering to the verdict of the Madras High Court in the conduct of Vinayakar Chathurthi processions.
Madras High Court’s first bench on August 26 ordered the Tiruvarur district administration to advise the organizers of the Vinayakar Chathurthi procession to take out procession in an alternative route to avoid violence in the communally sensitive Muthupettai town.
A fact-finding team comprising of Prof.A.Marx of PUHR, G.Sugumaran of federation for people’s rights and others which visited Muthupettai on the day of the procession (Sept. 2) has found gross violation of the Madras High Court order.
“The administration allowing the procession along the Muslim-dominant Pattukottai road is against the spirit of the Madras High Court order. The administration allowing the procession through Muslim streets till 8 pm disturbed peace in the communally sensitive town,” said the team in its fact-finding report.
The team praised the district administration for having mobilized nearly 400 policemen during the procession unlike the previous years. “However, the 400 police could not ensure that the mob of processionists did not damage the property of Muslims along the route,” observed the team.
District BJP president Karuppu (a) Muruganandam, a known offender with several cases pending against him, was behind provoking the mob against the Muslims. “The police have allowed Muruganandam to make announcements from a police jeep during the procession,” the team was quoted as saying.
The team had Thai.Kandasamy, poet and lawyer, M.Sivagurunathan, activist and M.Ilango of Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (PDK) as its members apart from Prof.A.Marx and G.Sugumaran.
This obvious case of violation of a court ruling by the district collectorate and the police would be brought to the attention of the Madras High Court, said the activists.
Madras High Court’s first bench on August 26 ordered the Tiruvarur district administration to advise the organizers of the Vinayakar Chathurthi procession to take out procession in an alternative route to avoid violence in the communally sensitive Muthupettai town.
A fact-finding team comprising of Prof.A.Marx of PUHR, G.Sugumaran of federation for people’s rights and others which visited Muthupettai on the day of the procession (Sept. 2) has found gross violation of the Madras High Court order.
“The administration allowing the procession along the Muslim-dominant Pattukottai road is against the spirit of the Madras High Court order. The administration allowing the procession through Muslim streets till 8 pm disturbed peace in the communally sensitive town,” said the team in its fact-finding report.
The team praised the district administration for having mobilized nearly 400 policemen during the procession unlike the previous years. “However, the 400 police could not ensure that the mob of processionists did not damage the property of Muslims along the route,” observed the team.
District BJP president Karuppu (a) Muruganandam, a known offender with several cases pending against him, was behind provoking the mob against the Muslims. “The police have allowed Muruganandam to make announcements from a police jeep during the procession,” the team was quoted as saying.
The team had Thai.Kandasamy, poet and lawyer, M.Sivagurunathan, activist and M.Ilango of Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (PDK) as its members apart from Prof.A.Marx and G.Sugumaran.
This obvious case of violation of a court ruling by the district collectorate and the police would be brought to the attention of the Madras High Court, said the activists.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
First documentary film on the history of Tamil Muslims
Chennai, Aug 30: The film opens with the excavation by Kerala Council of Historical Research at Pattanam near Kodungallur, erstwhile capital of the Chera kingdom. The Mesopotamian shreds found there predate south India’s Roman contacts. Such lesser known facts about south India’s connections with West Asia and Islam form part of the narrative in historical researcher S.Anvar’s documentary film on the history of Tamil Muslim community which would be out in a month’s time.
Titled ‘In search of my roots’, the film is the first visual document on the history of Tamil-speaking Muslims. “Islam came to south India through trade contacts with Arabs which is more than 2,000 years old as proved by inscriptions, edicts and copper plates,” Mr Anvar told this newspaper. His film is a result of nearly five years of research and travel across Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
It all began when Anvar found that his Muslim identity posed several challenges post- 9/11. Born near Theni, he always knew Islam as practiced in Tamil Nadu is distinctly different from the way it is practiced elsewhere in the country. “The fact that Muslims here are very much integrated into the Tamil society has a historical legacy as I found during the course of my research,” he said.
Muslims were part of the local rulers’ military such as the army of the Pandyas and the navy of Calicut Zamorins. Amir Khusrau’s chronicle on Muslim presence in the Pandyas’ army and the edict on the Muslim presence in the Zamorins’ navy are filmed to tell the story of how Muslims integrated into the mainstream society in the then south India.
The work of the Sufi saints such as Nathar Vali of Tiruchi and Shahul Hameed of Nagoor in the spread of Islam is another relatively unknown factor in the film. The kinship pattern between Muslims and other communities in the state is depicted in detail.
The film also tells how Islam adapted to the Dravidian milieu, filming many of the hundreds of mosques in the state which were built in Dravidian architectural style of stone masonry.
Titled ‘In search of my roots’, the film is the first visual document on the history of Tamil-speaking Muslims. “Islam came to south India through trade contacts with Arabs which is more than 2,000 years old as proved by inscriptions, edicts and copper plates,” Mr Anvar told this newspaper. His film is a result of nearly five years of research and travel across Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
It all began when Anvar found that his Muslim identity posed several challenges post- 9/11. Born near Theni, he always knew Islam as practiced in Tamil Nadu is distinctly different from the way it is practiced elsewhere in the country. “The fact that Muslims here are very much integrated into the Tamil society has a historical legacy as I found during the course of my research,” he said.
Muslims were part of the local rulers’ military such as the army of the Pandyas and the navy of Calicut Zamorins. Amir Khusrau’s chronicle on Muslim presence in the Pandyas’ army and the edict on the Muslim presence in the Zamorins’ navy are filmed to tell the story of how Muslims integrated into the mainstream society in the then south India.
The work of the Sufi saints such as Nathar Vali of Tiruchi and Shahul Hameed of Nagoor in the spread of Islam is another relatively unknown factor in the film. The kinship pattern between Muslims and other communities in the state is depicted in detail.
The film also tells how Islam adapted to the Dravidian milieu, filming many of the hundreds of mosques in the state which were built in Dravidian architectural style of stone masonry.
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