Thursday, September 29, 2005

Palestinians have access to the beach...

Palestinians get access to the beach for the first time since the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza strip .Despite living so near to the sea shore,they did not have access to the sea thanks to the occupation
link

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

On Sania Mirza

Recently The Times of India had a news item on the ulema's criticism of Sania Mirza

I share conservative Muslims' ambivalence on Sania Mirza
I find myself supporting Sania Mirza and hoping that she wins sometimes . Why do I do that ?
Is it because of the feeling of Assabiyyah (tribalism) because she is an Indian Muslim ?
But yes the tennis dress she wears does violate traditional Islamic guidelines on modesty.Any practising Muslim who has a feel for the letter and spirit of the Shariah will corroborate that.The ulema are only doing thier duty by pointing out what is wrong with her dress .Now the ball is in her court Sorry I could'nt just resist this :-)

Anyway only Allah knows her intentions and whether she is a devout Muslim or not .
As expected , progressives like Feroze Mithiborwala could not resist making a jab at the Darul Uloom Deoband .The Darul Uloom Deoband ulema are well known for their ultra orthodox stand .Despite the recent controversies associated with the Darul Uloom Deoband ,I still have great respect for the ulema .I believe they have have much greater Taqwa than me . It is neccessary for us to be linked with Sunnah - the tradition of the Prophet (PBUH) and keep a perspective on preparation for the Akhirah (Day of Judgement ) through the ulema .