MUSLIM VISION OF SECULAR INDIA: Destination and Roadmap - 49
An Approach Paper aimed at
Presenting a Muslim Perspective of India's national goals; and
Developing a Comprehensive National Plan for Socioeconomic Empowerment of Muslim Indians so that they can play a meaningful role in the national and global affairs
By
Dr. Javed Jamil
Brief profile
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.in/2007/09/dr-javed-jamils-profile.html
Detailed profile
http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.in/2008/04/dr-javed-jamil-profile.html
Special purposes
Apart from the activities that the national and international agencies are promoting, there are special requirements of Muslims. They must not forget that their larger aim is to promote righteousness and campaign against evils. Islam lays clear guidelines comprising Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Fundamental Prohibitions. Muslim NGOs are duty bound to work within these parameters and must act to promote the peace protective and health protective social system of Islam aimed at achieving peace and security of the whole mankind. Muslims do not only have the governmental and non-Muslim funding agencies for supporting these endeavours; they also have funding agencies controlled by Muslim countries, Islamic organisations and Muslim philanthropists. Muslim individuals are also always ready to support welfare activities. They must therefore not hesitate to initiate programmes that would defeat the designs of the forces that seek to diffuse morality and popularise evils in society. Muslim NGOs must engage in
1. Intensive campaigning to implement fundamental prohibitions: (a) Legal activism to get "Fundamental Prohibitions" introduced in constitution along with "Fundamental Rights" and "Fundamental Duties" and to get "Right to Health" enshrined in constitution, (b) mass mobilisation campaign in favour of these legal measures; (c) social awareness campaigns against alcohol, dregs, substance abuse, smoking, prostitution, promiscuity, pornography, homosexuality, gambling, betting, etc including use of religious programmes like Tablighi congregations, Jumaa Khutbas, etc;
2. Campaigns for moral development including honesty, humility, care for neighbours, charity, old, destitute, weak, disabled etc. good family relationships, care for parents, etc
3. Welfare programmes for the weak;
4. Awareness programmes for education, hygiene, etc
5. Campaigns against economic disparity and corruption in public life;
6. Campaigns for Communal amity and inter-sectarian unity
Retired people must take special interest in these kinds of programmes. They command the respect in society, have good understanding of issues and have time to organise in activities that relate to not only Haquq-Allah but also Haquq-al-Ibaad.
There is a special need to campaign against prostitution accompanied with rehabilitation of prostitutes. There cannot be a bigger blot on the face of mankind in general and womankind in particular than that it allows, promotes or pushes its womenfolk in a dirty work that endangers their own health and health of all those men and women that directly or indirectly come in their contact. Unfortunately Muslim women too are involved in significant numbers in the so-called profession. Most of them have been forced or lured in the trade. Given a chance, majority of them would walk out of it if they are given an opportunity to lead a respectable life. The pimps and brothel owners need to be tackled with iron hand, and a campaign must be run to let the customers know how much risk their behaviour poses to them, their families and society.
Another area that needs attention is begging. Begging is very common in India including Muslims. Muslim NGOs must organisebeggars' rehabilitation centres. Beggars include alcohol, drug and substance addicts, handicapped, widows, destitute, sick and unemployed. They should be categorised and be dealt accordingly. The homes for beggars must include arrangements for:
De-addiction;
Part time employment like washing clothes, ironing clothes, envelope making, other low physical effort works that can help the home and its inmates in living;
Special efforts for the unemployed including arrangements for training in different kinds of works;
Islamic counselling
Educational programmes;
Treatment of the sick
Other rehabilitation programmes
These works can be organised through mutual networking of NGOs and other welfare organisations and charity hospitals.
It is to be noted that many of the aims mentioned above can also attract support of the independent groups belonging to other religions. As discussed elsewhere, coming together of all religious groups for common objectives is the need of the hour. This will reinforce the positive role of religion in society. The two major economic orders of the last century – Capitalism and Socialism, seek to marginalise or totally negate religion and tend to present it as a negative force. They have used religions to first fight with one another and then to seek interfaith unity only for certain stated purposes. Religious scholars have to understand that religious are the guardians of morality and ethics in society. Absence of religion will have much greater destructive effects than the positive effects that the enemies of religion propagate. But for that to happen, religious people will have to abandon the cloak of communalism that it sometimes wears mostly as the result of the games of political and economic forces, and will have to work together to fight against immorality and irreligiousness. NGOs can certainly play a crucial role in this, and Muslim NGOs must take a lead in organising a new Interfaith movement that works for countering the effects of the God-less movements.
- Dr Javed Jamil is Executive Chairman, International Centre for Applied Islamics, Chief Editor, "Islam, Muslims & the World" and Director PEACE. He is also author of more than a dozen books including "Islam means Peace", "The Essence of the Divine Verses", "The Killer Sex", "Rediscovering the Universe", "The Devil of Economic Fundamentalism" and "Islamic Model for Control of AIDS". Also has more than 200 articles and papers to his credit. His soon-to-be-published works include "Scientific & Social Principles based on Qur'an" and "Westernism: the Ideology of Hegemony". He can be reached at doctorforu123@yahoo.com. Phones: 91- 8130340339
Contents
Preface 3
1- Introduction: 6
2- What has gone wrong? 11
3 - Time to Reverse the Tide: Objectives to be achieved15:
4- Changes in Government Policies & Economic Ideology Required: Economic Disparity to be drastically reduced, Steps required for countering commercialisation of human weaknesses, Emphasis on Rural Development, Emphasis on Development of undeveloped urban areas particularly civic amenities 26
5 Political Empowerment & Governance
Radical Steps needed by Muslim Community 55
6- Religious Education: Applied Islamics, Mosques as Islamic Centres, Khutbas, 55
- Modern Education: Primary, Secondary, Higher 65
7. Scope of Islamic Economics in India 88
* Dynamic Theory of Economics: Wealth Generation
* Exploring the scope of large scale Muslim participation in Corporate Sector, especially the Consumer Market: People's Corporate India
* Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
* Economic Relations with Muslim Countries
* Islamic Finance
* Shariah-compliant stock exchange
8- Health Infrastructure: Special Efforts on Health Front needed by Muslim Community 139
9- Urban Development 184 Civic Amenities, Peace Cities
10- Rural Development 194
11- Social Empowerment and Security: 206 Reservation, Unity of Muslims, Interfaith, Equality, Campaign against Social Evils, Employment.
12- Empowerment of Women within Islamic Parameters 222
13. NGO Sector 241
14- The Fourth Estate: Let Muslims also Own it
15- Management of Awqaf Properties 264
17- Security Issues: Psychological, Physical and Social 273
18- Roadmap: Need for a National Level Organisation of Muslims 296
19- Muslim Perspective of National Development and Socioeconomic Empowerment of Muslim Indians: Measures Suggested (more than 170 measures enlisted here)
20- Last Word
The Man behind the Work
Annexure
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