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The Hindu continues to peddle the North-South divide based on lies peddled by Communist Party leader and JNU prof: 15th Finance Commission report and the truth

S. Sudhir Kumar
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The Hindu continues to peddle the North-South divide based on lies peddled by Communist Party leader and JNU prof: 15th Finance Commission report and the truth

Just about 15 days back, The Hindu published an article on an imaginary North-South divide and we had given a detailed rebuttal to it. In the conclusion of that article, we had written that “It is tiresome to listen to their repeated lies but then it is also important to repeatedly counter their lies too.”

Looks like someone at The Hindu took this conclusion seriously and wanted to test if we would really repeatedly counter their repeated lies! And so, on the exact same topic, they publish yet another tripe on October 20th.  This time, they interview two known suspects – one is a former Finance minister from the Communist party (Thomas Issac) and another is a former professor from JNU (Balveer Arora). 

Thomas Issafc, who sadly was a Finance Minister once, opens his argument with an outright lie – that there are only two criteria defined by the Finance Commission on how to devolve funds to the States. 

We have repeatedly busted this lie but there just seems to be no end to the freedom that The Hindu and their ilk provide to these serial liars. The 15th Finance Commission has the following 6 criteria on which it decides how best to devolve the funds to the states in India. 

Income Distance and Population from the 2011 census are just 2 of those criteria. States that have done well on Forest and Ecology, Demographic performance and Tax Effort actually get rewarded better by the 15th Finance Commission – which is basically the key demand of these folks! It is intriguing to see this ilk assume that the people of this country will not have access to such basic information, and therefore they can simply publish lies and get away with it. 

The opening argument of the other interviewee, Balveer Aurora, is even more hilarious. In his infinite wisdom, he says – “if the population basis is being shifted from 1971 to a new figure, the weightage of the population can be adjusted. It is not written in stone that it has to remain the same”. 

Guess what – the weightage to the population in the 13th FC report was 25%. That report used the 1971 census as a reference (Yes, even for the period 2010 to 2015, we used the 1971 census as a reference!). The weightage to the population in the 15th FC report was 15%. That report used the 2011 census as a reference (Finally, the much-needed correction was made). So, when the population basis was shifted from 1971 to 2011, the weightage given only to the population had already been adjusted from 25% to 15%. How does the former Professor from a reputed university like JNU miss such basic information before making such banal arguments? 

After years of providing a platform for such hate mongers, The Hindu decides for the first time that they will ask a factual question on this subject – and hence pose the question to Thomas Issac:

Thomas Issac goes on a verbal tirade that doesn’t answer the question. He continues to claim that “Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu” are at a loss. This argument that states are at a “loss” has been made by politicians from other states too. KCR’s son, KTR, for example, claims that while Telangana paid 3.68 lakh crores to the central government, it only got back 1.68 lakh crores in return. He went to the extent of calling everyone who countered this fallacious argument “ignoramuses”. 

This set me thinking. In this particular example, the INR 3.68 lakh crores is the amount that people of India, specifically residing in Telangana, have paid as Tax directly to the Government of India. From this amount, a total of 1.78 lakh crore rupees have been transferred to the Government of Telangana, by the Government of India. KTR makes it sound like 3.68 lakh crores is the tax paid by the government of Telangana to the government of India. Thomas Issac also sounds similar in his arguments.

Let’s for a moment just buy this argument. If Telangana paid 3.68 lakh crores to the Government of India, how come only 1.78 lakh crores have come back to the government? Because this amount does not include the 1.08 lakh crore spent directly by GoI on roads in Telangana alone. It does not include the 1.58 lakh crore spent directly by GoI on procuring Paddy and Cotton from Telangana alone. It does not include the nearly 1 lakh crore spent on Infrastructure such as railways, power, energy, irrigation etc for Telangana alone. It does not include thousands of crores spent on welfare scheme beneficiaries in Telangana alone. A rough calculation pegs this amount to about 8.3 lakh crores! 

Am sure such similar numbers exist for Kerala too. The reason so many numbers for Telangana are known is that Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy released a detailed 320 slide presentation with all these numbers to counter the baseless arguments of KCR and his family. The moot point is that these divisive politicians and media are framing the debate in terms of a balance sheet of money alone. And in the garb of making an argument, they are simply falling back on the same lies again and again. 

The Hindu has been at the forefront of spreading these lies. Pompous editorials and Op-Eds questioning even the “constitutional propriety” of the 15th FC began back in 2018. In fact, this particular article even made the argument that the terms of reference for the 15th Finance Commission could have been silent on which population census to use. The Wire started this lie. The Business Standard picked it up. Not to be left behind, Shekhar Gupta called North India a tax burden on South India. The Hindu has been running it ever since. Divisive politicians have been using these lies to propagate their own agenda. How many more times will The Hindu continue to publish the same lies? 

“Hamas attack against Israel is resistance, not terrorism”: Kerala Assembly Speaker AN Shamseer

OpIndia Staff
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“Hamas attack against Israel is resistance, not terrorism”: Kerala Assembly Speaker AN Shamseer

Controversial Kerala Assembly Speaker AN Shamseer has said that his political perspective is aligned with Palestine. Shamseer is a CPI(M) MLA representing the Thalassey constituency. Hitting out at the Israeli Army for fighting Hamas terrorists, he said that he has a ‘correct’ political side and stands with the ‘struggling’ Palestine.

While speaking at an event organised reportedly in memory of Indian Union Muslim League leader MKC Abu Haji in Kozhikode on 21st October, Shamseer openly extended support to Hamas. He termed the terrorist attack by Hamas as “resistance of the people who have been fighting for years”, and said that such resistance should not be described as terrorism.

The Kerala Speaker also reportedly said that Israel should not retaliate against the terrorist attack by Hamas. He said that Israel must pave the way for a permanent solution.

Shamseer used the Israel-Hamas war to attack the Modi government. He said that the Centre had changed the country’s stand on the Palestine issue in favour of Israel.

He said that from the time of Mahatma Gandhi, India was with Palestine but began extending support to Israel under the Modi government. The dramatic CPI(M) leader also termed Netanyahu and Modi as “elected dictators”.

He said, “Hamas attacks against Israel do not amount to terrorism. It should be described as resistance. Israel should not be retaliating on a tooth-for-tooth stand. Israel should seek to peacefully evolve sustainable solutions to the problems of the Palestinian people. India has always taken sides with Palestine. However, Narendra Modi has openly backed Israel this time. At a time when secularism is being challenged in the country, all those who believe in democracy should join forces for protecting the Constitution.”

The Kerala Speaker generally makes headlines with many such controversial remarks, most of which are made at the cost of religious sentiments of Hindus. In July this year, Shamseer told some students while delviering a speech that science should be promoted in the education sector instead of myth, and singled out Lord Ganesh as a ‘Myth’.

Pakistani opener Imam-ul-Haq blames diet for lack of big hits from the Pakistan team, says ‘need proteins, not carbs to hit sixes’

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani opener Imam-ul-Haq blames diet for lack of big hits from the Pakistan team, says ‘need proteins, not carbs to hit sixes’

Pakistan’s World Cup 2023 campaign has been disappointing in terms of performances so far. After starting the tournament with back-to-back victories over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, the team has suffered heavy defeats at the hands of India and Australia.

Pakistan, who currently sit fifth in the points rankings, are facing Afghanistan in Chennai today, 23rd October, desperate to get back to winning ways . Amid this, Pakistani opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq tried to explain the lack of big hits from the openers and has put the blame on the diet. Notably, Pakistan is the only team in the World Cup yet to hit a six during the first 10 overs of their innings. Explaining the lack of big hits, Imam said that he and his teammates needed to eat protein in order to hit sixes during the game.

Ahead of the match with Afghanistan, Imam addressed a press meet and said, “See if you see here all matches are very high scoring. It is not that it is only against our team. If you look at the other teams also, they are scoring 350 – 360, like yesterday there was a score of 400 (between England and South Africa) – so it is not that only our bowlers are being hit.”

Imam defended the players and their poor performances and added, “The grounds here are small, the wickets are good, and when the batsmen are set, the margin for the bowlers is very low.”

“This is not an excuse, but the conditions are such. And it is true that sometimes, there are ups and downs for the bowlers but Shaheen, like in the last match (against Australia), I thought they would score 420 or 430, but our spinners and end bowlers performed very well and controlled them at 360 (367). So, in patches, our bowlers have done very well, and Shaheen did very well. So, these are a few positives and during the day you only look at the positives, we try to ignore the negatives because it is very important – we have back-to-back matches in this tournament. On the day we are bowling well – we have to back this,” Imam-ul-Haq was quoted as saying.

Despite two major setbacks, Imam stated that there is a positive attitude in the Pakistan camp and that they are confident of recovering. Imam stated that the strategy and playing XI alterations for the Afghanistan encounter will be decided by skipper Babar Azam. However, when questioned why the squad didn’t hit any sixes during the powerplay in 2023, the batsman gave his odd response.

“Maybe we want to eat more proteins and not that much carbs, but it is just that this is not something we want to talk about. It is just we really do not feel it if we are not hitting six or not hitting four, it is just that what are we doing for the team? And if we are winning matches – unfortunately last two matches we did not play well and we accept it, but it is just that we still have five matches then we will go to the semi-final but it is just how you play how you prepare and that is really matters,” Imam said.

The video of the bizarre comment went viral over the internet with netizens heavily trolling the cricketer for his response. Some said that Pakistani cricketers shouldn’t blame the food for their poor performance while the other users said that they can’t think of anything else given the social and economic condition of Pakistan.

The left-hander, on the other hand, sounded ‘confident’ about facing the Afghanistan spinners on a spin-friendly Chepauk track in Chennai. “In the end, you have to play the ball. You do not have to play the bowler. So, it is just that you have to back your ability,” he said. 

Earlier on 4th October, Pakistani cricketer Shadab Khan blamed ‘Hyderabadi Biryani’ for the team’s dismal performance during the warm-up matches ahead of the tournament. When the team arrived in Hyderabad, Shadab revealed that they ate local biryani, which he felt made the players ‘sluggish’ on the pitch.

As Asaduddin Owaisi cries foul over revoking Raja Singh’s suspension, netizens remind him AIMIM gave ticket to his ’15 minute’ fame brother

OpIndia Staff
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As Asaduddin Owaisi cries foul over revoking Raja Singh’s suspension, netizens remind him AIMIM gave ticket to his ’15 minute’ fame brother

A day after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) revoked the suspension of Hyderabad MLA T Raja Singh and once again gave him the party ticket from Goshmahal constituency, AIMIM chief Asaddudin Owaisi took to the microblogging site X to slam Modi for ‘rewarding’ leaders like T Raja Singh, who spoke against Muslims. However, Netizens were quick to give him a reality check.

They reminded the AIMIM chief how he had not once but umpteen times given an election ticket to his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi who not only made the inflammatory and inciteful speech against Hindus in 2012 but shamelessly repeated it on multiple occasions.

Appearing quite upset that the BJP decided to bring back the leader, who had been suspended last year for an alleged post about the Prophet Muhammad, Owaisi on October 22 took to X to criticize the BJP for its choice and lamented how BJP ex-spokesperson Nupur Sharma would be the next in line to get her suspension revoked by the party higher-ups.

Sharing a copy of the letter issued by BJP on October 22, the AIMIM chief wrote, “.@narendramodi has rewarded his dear “fringe element.” Quite sure that Nupur Sharma will also get her blessings from the PM. Hate speech is the fastest way to a promotion in Modi’s BJP.”

Owaisi’s remark, however, didn’t go down well with Netizens. As soon as he lamented how the BJP was ‘rewarding’ officials who made ‘hate speeches,’ Netizens were quick to point out how his party had ‘rewarded’ his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi with a ticket not just once, but multiple times, despite his incendiary 2012 ’15-minute hate speech’ against Hindus.

One user @ChhichhoraPiya shared the ’15-minute’ hate speech of his ‘famed’ brother to show the AIMIM chief the mirror, as he wrote, “Sir, I know you are an advocate of hate speech and you respect all religions being a proud Indian. One guy named Akbar Uddin Owaisi from Hyderabad made many hate speeches. Please do something sir. He is threatening to kill 100 crore Hindus in 15 minutes if there’s no police. Pl.”

“Like you keep rewarding ’15 minutes’ every second?” wrote another X user going by the handle @sanjraj.

Another user @VaddepallyPrav also slammed Owaisi for his hypocrisy, “Owaisi ji, your brother who said give me 15 minutes free time with out police, is saint?”

“Your brother is the biggest threat and fringe elements who made fun of Hindus Gods and threaten to kill Hindus if police gets aside for 15 minutes. First take action against him and fire him from your party. Whatever Raja said, it was also wrong and if BJP took him into party, it is also against Indian Constitution. We condem it,” wrote X user @Standwithtrut14, hitting out at the AIMIM chief, demanding that he first take action against his own brother before pointing fingers at others.

“‘Fringe Element’ Look how’s talking,” wrote another user @SanjayTanwani_2 as he posted a picture of Akbaruddin Owaisi, five-time MLA from Telangana.

Akbaruddin Owaisi’s Anti-Hindu hate speech

In 2012, Akbaruddin Owaisi made an inflammatory and inciteful speech against Hindus. In his speech, he was seen taking many jibes at Hindu Gods and Goddesses while making an open challenge to Hindus for their survival if the police were to be removed for 15 minutes.

“Dear Hindustan, we are 25 crore and you all are 100 crore, right? Fine. You are far ahead of us in numbers. Remove the police for 15 minutes and we will see who is more powerful.” Owaisi junior’s remarks were received amidst thunderous applause and cheering from the audience which was gathered in large numbers. “Remove the Police for 15 minutes! Be it a thousand, a lakh or even one crore impotent(Hindus), even if they try collectively, they will not be able to give birth to a single one.”

“These people are not able to see us face to face. When the Muslim becomes weak, only then these impotent (Hindus) arrive,” Owaisi remarked in his infamous 2012 hate speech against Hindus.

Akbaruddin Owaisi who had been to jail in 2013 and faced multiple cases for his alleged hate speech against Hindus, was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Chandrayangutta constituency five times in the years 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2018. 

US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar plays Muslim victimhood over backlash for organising protest rallies against Israeli retaliation to Hamas attacks

OpIndia Staff
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US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar plays Muslim victimhood over backlash for organising protest rallies against Israeli retaliation to Hamas attacks

Anti-semite US Muslim representative Ilhan Omar has reportedly said that she has allegedly received voicemails calling her a “traitor”, a “terrorist”, telling her to “drop dead”, wishing that “someone would kill you and put you in hell”, calling her a “piece of ****. She has reportedly claimed that vigilantes would poison her and that she fears for her family’s safety.

This comes reportedly in the wake of Ilhan Omar’s rallies against Israel’s retaliatory attacks on Hamas following the 7th October terrorist attack. 1,300 people were killed in Israel in the brutal attack by Hamas.

The reports about Omar fearing for her safety paint a rather politically convenient picture for the Democrat Congresswoman making her and the entire Muslim community look like victims. Part of a report by The Independent reads, “She condemned Hamas’s attack on Israel, but has no less become a target for hate, potentially due to her longstanding criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and Washington’s ongoing support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.”

However, Omar’s timeline on X, formerly Twitter, shows that she has received extensive backlash from Muslims too for her tweet condemning Hamas on 8th October. The tweet pinned on her X account reads, “I condemn the horrific acts we are seeing unfold today in Israel against children, women, the elderly, and the unarmed people who are being slaughtered and taken hostage by Hamas. Such senseless violence will only repeat the back-and-forth cycle we’ve seen, which we cannot allow to continue. We need to call for de-escalation and ceasefire. I will keep advocating for peace and justice throughout the Middle East.”

Several pro-Palestine and Muslim voices lashed out at Omar’s rare criticism of the terrorist attack on Israel. One user named Altaf Hussain (@tafipk2) wrote, “Do you condemn the illegal occupation of Palestine by Israel??”

Screenshot of a tweet by a Muslim X user criticising Omar’s condemnation of Hamas

Another user named Syed Uzair Ul Haq called the anti-semitic Congresswoman an “apostate” saying that she is a disgraced woman who will not be accepted by Muslims, and neither non-Muslims.

Screenshot of a tweet by an X user calling out Omar for condemning Hamas terrorist attack on Israel

A user named @hamiddady1 wrote, “Anyone who hypocritically talks about human rights today in defense of the Zionists, remind him of the following crimes to shut his mouth.”

Screenshot of a tweet by a Palestinian supporter lashing out at Ilhan Omar’s tweet condemning Hamas terrorist attack on Israel
Screenshot of a tweet by a Muslim lashing out at Ilhan Omar’s tweet condemning Hamas terrorist attack on Israel
Screenshot of a tweet by a Muslim calling Ilhan Omar a “kafir” for her tweet condemning Hamas terrorist attack on Israel
Screenshot of a tweet by a Palestinian supporter countering Ilhan Omar’s tweet condemning Hamas terrorist attack on Israel
Screenshot of a tweet by a Palestinian supporter calling Ilhan Omar a “sell out” for condemning Hamas
Screenshot of a Muslim criticising Ilhan Omar for condemning Hamas terrorist attack on Israel

But the Somalia-born representative from Minnesota has conveniently released (read leaked) voicemails to seemingly further her political agenda against Republicans and religious agenda against Israel. According to left-liberal-run social media account Occupy Democrats, the voicemails have been made public by Omar herself.

NBC News accessed voicemails received by Ilhan Omar allegedly calling her a “terrorist Muslim”. According to NBC News, another vigilante group “spying on the Congressman and her children had obtained all her addresses and handed them out to rapists”.

The report goes on to further Omar’s agenda to paint all Muslims as victims for “criticism of Israel”. The NBC report quotes Omar as saying, “In a statement, Omar said she and other Muslim Americans have been victims of a “dishonest smear” that equates criticism of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians with support for Hamas, which has created an environment where threats proliferate.”

It is interesting that the reports sympathising with Omar prominently highlight her refugee background and how her family fled Somalia during the civil war before they emigrated to the US. What these reports fail to mention is the alleged incest she indulged in in order to enter the United States.

Not to mention that Omar is known for being an anti-semite and a terrorist sympathiser. And her one tweet condemning Hamas is a rarest of rare incident for which she has received flak from her religious compatriots even as she has traditionally been a radical Muslim encouraging the hatred for Israel and even for India.

Pakistan: Former PM Imran Khan and Ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi indicted in the missing cipher case

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Former PM Imran Khan and Ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi indicted in the missing cipher case

On 23rd October (Monday), a special court in Pakistan indicted Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and Ex-Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the missing cipher case. The special court was formed by the Pakistani government under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) to hear the cipher case registered against the senior PTI leaders. 

The special court had taken over the case from the Islamabad High Court. Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain has been holding an in-camera hearing at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi. The indictment comes after both PTI leaders moved a petition under CrPC 265-D to stop the indictment. While rejecting their petitions, judge Zulqarnain stated that the hearing was fixed for indictment and went ahead with it.

The case trial will begin once the charges are framed and the evidence of the prosecution is recorded. Subsequently, the testimonies and statements of the accused will be recorded before the court. As per the procedure, the special court also issued notices to the witnesses. As per the notice, it has asked them to appear before the court on 27th October. Till then, the special court has adjourned the hearing.

Notably, the case relates to a diplomatic cable (Cipher) that reportedly went missing from former Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s possession. OpIndia had earlier reported that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been grilling Khan in connection with the missing cable (cipher) case. 

Apparently, it was the same cable that Khan presented for a long time as evidence of a “foreign conspiracy” against him. On the basis of this purported cable, Khan had claimed that the US wanted to oust him from the Prime Minister’s office and install a puppet regime.

However, as per sources, both Khan and Qureshi have pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them under the stringent OSA.

In August 2023, the FIA invoked Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act 1923 and booked PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in this case. Currently, both the senior PTI leaders Khan and Qureshi are in Adiala jail on judicial remand in the cipher case.

On 5th August 2023, Imran Khan was taken into custody after he was sentenced to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case. Initially, he was lodged in the Attock jail but was later moved to Adiala jail. 

Later, on 29th August, the Islamabad High Court suspended the sentence given to the PTI chairman in the Toshakhana case and granted him bail. However, despite getting bail in the Toshakahana case, Khan remains incarcerated as he was arrested in the cipher case hours after getting relief from the Islamabad High Court.  

Meanwhile, on 19th August, the FIA arrested PTI Vice Chairman and Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi from his Islamabad residence in the same case. Since then, both PTI leaders haven’t received any relief and the indictment will further mount their legal troubles, especially at a time when elections could be held soon in Pakistan.  

Israel-Hamas War: As Palestinians get tattoos for their kids as identification marks, here is what Islam says about tattoos being haraam

OpIndia Staff
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Israel-Hamas War: As Palestinians get tattoos for their kids as identification marks, here is what Islam says about tattoos being haraam

The Israel-Hamas war entered its 16th day on 23rd October 2023. The civilians in the Gaza Strip continue to be at risk as most of them have failed to evacuate the northern side of Gaza to move to the southern side as per the instructions of Israel. Reports suggest that the challenging circumstances have made the families in Gaza look for mediums to ensure their children have identification marks on their bodies in case they do not survive Israeli retaliation.

According to media reports, the parents are getting the names tattooed on the children’s hands and feet in Arabic. Some disturbing videos surfaced on social media with dead bodies of children with names inked on their limbs. While reports suggest Palestinians who follow Islam are getting tattoos as identification marks, their religion prohibits the practice.

Notably, Israel has been bombing Palestinian terrorist organisation Hamas’ locations in the Gaza Strip following the deadly terrorist attack on Israel on 7th October that claimed the lives of over 1,400 Israelis and other nationals. So far, over 6,000 people have lost their lives on both sides.

Some Islamic scholars consider tattooing to be Haram in Islam. They argue that Islam does not allow modifying the body as it is Allah’s creation and is against the principles of modesty and respect for one’s body. The prohibition is based on interpretations of Islamic texts, mainly the Hadith.

According to Zakir Naik, the infamous Islamic hate preacher, Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5943 read, “Allah has cursed those women who practice tattooing or get it done for themselves, and those who remove hair from their faces, and those who create spaces between their teeth artificially to look beautiful, such ladies as change the features created by Allah. Why then shall I not curse those whom Prophet has cursed and who are cursed in Allah’s Book too?”

Furthermore, there are several other mentions in Hadith about tattooing. As per Hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 72, Hadith 823, the Prophet (PBUM) cursed those who do tattoos and the one who gets a tattoo done. Notably, Sahih al-Bukhari is one of the most trusted collections of Hadith. According to IIUM’s collection of Hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari, the above-mentioned Hadith reads, “The Prophet has cursed the lady who lengthens her hair artificially and the one who gets her hair lengthened, and also the lady who tattoos (herself or others) and the one who gets herself tattooed.”

As per Hadith from Sahih Muslim, yet another authentic Hadith addresses the prohibition of tattoos. According to the Hadith Collection website, Sahih Muslim, Book 24, Hadith 5300 reads, “It Is forbidden to add false hair to one’s head or to pluck the eyebrow or to separate the teeth. Ibn Umar reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) cursing the woman who added false hair and the woman who asked for tattoos. This Hadith has been reported on the authority of Abdullah through another chain of transmitters.”

Notably, temporary tattoos made from Heena or any temporary colours are permissible as per Islam, but only if the design follows Sharia Law.

Show me single tweet where you praised Bharat: Ex-Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria tears into The Wire ‘journalist’ Arfa Khanum Sherwani, punctures her victim card

OpIndia Staff
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Show me single tweet where you praised Bharat: Ex-Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria tears into The Wire ‘journalist’ Arfa Khanum Sherwani, punctures her victim card

A day after former Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria asked The Wire ‘journalist’ Arfa Khanum Sherwani to migrate to Pakistan, he has now challenged the senior editor of the leftist propaganda outlet to show any tweet that she has posted in support of Bharat and its culture.

The online spat between the two began on Sunday (22nd October) after Arfa Khanum Sherwani accused the Indian cricket fans of supposedly displaying ‘majoritarianism’ during the 2023 World Cup. Danish Kaneria had asked The Wire ‘journalist’ to leave India if she had issues with her Indian entity.

Soon after, Arfa Khanum Sherwani cried foul and accused the ex-cricketer of unleashing an online lynch mob against her. “Danish Kaneria has unleashed an online lynch mob on me and I am trending on Twitter,” she alleged.

The propaganda artist further claimed, “Sad to see an international cricketer celebrated by fans from different religions turning into a communal troll…Rest assured, I’m not leaving my country for Pakistan or any other place in the world.”

“If you don’t like Pakistan, simply say – ‘Danish, I don’t like Pakistan’. That’s it!” Danish Kaneria put out an open challenge for Arfa Khanum Sherwani. He also added, “‘Lynch’ ‘mob’ ‘communal’ ‘religious’ ‘troll’ ‘unleashed’! Don’t use these propaganda words for me. Did I talk about communalism in my tweet? No!”

On being caught off guard, Arfa Khanum Sherwani went on to play the ‘Muslim victim card’ to avoid criticising Pakistan. “Yes,every word of your tweet was communal. Asking an Indian Muslim to ‘go to Pakistan’ is as communal& majoritarian as asking a Pakistani Hindu to convert to Islam,” she resorted to whataboutery.

“It is telling the minority people that you don’t belong here or not until you convert to majority religion Got it?” the ‘journalist’ brazened out.

At that point, Danish Kaneria decided to puncture her perpetual state of victimhood. “I am not taking about conversion, majoritarianism, Hindus, Indian Muslims or religion. I am simply talking about your ‘loyalty’. Got it?” he lashed out at Arfa Khanum Sherwani.

“Let’s end the debate with single answer — “Just show me a single tweet in which you praised Bharat and its culture,” he challenged the senior editor of ‘The Wire’ on Monday (23rd October). Arfa Khanum Sherwani has yet to respond to his challenge.

Wagh Bakri Tea Group’s Director Parag Desai dies at 49 after attack by stray dogs

OpIndia Staff
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Wagh Bakri Tea Group’s Director Parag Desai dies at 49 after attack by stray dogs

Parag Desai, Executive Director of Wagh Bakri Tea Group, died on Sunday, 22nd October, just days after being attacked by stray dogs outside his home in Ahmedabad. Desai was 49 and is survived by his wife Vidisha and daughter Parisha.

Desai was severely injured while trying to fend off street dogs who attacked him on 15th October this year. A security guard outside his home informed his family about the event, and he was immediately rushed to Shelby Hospital.

Parag Desai was further moved to Zydus Hospital for surgery after a day of observation at Shelby Hospital. On Sunday, 22nd October, however, he died of a brain hemorrhage while undergoing treatment in Ahmedabad. He was attacked on 15th October and was kept on a ventilator for a week.

The deceased Parag Desai was the son of Rasesh Desai, the Managing Director of the Wagh Bakri Tea Group. Desai, who had been in the business for almost 30 years, was in charge of the company’s sales, marketing, and export departments.

Parag Desai, a significant industry leader, and prolific tea taster, was also a member of the Federation of Indian Industry (CII), among other organisations. Desai is described as “an expert tea taster and evaluator” on the Wagh Bakri website. He also had an MBA from Long Island University in the United States, according to the report.

Pakistani Professor forced to apologise for teaching Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, declare ‘women inferior to men’: What Islam says about Evolution

Siddhi Somani
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Pakistani Professor forced to apologise for teaching Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, declare ‘women inferior to men’: What Islam says about Evolution

In a bizarre turn of events, a biology assistant professor from Bannu, Pakistan was forced to apologize on stamp paper for teaching Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. He was also forced to declare that ‘women are inferior to men’ as per Quran and Hadith. 

The professor has been identified as Assistant Professor Sher Ali of the Government Postgraduate Degree College. He was compelled to apologize for teaching Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution which is an elementary subject in biology. In addition, he was also made to denounce mixed-gender sessions and assert that ‘women are inferior to men’.

In a three-page document, Assistant Professor Sher Ali pledged to the Bannu deputy commissioner’s office that “all scientific and rational ideas that are in conflict with Islamic Sharia, including Darwin’s theory of evolution, are falsehood.”

Sher Ali further was forced to state that women are inferior to men “in terms of wisdom as specified by Sharia and that unnecessary interaction of women with men is not acceptable.” Reports mention that Sher Ali has obtained an MSc from the University of Peshawar and an MPhil in human genetics from Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad.

The incident came to the fore after the video of the said event went viral on social media. The video was shared by Harris Sultan, author of the book The Curse of God: Why I Left Islam on X, formerly known as Twitter. “This is why Pakistan will remain a third-world hell hole. These radical Muslims with handsome beards force a University professor Sher Ali, to condemn the Theory of Evolution and say on record that women are ‘intellectually inferior’ to men as per the Quran and hadith,” Sultan wrote on X.

The issue surrounding Assistant Professor Sher Ali emerged earlier this month when he spoke at a lecture on women’s rights in light of the Constitution and the law in the Domel area. His remarks during the conference weren’t received well with local religious leaders, who accused him of “spreading debauchery and speaking against Islam and local culture”. They also demanded that authorities take strong measures against the Professor. 

Shortly thereafter, Ali clarified his opinion on teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution which has been incorporated into the educational system. “Chapter 24 of the biology textbook discusses Darwin’s theory of biological evolution and if someone has problems with this topic, then they should approach the government for the removal of the chapter from the course,” he was quoted as saying.

The professor also stated that if he did not teach this material, his learners would question his teaching competence and that he always taught Darwin’s theory of biological evolution after obtaining permission from his students.

Theory of Evolution and Islam

When evolution is mentioned in Islam, it is inevitably associated with Darwinism and, in most situations, is deemed blasphemy. Previous surveys found that at least three-quarters of Muslims oppose the idea entirely or have basic concerns with it, and they frequently refuse to have the evolution theory taught in Muslim societies. These Muslims intend to restrict Muslim minds by creating confusion and ignorance against the theory of evolution.

It was the strategy of Muslim scholars and scientists who contested evolution before Darwin. Most notable among them was Al-Jahiz. He detected traces of evolution and adaptability in some animal species without resorting to anti-theistic arguments in his magnum work, The Book of Animals (Kitab Al-Hayawan).

As per the reports, the first encounter with Darwin’s theory in the Muslim world emerged in the year 1876 through specific ideological avenues among Muslim intellectuals. Notably, some Muslims believed in the theory and saw it as the only way to save Muslims from backwardness. However, several Muslim ‘reformists’ then, particularly Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, launched a stinging rebuttal to Darwin’s theory in his Al-Radd ‘ala al-Dahriyyin (Refutation of the Materialists), in which he misrepresented Darwin’s theories. He targeted not the Islamists, but the minds who were advocates of Westernisation of the Muslim world.

Similarly, the controversial Turkish writer Harun Yahya today has largely moulded the terminology that dominates debates on evolution. He claims that evolution is opposed to Islam since it promotes atheism. Apart from this, there are many religious scholars who deny the theory of evolution based on ‘their religious understandings’ obtained from the ‘religious books’.

Also, famous Muslim televangelist, Zakir Naik dismisses evolution as “just a theory,” confusing the term’s popular and scientific connotations. This conflation helps strengthen the language gulf between the religious and scientific groups.

It is important to note in the case of evolution that the Quran specifically mentions Adam’s creation as a wondrous creation. It asserts that the human lineage is traced back to him and that Islam is the oldest of all the religions. 

The mention of Adam is also made in the religious Islamic texts which describe the ‘father of humankind’ as the one chosen by Allah to begin the prophethood on this Earth. Reports mention that the Nine Surahs of the Quran include 25 mentions of the name Adam. Adam has been referred to in Islamic Hadiths as Abul Bashar (the father of humanity), Khalifatullah (God’s representative or vicegerent), and Safi Allah (the one chosen by God).

Verse 4 of Surah At-Tin in the Quran mentions that Allah has created man in his best possible capabilities and that humans are the only ones after whose creation God has praised Himself.

Muslims believe that Islam is the oldest religion of all religions and that Adam was the first to appear on this land. They believe that he was the first to begin the chain of humanity.

There are several mentions of Adam in the Hadith as well which say that Adam was created out of the different colours of mud which signifies people with different skin colours and different mentalities. The Islamic texts further state that God sent Adam to the Biblical Garden of Eden or Garden of God, also known as Terrestrial Paradise when he was hungry and there he created Eve out of the material of air. God then forbade the duo to taste the fruit of immortality and condemned them to ‘live and die’.

The Garden of Eden has been mentioned in the Quran as Al-Jannah, which is the commonly used word for paradise in Islam. The book named ‘Islamic Theory of Evolution: The Missing Link Between Darwin and the Origin of Species’ written by TO Shanavas states that Muslims in the Quran are told that the Garden of Eden was paradise itself and that it was located on the Earth. However, it is for Muslims not to be concerned with the exact location of the garden.

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