In a video that has now surfaced on social media, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was heard directing a journalist to fall in line in exchange for government advertisements.
A local journalist, by the name of Shukla Ganguly, had lamented about the lack of advertisement revenue in her cash-strapped news organisation. “We are running our paper for the past 11 years. Several small news organisations, including ours, are in a perilous state. We do not get advertisements from the government. I am requesting you over and again to please look into the matter,” the journalist pleaded.
After listening to the grievances of Shukla Ganguly, Mamata Banerjee stated, “The ruralnewspapers (gramin patrika), which will highlight the government’s work in a positive light, will get advertisement revenue. I will specifically direct the District Magistrate (DM) about this. This is because the government does not use State machinery each time for publicity.”
Mamata Didi openly saying that to get govt advertisement in a local newspaper one has to publish “positive news” of the government and send one copy of newspaper everyday to local DM office for proof. This should be condemned by every right thinking person. pic.twitter.com/p4ymWXdTzo
She claimed, “Today, we launched several initiatives for the development of the State. Big TV channels will show the news only once. However, rural newspapers will write (in detail) about it and will ensure that the information will reach every village in the State. As such, we have to take care of such rural newspapers who do this work with positivity. Talk to the DM and don’t forget to send a copy of your paper (for review) to DM office, DICO, Police Superintendent and Commissioner.”
The West Bengal Chief Minister emphasised the need for sending a copy of rural newspapers to the cops and DM office. “Do you know why? This will help them review whether the news coverage (about the government) is positive or negative. Whoever is doing more positive content, give them advertisements. This is because I want them to work well and highlight all the positives.” Mamata Banerjee then appealed to rural journalists to spin negative stories into positive news.
“A negative news can always be turned into a positive one. In Bengal, we notice only negativity. There is no focus on positive news. Do positive stories. You will surely get advertisements from us…I am saying this for a long time. Hold a meeting with local newspapers and decide accordingly.” Her comments were covered in a newspaper report dated November 18.
Complaint against Mamata Banerjee for disrespecting the National Anthem
Recently, a complaint was filed against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for disrespecting National Anthem during a gathering that she had addressed in Mumbai. According to ANI, a BJP leader had filed a police complaint against Banerjee for “showing utter disrespect to the national anthem” by allegedly singing it while in a sitting position and then “abruptly stopping after 4 or 5 lines”.
Samajwadi Party leader S T Hasan has raised his concerns regarding the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) while addressing the media and voiced his ‘fears’ amidst the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh. He claimed that if BJP wins the elections, UCC would be implemented which will prevent the Muslims in India to take a second wife. S T Hasan also mourned about the future if BJP remained in power in Uttar Pradesh.
He said, ‘I want to request you at least this, that elections are coming, I am not taking the name of any party, for Allah’s sake do not get divided, you should have only one motive and that is to defeat BJP’.
S T Hasan further warned his people, “One law is coming, and is called the Uniform Civil Code…if Uniform Civil Code is implemented, this would be an end to the Muslim personal laws,…cannot get married twice”
Hasan also claimed that all Muslim institutions and universities will be shut down if Uniform Civil Code is brought about. According to an earlier statement made by Hasan, the constitution of India cannot abolish Muslim personal laws.
Notably, the Samajwadi MP had said that deaths during the coronavirus outbreak happened because the BJP government interfered with the Islamic Sharia law during the 7 years of its rule. He had also said that the arrival of two cyclonic storms in a matter of 10 days was an indication of injustices inflicted by the government. S T Hasan had claimed that CAA was anti-Sharia saying, “The BJP government in the last seven years have tampered with the Islamic Sharia law. They have passed the Citizenship Amendment Act, which is against Muslims. We have also witnessed two storms wreaking havoc in a matter of just 10 days, and amidst all this, thousands of people are dying due to the coronavirus outbreak. If the ones on the earth do not do justice, then the ones above take charge and deliver justice.”
Hasan had even claimed that triple talaq was better for Muslim women than getting killed or burnt to death. Earlier, he compared actresses to ‘Tawaif’.
The Indian coastal state of Gujarat is not just outperforming other states but developed nations as well. Gujarat has surpassed several developed countries in terms of doses administered per 100 eligible people in the population, reportedDesh Gujarat.
As of December 6, 2021, Gujarat has administered a total of 8.30 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines, including 4.6 crores Dose 1 and 3.7 crore Dose 2. According to Desh Gujarat, about 169.2 doses have been administered per 100 eligible people in the State. This puts Gujarat ahead of several developed nations in North America and Europe.
Our World in Data has crunched the numbers related to Covid-19 vaccination between December 13, 2020, and December 5, 2021. On sorting the data of total vaccinations per 100 people, we find Gujarat’s record of 169.2 doses is higher than that of Italy (163.55), Canada (162.95), Norway (161), Sweden (158.44) and France (158.43).
Screengrab of the Covid-19 vaccination data in various countries (Image Courtesy: Our World in Data)
Gujarat has also outperformed countries such as Russia (89.53 doses per 100 people), Switzerland (138.21 doses per 100 people), the United States (141.65 doses per 100 people), the Netherlands (143.79 doses per 100 people), Hungary (148.25 doses per 100 people), Finland (150.63 doses per 100 people) and Germany (152.15 doses per 100 people) and Japan (156.78 doses per 100 people).
Gujarat fully vaccinated 70% of its eligible population
Earlier on November 28, Gujarat had achieved the massive feat of vaccinating 70% of the total population in the State. Pankaj Kumar, Gujarat Chief Secretary, said in a Twitter post, “Har Ghar Dastak makes Gujarat achieve 8 Crore COVID19 Vaccination. Over 2/3 eligible population Fully Vaccinated. 93% given 1st dose. Appealing all leftouts to get vaccinated quickly to join India Fights Corona.”
Meanwhile, the state government has issued fresh guidelines and extended the night curfew in eight cities till December 10. Night curfew is in place from 1 AM to 5 AM in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Gandhinagar and Junagadh. While commercial establishments can stay open till 12 AM, restaurants can stay open till midnight with 75% occupancy.
28 years after the Babri structure was demolished on December 6, 1992, Sant Brajmohan Das, an eyewitness to that historic event, has revisited what exactly transpired on that day in Ayodhya. Sant Brajmohan Das is the Mahant of Ram-Lakhan-Vishwamitra Vishram Ashram. This ashram is situated in Bihar’s Madhubani district, in Bishaul village. Sant Brajmohan Das, who has been the Mahant of this ashram since 2001, originally hails from the Uttar Pradesh district of Deoria.
He recalls: “I am 55-56 years old now. In 1992 I was a young monk. I had, renounced my homestead rights some time ago after undergoing initiation. I had reached Ayodhya in November and was living in Hanumangarhi then”.
Speaking to OpIndia, Mahant Brajmohan Das said: “In 1992, Vishwa Hindu Parishad had announced to organises Kar Seva in Ayodhya. It was envisioned to be a symbolic event. An area was marked for the worship on December 6.”
According to the Mahant, the process of Karsevaks coming to Ayodhya began roughly 15 days before December 6. The number of people arriving n Ayodhya was increasing by the day. Not everyone who came in from the outside was a Karsevak. Security personnel were also stationed across Ayodhya. It was difficult to estimate how many police personnel and how many central forces were present in Ayodhya as many were also present in plain clothes. Likewise, it is difficult to estimate the number of Karsevaks present in Ayodhya at that time. It appeared that a camp was being organised in Ayodhya a week before December 6.
Security arrangements were unprecedented
Recalling the brutal massacre of Kersevaks and Hindu devotees in the year 1990 at the behest of the then CM Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Mahant said that in 1992, the security arrangements in Ayodhya were even tighter than it was in 1990. Nobody knew what was exactly going to happen because the city was packed with devotees on the one hand and security personnel on the other.
With the number of security officers deployed in the city, it was clear that if the 1990 massacre was replicated, none would come out alive from Ayodhya. Young sadhus like us would frequently inquire if security officers would open fire at Karsevaks as they did in 1990. They would respond that they were not strangers but fellow citizens and all they were doing was following orders.
According to Mahant, the security forces appeared to be in the same condition as the people of Ayodhya, anxious about what would happen on December 6.
There was ‘Ram Rajya’ in Ayodhya
The VHP and other Hindu organisations, according to Mahant, had made great arrangements for the Karsevaks arriving from all corners of the country. There was ample food arrangement at Karsevakapuram, ashrams and other places. Food laden trucks were arriving in Ayodhya from various places. Tents were built to accommodate the Karsevaks coming from other places. Blankets and all other basic essentials were provided in the Ashrams. People from the Sangh and the ashram were deployed at various bus stations and the railway station to ensure that visitors were not inconvenienced in any way. There was no shortage of anything as such. No chaos despite the overwhelming crowd. There seemed to be complete Ram Rajya in Ayodhya, recalled Mahant Brajmohan Das.
The Karsevaks were unstoppable
As the date of December 6 drew nearer, Mahant Brajmohan Das claims he began to hear reports that the train had been banned by the government. On the way, Karsevaks are being detained. To house them, schools were repurposed into alternative jails. Even still, the flow of people to Ayodhya continued unabated. Some arrived on their own, some by bus, and yet others by train. People were evading the administration by walking for several kilometres to get there. Karsevaks were unstoppable, they kept pouring in from all four directions.
Language was no barrier
According to the Mahant, a huge number of Karsevaks, including many women, arrived from South India as well. “We didn’t understand their language,” he says, however, the intensity of their chants and cheers as soon as they arrived at the station was incredible. Everyone was taken aback by their energy. Their enthusiasm was spoken about all across Ayodhya. Even we had to ask them to be more restrained at times, said the Mahant.
Atmosphere of Ayodhya on 5th December 1992
According to Mahant Brajmohan Das, going by the atmosphere in Ayodhya, even a day before on December 5, no one could imagine that something like the demolition would happen on December 6. Everything was absolutely normal and very festive the previous day. Karsevaks and security personnel were spurned across the city. Somewhere people were lined up for food while at other places people were making merry. Everything seemed to be in order. All the markets were operating as usual. There was no atmosphere of fear. There was only enthusiasm all around.
….’and on December 6 the magic happened’
According to Mahant, the morning of December 6, 1992, was also routine. The preparations were proceeding according to the predetermined schedule. All routes leading to the Ram Janmabhoomi were cordoned off with strong barricades and barbed wire by the administration. The administration had built a fortress around the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya at the site of the Babri Masjid with multi-layers of security. It was almost impossible to reach the site.
An empty bus belonging to the security forces was parked near Hanumangarhi. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a Karsevak, whom Mahant Brajmohan Das says he did not recognise, entered the bus and took over the steering wheel. He raced the bus towards the site at full speed, shattering all the barricades that came in his way. Behind the bus, a horde of Karsevaks rushed uncontrollably towards the site.
Mahant Brajmohan added that “when several Karsevaks ascended atop the disputed structure, three teams were formed as part of a plan that was strategised on the spot. One team moved swiftly towards the structure. One was entrusted with the responsibility to protect the Karsevaks. Meanwhile, if the government took any action and ordered firing, it was the responsibility of the third party to protect the people while dealing with it.
“Everything happened all of a sudden on the spot,” the Mahant added when asked who was behind this plan. There was no renowned individual involved in this. All of them were regular Karsevaks. They hadn’t even met before”. The Mahant recalled how the Karsevaks completely demolished the Babri structure site to reclaim the Janmabhoomi (birthplace) of Lord Rama within four to five hours after the sadhu rampaged the bus through the multi-layered security. “No remains of the Babri structure were left to see,” recalled the Mahant.
“Until today, I feel amazed at what transpired on December 6. There was this tall structure at the Janmabhoomi a few minutes ago, and the next minute there was nothing. The barbed wire used to keep people away from the Janmabhoomi was sharp and the barricades were strong. I was shocked that the Karsevaks had ripped off those sharp barbed wires with their bare hands. Everything seems to be surreal. Till today, I am out of words, I cannot believe that it all actually happened”.
Where were the security personnel when all this was happening?
According to the Mahant, the security personnel’s condition on that day was akin to that of the jail guards during the birth of Lord Krishna born in his maternal uncle Kansa’s prison in Mathura. They were all stunned. Seeing their state, it was obvious that they did not expect something like this to happen that too so suddenly. The administration was left dumbstruck. They would not have anticipated someone to cross the one-kilometre fortress they had erected with batons and barbed wire around the structure that now stood demolished.
What is god’s miracle…ask those who were present in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992
According to the Mahant, breaking the structure of batons and barbed wire constructed around the Ram Janmabhoomi site where the disputed structure then stood without any weapons was an impossible task, which the Karsevaks accomplished in no time. He says it was unbelievable, like God’s miracle. The situation felt surreal.
“After what transpired on the 6th of December, Ayodhya was filled with joy and enthusiasm. Only those who were present in Ayodhya on that day can explain what God’s miracles and powers are”, exclaimed the Mahant adding that after the historic incident the Karsevaks slowly returned to the place from where they had come. He too returned to Vrindavan after about a month.
In a shocking case of involving school children into politics and forceful religious indoctrination, an alleged SDPI worker in Kerala has been distributing badges saying ‘I am Babari’ and even pinning those badges on the shirts of the the children from Chungappara St. George School in Kottangal.
Is Kerala another Syria in the making? The SDPI is forcefully pasting “I Am Babari” sticker on the students of Chungappara St. George School in Kottangal Panchayat, which is ruled by the @CPIMKerala – SDPI alliance. Why is CM @vijayanpinarayi silent? Condemnable. @AmitShahpic.twitter.com/IT46oVjPN4
BJP Kerala state president K Surendran in a tweet questioned whether Kerala is another Syria in the making and “The SDPI is forcefully pasting “I Am Babari” sticker on the students of Chungappara St. George School in Kottangal Panchayat, which is ruled by the @CPIMKerala – SDPI alliance” he tweeted while trying to draw attention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Surendran questioned the motive behind pinning those badges of “I am Babari” upon children and asked if Kerala is another Syria in the making. The mentioned Chungappara school in the Kottangal village is located in the Pathanamthitta District in the southern Kerala.
In one of the pictures shared, the badges of ‘I am Babari” could be seen tagged on a student along. The alleged SDPI worker also carried the same tag on his shirt.
As per reports, the Parent Teacher Association has lodged a police complaint and a probe has been launched. The incident took place in the school compound when students arrived at school on Monday morning. As per the report, once teachers noticed the badges to the classroom, the school authorities asked the children to remove them.
SDPI has also been tweeting that Muslims will not forget Babari demolition and that the mosque shall rise again.
Injustice to Babari Masjid will be passed on to posterity. Muslims will not forget Babari Masjid. #StriveTillBabriMasjidRebuilt
SDPI is the political wing of Islamist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI) which has been banned in various states for extremist activities. In November this year, one RSS worker A Sanjith was hacked to death by SDPI goons in front of his wife. S
In a gruesome case of honour killing, a teenage youth beheaded his 19-year-old pregnant sister with the help of his mother and allegedly displayed her severed head before the neighbours in the small agricultural village of Goygaon in Vaijapur tehsil Aurangabad district in Maharashtra on Sunday, December 5. It is also being alleged that the mother-son duo took selfies with the severed head.
Police confirmed that the mother-son duo also told the neighbours that they had killed their daughter because she got married without their consent. The deceased, Kirti Thore had eloped and married a college friend earlier this year.
Police confirmed that after killing his sister, the brother proceeded to the verandah with the severed head. He then waved it in the air for all to see. He, along with his mother also took selfies with the severed head before surrendering to the police.
According to reports, the deceased’s husband was present in the house when the incident took place. The accused teen had also tried to attack his brother-in-law but, somehow, the latter had managed to escape. After the shocking crime came to the fore, the police detained the teenage brother Sanket Sanjay Mote (18) and arrested his mother Shobha Sanjay Mote (38).
Speaking about the incident, the superintendent of police Nimit Goyal told TOI, “We will send the cellphone for forensic analysis to recover the picture. It is a crucial piece of evidence.”
The police confirmed that Kirti Thore had eloped in June and had been living with her husband. Her family was against the relationship. Last week, Kirti’s mother contacted her and requested to visit her on the pretext of reconciliation. On Sunday, she and her son visited her daughter’s house.
The pregnant woman’s husband was ill and lying in another room when the mother-son duo arrived at her home. Her brother struck her from behind when she was making tea. Her mother allegedly held her by the leg while her brother used a sickle to cut off her head. He then carried the head outside for neighbours to see.
A police official said the victim’s brother surrendered before the Virgaon police station and was arrested along with his mother. The boy is 18 years of age, the official said, adding that the matter is being investigated.
After former Shia Waqf Board chief Wasim Rizvi reverted to Hinduism and became Jitendra Narayan Swami under the guidance of Mahant Yati Narasinghanand Giri at Dasna Devi temple in Ghaziabad, the Islamists have expressed their anger on social media and started to claim that Jitendra Narayan Swami had been thrown out of Islam and even called him a ‘kafir’. Kafir is a term often used by the Islamists to refer to people of other religions. The Islamists have now attacked Rizvi who belonged to the Shia minority and claimed was never a Muslim.
Rizvi had also been the target of Islamists in the past for his comments and criticism of the verses of Quran. After making the Ghar Wapsi, Rizvi said, “Mughals have given the tradition of defeating Hindus. Muslims vote unanimously for the party that defeats Hindus. Muslim voters are only for defeating Hindus.” He added, “I was thrown out of Islam. Every Friday, they announce more rewards for my head. Today I am accepting Sanatan Dharma.”
However, he was soon attacked by Islamists on Twitter and said how it was Allah who removed him from ‘holy Islam’.
Source : @asaadali/Twitter
An Islamist with the handle name @asaadalii said,”Waseem Rizvi wanted some of the verses from the The Noble Quran to be removed and subhan Allah, Allah removed him from the Holy Islam. So the disbeliever was overwhelmed [by astonishment], and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. (Al-Quran 2:258) #IslamIsPeace”
Source : @koolcan96/Twitter
Another Twitter user named @koolcan96 said,”Laanati Wasim Rizvi was never a Muslim. He was a rawafidh who abused and slandered the first three caliphs. Anyone who abuses and slanders the first three caliphs, Sahaba and believes that the Qur’an was distorted (nauzubillah) can never ever be a Muslim,” which roughly translates to how shameless Rizvi was never a Muslim who ‘slandered and abused first three caliphs’.
Source : MirAsif/Twitter
Interestingly, Islamist Mir Asif has thanked Allah for the Rizvi Ghar Wapsi to Hinduism. He said, “Shukr Allah ka kyuki is jaise bande ki koi zrurt nahi hai islam mai. Aur faziil mai apne aap ko shia bolta tha..” with the hasgtag #wasimrizwi and also shared a quote saying, “Tujh jaise ki na zaroorat thi Na hai Aur Na hi rahegi.” (Thank Allah because this (Rizvi) kind of person is not needed in Islam. And he was calling himself a Shia just like that. “Your kinds were never needed and will never be needed.” Firstly you were never a Muslim and now even you accepted it.)
Source: MirHaTim/Twitter
Twitter user Mir Hatim also called Rizvi a ‘kaafir’.
Source : Md Imtiaz Alam/Twitter
One Twitter user Mohammad Imtiaz Alam also questioned whether Rizvi was even a Muslim to begin with.
Soon, there were calls made on social media to arrest him over allegations of ‘blasphemy’.
The Man who is undauntedly spreading Hate and giving blashphemous remarks against Islam should be behind bars till now!!! But Govt is not taking cognizance of this highly sensitive matter!!! #ARREST_WASIM_RIZVI#ARREST_WASIM_RIZVI#ARREST_WASEEM_RIZVI
On December 6, Home Minister Amit Shah addressed Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the Nagaland firing incident in which over 13 civilians lost their lives. HM Shah said that the security forces had got a tip-off about insurgents movement in the area.
A battalion of 21 Para Commandos laid down an ambush to attack the insurgents. During that time, a vehicle was passing by that was asked to stop by the security forces. Instead of stopping, the driver tried to escape the scene. The security forces suspected there were insurgents in the vehicle, and they opened fire. Six out of eight people died. Later it was found that it was a case of mistaken identity.
“The two injured were shifted to the hospital by the Army,” HM Shah added. He further said, “When the locals came to know about the incident, they surrounded the battalion and attacked them. The mob burnt down two army vehicles and attacked the soldiers. One soldier lost his life in the attack.” He said to save themselves from the attack and to disperse the crowd, the security forces had to open fire at them. “Another seven civilians lost their lives, and many were injured,” he added. The local Police reached the spot and tried to calm down the situation. “The situation is tense but under control,” HM Shah said.
On December 5, higher officials of Nagaland Police reached the spot. The case has been transferred to State Crime Police Station. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been formed to investigate the case. The SIT has been instructed to complete the investigation in a month.
HM Shah said that on the evening of December 5, a mob of around 250 people attacked the operating base of Assam Rifles in Mon and vandalized the base. They also set COP’s house on fire. The Assam Rifles personnel had to open fire to disperse the crowd that resulted in the death of one more civilian. Another Civilian got injured. HM Shah added, “Additional forces have been deployed in the area to ensure law and order is maintained. In a press note, the Army has expressed regret over the death of civilians.”
He further said that Army would also investigate the reasons behind the incident and would take appropriate action as per the law. “I contacted Governor and Chief Minister of Nagaland. Home Ministry also contacted the Chief Secretary of the state. Yesterday, the ministry closely monitored the situation. Upper Secretary of North East was rushed to Kohima where he met Chief Secretary, senior government officials of Nagaland and senior army officials on Monday morning.” He said that the officials are trying to calm down the situation as quickly as possible.
The Home Ministry has further instructed the security agencies to ensure while fighting the insurgents, they should be extra vigilant so that such incidents do not happen in the future. Curfew has been imposed in the region to control the situation. “The government of India expresses its condolences to the families of the deceased,” he added.
The opposition continuously raised slogans while HM Shah was addressing Rajya Sabha.
The Home Minister expressed regret over the situation and stated that all agencies have been instructed to ensure that no such incidents are reported in the future.
PM Modi earlier discussed the situation with the ministers and Home Minister Amit Shah. As per reports, the situation in Nagaland and the government’s strategy in both houses was discussed during the meeting.
The following is the camera ready version of the story of community relations in India that liberals want to tell the whole world.
Rana Ayyub’s tweet on Gurugram namaz issue
There it is. A young male who looks like he could get violent any minute. He is waving an angry finger in the face of an elderly Muslim who appears to be getting ready for prayers. In case you didn’t notice, two powerful foreign leaders have also been tagged in this tweet. And in case Joe Biden is too lazy to watch, they have labelled the video in bold letters. “Hindutva extremists” on one side, “Muslims” on the other.
Why won’t the “Hindutva extremists” just let the Muslims perform their prayers? Why don’t these “Hindutva extremists” just live and let live?
The ‘camera ready’ version distracts us from looking at what is really happening. First, one group of people begin to encroach upon a public space. By the time others wake up and realize what is happening, the space already belongs to someone else in all but name.
For the encroachers, being slow, patient and strategic has paid off. All they have to do now is act with dignity in front of cameras as they assert their new moral title to the land. They get to keep the land and play the victim. The camera will show the other side as thugs.
This is what makes the controversy over namaz in public spaces in Gurugram so unprecedented in the context of Hindu-Muslim relations in India. In the liberal argument, there is no mention of the secular ideal. There is no reference to any constitutional or legal principle. Members of one community want the public land, and so it is theirs. Apparently because they are the “good” community. Or at least the community with the “first right” to resources (famous words, remember?). Anyone who opposes this is an extremist.
How did it become controversial to say that public space belongs to everyone? But quite unbelievably, it has. You can no longer even refer to these spaces as public land. They are now “Muslim prayer sites.”
The Guardian on Gurugram namaz issue
And “Hindu groups” are now on notice for targeting them. In other words, local Hindus are now invaders for demanding the right to public space.
That headline in The Guardian is not unique. This kind of usage is now common across all forms of media.
ThePrint headline
The public space of yesterday has become the “namaz ground” of today. And local Hindus now stand accused of interfering with the rights of Muslims to use their newly acquired private space as they see fit.
How the leftist media covered Gurugram namaz issue
Seems like one side was caught napping, no?
Again, notice that nobody is even mentioning the legal principles involved. Because there simply isn’t one. Instead, we are watching an altogether new moral principle being manufactured here. If a certain community wants something, it must belong to them. You must not complain. You must not protest.
Where did this new principle come from? We cannot say, but let us read more closely the language of the article in The Guardian
“Usually such prayers are held in mosques but Gurgaon, a city that rose in the 1990s from the brushland on the outskirts of Delhi to serve India’s new middle class, has a severe shortage, with around 13 to cater for a city of more than 1.5 million people.”
A severe shortage? Just 13 places to cater to a city of more than 1.5 million people. Listen for the tone. They make it sound like they are talking about the shortage of a public amenity, don’t they? Not enough schools, not enough hospitals, not enough mosques.
Wait a second! It is not the role of the government to provide prayer spaces. Private individuals and communities may establish institutions of their faith, on land they own. They can’t just take public land if they feel that they don’t have enough.
But the Guardian article works very hard to gloss over this point. The way they write, it feels like someone somewhere will soon compile a Global Mosque Index and find that India ranks something like 109th out of 120 countries in mosques per capita. And that the rank has dropped 6 places since last year. What is the government doing about this?
It’s not just this Guardian article. Read this article by Hilal Ahmed on the same issue.
Hilal Ahmed on offering namaz in public places
Namaz on busy streets? Don’t you love the author chooses not to make a distinction between various types of spaces? Namaz inside a functional Hindu temple? Who am I to say no if the temple administration says yes. In the corridor of a hospital? I would say that a hospital corridor should be left open for patients. So if it is a state run hospital, the answer is no for sure. On a busy street? Definitely not. You can’t block the street because it belongs to us all. So the answer varies in each case, depending on the scenario.
But the point of that article is that it doesn’t matter. Whether in a hospital, a train, or on a street, the right to perform namaz anywhere and everywhere comes first. And if you don’t like that, they will label you bigoted.
The argument seems to be that public space in India must be reorganized around the practices of one religion. You know, as in Middle Eastern theocracies.
There is another curious angle to this controversy over namaz in Gurugram. Read this line from the Guardian article.
“They even sought permission from the administration and by 2018 the Muslim community had been granted permission for outdoor prayers in 108 places across the district.“
Everyone knows that the liberal media, especially the Guardian, is no fan of the BJP. But look how the Guardian plays this story. They don’t blame the BJP for allowing this. Instead, they wave this permission from the local authorities as legitimization for the religious takeover of public space. Like I said, they are thinking about namaz facilities as public amenities that the state is somehow legally required to provide to citizens. Apparently, the Indian state failed to provide enough mosques to “cater” to a population of 1.5 million. And so the least they could do was offer public land as unofficial namaz grounds.
And read the sense of hurt in this line:
” … the Gurgaon administration reduced the number of namaz sites from 108 to 37, to the dismay of the Muslim leaders who felt the administration was bowing to the demands of fanatics. “
Indeed, where are the priorities of the Indian state? As it is, the population is already dealing with a severe shortage of prayer areas. And they go ahead and reduce the availability of even unofficial prayer areas!
This idea of treating mosques as part of essential infrastructure of a city has been everywhere in the media coverage around this incident. And the media has been acting as if it is the moral duty of people to come to aid of those who are suffering from this lack of critical infrastructure. When one Hindu individual offered his own house as a namaz space, the media was ecstatic. Well, that person can do whatever he wants with his house, but I find it hard to see him as a hero. Worshipers of one particular faith are not humanitarian aid workers. But they made it sound like they were.
Here is what I found most interesting. Despite the extreme media pressure to virtue signal on this issue, nobody else in the local population volunteered their home or business space. The media may think prayer spaces for one community are a public amenity, but hardly anyone is fooled by this.
On Friday (December 3), a 31-year-old anti-Israel politician named Imani Oakley fell for a parody account on Twitter while trying to organise a virtual fundraiser in Gaza. Oakley, a Democrat running for US Congress from Newark, wanted to organise the virtual fundraiser with the help of one Rabbi Goldstein, a parody handle run by a US lawyer.
The Democratic Party leader proposed discussions on topics such as ‘Occupied Tel-Aviv’, ‘Zionism and other white supremacy movements’, ‘The morality of intifada’ to raise funds for Gaza. The idea was proposed by the parody account via email correspondence. “I would be grateful if you could provide dates/times for this week or next to connect and discuss further,” the campaign manager of Oakley had emailed on November 23.
“I think it would be terrific if Ms Oakley would in-person or virtually (over Zoom) attend a house party/fundraiser in Gaza. I can’t think of a better way to show off her #FreePalestine bona fides. There are several influential Jewish-Americans in Gaza who can provide plenty of help back in her district, including contributions and media placement,” the parody account said in another email correspondence.
I’m disappointed that unregulated platforms like @Twitter are doing more to suppress the fight against injustice than they are to fighting white supremacy.
Known for her anti-Israel activism, the Democrat hoped to join hands with ‘anti-Zionist’ Gaza-based Rabbi to benefit her campaign. Oakley believed that the Twitter handle of Rabbi Goldstein was real. Despite the several pro-Hamas tweets by the account, the Democratic leader had decided to go ahead with the campaign. The account was created by a pro-Israel lawyer named Michael to mock far-left and anti-Zionist Jews.
“I am making fun of the five per cent of Jews that hate Israel. I created this personality that shows how reductive and absurd these people are,” Michael stated. While taking a dig at Imani Oakley, he said, “Jews cannot live in Gaza. So the fact that people think she is the chief rabbi in Gaza or has a temple in Gaza just shows how uneducated people are about the conflict.”
Screengrab of the profile of Rabbi Linda Goldstein
It must be mentioned that the Twitter account of Rabbi Linda Goldstein boasts 3.8K followers. The fact that it is a parody account becomes evident from the cover image itself. It reads, “Encourage women to smell their poop to be more inclusive to trans women.” Besides, expressions such as ‘Jewish advisor to Hamas’, ‘nude Yogi’ and ‘Chief Rabbi of Gaza’ in the bio are clear indicators that the account was made for satirical purposes.
Imani Oakley defends herself after falling for a parody account
After realising that she was duped by a parody account, Oakley stated, “Let me be clear: no political attacks will stop me from defending the humanity and dignity of the Palestinian people, fighting against human rights abuses by the Israeli government, and demanding an end to apartheid.”
Let me be clear: no political attacks will stop me from defending the humanity and dignity of the Palestinian people, fighting against human rights abuses by the Israeli government, and demanding an end to apartheid. (??)
She added, “We were in the process of vetting Linda like we would any fundraiser host. Today, Levine Jonathan (journalist at New York Post) reached out asking us for comment for a story mocking us for responding to a parody account. We were in the process of vetting Linda Goldstein. If you Google the name, plenty of people come up. It’s a common name, and we had no indication that it was tied to a parody Twitter account.”
We were in the process of vetting Linda Goldstein. If you Google the name, plenty of people come up. It’s a common name, and we had no indication that it was tied to a parody Twitter account. 4/
She went on to play the victim card, despite supporting a Twitter handle that boasted about ties with Hamas. The Democrat even played the race card and stated that mocking her foolishness on social media is a “shameful attack on women of colour.”
I’m being targeted for standing up for the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people. Dirty political tactics trying to slander me and my campaign have no place in this or any elections. This is a shameful attack on a woman of color fighting for justice.6/6
“I’m being targeted for standing up for the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people. Dirty political tactics trying to slander me and my campaign have no place in this or any elections. This is a shameful attack on a woman of colour fighting for justice,” she concluded.
