Thursday, September 24, 2009

BURQA, ISLAM AND WOMAN...

“There are lot of beautiful girls in our college, but they don’t wear ‘burqa’, they don’t do purdah, then why are you wearing this?”
Can anyone guess about the intellect of a person, who uttered these words? One shouldn’t need to be Einstein to end up making any conclusion. This illogical logic has been given by a principal of some college in Karnataka. Through this we can easily put forward the illogical implication of this statement; either he meant to say that only beautiful women can wear a ‘burqa’ or the purpose of this cloth is for hiding the beauty. So if someone is not beautiful, then she should not wear ‘burqa’ according to him, I don’t know what standard he fixed for the measurement of it. Poor fellow!!! Don’t understand the purpose of it; certainly it is far away from his illogical mind.
Purdah system is, many a times, considered as a tool of oppression; ok I agree it is not at all good to confine women in a four walls of a room. It is not justified at any cost, but if they wear ‘purdah’, ‘hijab’ or ‘burqa’ or some veiling thing which covers their privacy to go outside, than what’s wrong in it? Nobody is forcing them to wear; it is their own choice then who are we to force them not to wear it. It is ridiculous to restrict or denying admission to anybody on the basis of this veiling clothe. Why questioning on somebody’s faith? I don’t think a purdah woman is less intelligent than a non-purdah woman; she wants to carry her religious sentiments with her studies. I don’t see any harm in it. She is having a right to education as well as right to practice her religious belief also. I mean, this is a democratic country so everybody is having equal rights, whether it is a Muslim, a Hindu, a Sikh or a Christians.
We should not act like if somebody is wearing ‘Burqa’ then it is against the belief of other groups, they are just following their sentiments or more appropriately she is maintaining her privacy, she is not causing any harm to anybody by wearing ‘burqa’ or ‘hijab’. Why causing ruckus on these issues and disheartening the beliefs of others?
I asked one lady why you wear ‘Hijab’, she said, “There are many reasons for wearing it and for me I feel my hair is much more special when shared only with my family.” So it is her belief, she wants her hair to be covered, it is for her family only. It is ok. Why we are expelling anybody on this reason?
There are some reasons given by the colleges that this ‘burqa’ is violating the standard of their dress code, it is indifferent to their common dresses. Ok I agree with this statement, it is really violative. On this statement, I want Muslims to be little bit co-operative, please don’t think that these colleges dismantling your belief, but they want uniformity among students.
Islam says, “woman should cover the whole body except the face and the hands (i.e palms and fingers). Hair should also not to be exposed because Islam considers it as half of the total beauty of women. The hijab could be of any form and colors, a piece of clothe i.e. chader or a three piece ensemble as long as it is not tight fitting and does not attract people’s attention.” The main purpose is to wear those clothes which should not reveal the body of a woman because visual stimulation plays a predominant role in the physiology of women.
So it is not necessary to wear only ‘burqa’ or a black gown of thing which covers your body, you can wear salwar-suit as well provided it is not too tight to reveal your body. And the Muslims should not precise only on black gown or a black ‘burqa’ kind of thing if it is not accepted by others, it is better to wear something else. After all there have been many cases in which terrorist have performed their task in wearing ‘burqa’ only in order to hide their identity. So why should we so much emphasizing on wearing a particular type of cloth, the main purpose is to hide your body according to the Islamic principles, so it can even followed by other clothes as well, it is not obligatory to wear that particular black gown.
And please don’t mix modernity with woman’s sanctity; does our modern thought depend on our women’s clothes? I don’t understand the relation between it, we need to be modern in our opinion, in our choice, not necessary to be in clothes. Indeed, woman is a symbol of modernity but in terms of education, thoughts, participation not in terms of clothes. It is not at all about faith; it is about morality, dignity and privacy of a woman, which should have to be maintained.

- MOHAMMED FARHAN KHAN

Saturday, September 19, 2009

THOUGHTFUL EXCURSION IN A RAIL...

I booked my ticket one month before only I had to start my voyage to my dream land, my jannat: my home, but I don’t understand what makes people to travel a lot between Delhi – Bombay route and makes it unavailable in all the time of the year. At the last moment I was standing having waiting listed ticket on the Pune station and waiting for a reservation chart for confirmation. My friend calling me again and again to get to know the curious case of my ticket, and every time they made me cold feted with their unkindly jokes, I controlled my nerves and prayed a little for the confirmation. I think God has been very kind to me in these kinds of matters especially when I intended to meet my parents.
Generally in AC compartments, the chances of confirmation are quite less than the sleeper compartment as they are in less numbers, so these thoughts made me more maniac towards the uncontrollable situation, particularly when I have to reach home more specific before two days of Eid as it is going to be on 21st or 22nd depending upon the situation of moon. I was impatient to know about the picture of my ticket, or could my name be in the chart? I was wrangling with the pessimistic approach of mind, but then only I saw one guy having a long parchment in his hands coming towards the chart board to pinch the luck of waiting listed commuters. This period of watching list was really very sickening as everybody bowled over him to know that could they won the lottery of a seat? But somehow I made some space to find my name into the list, I saw one list, it was not there, I examined all the lists of AC 3 tier compartment, but I couldn’t found my name. I was disappointed with the thought that I prayed to the God but then also HE didn’t show some mercy on me. Then the only option I left was to go and started buttering to TTE, I humbly asked, “sir is there any seats available in AC 3 tier? I have a waiting list but it didn’t confirm by God’s grace. As he was such a nice fellow, he has taken my ticket to see the numbers written over it, then he said those flowery words, “Your ticket is already confirmed and it is upgraded to AC 2 tier”, these were the words and I snatched my ticket from his hands and straight away without asking anything went to 2 tier compartment, and with God’s graciousness I found my name their on it, it was written as ‘MOHAMMED FARHAN KHAN – M – NDLS – A1 – 38’, Oh my GOD!!! GOD did that, I gave lot of thanks to God and I proceeded to my seat with my straight collar in order to show to the wait listed passengers that I am no more in your group, PLEASE give me a space, ‘you wait listed passengers always gathers a crowd on the doors, get your a** down the door’ hehe...and I put my baggage into the space given under the seats. The thought of having nothing but having a seat in 2 tier AC compartment after paying of 3 tier, I was highly satisfied with the gratitude of railway department.
Sometimes once in a blue moon it happens, God showed so much mercy on you. I felt very happy to see the neighbour seats of mine having acquired by two beautiful girls. I called my friend instantly and told him about all good things which have occurred in just 15 minutes of time, certainly, that 15 minutes was really proved to be very lucky for me. And then I told about the two girls who were going to sit beside me on a whole journey, my friend was feeling jealous with that lucky charm I have at that moment. But then I was happier to see him jealous as just one hour back he was laughing at me on the curse of ticket. And then after five minutes, train rolled down from the station and started its further journey to New Delhi. I was sitting inside the compartment, feeling very comfortable, even more comfortable with the thought of having seat in an AC 2 tier after having paid for lowest one. My neighbours have booked their ticket in current quota and paid 300 bucks more than the normal fare; I was passing tantrums on them as I have paid less than the normal. Lols.
In the starting I was feeling bored as everybody was busy in themselves only, nobody was caring for me, I was sitting like a donkey with face down to the ground hassling into my own dreams. But then I started conversation with a little question, “Where you are going?” then I thought how stupid question I have asked, I wanted to undo my question but then she answered, “we are going to Delhi”, hmmm...a wind of satisfaction passed into my mind that at least I let her speak. Then we started firing the same question, I asked about her doings and then she asked about my doings, I was scared that it might end up with saying nothing. After 5 minutes, I sat silently again hassling into my dreams sitting like a donkey but girls are whispering with each other, I bet not about me...hehehe...after a short time attended come to us and asked for a dinner, I ordered a normal meal, but the girls first asked for continental food, it was not available so they ordered the same, poor girls, I don’t know why on earth people ask for continental foods. I mean in their teens only they try to avoid oily things that it would not harm them in their old times, or they are having a digestion problem, I thought to suggest them some exercises rather than opting for a continental food, but then why should I give my suggestion so freely, it should have cost a little but then nobody is taking, that’s their problem. After a meal we shared some cordial talk with each other, in the mean while I came to know they both were elder to me, hehehe...not a problem actually, they both have completed their MBA’s one among them was from US (Arizona) and other girl has done in Delhi only. Thank God, I thought they both were NSIs (not students of India) without any reasons. They were very friendly, she told me about her experience in USA and other foreign trip she has made in that period, and then she showed some gratitude perhaps her discontentment on the issue of SRK’s detentions, but then I said nothing, I thought it would better not to speak in this matter otherwise they would have argued with me and I don’t want the pretty girls speak against me. The other girl was also made her trip to Switzerland, turkey and in many places, she was telling me how uncomfortable for them to eat outside, everything is so costly there. Even water bottle costs more than wine, perhaps people prefer wine over water.
While talking and telling about outside India, they forgot to sleep, so I reminded them to sleep as well ...hehehe...and then I took out my novel to have a good sleep, it is better to read novel at the time of sleeping perhaps it leads to good and healthy sleep. In the journey, I have completed my long pending novel of SIR CONON ARTHUR DOYLE – THE HOUNDS OF BASKERVILLE, Sherlock Holmes series; it is one of the best novel I have read till date, very exciting, though thrilling, filled with suspense with utmost sincerity of curiosity. I hope I will be starting my next novel gifted by my dearest of dearest friend and it is none other than the famous novel of SALMAN RUSHDIE – MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN, though I read a little part of it, it sounds interesting let see how many booker prize I will give to this novel.
It’s too much for today; I will show my vehemence over other thing as well, but later. I have to complete my other works as soon as possible as I can. Let see when I will be able to come up with you to share my new experiences of life.

- Mohammed Farhan Khan