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Stopping radicalization through the barrel of a gun
One of my friends sent me this article and asked for my opinion. http://www.firstpost.com/india/we-are-losing-kashmir-to-islam-ten-ways-to-counter-radicalisation-in-india-2997302.html My answer: Actually what this guy proposes is quite tame. See what some others did: Albania: the only European country with a majority Muslim population was ruled by Enver Halil Hoxha (born Muslim) communist leader of Albania from 1944 until his…
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Entrepreneurship Development is the key to economic upliftment
This picture which I took in Pune on my way to the airport after teaching a leadership course at SKF, is my all-time favorite. It is a picture of a man who decided to take his future into his own hands and become an entrepreneur. He gives the lie to all those who complain about…
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Wedding Khutba
All praise and thanks to Allahﷻ the Rabb of the universe. Salam on His Messengerﷺ and his family. To begin, Allahﷻ said: وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ Rum 30: 21. And among His Signs is this, that He created for you…
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Dealing with a political problem called ISIS
This is truly one of the saddest pictures that I have ever seen. You can see how she is holding back her tears. What have we adults done to our children? I defend Islam. Not those who call themselves Muslim but go against Islam. ISIS is a political problem. Not a religious one. So trying…
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Accepting Freedom
Many years ago, I wrote a piece which I posted on my blog called, ‘Same Chairs, Different Bottoms’. Here it is for those who may not have read it. It is necessarily full of Indian (and Hindi) idiom which is not translatable so I apologize to those who don’t understand Hindi in advance. Also you…
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Turkey – 2016 Coup aftermath
The coup in Turkey failed and democracy was saved. The president Tayyip Erdogan got a real vote of confidence where ordinary people from all walks of life came out in support of his call to defeat the coup and Allahﷻhelped them. Subsequently a state of emergency has been declared in Turkey and over 60,000 people…
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Democracy in practice
slavery. Today as I write this (July 18, 2016) a coup happened in Turkey but the people defeated it. So democracy apparently has more meaning in Turkey than it had in Egypt. But now what? And what really is the position of democracy in the Muslim world? A brief, even cursory look at the history…
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If I were President Erdogan
The Situation: They tried to kill me and topple my government. They failed. Allahﷻ helped me and I was able to provide the leadership for my people to come out into the streets. Allahﷻ caused even those who opposed me to support me. Truly I witnessed the help of Allahﷻ all through the night so…
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Turkey – History in the making
Please read this whole article. David Herst is a man of courage. Here are some extracts: http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/how-iphone-defeated-tanks-turkey-1556177810 To defeat the coup, the Turkish president used his iPhone. Mosques used their loudspeakers, broadcasting the call to prayer hours before dawn. Political leaders of all creeds, some staunch opponents of the president, called unambiguously for the coup…
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Interpreting Reality
Where and how do I begin? To speak from the heart, yet not reveal the grief, confusion and anxiety that it is filled with. Grief at the rapidly deteriorating situation all over the world where human life seems to have lost all value. Confusion as to why this sudden (or is it sudden at all?)…