The Passion of The Pacifist

Dear dost-mittarji (#23):

[But could you share with us a little more about what is going on in the Bohra community (do you belong to this community?). I had always thought of Bohras as ``vanaspati`` muslims; so this excommunication business comes as a surprise.]

Well, the problem with the Bohra community today is that they have regressed. (No, I do not belong to this community.) There was a time when they were among the most educated among the Muslims, they were modern, went to regular schools and dressed like anyone else. Some years ago, the Syedna decided he wanted be like Khomeini, so he issued an edict that they will have to grow beards, wear caps and the women will wear a burqa (theirs is slightly different and the face is exposed); there were also stringent measures like taxes for virtually everything – birth, marriage, death. The Syedna is an extremely wealthy man, and it was quite strange to see his large extended family on an international flight once – they were dressed in regulation clothes but spoke fluent convent English. He started this ex-communication business precisely to put the Reformist Bohra movement on hold, which is what might have happened had Engineer not been such a courageous man.

But my Bohra friends who do not wear the veil or grow beards have to follow these norms when they are visiting places of worship or on certain occasions; I suppose he has softened his stand a bit. I am also sorry to mention that some within the community are not favorably inclined to fight the might of the priesthood.

Hope that answers your questions.

Regards,

Farzana

On a more ‘profound’ note, I will have to turn into a fashion writer to interview Tahmed. These days he is busy holding forth on skin texture and the unguents used to make it beautiful :)

Thanks to Prem (for reminding me of the uphill task ahead to be a better person :)), jntuece99, Ras (where did you get the idea that the Indian establishment has used him?), ylh, freethinker, Ansari, Umer Murtaza (my best? Naturally, someone else is doing the talking!), Harish (you are very kind, though believe it or not, one letter to the editor of the magazine said that I had effectively called off his bluff…I don’t understand such selective ways of reading…true I was prodding him, but I genuinely wanted answers) pmishra2 (for posting the links – I hope those who needed more information will find these helpful)…thanks for trying to understand the man and his work. I will try and provide a few more insights in other posts.

Urstruly (#3): Did you know FV sahiba when you started commenting on her writing? So you don’t need to know who Engineer saab is, just see what he is saying. Shaayad uss baat se takleef hoti hai :)

I am glad I have managed to introduce Asgharali Engineer to Chowk readers, though I assumed many of you would be familiar with his name. I notice that the regular suspects have not made an appearance here, which proves the point that a sensible Muslim is of no use to anyone – not the blabbering Mullahs or the saffron jamboree.

Who is this man? What are his motives? Does he have any credibility? These are questions that have often been put to him and to others who think well of him. I would like to share with you a couple of observations. This interview was not my first with him. I have met him a few times and always returned humbled by his sagacity and his capacity to keep going. My first meeting was at his house, a very simple home. He was gentle and a bit amused by my efforts to play big girl. He spoke about being an outcaste, but not too much. On the way out, his wife accompanied me and held my hand. She looked quite sad and said, “It is not easy.” I wondered how and why a human being must have to cope with the burden of a partner’s ideology. When I told him this time that his wife was upset because she could not attend functions, that it was a very numbing experience to be left out, he replied, “But she stood by me because it was not my self interest. My immediate family was with me. There are instances where close families broke up, children separated. My mother lived separately because she could not face the social boycott, but though she stayed away, she knew I was right and ultimately she said to hell with it and reunited with me.”

And his so-called constituency does not exist. He operates from a small office and there is no special cabin, though I was glad there is a separate room, but people walk in all the time. I would like to assure the readers that he has not reaped too many benefits for himself. I have been a critic of the ‘liberal Muslims’, but he is no film star screeching against mullahs to worm his way into the liberal mind. He speaks with a heavy Indian accent and has been educated in his country. He has no political affiliations, though he certainly has his beliefs. You will not see him at a BJP-organised Iftaar party, unlike those patented vocational liberals.

I call him an Islamic scholar due to his vast knowledge of the scriptures, his attempts to bridge the gap between them and contemporary reality and his genuine religiosity. I may not go by the Book, but the way he puts it, it does appear more spiritual rather than a hackneyed reading of a holy text.

The day I see him driving around in a shiny Merc with a house at Malabar Hill and an office at Nariman Point, giving ten TV interviews saying that his voice is not being heard and provoking people, that will be the day I shall stop listening to him. Until then, he remains among the few people I admire. The fact that this is not a gushing interview proves that you can respect a person deeply and yet ask him uncomfortable questions. This is what discourse is; not what some idiot shrills about from a podium.

Farzana,

A moving conversation that remained both stimulating and intimate. Engineer is a humanist of the first order. His elucidation of several concepts, and seeking to question sincerely rather than knock lethally, the edifice of organised religion is indeed commendable.

I particularly liked his reading that religion becomes fodder for politics because of the innate urge for hegemony. Sounds searingly reminiscent of the principle that necessity once overtaken by greed can morph into exploitative domination.

There of course is little doubt about his courage or his involvement in various humanrights activities at home.

Harish

PS: I was impressed with your questions keeping the flow and tempo of the theme alive. It held the interview from being a political deabate being carried out with another eminent mind.

Reply Glen (?) # 33

``Plz o tulba -e- momin is taleban ISLAM ?.``

They would say so.

``Its like saying Vidhyarthi is hinduism.They both name STUDENT ,u Al-Taliib ,should know you were named one --``

Well, if you want to play semantic games, Islam actually means submission. But when you say Islam do you mean the religion (submission to God) or submission in a more general sense, like in a wrestling match?

``Concentrate on my MESSAGE .``

:-(

You hid it well. Could you give me a hint?

``Just as a hijabi woman wants you to concentrate on her MIND rather than anything else of her .Dont bother what im called .In an Anonymous board its immaterial .``

Arrey phir yeh cross dressing ki baath shuru. Taubah taubah taubah. Doesn`t the Koran Sharif say anything about men who dress up like women?

Zafar

Ref Glen #: 33

[Zafar Al-Talib-------Reply Glen # 11

PS Why did you pick the name Glen? Glen kaun hai? Kam se kam kuchh interesting sa naam chunthe, like Anarkali.

Concentrate on my MESSAGE .Just as a hijabi woman wants you to concentrate on her MIND rather than anything else of her .Dont bother what im called .In an Anonymous board its immaterial]

Glen is just one more nick for the 12-head. Just like Ashok, Sadhna, Studebaker, Bhardwaj, Bijli, etc.

#: 29

Zafar Al-Talib-------Reply Glen # 11

``Why dont we see a islamised version of hinduism in the form of reformed hindu``

``More currently, Hindutva ideology seems like a pretty Talibanised version of Hinduism to me...whether that is an Islamic influence or not, is open to dispute.``]]

Plz o tulba -e- momin is taleban ISLAM ?.Its like saying Vidhyarthi is hinduism.They both name STUDENT ,u Al-Taliib ,should know you were named one --

PS Why did you pick the name Glen? Glen kaun hai? Kam se kam kuchh interesting sa naam chunthe, like Anarkali.

Concentrate on my MESSAGE .Just as a hijabi woman wants you to concentrate on her MIND rather than anything else of her .Dont bother what im called .In an Anonymous board its immaterial .

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DRUMZ #28,

``And for what reason do you list your degrees?????``

hey don`t you know, we can call on Dr. Choonawalla in case someone on Chowk goes into cardiac arrest.

Poonawala #22

``Anyone with even a rudimentary understanding of Islam knows that Kafir means a non Muslim, not somoene ``who does not believe in goodness.``

Forgive me, though I have never read Quran, I also think that what Mr.Engineer says about Kafir is what the Prophet must have meant. Or inverserly, he meant that all those who believes in goodness are Muslims. If we take this into account then even a Hindu, a Christian or a Jew can be a Muslim simultaneously.

Mona

Reply Glen # 11

``Why dont we see a islamised version of hinduism in the form of reformed hindu``

Um...in the past, the Bhakti movement was a response to Islam as practiced by ordinary people (sufi Islam).

More currently, Hindutva ideology seems like a pretty Talibanised version of Hinduism to me...whether that is an Islamic influence or not, is open to dispute.

Zafar

PS Why did you pick the name Glen? Glen kaun hai? Kam se kam kuchh interesting sa naam chunthe, like Anarkali.

If you`re asking WHO this person is and still wondering what Jesus would do if he returned - you`re missin the point.

Poonawala: ``So, Engineer`s credibility is under question when he acts as an Apologist for Islam, rather than honestly confronting and accepting its faults.``

I don`t get the point in attacking his definition of Kaffir. Everyone knows what the word means, his definition is trying to stimulate thought (that he disagrees with islams idea of what a ``kaffir`` is IS OBVIOUS). Where do get the idea that he is not accepting islam`s faults? He has a WISE style. People who say ``anyone who thinks hindus are going to hell is a damn fool`` will not do well with muslims, agree? A reformer must be accepted by those he is reforming. The rest of your post was brilliant.

And for what reason do you list your degrees?????

Farzana: Breathtaking. I have never heard anyone this wise before in my life (The gita and the Quran PALE in comparision to this article-no joke).

Where would we be if Muhammed had this man for a teacher? Damn, Im at a loss for words, this dude understands the spiritual and the rational better then anyone ive ever encountered.

He represents a MOVEMENT embodying the greatest in creation.

``Many people do not know they are suffering.``

The first thing one wants to do when she wakes up is go back to bed...

``I only put humanity above religion.``

Incredible. Farzana, next time u see him say Drumz says wussup!

Dr. poonawala # 22

That is an excellent post. Thank you.