AMANA Vol5 Issue 1 - Apr 2011 - 20th Anniversary Assembly

8/6/2019 AMANA Vol5 Issue 1 - Apr 2011 - 20th Anniversary Assembly

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A M A N A

A n n i v e r s a r yA s s e m b l y

Amana Media Initiative

Volume 5 Issue 1, April 2011

Who is a progressive Muslim?

Regional peace issues and citizens initiative

Youth Vision and Actions for Peace

Fostering inter and intra-faith understanding


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C o n t e n t s

AMANA EAM

Country Coordinators:Abdullah Al Mohiuddin (Bangla-desh)Sohail Ahmed (India)Mr Fanani (Indonesia)

Mohammad Daraweesh (Jordan)Nadeem Fazil Ayaz (Pakistan)Preeda Dangvijitr (Tailand)

Editor: Mariya Salim

Editorial eam:Mohammad Abdus SaburAsghar Ali EngineerDr Chandra MuzaarDr Clarence Dias

Design & Layout :Rudy Hakeem

Cover Photographs:Lance Woodru

AMANA Magazine is published by the Amana Media Initative (Amana) and is part othe AMAN program 'Peace Actions in Asia', unded by Action Aid. Issued every quarter,

AMANA Magaizne is circulated across Aisa in ve languages:English, Bahasa Indonesia, Bengali, Tai and Urdu

For more inormation or to submit articles and pictures,please contact the editor at:

Te Asian Muslim Action Network(AMAN)

Te Amana Media InitiativeHouse 1562/113, Soi 1/1

Mooban Pibul, Pracharaj RoadBang Sue, Bangkok 10800,

Tailand: (+66) 2913-0196

F: (+66) 2913-0197E: [email protected]

www.ar-asia.org/aman

Te views expressed by the writers in this publicationare not necessarily those o

Amana, AMAN or ARF.

Articles in this publication may be reproduced and dis-tributed subject to an appropriate credit annotation.

A PDF version may be downloaded romwww.ar-asia.org/amana

Printers: Active Interprint (Tailand),P Megatama Pressindo (Indonesia),

Digital Graphics(India),UPOKUL (Bangladesh)

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Anniversary Assembly Charts the Future: Report on the Assembly

|6Statement rom the Assembly (Pattani)

|7Chandra Muzaar, Fostering Intra-aith and Inter-aith Understanding inPursuit o World Peace

|9Asghar Ali Engineer, Who is a Progressive Muslim

|10Ali Ahmed Ziauddin, Springtime o Revolutions

|12Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander, Regional Peace Issues and Citizens Ini-tiatives

|14Workshop participants, Women in Armed Conict:Key Issues and Strate-gies or Action or addressing Gender, Peace and Security

|16Workshop participants, Youth Vision and Actions or Peace

|19Asia Pacic Youth Network on Climate Change, Youth role in combatingchallenges o Climate Change


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At this point in history, we have been witnessing divisive-ness and mistrust in society at all levels. Ever-increasinggaps between poor and rich, rural and urban, peripheryand center, majority and minority, extremists and liberals,and South and North pave the way or violence and wars.Millions o people are aected by economic globalization,

poverty, protracted conict, terrorist acts, the arms raceand war. Te Nation State is ailing its own people throughcorruption, incompetence, unjust governance, unequaldistribution o wealth, and indierence towards the plighto tracked women, children, minorities, migrants, reu-gees and people living with HIV/AIDS. Te problems andchallenges are enormous in this multicultural and diverseworld. Tis issue o AMANA provides insights rom theConerence on the theme o Multiculturalism and GlobalPeace.

o address these concerns, rom January 26 to 28, 2011AMAN network members, representatives o partner or-ganizations and invited guests came together on the oc-casion o AMANs 20th Anniversary and 4th Assembly tolook back on what AMAN has achieved and to assess thestrengths and weaknesses o AMAN. Back to back with theAssembly, AMAN organized an International Conerenceon Multiculturalism and Global Peace.

Te venue o the Conerence was Pattani. Southern Tai-land has been experiencing protracted conict and violencesince 2004, resulting in loss o lives and setbacks to devel-opment. Nevertheless, local communities, NGOs, govern-ment institutes, scholars and some international organiza-tions have been engaged in various orms o activities toreduce violence and promote peace and development. Inthe historic city o Pattani, the Conerence provided an op-portunity or both the local and international participants,academics and activists to interact, learn rom each otherand nd ways to promote peace and enhance multi-aithbilateral and multilateral cooperation and solidarity. Tisissue o AMANA provides, insights into the conict inSouthern Tailand and the peace process there, as well as

elsewhere in Asia.

Te Assembly took place afer a year-long process o evalu-ation o the rst 20 years o the existence o AMAN. Teevaluation was primarily undertaken through a process oparticipatory sel-reection on the part o AMAN. In lighto the evaluation two key questions were addressed by theAssembly. How can the AMAN network be strengthenedin responding to uture challenges in serving the greaterUmmah? How can AMAN orge urther interaith andintra-aith cooperation towards global peace? Tis issue

o AMANA also provides inormation about the uturecourse charted by the Assembly in response those two keyquestions.

Te AMAN Assembly applauded the current surge ouprisings o the people, seeking change, in the predomi-nantly Muslim nations, in the Arab and the North Aricanregions. An article, Springtime o Revolutions, in this is-sue o AMANA, provides insights into these struggles or

just and participatory governance. AMAN believes that the

best solution to the crisis will emerge rom within, romthe people themselves within these nations.

Tis editorial provides some personal reections by theSecretary-General o AMAN, to put into historical per-spective the above-mentioned content o this Anniversaryissue o AMAN. AMAN came into existence in the late80s out o the realization that in Asia, though the Muslimpopulation is large in number, there was no orum whereMuslim scholars, philanthropists and social workers couldcome together and share experiences, ideas and express

common concerns.

Given the pluralistic, multi-religious and multicultural re-ality o the World, interaith, intercultural, and inter-ethnicunderstanding and cooperation have been an integral parto AMANs activities. Services and solidarity with vulner-able communities, such as people aected by natural dis-aster, aected by HIV and AIDS, stateless people, reugeesand asylum seekers has been another area o engagementor AMAN and its members.

AMAN is a network o progressive Muslims in Asia, seek-ing to respond in a small way, to the numerous challengesthat the people in the region are acing: ranging rom masspoverty, elite corruption, materialistic lie style, increasingethnic, religious and communal conict, violence againstwomen and children and environmental degradation.

Since Islam embodies eternal values and principles oruth, Justice, Compassion, Freedom and Equality, it isonly right that Muslims seek guidance rom their religionin order to meet the challenges o the times. At the sametime AMAN seeks active collaboration with other aith

communities in order to promote human dignity and so-cial justice.

AMAN has survived and sustained its eorts over the last20 years, and this is a success in itsel. Te challenge orAMAN, as it aces the uture, is to ensure that AMAN re-mains a relevant, eective and meaningul network, notonly or its own sake, but to serve and empower people intheir quest or peace, justice and human dignity.

Editorial

M. Abdus Sabur is Secretary General ofAMAN and the Asian Resource Foundation

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AMANs 20th Anniversary Assembly was held in Pattani, South Tailand, afer severalmonths o planning and ollowing an extensive evaluation exercise involving a year-longprocess. Originally planned or November 2010, the Assembly was held on 26 28 Janu-ary 2011 since oods in South Tailand and the disruption that ollowed, orced a post-ponement.Some two hundred and feen participants came together rom twenty countries, includ-ing AMAN delegates and Council members, program participants, invited scholars, re-searchers, representatives o partner organizations, southern community members, civilsociety organizations and members o the secretariat. A ew representatives rom printand electronic media covered the event. Te Assembly adopted a statement which wascirculated widely.Te AMAN evaluation consisted o national consultations, interviews, written submis-sions, reviews o publications and reports, as well as meetings with the secretariat andprogram team. Te Report o the AMAN evaluation provided the basis or discussions inthe Assembly on uture organizational development o AMAN. Te main lessons learned

rom the evaluation were concretized in a Council meeting held just beore the Assembly.Tis enabled the larger gathering o Assembly to discuss and adopt recommendationsregarding the uture o AMAN.

AnniversaryAssembly Local leadership

Te Assembly was held in South Tailand to express

solidarity with people o the area, whose peaceullives have been severely aected since 2004 due tostrie and violence. A series o planning meetingswere held in Pattani with the College o Islamic Stud-ies, Prince o Songkhla University, local NGOs andcivil society organizations including youth, womenand community in general. Te teams involved inthese discussions maintained a close rapport withlocal government bodies. Tis process ensured thatthe Assembly was not only an event, held at a par-ticular location, but its purpose and objective was to

bring various sectors o public lie on board, together.

Te Assembly plenary sessions

Te Assembly deliberations took place in as many as

seven plenary sessions as well as several thematic work-shops. Proceedings started with an opening plenaryon 26th January which was chaired by Dr. Asghar AliEngineer, Chairman o AMAN. Dr. Yusu alek, Di-rector o the College o Islamic Studies, welcomed allthe delegates and brieed them about the College. Mr.Nipon Narapitakul, Governor o Pattani and Mr. PanuUthairat the Head o SBPAC (Te Southern BorderProvince Administrative Centre) explained the Taigovernment policy and program in the South towardsrestoring peace and sustainable development. Dr. Sri-

sompop Jitpiromsri, the Director o CSCD (Center orthe Study o Conict and Cultural Diversity) gave a voteo thanks on behal o the local organizing committee.

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char t s t he f ut ureWorkshops and Forums around the Assembly

Prior consultations and planning meetings made it possible to hold the ollowing workshops andorums during the Assembly: YoungAsianMuslimWomenLeadershipTrainingWorkshop, SouthernPeoplesForum, ViolenceagainstWomen, RoleofWomeninPeaceBuildinginConictAreas, YouthVisionforPeace, FaithCommunitiesRespondingtoNeedsofVulnerableCommunities:Migrants,

Reugees, Asylum Seekers and HIV Positives,

PeaceProcessesinAceh,Mindanao,ManipurandKashmir,Nepal,andAfghanistan, eStateofPeaceStudiesandPeaceEducationinAsia, RelevanceofIslamicEconomytoEradicationofPoverty, eStateofIslamicEducationinAsia.

Plenary I: Multiculturalism and Global PeaceTis session was chaired by Dr. Fuad Jabali, Dep-uty Director o Islamic State University Jakarta.Dr. Mark amthai, Director o IRCP, Payap, statedthat conceptually, institutionally and operation-ally, multiculturalism provides both principles andmechanisms or building peace in diverse, dividedand conict-ridden societies. While ederalism pro-

vides the guidelines or democratic and participa-tory governance based on the principle o sel ruleand shared rule; multiculturalism is the constitutiveelement o ederalism to acilitate peaceul cohabi-tation in multicultural and plural societies. Tereare many examples o conict resolution and peacebuilding in various countries o the world, wherethe partnership o communities has nurtured unityin diversity. A multicultural society characterizesdiversity and encourages harmony between dier-

ent cultures. Multiculturalism acknowledges theexistence o diverse communities; it cherishes andpromotes cultural diversity and pluralism. Mul-ticulturalism creates a society in which dierentcommunities orge a common identity while retain-ing their respective cultures and identities. Mul-ticulturalism thus also represents a new kind ouniversalism where the people are included in thenation state not only as a member o diverse eth-nic groups, but also with equal rights and duties .

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Plenary V: Women in Conict Zones

Ms. Kiran Bhatia rom UNFPA moderated the ses-sion. Among speakers, Ms. Vahida Nainar gave anoverview o violence against women and respons-es rom womens organization and networks. Ms.Rubiyanti Kholiah shared experiences o wom-ens initiatives in community based peacebuild-ing and Ms. Uzma Mehboob rom Pakistan high-lighted the plight o women in North-WesternWaziristan, Pakistans borderline with Aghanistan.

Plenary VI: Te Quest or Progressive Muslim

Identity and Strategies or Peace

Dr. Chaiwat Satha-Anand, rom Tammasat Univer-sity chaired this session. Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer in-

troduced the topic and explained the core elements oprogressive identity. Progressive identity is symbolizedby the struggle or justice, challenging the oppressivestate structure (the state would consider this act as sub-

versive) and struggles or equality and human dignity.From this perspective interaith cooperation becomes

very important. A single religious community wouldnd it dicult to establish a just society alone. Dr. Chai-wat pointed out that the multiple identity an individualcarries, creates a complex set o multiple relationships

which most people nd dicult to tackle. In many cas-es, the state operates rom a majority chauvinistic bias.

Concluding plenary:Mohammad Abdus Sabur, Secretary General oAMAN, opened the session to receive eedback,impressions and comments particularly romyouth participants. In this session, the Assem-bly Statement was read, discussed and adopted.On behal o the AMAN Council, the Sec-

retary General expressed AMANs commit-ment to ollow-up the important recommenda-tions that had come rom the workshops andplenary sessions, including the concerns expressedby womens groups in the Southern peoples orum.

o mark the occasion AMAN recognized the ollow-ing individuals and organizations or their signicant

contributions to peace; they were awarded with atrophy under the ollowing categories:

Youth1. Mr. ilottam Poudel President JCYCN (JagritiChild and Youth Concern Nepal), Nepal2. Mr Aathi EibnAlaawy Shukour- ormer SecretaryGeneral o the Student Federation o Tailand, Nar-athiwat, Tailand

Faith based organizations1. Mr. Shinichi Noguchi General Secretary, NiwanoPeace Foundation, Japan2. Fr. Tomas Michel ormer Coordinator o theInter-Religious Desk o the Vatican

Peace and Human Rights

1. Kontras, Indonesia2. Odhikar, Bangladesh

Islamic education1. College o Islamic Studies, Prince o Songkhla Uni-versity, Pattani2. Yala Islamic University, Yala

Peace Research

1. Center or the Study o Conict and Cultural Di-versity

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We the AMAN* Anniversary Assembly o2011, rmly believe that the diversity o the cul-tures on Earth today is our strength, which shouldbe nurtured and protected. Diversity gives usidentity and the means to know, respect and cel-ebrate each other, living together in peace.

We are convinced that peace amidst diversity isachievable. But, in a rapidly globalising world, weare also convinced that to make Peace achievable wemust:1. Recognize and respect human dignity2. Acknowledge and celebrate diversity3. Respect the opinions o all without prejudice4. Respect protect and ulll the human rights

o women and o all minorities5. Address the plight o reugees, migrants, and

stateless persons, especially children6. Understand, accept and appreciate our diver-

sity o identities and richness o histories7. Live with one another in harmony and toler-

ance.

We are alarmed by the pandemic o xenophobia andIslamophobia on the one hand and the uncontrolled

growth, on the other hand, o repressive state lawsdealing ostensibly with terrorism or blasphemy, whichare enorced with discrimination and oppression.

We are pleased however, that even as we meet, peo-ple in diverse countries o the Muslim world romunisia to Algeria, rom Egypt to Yemen are raisingprotests against oppressive laws and unequivocallyrejecting dictatorial governments. In ull solidar-ity, we applaud their eorts to bring about positivechange towards just and participatory governance.We rearm that the overriding principle o peace is

justice, with mercy and compassion. It is imperativethat our concept o Justice encompasses the basic hu-man right to a lie ree rom ear, hunger and want.

Te Assembly has been deeply moved by the testi-monies o people, especially women and youth, liv-ing in conict zones. We thereore, call upon all gov-ernments, all power- holders and all stakeholders,

throughout the world, in places where violent con-icts are occurring to:1. Support genuine demilitarization, thus mak

ing available additional resources to meethuman needs.

2. Rehabilitate and rebuild in the areas o con-ict, the inrastructures necessary to sustainlie with dignity and humanity.

3. Empower disadvantaged vulnerable and

excluded communities, especially women,youth, indigenous, displaced and disabledpeoples

4. Promote and monitor eective ceasere andpeace-building agreements and programs inconsultation with women, marginalizedcommunities and other persons/groupsaected by the conict.

5. Restore participatory governance at all levels:international, national and local

6. Establish Commissions o Justice and Rec-onciliation to ensure that a sustainable andlasting peace is built upon the recoveryo truth and the ull provision o justice

7. Build human capacity to realize the above

We meet here in Pattani, in the midst o the people oSouthern Tailand. We have heard their cries o an-guish and their pleas or help. We have also had op-portunity to observe, and learn rom representativeso the government o Tailand, about the develop-

ment initiatives being undertaken in response. Butconict continues unabated, with unacceptable loss ohuman lie and untold human suering, despite suchresponse. More is clearly needed. Tereore, we callupon the government o Tailand: tosecuretheprotectionofallpeoplesofSouthern Tailand, tobringanimmediateendtocontinuingabuses, discriminations and denials and tofullysupporttheentitlementofallpeoples

o Southern Tailand to respect or their identity,cultural diversity, resources and way o lie. Puttingan immediate end to a culture o impunity, is an ab-solute imperative in this regard.

AMAN strongly recommends and ully supports aspeedy and just negotiated settlement o the conictand an immediate cessation o all orms o violence.o that end, AMAN urges: thepeoplesofSouthernailandtoagreeupon and designate their representatives to the peacenegotiations, and thegovernmentofailandtoensurethefullparticipation o such designated representatives insuch peace negotiations.

Statement from the AMAN 20th Anniversary

Assembly, Pattani

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FOSTERING INTRA-FAITH AND INTER-FAITH UN-

DERSTANDING IN PURSUIT OF WORLD PEACEIntra-aith and inter-aith dierences and disputeshave persisted right through history. In itsel, this isnot a cause or grave concern. What distresses us iswhen these disputes lead to intra-aith or inter-aith

violence. Tis paper addresses our concerns: Whydoes violence occur? How can we minimise intra-aith and inter-aith violence and conict? Why is itimportant to minimise these conicts at this juncturein history--- a juncture when we appear to be over-whelmed by colossal global challenges? In the midst othese challenges, what is the role o Islam in articulat-ing and reinorcing a global consciousness anchoredin our common humanity?

Why violence occursIntra-aith violence has to be distinguished rom in-ter-aith violence. A dogmatic approach to text, teach-ing and tradition (3s) augmented by narrow, bigotedattitudes spawned through the centuries appears to bethe driving orce behind this type o extremism. It isbecause such approaches and attitudes are prevalentthat it is easy to arouse passions against another sector doctrinal school within the same religious commu-nity.

Our general description o intra-aith violence actu-ally ts in with Sunni-Shiite conicts in places likePakistan and Iraq. Tere is a tendency among someMuslims to put the blame or such conicts solelyupon oreign elements. Whatever the role o outsideorces, it is worth emphasising that dogmatic, bigotedthinking within the sect or group is the principal un-derlying cause o intra-aith violence.

In the case o inter-aith violence, rigid adherence todogma seems to be less o a culprit. Indeed, aith it-sel--- the nature o ones belie and the personagesand practices associated with it--- has a secondaryrole in what are portrayed in the mass media as inter-aith conicts. More precisely, the Israel-Arab con-ict is not a conict between Jews and Muslims. It is apeoples right to their land, their dispossession and theharsh oppression o the dispossessed that explains theconict. Similarly, the Kashmir conict is not aboutHinduism or Islam. Again, it is about the right o sel-

determination and a peoples struggle to establish theirown identity and autonomy. Te long-drawn conictin Mindanao, in southern Philippines is not so much aght between Christians and Muslims as a conagra-tion that has grown out o the displacement and mar-

ginalisation o a historically rooted community thatresisted both Spanish and American colonialism inthe past and continues to oppose encroachment uponits rights by the elite in Manila today. Te decades oldconict in Sri Lanka between the Sinhalese majorityand the amil minority in the north was essentiallya battle over rights and reedoms between two com-munities which had very little to do with Buddhismor Hinduism as religions.

Tough aith is not a primary actor, religion does getdragged into conicts. Iraq is a good example. Tereal issue was the invasion and occupation o Iraq in2003. But when, on the heels o the invasion, Chris-

tian evangelists rom the US and other parts o theworld moved into Iraq in a big way to propagate theirreligion among the Muslims, groups within the Mus-lim community began to react. ensions heightened.A similar pattern had unolded in Aghanistan ol-lowing the US-led invasion o the country in October2001.

Minimising Intra-aith and Inter-Faith Violence.o reduce intra-aith violence, there has to be a con-

certed, continuous, concentrated endeavour to weanaway the populace rom bigoted, dogmatic notions oreligion. Religious education in a number o Muslimcountries will have to be revamped so that the peren-nial, universal, inclusive values, principles and idealso Islam--- the essence o the aith--- will emerge morestrongly as its dening attributes. Religious teacherswill have to be re-trained to appreciate the nexus be-tween a religious practice and its underlying meaning.Apart rom harnessing the mass media to disseminatea more progressive approach to the religion, mosquesshould also be utilised to the ullest to convey the es-sence o the aith.

What is perceived as inter-aith violence, it is obvious,can only be overcome i the real causes o the conictsthat conront us which, as we have seen, are not re-lated to religion as such are resolved with justice andairness. Since the political actors that matter in theseconicts cannot be expected to orge such solutions---given their interests--- public opinion will have to be

mobilised with greater vigour to compel them to worktowards peace. Te new media, and more importantly,the new generation will have to play a big role in this.

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Dr. Chandra Muzaar is Proessor o Global Studies atUniversitiSains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia, and Pres-ident o the International Movement or a Just World

(JUS).

Regardless o whether bigotry in the case o intra-aith violence and the underlying causes o conictin the case o inter-aith violence are addressed, therewill have to be dialogue within the community andbetween Muslims and people o other religious ali-ations. Intra-Muslim dialogue has not been given theemphasis it deserves. And yet it is perhaps more ur-gent than inter-aith dialogue. Te various sects andschools o thought within the community (ummah)should sit down and discuss their dierences and sim-ilarities in an amicable atmosphere. Tis is a challengethat the Organisation o Islamic Conerence (OIC)should take up. A number o intra-aith dialoguesshould be conducted over a period o time.

As ar as inter-aith dialogue is concerned, Muslimsshould not be araid that it will erode their identityor compromise their religious tenets. Whatever the

motives o some o those who champion inter-aithdialogues may be, Muslims should remember thatthe Noble Quran not only encourages us to know theother but also espouses justice and compassion or allhuman beings, indeed or all creation.

Tere is something else we can do to minimise bothintra and inter-aith violence. We should organisemassive campaigns against violence as a way o set-tling disputes within a religious community and be-

tween religious communities. Te peaceul resolutiono all types o conicts should become the culture othe human race.

Te Importance o this Efort at this Juncture.

Why is it imperative that we combat violence at thisjuncture o our history? Te human race is aced withmonumental crises in almost every sphere o humanexistence. Tese crises--- rom the environmental cri-sis and economic crisis to the crisis o the amily andthe crisis o the individual--- threaten the very survivalo our species. As i these crises were not enough, thenatural calamities that have become more requent inrecent times rom earthquakes to cyclones remind uso our vulnerability and ragility. We are, as it were,at the edge o the precipice. Or, to put it dierently,we are ve minutes to midnight. Te clock is tickingaway. How can we at a time like this remain embroiledin intra-aith and inter-aith squabbles and conicts?How can we kill one another because o some dogmaor doctrine? How can we allow our quarrels over land

and rights to tear us asunder? How can we go onusing violence against each other when our very exist-ence is at stake?

Islam and our Common Humanity

Given the momentous signicance o the hour, thereis no doubt at all that the philosophy embodied in theQuran and mirrored in the lie o Prophet Muham-mad (the Sunnah), has a message or humankind. Tebedrock o Islam, the belie in the one God, in the oneGod o all the universes, o all creation, o the whole ohumankind, oers a sound and stable oundation orunity, the unity o the human amily, the unity o allliving beings. Indeed, the Quran itsel acknowledgesthat All mankind were once one single community( Sura 2: 213). At the same time it celebrates diversitywithin the human amily. It says, Unto every one oyou have We appointed a (dierent) law and way olie. And i God had so willed He could surely havemade you all one single community: but (He willed itotherwise) in order to test you by means o what Hehas vouchsaed unto you. Vie then with one another

in doing good works! Unto God you all must return;and then He will make you truly understand all thaton which you were wont to dier.( Sura 5:48).

It is not just in its view o unity and diversity that theQuran oers valuable guidance to humankind at thispoint in our history. It goes urther and assures us im-plicitly that it is not nationality or tribal aliation orsectarian loyalty or clan solidarity or ancestry or gen-der that matters in the sight o God. Verily, it says,

the noblest o you in the sight o God is the one who ismost deeply conscious o Him. ( Sura 49:13). Tis isstrengthened by the Quranic armation that dignityis the common attribute o all human beings. It says,Now indeed, We have conerred dignity on the chil-dren o Adam ( Sura 17: 70).

Tere is no need to reiterate that the Qurans commit-ment to the unity o humankind and the dignity o thehuman being is a powerul answer to intra-aith andinter-aith antagonisms and animosities. Tis is whywhile the Quran is part o the solution we Muslims, itis sad, are part o the problem.

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WHO IS A PROGRESSIVE MUSLIM?

A progressive Muslim is one who is rmly ground-ed in the Quranic values o truth (haq), justice (adl),compassion (rahmah), wisdom (hikmah) and doesservice to others rather than being served by others.

A progressive Muslim does not believe in sectarian Is-lam (sunni or shiah or Ismaili or Deobandi or Barelvior ahl-e-hadith or sala Islam but rises above all thesesects and gives importance to Quran above every-thing else.A progressive Islam not only does not adopt the sectar-ian approach but is respectul o entire humanity andhuman dignity as per Quran (17:70). He leaves mu-tual dierences, ideological and theological to Allahalone and does not condemn anyone who dierences

rom him/her as kars as ofen sectarian Muslims do.It only widens dierences and intensies conict. Aprogressive Muslim uses, as per Quran, wisdom (hik-mah) and goodly words (mawizat al-Hasanah) in dis-cussion and leaves rest to Allah. He does not try to be

judgemental.A progressive Muslim is least inuenced by person-al prejudices and always gives more importance toknowledge than his opinion. Quran condemns preju-diced opinion (zan) and promotes knowledge (ilm).

Also, openness o mind is a seminal quality and avoidsarrogance born more out o ignorance than knowl-edge. Tose who have little knowledge are more arro-gant and those who have greater degree o knowledgeknow limitations o their own knowledge and hencetend to be humble.A progressive Muslim rst o all studies his/her ownreligion in depth and tries to understand, as objec-tively as possible, the causes o dierences betweendierent religions and shows ull respect or othersbelies. It is those who do not know their own religion,

much less those o others, who condemn religion oothers. Te Quran says, And abuse not those whomthey call upon besides Allah lest, exceeding the limitsthey abuse Allah through ignorance. (6:109). Furtherin this verse Allah says, Tus to everyone people haveWe made their deeds air-seeming; then to their Lordis their return so He will inorm them o what theydid. Tus ultimately it is Allah who will judge. Wehuman beings when we judge, we judge more out oignorance and arrogance o our ego than knowledge

and selessness.Also, a progressive Muslim celebrates diversity sincediversity is a creation o Allah and i Allah desired Hecould have made entire humanity one community.(5:48). Te Quran also says, And o His signs is the

creation o the heavens and the earth and the diversityo your tongues and colours. Surely there are signs inthis or the learned. Tus a progressive Muslim willnever have any prejudice against any language or col-

our o skin or any colour or that matter as these areall creations o Allah.Also, both men and women are creation o Allah andboth need to be treated with same degree o dignity.Allah has created all species in couples and it is neces-sary or survival o all species. No species will surviveunless it is created in couples. Tus eminine o thecouple is as important as masculine and in human be-ings both genders must be treated equally. Moreovergender is a social and cultural construct. Whereas sex

is natural gender is social and cultural.A progressive Muslim knows this very well and treatsboth men and women with equal dignity and believesin giving equal rights to both. And in todays contextgender equality becomes a crucial test or a progres-sive Muslim.Tus a progressive Muslim will give more importanceto Quranic pronouncements o gender equality thaneudal emale servitude and would not consider these[provisions o Shariah laws as eternal and unalterable.A progressive Muslim, thereore, would reconstructShariah laws in this respect and accord equal rightsto women who are also believers. One believer cannotbe superior to another believer. Male superiority is ahuman construct and human construct cannot over-ride divine injunction. Also, unctional dierences i.e.bearing children should not result in distinction o su-perior and inerior.A progressive Muslim would accord seeking knowl-edge highest priority as knowledge has been equatedwith light (nor) and ignorance to darkness (zulmat)

and Allah brings out believers rom darkness to light.And the Prophet (PBUH) has said that a moments re-ection is more important than whole nights worship(ibadat). Tus knowledge has priority over worship.Tus these are the characteristics o a progressiveMuslim and those who imbibe these characteristicswould survive all the challenges o all the times andwould not ace any diculty in keeping pace with thechanging times.

Dr Asghar Ali Engineer is the Chairman of theAsian Muslim Action Network and also leadsthe Indian based institute of Islamic Studies andCentre for Study of Society and Secularism inMumbai

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SPRINGTIME OF

REVOLUTIONS

hats how Hobsbawm, the acclaimed English his-torian described the series o revolutions eruptingacross Europe in late 1840s. A hundred and seventyyears later the Arab world is enguled in a similar

sort o situation, with o course, one major dierence.While none in Europe succeeded in their immediategoals o getting rid o the ruling regimes, some o theArabs have already got rid o their absolutely autocrat-ic, awully inept, brutally oppressive, and extremelycorrupt regimes within a matter o a ew weeks. Yes,some are still holding orth, albeit with exceedingly

violent means. In the post colonial world, most Araband North Arican states seemed encapsulated in timewhere democracy, reedom o expression, or any ac-

countability is considered tantamount to subversion,provoking exemplary punishment.

For long, the ruling regimes o nearly all the states inthe region had evolved three broad governing prin-ciples. First, the destiny o each state was designed tosuit the imperial game plan o the US or the entire re-gion. Second, zero tolerance or those citizens/groupswho disagreed with the rst rule o the game. Tird,providing decent livelihood to the vast majority withsel respect was made secondary to rampant corrup-

tion perpetrated by rank and le o ruling regimes andtheir cronies. As a consequence o these undeclaredprinciples, there was no accountability at any stratao governance. Rhetoric replaced dialogue as the onlymeans o communication between the rulers and theruled, which in reality meant stiing o all dissenting

voices. Tere was also squandering o national wealthby the ruling elite, as they ushered in a culture o gro-tesque consumerism, unconcerned about the need torecreate wealth through reproductive means. Last but

not least, caving in by the ruling elite to the US impe-rial ramework, willingly or under compulsion, com-pletely shattered any national pride.

Tere was nothing to hold on to as a nation. All theseregressive acts by the state created space or ordi-nary citizens to develop deep resentment againstthe state and its repressive apparatus. Te ongoingspate o revolts convey the sentiments o a vast ma-

jority who would rather preer to embark on theroad to an uncharted uture than continue to su-er the ignominy o being treated with utter disdain.

Amidst the raging turmoil one particular phenom-enon has not received much attention yet. All the re-bellious states are predominantly Muslim, but nonehowever at least so ar, have any declared intention ocreating an Iranian type theocratic state. Instead near-ly all the revolutions are clamouring or a democratic,

accountable, and inclusive order. Tis dimension isrelevant in view o radical/militant Islam trying to im-pose itsel all across Muslim states and beyond. Tisoers two very pertinent lessons. One, the widely heldwestern view o Islams incompatibility with modernand secular democracy is proving wrong. wo, autoc-racy in whatever orm, monarchy or otherwise is nolonger accepted as a method o governance across theentire region. It might trigger the collapse o the wholeedice o balance o power in the region, which can

tempt the possibility o a long due drastic change inpower relations and in the wider society at large. Tisin turn will have implications over the role o Islam inthe region and its impact in other Muslim societies.

For centuries beore the European colonization, theentire region o North Arica and the present Arabworld was the prized colony o the Ottoman Empire.Te latter itsel had long declined into inrmity andhad nothing positive to oer either to themselves toor to their colonies. Te First World War rattled theregion rom its long slumber and ushered it into themodern world. However, it was not until several dec-ades later, in the afermath o the oil boom, that moder-nity, in a variety o senses, could make its presence elt.

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Yet, its core essence was still ar away. Although bythe early second hal o the last century the regionwas divided into multiple nation states ruled by selappointed autocrats in whatever garb, tribal loyaltyovershadowed national identity. Since the oil boom,sudden unimaginable liquid assets pushed the key is-sues o governance under the carpet. Moreover, Israeliaggression against the Palestinians in particular, andthe Arab world in general, persuaded ordinary peo-ple o the region to be cautious with their respectivegovernments. But it couldnt be a permanent arrange-ment. Te long pent up rage had to burst at somepoint, and that is exactly what the world has been wit-nessing over the past several weeks.

Conventional wisdom would be tempted to drawpertinent lessons rom these upheavals. How exactlyevents will unold in the near uture is dicult to pre-

dict but the ollowing directions are quite clear. One,eudalism in whatever orm and in whichever soci-ety will be very hard to sell as a civilized method ogovernance in this modern age. wo, national aspira-tion will play a dominant role in mobilizing popularopinion; rather than tribal loyalty. Tree, the ploy oautocrats using Islam as a bogey to suppress popularopinion in and project a mock ght against imperial-ists, will no longer work.

A great opportunity has been created to reorder eachrespective states internal power relations. Hopeullythis will create space or rethinking the entire Islamicramework o relegating non Islamic people as indelsand learning to live with them in peace and harmony,which in other words, could trigger a long due Islamicreormation movement. Finally, recalling the Europe-an experience could be useul. Although the mid 19thcentury revolutions ailed in their immediate objec-tives, they nevertheless compelled most o the statesto bring about drastic reorms in the rules o govern-ance. Within a ew decades o the ailed revolutionsmost European states ushered in drastic reorms thathelped institutionalize democratic practices in stateand society. What Europe is today, is largely the resulto those reorms. Will the Arabs and North Aricansollow the same track?

Ali Ahmed ziauddin rom Dhaka is a researcher and a historical analyst.

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REGIONAL PEACE ISSUES

AND CITIZENS INITIATIVES

Background

he prevalence o peace between the dierent com-munities o Jammu and Kashmir is the need o thehour. Te radicalization and polarization along com-

munal lines in Jammu and Ladakh is a contrast toKashmir which, despite suering the torments o the1947 partition, maintained peace, love and communalharmony; which prompted Mahatma Gandhi to saythat he saw a ray o hope in Kashmir. However, theJamaat e Islami (J-e-I), which calls or the establish-ment o Nizaam e Mustaa and Islamic State, are com-munal, as can be witnessed rom their role in the smallcommunal riots which erupted in Islamabad (Anant-nag) in 1986. Tese riots were alleged to be managedby the Centre to topple Ghulam Muhammad Shahsgovernment. Several o the Pandits were oered shel-ter by many J-e-I activists in their homes. Te Pan-dit exodus with the onset o militancy had more todo with the policies o then Governor Jagmohan thanwith Muslim militants who appealed to pandits timeand again not to leave the valley.

Ladakh and Jammu are dierent ,in every aspect,rom the valley. Ladakh has a Buddhist majorityand Jammu, a Hindu majority. Te Buddhists main-

tained a social boycott o the Muslims o Leh district,which was declared and enorced by Ladakh BuddhistAssociation(LBA) in 1989 and continued till 1992,and witnessed several clashes between Buddhist andMuslim youth, the burning down o several Muslimproperties and homes and even some cases o orcedconversions o Muslims to Buddhism. During theboycott, Buddhists who visited their Muslim riendsor acquaintances or patronized Muslim shops werepenalized by LBA activists, and social, economic and

every other relation between the communities werealmost completely severed. Although now, the rela-tions between the Buddhists and Muslims have im-proved to a certain extent, the atmosphere o suspi-cion remains.

Te Hindus, especially Dogras o Jammu were alwaysagainst the special status o J&K and tried to rob it oits distinct character. Te atmosphere is so commu-nally charged that the Muslims are living under threat

in Jammu and i a resistance leader happens to hold aPress Conerence in Jammu, he/she is attacked by theHindutva goons. Recently, during the 2008 agitation,the Amarnath Sanghrash Smithi held an economicblockade against the Muslims o the Valley and notruck carrying essential supplies was allowed to passthrough the Jammu-Srinagar highway which stran-gulated and choked the Valleys lieline. Some Kash-miri truck drivers were attacked and one was killed bysome anatics. Despite all these provocations in 2008and even in 2010 the Valley remained calm and lakhso Amarnath Yatris perormed their rituals in Peaceand Solace. Te spirit o communal harmony and loveor humanity is still prevalent among Kashmiris de-spite the shameul acts o killings, abuse and arsoncontinuing unabated.

Te communally charged atmosphere still remains,aa do intra-state problems within these three regions.Te rural population is getting more recruitment ingovernment jobs than the urban ones. Also, recently,

a reservation bill or Scheduled ribes(S) was an-nounced which entitled them to 8% reservation inall government jobs, and this S is comprised o onlyHindus, thus uelling resentment among the Muslims,though the syncretic inclusive and pluralistic cultureo Susm and Rishism is still prevalent in each soulo Kashmir, although time and again, politicians andalien invaders have tried to disrupt the same. Somelessons must be learnt rom these cultures.

Te pluralistic Su culture o inclusiveness ails inthe ace o economic interests, national interests andrights o any community

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Tis culture o pluralism and Peace cannot be main-tained in the absence o equality and justice.

Te politics o appeasement can have a negative e-ect on this culture and can communalize the entireatmosphere.

In Kashmir people have lost belie in the peace processand every initiative is looked at with an eye o suspi-cion. In addition to this, justice has not been deliveredand established yet; since thousands o perpetratorso rape, custodial killings, torture and disappearancesare still roaming ree.

Citizens initiatives

Tere is no concrete citizens initiative present in the

valley. In Kashmir only Post Reactive initiatives orPeace are maintained and mostly by the victims oHuman Rights Violations like, Association o Parentso Disappeared Persons (APDP) and certain civil soci-ety groups working or restoration o Human Rights.

Tough the new Right to Inormation Act (RI) is oneo the revolutionary acts implemented which empow-ers people, yet RI activists working in conict areasare threatened and are always vulnerable to the Stateswrath and there are no genuine writers, intellectualsor peace activists working in the eld.

Also, the so called Civil Society in Kashmir is di-vided, between State and the Secessionists. NGOs arealso inamous in Kashmir as more than 3500 exist onpaper, but only ew have displayed consistent work..

rade between the two parts o Kashmir was also ini-tiated to break the ice but the businessmen are re-quently harassed by State and Security Agencies andthey are alleged to be also spying or the enemy na-tion. Tis hampers the easing up o relations betweenthe two Nations as well as the peaceul resolution o

the Kashmir issue.

Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar,Kashmir and can be contacted at [email protected]

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WOMEN IN ARMED CONFLICT:

KEY ISSUES AND STRATEGIES

FOR ACTION FOR ADDRESSING

GENDER, PEACE AND SECURITY

Issues during and/or as a consequence o the conict

Increaseinviolenceagainstwomenandgirlsduetoreligiousfanaticism,oppressionandstructuralinequity

Sexualviolencei.e.massrapeofwomenandgirlsisusedasastrategybyarmedforcestodishonourthe targeted community.

Regressiveactionsandimpositionsbyextremeforcesofreligion,impactontheeducationofgirls,cause mobility restrictions, impede participation o women and girls, impose restrictive dress code,

and silences womens voices and choices. Riseinsectarianviolenceduetosharpeningofminorityidentitiesduringtheconict erisingdrop-outratefromschools,makesyounggirlshighlyvulnerabletosexualabuse,theiruse

in drugs tracking and pornography. Riseinoverallsexualexploitationanddomesticviolencemakingviolenceanormalpartofthecul

ture i.e. normalizing a culture o violence in the society. Violenceisperpetratedbybothstateforcesandnon-stateactorsi.e.insurgents,religiousfanatics,

rebel groups etc. Womensuerthetraumaofpersonallossoffamilymembers,thestigmaofsueringsexualviolence,

the loss o nancial or material standing. Te conict begins at the end o a war when we have to

deal with losing everything. Women run high risk o post traumatic stress disorder. Displacementaninevitable(IDP)consequencesofconictandstressofcopingwithanewenvironment with all its inrastructural discomort and uncertainty.

Everpresentthreatsoffurtherviolencetoself,familyand/orproperty. ereisnojusticeoraccountabilityformanyoftheviolationsandcrimescommittedduringconict

and thus there is a culture o impunity prevailing around conict- related crimes. Oenjusticeforcrimesagainstwomenaresettledbypayingbloodmoneytotherelativeofthesurvi

vor o such crimes; or the crime is condoned because o corruption. Conictleavesbehindmanywidows,half-widowsandorphans. Othermanifestationsoftheconictincluderiseintrackingofwomenandchildren,drugabuse

and HIV/AIDS

Womenareleoutofpeaceandconictresolutionprocessesandnegotiations WomenHumanRightsDefendersandActivistsaretargetedfortheiractivismmakingitdicultto

support women and their issues in high-risk areas. Conictsaresometimesreferredtotraditionalconictresolutionmechanismssuchasthejirgasthat

are male-dominated bodies with an orientation to traditional gender roles reinorcing the genderinequalities.

Te concept of Gender Equality is inherent in Islam. A religious person issubversive and always strives for change for the betterment of the society.

- Asghar Ali Engineer

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Photo by: Lance Woodru


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Assembly workshop Facilitated by: Ms Vahida Nainar & Ms Kiran Bhatia

Strategies and Actions

Workingdirectlywithcommunitywomenaectedbytheconictonissuesofpeace,conicttransformation/resolution and security

Programsandtrainingsforwomensempowermentoneducation,peaceandconictorientation,onHuman Rights, and micro credit or womens economic empowerment.

Initiateprogramsontraumatrainingandtrainingondisastermanagement Inclusionoftrainingoncounselling,advocacyandlobbyingtoprovidepsycho-socialsupportand

raise their issues o concern to the authorities Creationofasafespaceforsupporttosurvivorsofviolence,thatsafelydirectstheexpressionofpain

and trauma Pressuretacticssuchasdemonstrations,rallies,fasting,mobilizingtoprotestviolenceorpicketingto

demand return o abductees, demand or repeal o draconian laws and policies such as Armed ForcesSpecial Powers Act in India.

Formingofformalassociationstodemandjusticesuchaswidowsassociation,disappearedpersonsassociations etc.

UseofinternationalmechanismsuchasthevisitoftheSpecialRapportueronviolenceagainst women.

Policelawsshouldbereformedandupdatedtoensurethattheyaremoresensitiveandresponsiveissues o armed conict and womens interests.

Creationofsolidaritygroupsoutsidetheconictsituationbythosewhomaybeinapositiontopressure the aggressor o the conict situation.

Dialoguewithtraditional/religiousleadersforwomensinclusioninallprocessesofsocietyincludingpeace processes

Createalargerpoolofhumanrightslawyerswillingtotakeupcasesindefenseofwomensrights. Exploreandinstitutealternativejusticemechanismssuchaspeoplestribunal,publichearingsetc. AdoptionoftheprinciplesofUSCR1325onwomensprotectionandparticipationinaNationalAc

tion Plan with a easible implementation policy that could be evaluated and monitored.

Long-erm Strategies

Gender-mainstreaminginallsocialinstitutionsandparticularlyeducation.Haveeortsfordomesticlaw reorm to introduce new laws and prohibitions on conict related crimes and violations againstwomen.

Ensurecompilationanddisseminationofinformationonhowtoaccessjusticeforwomenatalllevels. Introducemorefocusesandimprovedmonitoringandevaluationmechanismstomonitortheposi

tive policies on womens empowerment and inclusion CreationofaGenderSensitivityindex(GSI)asoneofthetoolstomeasuretheHumanDevelopment

Index. Monitor a countys human development index not only in terms o levels o education andhealth; but also in terms o gender sensitive o such programs, policies and institutions.

InclusionofGenderBudgetingforallthegender-relatedprogramsandpolicies. Strengtheningimplementationoflawsandpolicies Workingwithmenandboystowardchangeinattitudeforlong-termpreventionofviolenceandso

cial transormation or gender equality Disaggregatingdataforanalysisofdierentrealitiesformenandwomen,boysandgirls,ethnicity,

location, age, special challenges.

-Submitted by the participants of the workshop-

Te preoccupation with outward appearance s of women is disturbing whenthere are more pressing issues facing the Muslim community such as corruption.

Dr. Chandra Muzzafar

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Youth

Visionand

Actions

forPeace

hree groups were ormed to discuss three questions aboutpeace on the rst day o the youth workshop.

Question 1 What is Peace?

Group I Obedience to the laws o our creator Not just the absence o hostility and suppression but the presence o

justice Fullment o basic needs It is the character o giving

Group II

Itisharmonyamonghumanbeingsandallspeciesandeveryentityin the universe

Innerpeaceandouterpeacearetwosideofsamecoin Respectforhumanrightsmeanspeacebetweencountrieswithin

countries and among peoples Respect is essential Peacewithenvironmentis:ifwedontachieveharmonywiththe

natural world all human peace is demolished Respectforhumanrightssecurespeaceatalllevelsofhumaninter

action Respectmusthaveatotalapproachtowardsrightsi.e.respecting,pro

tecting and ullling in knowledge o our responsible role towardsothers.

Group III Peace is blooming owers Accepting others Unique society, living without, discrimination and in equity Doing good to others and trusting them to do good Respect Peace is the ability to cope with conicts in our selves, tradi

tion and with culture, religion, lie and arts, ideologies, indigenous cultures and minorities

Peace is not merely the absence o conict. It is an essential harmony ound inthe mind and heart o the human and in the course o the universe. I we dontestablish harmony with the natural world, human peace will be prooundly di-minished. Peace in our day must address the alienation o the human commu-nity rom the earth community. Tereore, peace must encompass the insightso the indigenous traditions, minorities and the marginal as well as the insightso those communities that appear to be mainstream and inuential. Peace

must encompass all things and embrace the rights o all who live on the earth.

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Question 2 What are you trying to achieve ?

Goup I Capturing a wide range o ideas o better understand the concept o peace and how to get there

o know about multi-cultural perspectives Building ties Building innovative and creative action plans

Group II o know the best practices in the youth sector Sharing ideas to acilitate common understating Networking with youth groups

GroupIII

Activating the youth potentials Actual best practices Dierent points o view Innovative approaches Story sharing Satiability Creativity

We are trying to put in place a genuine dialogue which respect to the insights, belies and aspira-tions o those who dier rom us, in seemingly irreconcilable and conicting positions. In this,

we will seek our basic humanity in sharing with each other the story o our lives and experiences

Question 3 What are the challenges o peace? Insights?

Group I Sel centeredness, Personal interest

Cultural diversity, i lived too rigidly and not dynamically Ignorance Corruption in media and politics Promotion o violence by the television and lm industry Power struggle Cowardliness Free-market undamentalism and globalization Ideologies Militarization Climate change

Shameless Privatization

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Group II

Dierent kinds o thinking about peace

errorism and extremism Global concerns No legal consistency Vested interests overcoming common concerns Inability to see things as they truly are Indierence Protracted conict, and war. Biodiversity loss and the destruction o orests and ecosystems Un regulated Wall Street speculation Te emphasizing o dierences instead o our common human values and similarities

Group III

Lack o education Reusal o people Political conict Close-mindedness Misuse o power Selsh living Corruption

Obstruction o justice Bad government Unequal distribution o wealth, Peak oil and conicts over resources Undemocratic democracies and nation states owned by multinational corporations.

Peace is most challenged by conicts rooted in the inability to see things as they truly are. Dis-tortions o sel interest and corporate power cloud our sense o a common humanity and disg-

ure both our common inheritance and our shared destiny. Tereore our task is to resolve ourpersonal distortions in order to engage in healing the conicts ound in the world.

Facilitated by Dr.Yunis Yasin

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Youth role in combating challenges

of Climate ChangeAsia-Pacific Youth network on Climate Change

Introductory Background

Questions, responses and explanations helped clear up some ideas around the issue o human intererencewith the global atmosphere. Carbon cycle and the emission o greenhouse gases were discussed. One outcomewas that the climate and the global environment represent a ragile Balance and are perpetuated in Cycles. TeBalances must be maintained and the Cycle is supposed to ow uninterruptedly. Otherwise Imbalances willlead to catastrophes, scarcity o ood, water and other resources ofen resulting in conict and mass migration.

Tree main causes o climate change.

1- A harmul agriculture, industry and ood sys-tem is accounting or 40 % o global greenhouse gasemissions. Tis system is addicted to ever-increasingamounts o uel and chemicals which are harmul tohumans and the natural environment. Te produc-tion o articial ertilizers and chemical pesticides, it-sel, requires huge amounts o energy. ransportationinto ar away countries, processing, distribution andrerigeration consume a lot o energy depriving us oossil uels. Te soil gets deprived o its micronutri-ents, worms and microorganisms and while growingamounts o chemical ertilizers are applied; the yieldsdecrease. Unsustainable hybrid seeds and geneticallymodied crops (GMOs) consume huge amounts owater or irrigation. As a consequence the ground-water table alls and more powerul pumps must be

employed which require more energy. Chemical andpharmaceutical industries alsely promote GMOs asthe solution to hunger and Climate Change. I ob-served in more detail it becomes clear that they wouldurther worsen the situation in many ways. Troughthe employment o monocultures and chemicals, thesoil releases its carbon content into the atmosphereand gets vulnerable to soil erosion. More compact soilis handled with bigger machinery, needing more uels.

2- Deorestation and unsustainable meat pro-duction account or approximately a third o all GreenHouse Gases (GHGs). Plants and trees and oreststake up carbon in their cell structure which is released(and also released rom the organic matter in the soil)when trees are elled or burned and land orests con-

verted into unsustainable monoculture arms or cattleground or grazing.

3- Fossil uels or energy production mostlyor use in urban areas, industry and transport. Oil,gas, coal and nuclear power are considered ossil u-els since they are extracted rom deep underground.Tese energies cannot, under any circumstances becalled, and promoted as clean energies;as is touted re-garding clean coal and nuclear energy, by their respec-

tive industries who claim to be climate-riendly.Since the carbon in the atmosphere has to be reduceddramatically; these technologies have to be aban-doned and replaced. Nuclear energy must be aban-doned or many other reasons. Tis technologyis undamentally awed. A major attempt has beenmade by developed countries to dump atomic reac-tors and wastes into developing countries since theyhave shown their ineciency and problematic nature.

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John Brinkman emphasized that the atmosphere andbiodiversity should be protected and preserved notonly or the sake to sustain our lives but because othe reverence or lie itsel , sacredness o nature, itsbeauty and inherent value.

Important is a broad education on the causes o Cli-mate Chaos acknowledging that it is the result o hu-man misbehaviour and intentional political indier-ence o Western countries. Europe and USA emittedmost o the GHGs and caused Climate Chaos whileSouthern and developing countries suer the gravestconsequences. Tis leads to the idea o climate debtthat developed countries owe to the developing ones.

Tis debt should be repaid by providing nancialmechanisms to enable the worldwide shif to renew-able energies such as solar, wind, micro-hydro, geo-thermal and tidal energy and biomass. An immediatetranser o the most ecient technologies to develop-ing countries should be acilitated. Large scale hydro-power, in the orm o big dams must be excluded.

Reforestation including ruit, nut and medicinal treesshould be promoted and implemented in rural and

urban areas. Tis could be integrated in religious cel-ebrations or or celebration o lie, when children areborn, or a young couple gets married, and why notplant trees instead o cutting them or Christmas?.Forests must be protected and religious and youthmovements could each play their role.

Bio-diverse Organic Farmingshould replace industrialchemical agriculture and monocultures. Combiningtraditional arming methods with modern knowledgeand research in the eld o small-scale, bio-diverseand sustainable amily/community arming is an pri-ority option. Soils could be restored (with compostand mulch), biodiversity enhanced, millions o jobscreated, climate change mitigated, local economiesre-established and human health beneted all by asingle means. Since politicians keep silenct on thismaniold solution (or are ignorant about it) the topicmust be vigorously pushed orward into the public de-bate. Movements are gaining momentum all aroundthe globe to deend our right to healthy local ood.

Farmers must be trained in organic agriculture andyouth educated about their consumer behaviour andthe health benets o organically grown oods. Tisbecomes especially interesting against the

background o peak oil. In the near-term scenario, oilsupplies are in decline because o the end o cheap oil(oil easy to extract) and growing demand or energy.Tis will lead to a dramatic increase in the price o oilprice over the next two decades, resulting in higherood prices as well. Te only viable alternative seemsto be sel reliance with locally-grown organic oodsand tree crops. Te peak oil thread has given the im-pulse or a worldwide, growing movement o townsstriving or resilience.

ransition owns strive to get independent o ossiluels, to withstand the economic shocks o uctuatingoil prices. ransition towns try to integrate all dier-

ent approaches which revive the local economy, cre-ate jobs and lower GHG emissions by implementingrenewable energies, agro-orestry , organic armingand, nally, strengthening the circulation o the localmoney supply by using complementary, regional orlocal currencies. Young open minded representativeso various media should be invited to discuss all thesetopics on a regular basis, and to raise concern overthe matter. Inspiration can be drawn rom many anddiverse sources:

www.transcend.orgwww.sustainablepeace.orgwww.transitiontowns.orgwww.transitionnetwork.orgwww.uturepolicy.orgwww.navdanya.orgwww.sekem.orgwww.rightlivelihood.org

Promoting awareness and climate-riendly solutions

Facilitated byDr. Yunus Yasin and John Brinkman

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L e t t e r s t ot h e E d i t o r

Dear Editor,

I have seen many reugees in Aceh while working with NGOs,however, I realized that the Acehnese situation was not as badwhen compared to that o Tailand.

I met a couple who had lef their homeland to save their mar-riage, because their culture did not allow a marriage based onlove. Being illegal in a oreign country is a serious problem spe-cially i the amilies have children with no citizenship. Tanks toNGOs, like AMAN, which assist them in rebuilding their newlie in whatever way possible. Tere may be many reasons orthese people to leave their own countries, however, we shouldnot orget that they are also human beings with rights anddreams o a bright uture or their children.

Firghana Alya

Aceh,indonesia

Dear Editor,Tis letter is about the article 'Asylum Seekers and their Quest or Survival inTailand' published in the last issue o AMANA. Te article made me experi-ence the insecurities and vulnerabilities o people without an 'identity'. Te

article reverberates with the sentiment that 'we are not doing enough' and vi-cariously makes a orceul call or inclusion o the hitherto excluded asylumseekers into the mainstream. Also, the assistance that AMAN is trying to giveto these people is very praiseworthy and may many more like and kind-heart-ed individuals join you in this noble mission.

Satya PrasoonKolkata, India

Dear Editor,

In the past month I have met a number o reugees and asylum seekers in Bangkok and afer speaking to them, I have been distressed at the situationthey are in. I hope students and amilies in Bangkok read this particular issue o AMANA and try and join hands in helping these amilies who eetheir homeland in search o a better lie and with a lot o expectations which were never ullled.

Asma SaleaPattani, Tailand

E V E N T S

Te 2nd Young Asian Muslim Womens Lead-ership raining Workshop took place in Nongchok Tailand rom the 20th to the 23rd o De-cember 2011.Te workshop saw participation rom partici-pants, rom nine dierent countries in Asia.

Participants came rom Aghanistan, Bangla-desh, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Srilanka, Kyrgyz republic and Iran.

Te 7th School o Peace Studies 20115th - 27th April, Nong Chok Tailand. wenty

Six participants rom thirteen countries acrossAsia participated in the peace school this year.

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Readers are welcome to send comments. Letters to the Editor will be published in the

next issue. You may write to the Editor at [email protected]


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Te Amana Media Initiative (Amana) is a broad-based media projectcommitted to promoting greater understanding and peace within Muslimcommunities, between aiths and among various cultural communities in Asia.Amana means trust, stemming rom aman, the Arabic word or peace.Amana was ounded in April 2005 by the Asian Resource Foundation (ARF)and the Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN). Te ARF supports holisticdevelopment by building awareness to mobilise and share resources in orderto help marginalised groups in Asia. AMAN aims to build understandingand solidarity among Muslims and other aith communities in Asia towardspeoples empowerment, human rights, justice and peace.With over 1500 members, Amanas network spans Asia and is coordinated

rom Bangkok, Tailand.

Publications: AMANA Magazine, Amana news online, Amana website(www.ar-asia.org/amana)

Focus: Islam and peace, interaith partnerships, development initiatives,human rights, gender and peace

Further inormation about the Amana Media Initiative is available atwww.ar-asia.org/amana

Documents

AMANA Vol5 Issue 1 - Apr 2011 - 20th Anniversary Assembly