Andhra politics

Excerpt on open source intelligence; as reported by the House Armed Services Committee]

SEC. 931. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE STRATEGY FOR OPEN-SOURCE INTELLIGENCE.
(a) Findings- Congress makes the following findings:

(1) Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is intelligence that is produced from publicly available information collected, exploited, and disseminated in a timely manner to an appropriate audience for the purpose of addressing a specific intelligence requirement.

(2) With the Information Revolution, the amount, significance, and accessibility of open-source information has exploded, but the Intelligence Community has not expanded its exploitation efforts and systems to produce open-source intelligence.

(3) The production of open-source intelligence is a valuable intelligence discipline that must be integrated in the intelligence cycle to ensure that United States policymakers are fully and completely informed.

(4) The dissemination and use of validated open-source intelligence inherently enables information sharing as it is produced without the use of sensitive sources and methods. Open-source intelligence products can be shared with the American public and foreign allies because of its unclassified nature.

(5) The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, in its Final Report released on July 22, 2004, identified shortfalls in the ability of the United States to employ all-source intelligence, a large component of which is open-source intelligence.

(6) The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-458) advocates for coordination of the collection, analysis, production, and dissemination of open-source intelligence.

(7) The Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction, in its report to the President released on March 31, 2005, found `that the need for exploiting open-source material is greater now than ever before,’ but that `the Intelligence Community’s open source programs have not expanded commensurate with either the increase in available information or with the growing importance of open source data to today’s problems’.

(b) Strategy for Open-Source Intelligence-

(1) DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGY- The Secretary of Defense shall develop a strategy, to be known as the `Strategy for Open-Source Intelligence’, to be incorporated within the larger military intelligence strategy, for the purpose of integrating open-source intelligence into the military intelligence cycle.

(2) SUBMISSION- The Secretary shall submit the Strategy for Open-Source Intelligence to Congress not later than January 31, 2006.

(3) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED- The Strategy for Open-Source Intelligence shall include the following:

(A) An investment strategy for the development of a robust open-source intelligence capability, with particular emphasis on exploitation and dissemination.

(B) A description of how management of open-source intelligence collection is currently performed at the Department level and how it can be improved in the future.

(C) A description of the tools, systems, centers, personnel, and procedures that will be used to perform open-source intelligence tasking, collection, exploitation, and dissemination.

(D) A description of proven tradecraft for effective open-source intelligence exploitation, to include consideration of operational security.

(E) A detailed description on how open-source intelligence will be fused with all other intelligence sources across the Department of Defense.

(F) A description of open-source intelligence training plan and guidance for Department of Defense and service intelligence personnel.

(G) A plan to incorporate the open-source intelligence oversight function into the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence and into service intelligence organizations.

(H) A plan to incorporate and identify an open-source intelligence specialty into Department and service personnel systems.

(I) A plan to use reserve component intelligence personnel to augment and support the open-source intelligence mission.

(J) A plan for the use of the Open-Source Information System for the purpose of exploitation and dissemination.

House Report 109-89 on HR 1815

SECTION 931–DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE STRATEGY FOR OPEN-SOURCE INTELLIGENCE
This section would direct the Secretary of Defense to create and submit to Congress a strategy for the use of open-source intelligence by January 31, 2006. The strategy would have 10 components focusing on application of open-source intelligence in the intelligence process, as well as associated management, training, and personnel issues.

The vote in France on May 29 rejecting the referendum proposing approval of the European Constitution has brought to the surface divergent interests within the European Union that are likely to stall the drive of its political class to transform it into a regional power bloc able to counterbalance the United States, negotiate with other regional economic power centers — most notably China — from a more advantageous position, and develop over the long term a single comprehensive foreign policy.

Through a large turnout of 71 percent of voters who turned down the constitution by a margin of 54.87 percent to 45.13 percent, the French public sent their national leaders and the elites in Brussels a message that they had failed to accommodate interests that are threatened by further European integration along the lines laid down by the constitution.

The diverse coalition that defeated the referendum included left socialists and communists, anti-globalization groups, Catholic traditionalists and ultra-nationalists who were brought together by common opposition rather than a positive program. The left, along with the trade unions, feared the weakening of the French welfare state under the provisions of the constitution calling for a competitive Europe-wide internal market, job loss to low-wage Eastern European countries and increased immigration of cheap labor. The religious traditionalists objected to the absence of reference to Europe’s Christian cultural roots in the constitution. The right was concerned with the loss of national sovereignty to a European “super-state” and the eventual incorporation of Muslim Turkey into the Union.

Opposition to the constitution extended to all segments of the voting public; only voters over age 65 gave majority approval to the referendum’s proposition. Rejectionist sentiment was highest in rural areas, among the working class and, in a surprise to the political class, among youth, who had been thought to have been socialized into a “European” perspective.

Europe: Community or Power Bloc?

Despite the varied interests composing opposition to the constitution, the major trigger for the referendum’s defeat was the recent expansion of the Union to include the post-Soviet states of Eastern Europe and plans to continue that expansion through Southeastern Europe and into Turkey and perhaps the states of the Caucasus.

From the viewpoint of Western Europe’s political class, the emerging multipolar configuration of world politics, coupled with globalized market capitalism, requires that the Union extend its territorial boundaries as far as possible and build an economy capable of competing on an advantageous footing with other regional power centers. Fulfilling those requirements means that the “social model” of continental Western European states will have to be pared down in favor of market efficiencies, multiculturalism will have to be embraced and national sovereignty over economic, security, social and foreign policy will have to be slowly ceded to European institutions.

Buried under the inflated rhetoric of all sides in the debate preceding the referendum is the fact that in itself the constitution is only a small, though necessary, step in the direction of realizing the geostrategic and geoeconomic aims of Europe’s political class. The 448 articles of the document mainly aggregate provisions in treaties that already constitute the E.U. under a single structure, which becomes the framework for substantive moves toward integration in the future that will not have to be negotiated in treaties, although action on central issues such as tax, social security, defense and foreign policy will still require the approval of all member states.

In light of the modest advances in European integration codified in the constitution, its primary function is to set the stage for further developments rather than to institute significant changes. It is not the contents of the constitution that spurred opposition to it in France, but the sense that greater formalization of the Union would mark a turning point, after which its march toward becoming a power bloc would be irreversible and the post-World War II European “social contract,” which traded popular acceptance of capitalism for a welfare state, would be broken, spelling the end of the European “community” as a distinctive set of social arrangements that was envisioned by the core of Western European states that initiated the process of European integration.

It was inevitable that at some time along the road to integration, interests of protected and privileged populations in Western Europe would come into conflict with the interests in economic development of Eastern Europe and the geostrategy of the Western European political class. The French referendum marks that moment, ushering in a period of uncertainty in which conflicts between forces backing neo-liberal “reform” and regionalism, and those supporting the “social model” and nationalism will crystallize and intensify throughout Western Europe.

The Bottom Line

The defeat of the referendum on the European constitution in France reveals that the drive of the Western European political class to transform the E.U. into a power bloc has, at least in the short term, reached its limits. Further progress toward European integration depends upon resolving difficult economic, social and cultural issues that will have to be addressed within national political systems rather than on a Europe-wide level. The E.U. will remain a major player in global politics, but its momentum towards consolidating power has decreased in the medium term.

Report Drafted By:
Dr. Michael A. Weinstein

The Power and Interest News Report (PINR) is an independent organization that utilizes open source intelligence to provide conflict analysis services in the context of international relations. PINR approaches a subject based upon the powers and interests involved, leaving the moral judgments to the reader.

It appears that India and Pakistan are inching toward bridging the perceptional gap as new ideas and concepts are being put forward to replace old stance and policies, is promising sign between both countries. However, many people are still skeptical about the success of ongoing peace process as continued violence remains challenging factor for both sides to address. However, both sides are apparently trying play down these acts of violence and difference over basic issues like Kashmir’s centrality and cross-border infiltration.

But positive developments also suggesting being optimistic about the success of peace process as new proposals are being floated that generate hope and optimism in moving to the direction of resolving the issue. Pervez Mushraf seem to be convinced with progress he is making, and seems optimistic to resolve issue during his and Manmohn Sigh period as he emphasized to resolve during his tenure because no one can anticipate what factor can derail the whole process if we waited.

Mushraf’s shift in his approach indicates that Pakistan is taking realistic position over the conflict as first time he signaled to drop the UN resolution and find mid-way to solve the problem. Though his comments earlier had drawn mixed reaction domestically and internationally. Mushraf flexibility over Kashmir was widely appreciated abroad but domestically political opponents have called it u turn and betrayal to Kashmir cause. The fact is that for last few decades in Pakistan every single political observer and academic have criticized government policies on Kashmir and suggested to find solution with India to secure Pakistan than making rhetoric to capture Kashmir that can result into the colossal economic or territorial loss of country. There was hardly any liberal political analyst, politicians and academic who has not criticized Pakistan’s Kashmir policy and asked military establishment to end ad hocism and usher new era with India, accepting the geo-economic reality of India as big power than Pakistan.

The erratic policy of not accepting India’s geo-political place in world politics was self-annihilation and self-deception. Such policies represent nothing more than deceptive thinking and illusion. There has always been perceptional gap between military establishment and political governments in Pakistan over Kashmir policy, and they have explicitly been displaying disagreement over the policy but owing to the non-democratic culture and practice no political debate or discussion could generate or allowed to take place to force the policy makers to change. But thanks to the post 9/11 scenario that has contributed to herald era of gradual change among the Muslim world where this culture was prohibited and also contributed in Islamabad’s longstanding strategy to maintain the anti-Indian policy over Kashmir. But shrinking political support to the extremism and fundamentalism ultimately paved the way for present change in Islamabad policies toward India.

The change is visible as Pakistan president Pervez Mushraf made first reference to drop UN resolutions and find middle path. The fact is that UN resolutions could never invoke any political interest in any nation for last five decades and practically had no meaning except for domestic political consumption we frequently hear when political change within Pakistan was meant. But Mushraf’s such call even failed to generate any interest from Indian counterpart while it certainly provided anti-Mushraf political opponent’s grounds to politically malign him calling it betray to Kashmir cause and Kashmir sacrifices. To some extent they were justified since no political government was allowed to deal over Kashmir and any deal to improve relations drew adverse reaction from military establishment that maligned them and even punished them by ousting from power. But politics has no firm rules as national interests and international political realities dictates countries to rearrange and readjust with the changing global scenario to better serve the country’s interest.

As Mushraf moderation on external front was equally being treated with suspicion and skepticism since his past villain role had created deep suspicion in Indian circles, reluctant to reconcile with his new tone and tenor. But Mushraf’s seemed to be focused to restore his image and trust in Indian circles with his moderate views and MCBs he initiated and implemented to give peace process a chance to overcome the past bitter memories of Kargil and other proxy extremist’s attacks on Indian parliament had left in Indian politics regarding Mushraf. The agreement of starting Bus service between srinagar and Muzaffarabad helped both sides to move forward from their entrenched positions and allowing people to people interaction further contributing to strengthen the understanding and peace initiatives.

The shift in Pakistan‘s perception and preconceived views that they would never accept political reality of Indian power and role, and equating itself with Indian military and economic power was major obstacle in reconciling to the fact. But present engagement appears to be helpful in many ways as Islamabad is not only showing flexibility over Kashmir issue and Mushraf’s new statement of entertaining Indian secular sensitivities in terms of redrawing borders and hinted to find such solution which is not affecting positions of both countries and acceptable for both and Kashmiri’s as well, has added new dimension to the present perspectives, and stimulates new thinking and discourse between two nations.

This Mushraf’s new proposal has added new dimension to present perspectives invites greater attention of all circles to weigh all options which could yield better results. The other positive development can be seen in Islamabad’s attitude that it is no longer shy of accepting India’s political place in world politics. As a matter of fact India’s growing geo-strategic and economic muscles attracting world powers to build partnership with it. India as a world’s largest democracy with the sustainable pace of economic growth with its growing software market and skill with second largest world population in South Asia on the one hand fascinated world powers and on the other hand it has forced its rival China to mend fences with it and now preparing for joint military exercises that leaves little option for Pakistan to except to increase its economic and political relations with India. While Pakistan is still at the cross-road of proving as viable state whose viability is still being questioned internationally and internally after six decades of its creation irrespective of what Shaukat Aziz is projecting its economic growth and role.

But Pakistan’s relations with India can only flourish when Pakistan realistically position itself and sincerely seek its solution in the larger interest of people, its approach must be people centric as land centric approach has failed to yield any results.

Whether Pervez Mushraf has spoken out of his heart and mind while threw new proposals during his address with SAMFA conference, referred three views. As he pleaded that redrawing of borders are not acceptable to India, LOC as permanent border is not acceptable to Pakistan, and making borders irrelevant is the only option to dwell upon. He has elaborated first time the vague reference he had made during his recent visit to New Delhi. Now he seems to be willing to entertain Indian sensitivities regarding redrawing of borders along religious basis. He is willing to find other solution which does not hurt either’s ego or interes. As Islamabad’s reservations regarding accepting LOC lies in its ego So Mushraf sees only third view making borders irrelevant can provide the basis for all parties. As he further advanced argument in his defense that third view also accommodates third opinion as some groups want to see state independent and idea of grating self-rule to the regions and demilitarization of Kashmir is closer to that. His new approach generates hope to bridge up the perceptional gap and giving up preconceived ideas and making new paradigm of dealing with each other as partner not enemy.

The concept of enemy in Pakistan has badly been misused to feed self-serving agenda depicting India as no.1 enemy that is seeking destruction and annihilation of Pakistan. While entire Army structure is based on anti-India and anti-Hindu hatred and its destruction whose hypocrisy and cowardness was made the basic principle of training of Pakistan Army. Time has come to dismantle such distorted images and histories have been created to support particular opinions to serve vested interests of Army and religious nexus by demonizing India.

Present Mushraf new moves rational deserve serious attention from all quarters sincerely looking for to overcome the longstanding barriers that seriously undermined the political and economical potential existed for the common welfare and betterment of people of this region in both countries. Now if move has come from military sector, which has been major obstacle in normalization of relations, that holds the key to open the political channels and can do the business with India whether political or economical now seems keen to soften its image by giving new dimension to the problem.

Today, in Pakistan debate should centered on Mushraf’s new policy rational he is advancing over Kashmir whether are right or wrong, whether in the larger interest of country or not, instead of debating regarding his constitutional legitimacy and democratic mandate. Because opposition shouldn’t dwell on personal agendas and political leadership in Pakistan must keep its horizon broaden so that present initiatives on Kashmir shouldn’t once again become hostage of their internal differences. And if Pervez Mushraf is sincere in the transforming relationship into meaningful engagement with India it must try to generate consensus by involving genuine political leadership of Pakistan to seek endorsement his vision and policies. It must not act unilaterally and rebuff every democratic approach because it will weaken such efforts despite the fact that Mushraf would manage and prevail to sideline all his opponents as long as military commanders are at his back. But ultimate future of every country lies in the hands of politicians no matter how long Pakistan takes to democratization of the country.

Mushraf’s present shift was long due change in Pakistan’s stance and politics which is an effort to redefine its role internationally and relationship with its neighbors in changed international scenario.

Kashmiri leadership. Another important factor should not be ignored because past practices in Pakistan have been contradictory to their claims in terms of Kashmiri aspirations and leadership. And now President Mushraf shouldn’t follow the footsteps of his predecessors whose legacies and path he is trying to leave behind with his new vision and initiatives over Kashmir. His efforts must accompany with genuine and sincere efforts to take all Kashmiri schools of opinion into account if he is sincerely seeking lasting solution. It mustn’t indulge into the act of predetermination of leadership that can cause serious differences and undermine the whole process. This is the time that Islamabad should learn from the history because such unrealistic policies had largely failed in pre-partition and in early post partition period when Muslim league leadership tried to ditch Sheikh Abdullah’s leadership by siding with maharajah and projecting Ch.Ghulam Abbas but resulted into the total failure to undermine Sheikh’s popularity and credibility. And its present policy of projecting some of its proxy political groups can fireback when question of their legitimacy was put to the test of vote, and Pakistan’s own claim and credibility will be under serious challenge. It must respect the aspirations of Kashmiri and should act as sympathizer than the custodian and not dictate to who they follow. Because whenever these groups’ claims were put to the vote they would have to prove their political representation in Indian administered Kashmir not in Azad Kashmir where every one is forced to parade in front of PTV camera when Mushraf sb needs to say that he has support from Kashmiri leaders.

The visit of Kashmiri’s and Kashmiri leaders is good sign and vital in CBMs but right to determine the leadership, rights better should rest with the people of Kashmir not with the GHQ, as they are accustomed of making and breaking of leaders in Pakistan. And present President Pevez Mushraf’s utterances to proroject hurryat groups and other individuals as sole representatives of Kashmiri’s are not barely close to the ground realities. The people and world community of very well aware of political ground realities of Kashmir, and these groups political handicaps of failing to reaching out to common Kashmir within short distance of valley is visible as they lack representation from all other faiths and regions Jammu and Ladakh where people hardly aware of them. So personal liking and disliking of GHQ must not be the criteria of Kashmiri leadership and should not prevail when serious political dialogues are underway to determine the future of 14 million people.

Liaquat Bagh rallies should not hold to prove their credibility because much larger such rallies and receptions were accorded to Sheikh Abdullah’s and Farooq Abdullah but failed to change their views.

People in Pakistan open to go to welcome even if Advani is allowed to hold rally can attract much larger crowed than proposed Kashmiri’ groups. The rejection of one groups led by Ali Gilani is part of political strategy to keep other option open. So such political maneuverings can only lead to create suspicion and skepticism. There is no doubt that pro-Pakistan leadership in azad Kashmir will ostensibly heed every Islamabad directive whether it is regarding hurryat or solution of Kashmir as they wish not to confront to be sidelined from power corridor but existing disparities between Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan administered Azad Kashmir and Indian administered Kashmir cannot end unless political initiatives are taken in this side to address the people grievances. Mushraf’s pain for Indian administered

Kashmir should be demonstrated in the areas under its control too.

Mushraf’s third option can provide basis for the solution as Manmohn Singh has signaled but if his approach is not selected to only Indian parts and he shouldn’t sweep under the carpet when question of Pakistan controlled parts comes.

Mumtaz khan

Toronto

The author is vice-Chairman of international Kashmir Alliance-IKA

Mumtazkhan88@yahoo.com

Kancheepuram, May 30: A warrant was issued this evening by a court
here to arrest renowned columnist and chartered accountant, S
Gurumurthy, in connection with the articles written by him on the
Sankararaman murder case.

Judicial Magistrate-I G Uthamaraj issued the warrant, S Thyagarajan,
Public Prosecutor in the case, said here tonight.

The arrest warrant had been handed over to the Vishnu Kanchi station
police inspector, Mohanavelu and accordingly, Gurumurthy, of the
Swadeshi Jagran Manch, would have to be produced before the magistrate
by June six.

The investigating team, which questioned him here some months back,
felt that he had some truths that could lead to more information on
the murder case, which took place on Sept.3 last year.

The sankaracharyas of Kanchi mutt, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi and his
deputy, Vijayendra Saraswathi, are, among the accused, in the case.
(Agencies)

Published: Monday, May 30, 2005
http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID=%7B5DD85D39-219F-431D-AA95-C9D5C3B0C990%7D&CATEGORYNAME=Chennai

JERUSALEM VIEWPOINTS

No. 531 23 Iyar 5765 / 1 June 2005
What Drives Saudi Arabia to Persist in Terrorist Financing?
Al-Jihad bi-al-Mal - Financial Jihad Against the Infidels

Lt. Col. Jonathan D. Halevi

The U.S. offensive against terrorism has succeeded in reducing the extent of
global terrorism. However, under the surface, the financial channels that
are
the arteries of radical Islamic movements from Hamas to the Chechens
continue
to operate. U.S. pressure has managed to force Islamic financiers to alter
their pattern of operations, but the substance of their support persists -
in
a financial jihad that backs the wider global jihad against the infidels.

Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states remain the most significant source of
funds
flowing to the Islamist movements. New documents found at “charitable
foundations” linked to Hamas, as well as a careful examination of the
Palestinian press, indicate a continuing flow of funds directly from
official
Saudi organizations to these foundations, which were declared by both Israel
and the U.S. as terrorist organizations.

Palestinian Authority officials recently confirmed that Saudi Arabia
continues
to fund charitable foundations controlled by Hamas. The World Assembly for
Muslim Youth (WAMY) and the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO)
are active in transferring these funds. Captured documents show that the
Saudi
charity al-Haramain transferred funds to the al-Quran and a-Sunna Society in
Qalqilia in August 2003 - almost two months after President George W. Bush
announced in a summit meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, that he had
assurances from Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Abdullah and other Arab leaders
that they would halt all financial assistance to terrorist organizations.

In a later captured document, dated 8 February 2004, the Hamas-linked Idhna
foundation in the Hebron area thanked al-Haramain for its assistance. The
chairman of the al-Haramain administrative council was the Saudi Minister of
Islamic Affairs, a member of the Saudi cabinet.

The financial support funneled to Hamas charitable societies under the
heading
of “humanitarian aid to the needy” is part of a financial jihad, subsidizing
the military operations of the terrorist group. The Hamas civilian
infrastructure is comprised of economic, educational, and social
institutions
that serve the terrorist wing. Intelligence services should devote more
attention and resources to uncovering how terrorist organizations avoid
international control mechanisms by operating through “innocent” front
groups.
Western financial institutions must not allow the transfer of funds that
nourish the global jihad.

Suicide Attacks in the Path of Allah

Islamic scholars who are considered to be mentors of terrorist movements
attribute great importance to “suicide attacks in the path of Allah,”
describing them as the highest level of jihad against the “enemies of
Islam.”
One prominent radical Saudi scholar, Safar bin Abd al-Aziz al-Hawali,1 in
his
“call upon the Muslims to salvage their brothers in Palestine” (January
2002),
termed the armed intifada “the pinnacle of jihad,” explaining: “The jihad of
our brothers is glorious jihad in the path of Allah, designed to defend the
Islamic Holy Places, to remove injustice, and to restore their land and the
Muslims’ land.”2

Since September 2000, the unprecedented phenomenon of Palestinian suicide
bombing attacks has offered an inspiring model of jihad for many Islamic
terrorist movements. The Israeli General Security Services (GSS) reports
that
during 2000-2004, there were 138 suicide attacks employing explosive belts
or
booby-trapped cars, as well as 431 thwarted attempts. This is in addition to
many hundreds of shooting attacks by Palestinian terrorists that were also
suicide attacks.

Hamoud al-Oqala al-Shuaibi,3 the late Saudi scholar whose Islamic edicts
were
adopted by Hamas and al-Qaeda, determined that “the highest and most exalted
degree [in jihad] is the self-sacrificing jihad [martyrdom], as it is the
most
difficult for warriors, demanding of them the greatest self-sacrifice of
martyrdom. The reward promised by God to the martyrs is well-known [marriage
to 72 virgins, the right to intercede with God to bring 70 family members to
Heaven, and enjoying the pleasures of Heaven] and is based on the premise
that
[self-sacrificing jihad] brings about the decisive submission of the
enemy…imposing terror on him and breaking his spirit. Thus, victory is
achieved.”4

Financial Jihad in the Quran

The definition of jihad in Islam, is not confined merely to waging war with
arms, but includes several other aspects of support for “holy war.” Islamic
scholars specify these as:

Al-Jihad bi-al-Lisan - Jihad of the Tongue, and al-Jihad bi-al-Qalam - Jihad
of the Pen, namely preaching and calling for jihad

Jihad al-Nafs - Jihad of the Soul - the personal struggle to avoid sin and
adhere to Allah’s commandment

Al-Jihad bi-al-Nafs - Self-sacrificing Jihad in the path of Allah

Al-Jihad bi-al-Mal - Financial Jihad: fundraising for needy Muslims and
supporting the jihad warriors - the mujahideen

The Islamic sources of financial jihad are found in the Quran, often
intertwined with self-sacrificing jihad. The importance attributed to
financial jihad in Islam is illustrated in the following Quran verses:

“Go forth, light-armed and heavy-armed, and strive with your wealth and your
lives in the way of Allah! That is best for you if ye but knew.” - al-Tawba
(Repentance), Chapter 9, verse 41

“Those who believe, and have left their homes and striven with their wealth
and their lives in Allah’s way are of much greater worth in Allah’s sight.
These are they who are triumphant.” - al-Tawba (Repentance), Chapter 9,
verse
20

“O ye who believe! Shall I show you a commerce that will save you from a
painful doom? Ye should believe in Allah and His messenger, and should
strive
for the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is better for
you, if ye did but know.” - al-Saff (the ranks, battle arrays), Chapter 61,
verse 10-11

“The (true) believers are only those who believe in Allah and His messenger
and afterward doubt not, but strive with their wealth and their lives for
the
cause of Allah. Such are the sincere.” - al-Hujraat (the private apartments,
the inner apartments), Chapter 49, verse 15

“Alms are only for the poor and the needy, and the officials (appointed)
over
them, and those whose hearts are made to incline (to truth) and the
(ransoming
of) captives and those in debt and in the way of Allah and the wayfarer; an
ordinance from Allah; and Allah is knowing, Wise.” - al-Tawba (Repentance),
Chapter 9, verse 60

All Islamic scholars are unanimous in their interpretation of these verses
regarding the centrality and importance of financial jihad as part of
Allah’s
jihad commandment to Muslims. Some interpretations note the verses’ internal
order, in which “wealth” precedes “lives,” as evidence of the significance
of
financial jihad and, in certain circumstances, its precedence over
self-sacrificing jihad. In his Islamic edict on jihad in Chechnya,
al-Shuaibi
determined that the “significance of financial jihad is not inferior to
self-sacrificing jihad, being even more important.”5

Dr. Hussein Shehata,6 a professor at al-Azhar University in Cairo, explains
the uniqueness of the financial jihad commandment as being “a trial of
strength of Muslim faith” and “a means to purify the soul from stinginess.”
Through financial jihad, according to Shehata, Allah gives wealthy Muslims
the
opportunity to allocate some of their money for da’awa (literally, the call
for Islam), the Islamic effort to teach or to convert people to Islam.7

Dr. Ajeel Jassem al-Nashami,8 secretary general of the International
Organization for Zakat (Islamic alms) in Kuwait, argued that donations made
by
Muslims for zakat should be funneled to finance jihad warfare in Palestine
against Israel. In his interpretation of the Quranic verse (al-Tawba,
Chapter
9, verse 60), he noted that Allah determined eight ways for using zakat for
the benefit of Muslims, four of them designated to support jihad and the
other
four aimed at helping the needy.9

Praising the merits of financial jihad, Muslim scholars also rely on Islamic
tradition (hadith) attributed to the Prophet Mohammad, which assures Muslims
who donate money for jihad the same reward in Heaven as the mujahideen
themselves. According to hadith: “One [Muslim] who equips a person on his
way
to raid [the enemy’s camps] in Allah’s path [jihad] is considered to have
the
same status as the raider [mujahid]. One [Muslim] who substitutes [the
raider]
concerning his family and [taking care of their needs] with good deeds is
considered to have the same status as the raider [mujahid].”10

In practical terms, financial jihad is designed to sustain self-sacrificing
jihad and enable it to achieve its goals on the battlefield. Dr. Abdullah
Qadiri al-Ahdal,11 a Saudi professor at al-Medina University, referring to
the
duty to support the Palestinian mujahideen, determined that “financial jihad
applies to all of us [Muslims] in accordance with each person’s capability.
No
excuse can dismiss anyone from donating money to the mujahideen and their
families…as they are in urgent need of food, medication, clothing,
weapons,
and other [basic] necessities of life.”12 Al-Ahdal views financial jihad as
a
vital means for the mujahideen in financing their military activity
(purchasing weapons, etc.) and at the same time in securing proper social
conditions for the families of the mujahideen, who are willing to sacrifice
their lives for the sake of Islam.

In another fatwa, Hussein Shehata argues that financial jihad is designed to
assure mutual indemnity among Muslims and the commitment of Muslims to their
warriors. According to Shehata, Muslims are committed to “financially
support
the families of the mujahideen who joined the call for jihad and left behind
them their women and children….They [the families] are in desperate need
of
money and basic necessities of life such as food, drink, and accommodation.”
Shehata explains that the financial jihad commandment given by God is
intended
“to calm the mujahideen’s [worries] by demonstrating that there are those
[Muslims] who practice financial jihad and do not skimp on money for their
families, even if they have fallen on the battlefield or their houses are
damaged or destroyed.”13

In Seventy Ways to Support the Chechen Jihad, published on the official
website of the Chechen mujahideen, the importance of financial and material
donations is emphasized. The Chechen mujahideen called upon Muslims to
support
jihad in Chechnya against the “Russian enemy” in any way possible, and to
begin by transferring financial and material support.14
39 Principles of Jihad, a book by Mohammad bin Ahmad al-Salem15 that appears
on websites affiliated with al-Qaeda, offers readers an opportunity to
comprehend the broad meaning of the concept of jihad as interpreted by
Muslim
scholars. Jihad is not only an expression of violent action against
infidels,
but comprises diverse acts that every Muslim is commanded to perform in
order
to sustain jihad. Eight of the 39 principles deal with various aspects of
financial jihad:

Financing jihad - Muslims can join in jihad by donating to jihad and the
mujahideen. The donation’s value is determined by its quality and
destination
and not only by the amount of money given.

Supplying the fighters’ needs - Believers who are unable to take part in
jihad
(for instance, women and the handicapped) can perform their duty by
supplying
money and equipment to the mujahideen. By doing so, the donor is considered
mujahid and deserves the same reward.

Taking care of the mujahideen’s family - Believers who support the
mujahideen’s family are considered mujahid and deserve half of their reward.
On the other hand, neglecting the mujahideen’s family may bring them
misfortune and death by the hand of God.

Assisting the families of the fallens - by supplying the special needs of
orphans and widows.

Assisting the families of prisoners and wounded warriors - by supplying
their
necessities.

Collecting funds for the mujahideen - Money is the lifeline of jihad. Its
importance also stems from the action of gathering donations, which arouse
the
spirit of jihad in the hearts of believers. There are many ways to carry out
this duty: at mosques, public venues, family gatherings, charity events,
monthly donations, or by urging the wealthy to open their hearts to the
mujahideen.

Granting charity donations to the mujahideen - who enjoy priority in Islam.

Financing medical treatment for wounded mujahideen.16

Hamas Sees Financial Jihad as Indispensable

Hamas leaders and sages make clear that financial jihad is indispensable for
sustaining the “military” aspects of the intifada, including suicide
attacks.
Mohammad Hassan Sham’a,17 one of the founders of Hamas and a senior leader
responsible for its social and economic infrastructure, emphasized that the
“social aspect (e.g., the activity of Hamas societies) in the intifada is no
less important than public relations or political aspects, as it is the
source
of power for the intifada…and its lifeline for steadfastness and
confrontation with the enemy….The material support provides the strength
to
persist and escalate the intifada.18 He described Arab support for the
“mujahideen in Palestine” and the Paletinian cause as “support for the Hamas
movement to pursue jihad.”19

Yusuf Qardawi, a well-known Egyptian scholar and preacher and prominent
Hamas
spiritual guide who today resides in Qatar,20 encourages Muslim believers in
his sermons to open their hearts in every possible way, including
financially,
to sustain the Palestinian intifada. In his eyes, this is the only way to
bring about the destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic
state in Palestine. “We should replant in the [Muslim] nation’s [mind] the
passion of death, the desire for self-sacrifice in the path of
Allah….These
youth, the youth of Hamas and Islamic Jihad as well as the Fatah rebels, are
those who terrorize the Zionist entity.”21

Qardawi regards financial jihad as the main tool for supporting the jihad of
self-sacrifice - suicide attacks committed by men and women alike, which
were
legitimized in his Islamic edicts.22 He said: “Our brothers [in Palestine]
who
commit the Jihad bi-al-Nafs sacrifice themselves every day….The
[Palestinian] mother when notified that her son has fallen in the path of
Allah…utters trilling cries of joy…and the fathers…react by reciting
verses praising Allah. This is the [Islamic] nation which sacrifices martyrs
every day.” Qardawi ruled on this basis that Muslims should adopt reciprocal
actions by “sacrificing the money for them [the mujahideen].”

In this context, he defines the activities of the Islamic charitable
societies
sustaining the intifada as a “new type of jihad,” “financial jihad,” through
which financial support is guaranteed to the martyrs’ families, Palestinian
prisoners and detainees, and every Palestinian whose property is damaged
during the conflict.”23 ardawi further argues that financial jihad, with its
various financial and social aspects, is the central mainstay for preserving
the flames of jihad during the intifada.

Qardawi has criticized the Arab regimes for their passivity, saying: “If the
Arab states cannot wage a war [against Israel]…they should at least
support
the intifada. The resistance should persist, the intifada should persist.
The
intifada has its martyrs, wounded, handicapped, and detainees….Many
aspects
[of the intifada] need money…as long as the battle continues, it is
essential to support it with money.” Qardawi illustrates his point by
mentioning the Qatari Id bin Mohammad charitable society as an example of
the
“praiseworthy” activity of charitable societies in support of the
Palestinian
people, and thus focuses attention on the importance of these societies in
sustaining the intifada.24

Saudi Financial Support for Hamas

The Saudi Committee to Support the al-Aqsa Intifada (”the Saudi committee”)
provides an example of the concept of financial jihad for the Saudi regime.
The committee, established by royal decree several weeks after the intifada
erupted in October 2000, has funneled hundreds of millions of dollars
donated
by Saudi individuals and institutions to Palestinian charitable societies,
most of which are controlled by Hamas. These donations are distributed to
several categories of Palestinian beneficiaries: “martyrs’ families”
(including families of suicide bombers), prisoners and detainees’ families,
the wounded and handicapped, needy families, and Palestinians whose property
was damaged or destroyed during the intifada. The financial support bestowed
by the Saudi committee was transferred directly to the Palestinian
beneficiaries and the charitable societies, which are mostly front
organizations of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Saudi scholars supplied the
Islamic
justification for the committee by defining the intifada as a “legitimate
jihad,” thus ruling that Muslims have a duty to financially support the
Palestinian intifada.25

Saudi financial support for Hamas charities has not ceased, even after a
Saudi
commitment to President Bush in June 2003. At the Sharm el-Sheik summit
attended by Saudi Crown Prince Abdallah and Palestinian Authority Chairman
Mahmoud Abbas, President Bush underscored that Arab leaders “have declared
their firm rejection of terror regardless of its justifications or motives”
and are “committed to practical actions to use all means to cut off
assistance
including arms and financing to any terror group.”26 Yet the Saudi committee
is continuing its financial support for various projects within the PA,
mainly
through Palestinian charities.27 Documents seized by the Israel Defense
Forces
(IDF) have revealed that the Saudi al-Haramain charitable foundation
(dismantled in 2004 due to American pressure because of its suspected ties
to
al-Qaeda) transferred 5,624,370 Jordanian dinars on 20 August 2003 to the
al-Quran and a-Sunna Society in Qalqilia, which was designated by Israel in
2002 as a “terrorist organization.” Other documents demonstrate that the
Idhna
society (affiliated with Hamas) had contacts with al-Haramain until at least
February 2004.

Financial jihad includes many aspects whose common denominator is the direct
and indirect support of self-sacrificing jihad, the Islamic holy war against
the infidels. The financial framework supportive of jihad is based on the
perception that jihad can only achieve its goals if its financing is
guaranteed and if social and economic security is arranged for the warriors
and their families.

Hamas’s Charitable Infrastructure

The Palestinian Islamic terrorist organizations share this same outlook and
vision. Hamas, under the leadership of Ahmad Yassin, was the first
organization to develop a widespread social, economic, and educational
infrastructure supportive of its military wing. At the front are the
so-called
“charitable societies,” which are in fact an integral part of the Hamas
movement.

In an interview into al-Hayat newspaper in early December 2003, Khaled
Mashaal,28 head of the Hamas political bureau, detailed the historical
background of establishing the supportive infrastructure of Hamas. The first
step was the reorganization of the local Muslim Brotherhood movement, from
which Hamas originated. The internal reforms concentrated on deepening
Islamic
penetration and influence in all segments of society. The institutions
established by the Muslim Brotherhood supplied social and educational
services
to youth and needy Palestinians who were considered the weakest segment and
thus a preferred target.

Mashaal affirmed that donations from wealthy Muslims worldwide facilitated
the
financing of these activities. In response to a question about whether Hamas
received donations from the Muslim Brotherhood in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and
other states, Mashaal replied: “Indirectly. Any [charitable]
society…raised
proposals [for projects and]…the societies met with benevolent Arabs and
merchants…who were briefed on the projects. Those who were determined to
support the nation donated zakat [Islamic alms] to the charitable societies.
After the establishment of the al-Mujama al-Islami [by Sheik Ahmad Yassin],
the Islamic [charitable] society [al-Jam’iya al-Islamiya] was established in
Gaza, as well as other societies in the West Bank, Hebron, Nablus, and
al-Bireh. One of them was the Muslim Youth Association [in Hebron].”29
Mashaal
acknowledged that the Hamas charitable societies “received hundreds of
millions of dollars.”

In another interview, Mashaal noted that Arab donors transferred donations
to
Hamas and other organizations for financing jihad. According to Mashaal,
Hamas
used the money to cover expenses needed to sustain the jihad by funding
mujahideen activity and supporting the families of more than two thousand
martyrs and detainees in the West Bank and Gaza.30

Another Hamas leader, Isma’il Abu Shanab (killed by Israel in 2003),
described
the reciprocation between the charities and Hamas to the al-Watan newspaper.
Shanab termed the al-Salah charitable society (alongside with al-Mujama
al-Islami and al-Jam’iya al-Islamiya) as an integral part of the social
infrastructure of Hamas.31 Furthermore, when asked about ways to implement
financial jihad in Palestine, Isma’il Haniya, a close assistant to Ahmad
Yassin, recommended transferring donations to these three charitable
societies. Calling these societies “reliable” in their support for “martyrs’
families, the wounded…prisoners and detainees,” Haniya emphasized that
Hamas
functions as a movement that unifies all aspects of its activities,
political,
social, humanitarian, and military (its terrorist wing). He noted that Hamas
operatives run the humanitarian and social activities of the movement and
are
assigned to bestow support to the Palestinian people on behalf of Hamas.32

Thus, financial support for Palestinian charities often finds its way into
the
hands of Hamas operatives who use the money to enhance the movement’s
popularity. The Palestinian daily Al-Quds reported on 14 March 2003 that
funds
received from several charities and committees (including the Saudi
Committee
to Support the al-Aqsa Intifada33) were given directly by Hamas operatives
to
needy students at a-Najah University in Nablus. Each student received $300
in
cash and another $100 was transferred to his bank account. In this way,
Hamas
was able to strengthen its grip on the university campus, reinforcing it as
a
hothouse for recruiting students to its military wing, Iz a-Din al-Qassam,
and
as suicide bombers against Israeli civilians. Hamas leaders have even called
a-Najah the “suicide bombers’ university” due to its success in recruiting
so
many students for such actions.34

The Hamas fundraising campaign in the Gaza Strip on 9 April 2004
demonstrates
the important function of the charitable societies in supporting the
movement’s military wing. The campaign was held two weeks after Arafat
ordered
a freeze on the bank accounts of 38 charitable societies, most of which were
run by Hamas. Under the slogan of a “campaign in support of the financial
jihad in the path of Allah,” Hamas military-wing operatives collected $3
million. Palestinians were called upon “to join the honored jihad by
donating
money in support of the way of jihad and resistance.” Nizar Rayan, a senior
commander of the Hamas military wing, referred to the Palestinian Authority
when he said: “those who decided to freeze our money should know that the
way
of jihad persists….In spite of their policy which strives to strike and
weaken the resistance, the Palestinian people with its men, children, and
women came out to support the mujahideen and swore to follow the path of
jihad.”35

Money funneled to charitable societies in the Palestinian Authority under
the
title of “humanitarian aid to the needy” is used in practice as part of the
financial jihad conducted by the Islamic terrorist movements, primarily
Hamas.
That movement’s civil infrastructure, which comprises economic, educational,
and social institutions, serves as an organizational framework to support
its
terrorist wing.36 To combat Islamic terror effectively requires
international
cooperation in both the political and intelligence arenas. Intelligence
services should devote more attention and resources to uncovering how the
terrorist organizations avoid the international control mechanisms by
operating through “innocent” front organizations. Defeating terror is
possible
once the financial resources that nourish jihad are eliminated.

* * *

Notes

1. Safar Hawali, an influential Saudi cleric, is a professor at Umm al-Qura
University in Mecca. Hawali was identified in the first World Trade Center
bombing trial as a spiritual adviser to bin Laden. He was jailed for
radicalism during the 1990s in Saudi Arabia.
2. http://saaid.net/Warathah/safar/1.htm
3. Hamud bin Uqla al-Shuaibi is a prominent and influential Saudi scholar.
His
students included a number of important Saudi religious leaders, including
the
current grand mufti. Al-Shuaibi published religious edicts supporting the
Taliban regime in Afghanistan, including the destruction of the Hindu
statues,
as part of jihad against the infidels. He religiously justified al-Qaeda’s
attack on the U.S. in September 2001 and gave religious legitimacy to the
suicide attacks against Israel carried out by Palestinians. In October 2001,
bin Laden cited al-Shuaibi when he spoke of his justification for killing
Jews
and Christians.
4. http://saaid.net/Warathah/hmood/h3.htm
5. http://saaid.net/Warathah/hmood/h48.htm
6.Dr. Hussein Shehata is a professor at al-Azhar University in Cairo. He
served as financial consultant for Islamic institutions and zakat funds in
the
Arab world.
7.
www.islamonline.net/fatwaapplication/arabic/display.asp?hFatwaID=70024
8. Dr. Ajeel Jassem Al Nashami is a professor of Islamic Law at Kuwait
University. He has published Islamic edicts justifying suicide attacks aimed
at Israeli civilians.
9.

10. http://hadith.al-islam.com/Display/Display.asp?Doc=2&Rec=2695
11. Dr. Abdullah Qadiri al-Ahdal is head of the Islamic Law department at
al-Medina University in Saudi Arabia. Al-Ahdal published Islamic edicts
which
regard Muslims who collaborate with the American Army in Iraq as “traitors
of
the Islamic nation.”
12. http://saaid.net/Doat/ahdal/18.htm
13.
www.islamonline.net/fatwaapplication/arabic/display.asp?hFatwaID=70024
14. www.chechenonline.com/d_da3m_elgehad.htm
15. The author’s name, Mohammad bin Ahmad al-Salem, does not appear in other
writings, suggesting the possibility that the author preferred to conceal
his
identity from the Saudi government, which under American pressure has
tightened its grip on radical Islamic organizations and operatives.
16. www.intelligence.org.il/eng/var/39p_e.htm
17. Mohammad Hassan Sham’a is Chairman of Al-Mujama Al-Islami in the Gaza
Strip. He was deported by Israel to Lebanon in 1992 with 412 other terrorist
operatives.
18. www.islamonline.net/livedialogue/arabic/Browse.asp?hGuestID=6KYkth
19.

20. Yusuf al-Qaradawi is a prominent Islamic scholar known as a member of
the
Muslim Brotherhood. Qaradawi heads the Sunni studies department at Qatar
University. He was the first Sunni Muslim scholar to give religious
legitimacy
to the suicide operations of Hamas (1995), and to the participation of women
in suicide attacks. Qaradawi has generally defended bin Laden as a
representative and defender of oppressed Muslims against “American and
Zionist
evilness,” even though he condemned the attacks on American soil against
innocent civilians.
21. www.aljazeera.net/programs/shareea/articles/2001/4/4-9-1.htm
22. www.palestine-info.info/arabic/fatawa/alamaliyat/qaradawi1.htm
23. www.aljazeera.net/programs/shareea/articles/2001/5/5-22-1.htm
24.

25. Al-Yaum (Saudi Arabia), 17 December 2002.
26. www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/06/20030603-1.html
27. The Saudi Committee is a member of the “Union of Good” - a coordinating
organization for Islamic charities headed by Sheik Yusuf Qardawi. This
organization was designated by Israel as “terrorist entity”;
www.101days.org/arabic/moassasatw.htm. On the Saudi Committee
activities in the PA, see also
www.badil.org/Arabic-Web/haq-alawda/news.htm;
www.al-watan.com/data/20050506/index.asp?content=islamic;
www.aljazeera.net/news/archive/archive?ArchiveId=106029;
www.palwakf.org/website/modules.php?name=News&file=categories&op=newindex&catid=1;
www.palwakf.org/news/2004/21-04-2004-mosa3adat.htm;
www.alriyadh.com/2005/03/03/article44263.html;
www.alriyadh.com/2005/04/04/article53647.html
28. Khaled Mashaal is the Hamas bureau chief in Damascus. In 2004, Mashaal
became the undisputed leader of Hamas. Mashaal supports the armed struggle
against Israel by all means including suicide bombings.
29. Al-Hayat (London), 5-6 Decmber 2003.
30. http://saaid.net/Doat/rida-samadi/7.htm
31. www.alwatan.com/graphics/2001/Jan01/6.1/heads/ft8.htm
32. www.islamonline.net/livedialogue/arabic/Browse.asp?hGuestID=0ng5TJ
33. www.najah.edu/arabic/newsletter/issue68/page3.htm
34. Ibrahim Abu al-Hija [Hamas senior leader]: “We should not forget that
a-Najah University is actually named the suicide bombers’ university and
that all its cadres within the students are included in the wanted list of the
occupation”;
35. www.islamonline.net/Arabic/news/2004-04/10/article21.shtml
36. See the Israeli Center for Special Studies report on how the Hamas civil
infrastructure supports its terrorist wing at
www.intelligence.org.il/eng/sib/12_04/interpal.htm#part2.

* * *

Lt. Col. Jonathan D. Halevi is a researcher of the Middle East and radical
Islam, and a founder of the Orient Research Group Ltd. He is a former
advisor
to the Policy Planning Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The
views
expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the IDF. A version of
this
essay is to appear in the forthcoming book, Fulfilling Bin Laden’s Promise
and
the Undermining of the U.S. Economy, by Rachel Ehrenfeld.

The Jerusalem Letter and Jerusalem Viewpoints are published by the Jerusalem
Center for Public Affairs, 13 Tel-Hai St., Jerusalem, Israel; Tel.
972-2-5619281, Fax. 972-2-5619112, Internet: jcpa@netvision.net.il. In
U.S.A.:
Center for Jewish Community Studies, 5800 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore, MD
21215 USA, Tel. (410) 664-5222; Fax. (410) 664-1228.

The opinions expressed by the authors of Jerusalem Viewpoints do not
necessarily reflect those of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

To subscribe to the Jerusalem Letter/Viewpoints, please send a blank email
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http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=25368

Guest Column-by Moorthy Muthuswamy PhD

In my earlier paper in another site (http://www.indiacause.com/columns/OL_050406.htm) I had discussed how some groups belonging to proselytizing religions use discrimination (due to deficiencies in Indian constitution) to garner wealth unfairly in India. These practices of religious discrimination are thus in violation of religious freedom and human rights.

The United States State Department (USSD) and United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) who lecture governments the need to revoke anti-conversion laws (on the grounds of violating religious freedom) have turned a blind eye (due to a lack of knowledge) to religious discrimination by minority institutions in India. The USSD officials have even lobbied on behalf of these discriminating institutions, trying to nudge regional Indian governments to revoke anti-conversion laws!

It has become quite apparent that many minority groups involved in religious-freedom violating activities have not only worked to shield their activities in India, but instead have exaggerated any act of the majority in India to limit their unfair practices. Some of these same groups have been involved in revoking visa to Mr. Narendra Modi (http://www.saag.org/papers14/paper1318.html). These activists have falsely lobbied USCIRF extensively, and with the Hindu community in America not particularly well-connected or well-informed, it hasn’t been able to give an alternate view or analysis to USCIRF.

Lacking in staff who specialize in India and relying on one-sided and falsified portrayals, USCIRF has produced reports and guidelines, that are a flawed portrayal of origin and the extent of religious freedom violation in India.

While USCIRF has actively opposed the presence of anti-conversion laws (that adversely affect Christian interests in India) in some Indian states, it doesn’t appear to have noted, let alone actively opposed the existence of Articles in Indian constitution that have led to unfair practices by minorities in India and violations of religious freedom of majority in India. It appears and I suspect strongly that USCIRF may have inadvertently acted to promote the interests of Christianity (the majority religion in America), while ignoring (perhaps inadvertently) the religious freedom of majority in India. This pattern of behavior by USCIRF, an US government body, may be seen as a violation of religious freedom and that of American constitution – that of violating the separation of Church and State.

Lack of objective reporting by USCIRF has led to even members of the US Congress siding with religious freedom-violating proselytizers (perhaps unwittingly), on the grounds of trying to protect – religious freedom! Some of these unethical activists have been lobbying the Congressional Working Group on Religious Freedom, a coalition of about seventy organizations and religious leaders from various faiths launched under the leadership of Senator Rick Santorum and the House majority whip Congressman Roy Blunt.

There is a distinct possibility that, in addition to an already misled US State Department, a misled US congress may get involved in activities that promote violation of religious freedom abroad, thereby tarnishing America’s integrity and reputation. This may be in violation of American laws and most certainly goes against the very spirit of the American constitution they are sworn to uphold.

A survey of minority operated Institutions in India

Note: The following statistics were extracted from institutions’ official web pages. Faculty religious affiliations were determined based upon their names. A more accurate religious determination will further skew the data toward religious bias. The faculty salaries appear to be State or tax-payer funded.

* American College, Madurai, Tamil Nadu (Christian missionary operated):

Total faculty members: 122

Christian faculty members: 81; Christian percentage: 66%

Total junior faculty members (junior lecturers): 22

Christian junior faculty members: 21; Christian percentage: 95%

* Stella Maris College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (Christian missionary operated):

Total faculty members: 118

Christian faculty members: 71; Christian percentage: 60%

* Union Christian College, Aluva, Kerala (Christian missionary operated):

Total faculty members: 93

Christian faculty members: 77; Christian percentage: 83%

* St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, Maharashtra (Christian missionary operated):

Total faculty members: 132

Christian faculty members: 56; Christian percentage: 42%

* Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi (A central university, but Muslim controlled):

Total faculty members: 329

Muslim faculty members: 288; Muslim percentage: 88%

Note: this total doesn’t include Jamia’s faculty of humanities and languages. Such an inclusion will only increase the religious bias.

These tax-payer funded institutions also give preferential admission to students belonging to their faith — thereby reducing opportunities for majority’s children. This too violates religious freedom and human rights. Due to a lack of statistics this student component is not discussed here.

What is also notable is the recent trend at least in one minority institution to hire almost exclusively young faculty of the same faith (American college). The USCIRF must be made fully aware of the situation.

While this data is limited I have no doubt in my mind that minority run institutions in India have very high proportion of staff members belonging to their faith.

India needs civil rights laws

India’s constitution has certain provisions whereby minorities are exempt from certain requirements in running their own institutions (http://www.legalservicesindia.com/articles/judi.htm). For instance, a minority community may reserve up to 50 percent of the seats for the members of its own community in an educational institution established and administered by it even if the institution is getting aid from the State. But the data given above, in some instances, show hiring level well-exceeding 50%.

However, these minority special privileges granted by Indian constitution are inconsistent with the ideas of human rights, as they provide grounds for unfair wealth transfer and violation of religious freedom. Below is a quote from an analysis by Prof. Issac (http://www.saveindia.com/for_hindus_in_kerala_it.htm).

“The education scenario is one of the major sectors where the organised strength of the minorities in Kerala (where Christians and Muslims constitute around 19% and 25% respectively) is used in a covert manner. In this sector the majority (Hindu) community as well as the government altogether controls only 11.11 per cent, on the other hand the church controls 55.55 per cent and Muslim religious organisations 33.33 percent of the total institutions. At present the professional education sector of Kerala is somewhat under the full control of the minorities. About 12,000 engineering seats and 300 medicine seats are in the minority institutions and they are fully controlling the admissions. At present 60 per cent of the seats of the paramedical courses are controlled by the organised minority religious leadership. The minority managements deny the organisational freedom of teachers and students. Behind this undemocratic exercise, is there anything other than organised minority leadership’s haughtiness? In this situation here, the successive governments are functioning as meagre onlookers.”

Precisely for the above reasons, America doesn’t have these types of minority/religious preference laws and in fact, has laws that prohibit religious discrimination (the United States under the Title VII of the civil rights act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin).

To set its own house in order India must modify or remove aspects of its constitution that give specific privileges to certain groups, that lead to religious discrimination, and violation of religious freedom and human rights. India also needs to enact new laws prohibiting violation of religious and other forms of discrimination.

Recommendations to USCIRF

USCIRF should institute a hearing specific to minority activities in India that are in violation of religious freedom and human rights. This alternate view is a must for the Commission to reach necessary levels integrity and objectivity in its reports and guidelines. It should release a report based upon these hearings.

While articulating the need for the removal of anti-conversion laws abroad to ensure religious freedom, USCIRF should also give equal emphasis to enactment and enforcement of laws that prohibit religious discrimination.

Off the shelf

http://www.isrjournal.com/story.php?F=757135

By Barbara Opall-Rome
May 09, 2005

Israel’s Elta Systems Ltd. is planning a maiden flight test of its new EL/M 2052 active phased-array fire control radar, which is aimed at the international fighter aircraft upgrade market.

The multimode radar, unveiled publicly at the Aero India exhibition in Bangalore earlier this year, synthesizes synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and phased-array radar capabilities developed for larger reconnaissance platforms or pods into a single system small enough to be packed in the nose of fighter jets.

Based on solid-state active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar technology, the EL/M 2052 is designed to operate in air-to-air, precision ground strike and air-to-sea modes at the same time, with each mode optimized to find and track multiple targets with exceedingly high resolution. According to specifications released by the company, the radar will weigh 130 to 180 kilograms (286 to 396 pounds) and operate on four to 10 kilovolt amperes of power, depending on antenna size.

In the air-to-air role, the radar is designed to detect, track and target multiple aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles or low-flying targets such as helicopters. At sea, the radar is designed to search, classify and track targets, while also performing maritime patrol and surveillance functions. And, in the air-to-ground role, the radar exploits SAR technology to sort through clutter and other terrain-obscuring elements to identify and track ground objects on the move, according to company marketing data.

“This radar introduces new dimensions to air superiority and advanced strike missions. It’s a real breakthrough because of all the different types of targets and missions that can be handled at the same time,” Elta President Israel Livnat told C4ISR Journal.

In an early March interview, Livnat said Elta had invested a significant amount of independent research and development funds on technologies incorporated in the new radar. The company is now testing the system on the ground and subsequently will test it on a Boeing 737.

“We’ve done a lot of ground tests and field checks, and will soon begin flying the radar in our 737 test bed. At the same time, we’re examining a derivative of this X-band technology for different types of ground applications,” Livnat said.

NOT ON U.S. FIGHTERS

As for potential customers of the new radar, industry officials acknowledged that U.S. government restrictions prevent Elta or its parent company, Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd., from integrating the new radar in U.S. F-16 and F-15 fighters flown by the Israel Air Force. Similarly, the planned U.S. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is not a candidate for the EL/M 2052, since the Pentagon is insisting that only a home-grown U.S. radar will be offered with the new aircraft.

Livnat said Elta’s principal focus for the EL/M 2052 is the international fighter upgrade market. He noted that preliminary market forecasts indicate that hundreds of fighter platforms could be made available for significant upgrades over the next 10 years.

However, Livnat emphasized that Elta is just now beginning to market the new radar, and therefore has no specific customer nation or fighter aircraft within its grasp.

“We don’t want to rule out any platform, since we have experience in adapting our radars to many different platforms. It all depends on the countries that may choose to upgrade existing fleets for the air superiority and advanced strike role instead of purchasing new aircraft,” he said.

When asked about the new Elta radar, a senior executive from Lockheed Martin, prime contractor for the F-16 as well as the planned F-35, insisted that Elta would not be able to offer the EL/M 2052 on any American aircraft without the express approval of U.S. airframe manufacturers and the U.S. government.

Interviewed during a visit to Israel on March 28, the Lockheed Martin executive said: “The Israelis can’t add a radar to their own F-16s or any F-16s on the market, for that matter, without permission from Lockheed Martin and the U.S. government. Without approval to provide the software interface, those aircraft cannot be supported … and I seriously doubt that there will be a change in U.S. policy regarding software source codes anytime in the foreseeable future.” •

Agile radar beams
Active electronically scanned arrays energize fighter performance

By Michael Peck and Glenn W. Goodman Jr.
May 09, 2005

Source : http://www.isrjournal.com/story.php?F=750341

Advanced digital radar systems are giving new U.S. fighter planes the unprecendented ability to search for aircraft, track ground vehicles and map terrain simultaneously — at greater ranges and with better reliability than conventional systems.

Key to the capabilities in the new systems, called active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, is an antenna consisting of 500 to 1,000 transmit/receive (T/R) modules, each the size of a candy bar or even smaller, instead of a central transmitter and receiver. Each module acts like a small individual radar.

Unlike a conventional mechanically steered array (MSA), the antenna array of T/R modules is fixed, with no moving parts. The radar can steer its agile beams electronically — at nearly the speed of light — and redirect them instantaneously from one target to another.

In MSA radars, a circular or elliptical antenna plate in the nose of the aircraft is moved rapidly using a gimbal system with three or four drive motors to scan an area of airspace or on the ground, a single flashlight-like beam at a time. AESA radars can track significantly more targets than current mechanical systems and can operate in multiple modes simultaneously, such as air-to-air search and ground mapping.

The first AESA radar that will be produced in large numbers for a fighter aircraft is Raytheon’s APG-79, slated to become operational on new U.S. Navy single-seat F/A-18E and two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornets in September 2006. It will offer up to three times the aerial target detection range and five times the reliability at only about 40 percent of the operating and support costs of Raytheon’s predecessor APG-73 radar on F/A-18C/D Hornets and those Super Hornets already produced, the company says. AESA radars also are being developed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems in Baltimore for the U.S. Air Force’s new F/A-22 Raptor and the planned Joint Strike Fighter.

PASSIVE VS. ACTIVE

Electronically scanned array antennas have been around since the 1950s in land-based and shipboard radar applications, but were slow to take hold in airborne applications due to volume and cost constraints.

Passive ESA radars, such as the U.S. Army’s Patriot and U.S. Navy’s Aegis, use a central transmitter and receiver like MSAs to feed their radiating elements, but steer the beam using an electronically controlled phase shifter placed immediately behind each radiating element. In the AESA radar, a small, low-power T/R module is placed immediately behind each radiating element, eliminating the central transmitter and receiver and the signal power losses that occur in the passive ESAs when the central transmitter distributes signals to the radiating elements and return signals are combined in analog form and sent to the central receiver. Historically, the central (traveling wave tube) transmitter and its high-voltage power supply have accounted for a large percentage of failures experienced in airborne radars.

Both passive and active ESAs offer higher reliability than MSAs because of their lack of moving parts and the fact that the phase shifters in the passive ESAs and the T/R modules in AESAs are inherently reliable. In addition, as many as 6 percent of the phase shifters or the T/R modules can fail without seriously impairing the radars’ overall performance. Both passive and active ESAs also offer more agile beam steering. For example, to jump the antenna beam from one target to another separated by 100 degrees, an MSA takes roughly a second. An ESA can do it in less than a millisecond. An AESA can even simultaneously radiate multiple, independently steered beams on different frequencies.

Aircraft that use passive ESA radars include the U.S. Air Force’s B-1B bomber and E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System and the French Rafale fighter.

Breakthroughs in T/R module manufacturing and miniaturization in recent years — Northrop Grumman and Raytheon use what they call sixth-generation T/R module technology — at last have made it feasible to fit large numbers of the modules in a lightweight AESA antenna in the nose of a fighter aircraft.

“To populate a radar with many hundreds of these T/R modules and getting them to act together is revolutionary. In fact, taking all the moving parts out of airborne radars is revolutionary,” said Scott Porter, director of aerospace business development at Northrop Grumman-Baltimore.

“For the same amount of real estate on an aircraft, especially fighters, you can cram a lot more of the T/R modules into an antenna and fill up more of the aircraft than you can with an MSA. Instead of one moving antenna with a transmitter black box behind it trying to pump out power, you now have many, many T/R modules mounted together in the same space all staring at the same place at the same time.”

AESA life-cycle costs are expected to be significantly lower than those of MSAs, Porter said, because their electronics will be more reliable and easier to fix than the moving parts in an MSA assembly. Indeed, Northrop Grumman is so confident in the reliability of the Joint Strike Fighter’s APG-81 radar that it may recommend that the nose radome be sealed. Though this would make it harder to repair the system, Northrop Grumman engineers say the radar will function properly for years, and that it could lose up to 6 percent of its T/R modules without affecting performance. “We don’t expect many radomes to be removed after our AESA radars are installed,” Porter said.

Similarly, Raytheon says the mean time between critical failures of its APG-79 radar going on the Navy’s Super Hornets is in excess of 15,000 hours of operation, and claims its AESA antenna might require no maintenance for 10 to 20 years.

FIRST OF THEIR KIND

The only operational fighter aircraft currently equipped with an AESA radar are 18 U.S. Air Force F-15Cs with the 3rd Fighter Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. They have flown for about five years with the APG-63(V)2 developed by Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, El Segundo, Calif. That radar, no more of which will be built, is a predecessor to the company’s more advanced Navy APG-79. It was an AESA antenna upgrade to the F-15’s APG-63(V)1 MSA radar designed to add a capability to target small cruise missile-size targets. The APG-63(V)1 MSA remains in full-rate production.

Raytheon has been developing a lighter-weight, more maintainable AESA radar for the Air Force’s other 161 F-15Cs — the APG-63(V)3 — and has built a prototype that will be tested by the service. However, due to budget constraints, those aircraft may never get the upgrade. The Air Force firmly plans to modernize the MSA radar on its 224 newer F-15E ground-attack models, beginning around 2010, likely with an APG-63(V)4 radar from Raytheon that will use the AESA antenna from the (V)3, as well as processors from the Navy’s APG-79.

Drawing on APG-79 technology, the (V)3 AESA uses more compact “tile” T/R modules compared with the (V)2’s larger “brick” modules. The tiles reduce the number of required T/R modules by a factor of four and the depth of the antenna array from nine inches to four inches, said Michael Henchey, Raytheon’s director of strategy and business development for Air Combat Avionics. They also reduce the weight of the array significantly.

Raytheon, following a year of flight testing, began delivering the first low-rate initial production versions of the APG-79 in January to F/A-18 manufacturer Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, St. Louis. The radar is a key element of Block II upgrades preplanned for the Navy’s Super Hornets, which became operational in 2001. The service will conduct operational testing of the LRIP radars on Super Hornets in October and November. Full-rate production of 415 APG-79s is scheduled to begin in 2007.

Bill Gardner, Raytheon’s APG-79 engineering, manufacturing and development program manager, said the radar will detect and track twice as many targets at greater distances than the APG-73, permitting the aircrew to “persistently observe targets and launch air-to-air missiles from their maximum range.” The radar system automatically establishes tracking files for each detected target, reducing pilot workload.

Another key feature of the APG-79 will be its ability to conduct air-to-air and air-to-ground operations essentially simultaneously because it can switch modes so rapidly. The pilot will be able to conduct ground mapping with the radar while it continues searching for and tracking aerial targets.

“With interleaved air-to-air and air-to-surface cockpit displays, the aircrew will be able to maintain situational awareness while executing air-to-surface missions,” Gardner said.

AESA radars also offer better air-to-ground resolution than MSA systems, particularly using their synthetic aperture radar (SAR) mode. As a March 2004 Government Accountability Office report stated, “The first F/A-18F with the AESA radar installed recently demonstrated high-resolution SAR modes at three times the resolution and 2½ times the range of the currently operationally deployed F/A-18 radar. This capability represents the first step in multiple areas that the AESA radar will greatly improve the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet’s air-to-air and air-to-ground radar capabilities in addition to adding modes not currently available to the fleet.”

OTHER AESA RADARS

Early this year, Northrop Grumman-Baltimore delivered the first APG-81 AESA radar for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. It is undergoing development flight tests onboard Northrop Grumman’s BAC 1-11 flying test-bed aircraft. Late this year, the radar will go to Lockheed Martin’s Mission Systems Integration Lab for testing to integrate it with the rest of the mission systems suite.

A joint venture of Northrop Grumman-Baltimore and Raytheon Network-Centric Systems, McKinney, Texas, has been developing the APG-77 AESA radar for the F/A-22 fighter for nearly 15 years. The radar flew on a preproduction aircraft for the first time in late 2000. Its T/R modules have been improved over time, and software allowing the radar to perform high-resolution mapping of ground targets is being added.

A fourth-generation variant of the APG-77, with design improvements adapted from the APG-81, flew for the first time last June. “We are inserting our fourth-generation AESA technology into the F/A-22’s Lot 5 of production, and that radar is in flight-test now,” Porter said. “So the F-35 and F/A-22 will have highly common radars at that point.” Pentagon officials approved the F/A-22 for full production at the end of March; the fighter will become operational in December.

AESA radars also have been in development for the three latest European fighters — Sweden’s JAS-39 Gripen, the Eurofighter Typhoon and France’s Rafale. The Gripen and the Eurofighter are equipped with mechanically steered array radars, and Rafale with a passive electronically scanned array, each of which features air-to-air and air-to-ground modes.

The Swedish Air Force’s Saab-built Gripen, also being acquired by South Africa, the Czech Republic and Hungary, became operational in 1997. It carries the PS-05/A radar from Ericsson Microwave Systems, which has been developing an AESA radar to potentially replace the PS-05/A.

Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain are the four Eurofighter partner countries. Development of the aircraft’s ECR-90 Captor radar by the EuroRadar consortium (BAE Systems, EADS, Spain’s INISEL and Italy’s FIAR) began in 1990; the radar entered production in 1998. Delivery of the first 148 Tranche (Lot) 1 production aircraft, begun in 2003, will be completed in 2007. Production of 236 improved Tranche 2 aircraft with upgraded computers was set to commence soon, and negotiations have been in progress among the partner countries to define the capabilities package for the 236-aircraft Tranche 3.

France’s Dassault is in series production of carrier-based Rafale M and air force Rafale B/C variants for the French military. They carry the RBE2 passive electronically scanning array radar developed by Thales DETEXIS.

In 1993, a BAE Systems-Thales-EADS consortium began development of a new AESA radar to replace the Eurofighter’s ECR-90 and the Rafale’s RBE2. Called the Airborne Multi-mode Solid-state Active array Radar , it could be ready for fielding on Tranche 3 Eurofighters and Rafales around 2010.

For electronics companies accustomed to building conventional MSA radars, fabricating AESA systems presents challenges. “We’ve built MSAs with the same building blocks for the past 30 or 40 years,” Porter said. “To design and manufacture an AESA radar is a totally different process.”

Porter said he foresees AESA systems being simpler to maintain in the future, with ground crews able to replace individual T/R modules without having to remove the entire radar assembly from the aircraft. He also said he sees aircraft radar evolving to the point where it is built directly into the skin of the aircraft.

“You can develop radar antenna arrays that can be structurally incorporated into the skin of an aircraft. However, such ‘smart skin’ would have to be an integral part of the design from the very beginning,” Porter said. “It would be tough to get all those T/R modules to stare at the same space. And remember that instead of the radar being nice and snug inside a radome, it would be exposed to the elements.” •

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) officially launched Project SURPIC in Batam today. This is a sea surveillance system which allows the RSN and TNI-AL to share a common real-time sea situation picture of the Singapore Strait. It will enable the two navies to better monitor this busy waterway, so that they can exchange information, and deploy their patrol vessels in the area more effectively.

Project SURPIC is a significant step forward in enhancing security and the safety of shipping in the Singapore Strait. It strengthens the already close working relationship between the RSN and TNI-AL under the ambit of the Indo-Sin Co-ordinated Patrols (ISCP), and enhances the interoperability of the two navies to combat piracy and sea robberies.

Chief of Navy RADM Ronnie Tay and his Indonesian counterpart ADM Slamet Soebijanto officiated at the ceremony. They also witnessed the signing of the Project SURPIC Cooperation Arrangement between RSN’s Coastal Command and TNI-AL’s Western Fleet Sea Security Group. This was followed by a joint demonstration of Project SURPIC’s capabilities against a simulated sea robbery. The demonstration involved the RSN, TNI-AL, the Singapore Police Coast Guard and the Indonesian Police.

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OPENING REMARKS BY RADM RONNIE TAY, CHIEF OF NAVY AT THE LAUNCH OF PROJECT SURPIC, HELD AT BATAM NAVAL BASE

Good morning, ADM Slamet Soebijanto, Chief of Staff, TNI-AL, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Today marks yet another important milestone in the excellent ties of friendship and co-operation between the Indonesian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy. In a few minutes, DAN GUSKAMLABAR and Commander COSCOM will sign the Project SURPIC Co-operation Agreement, after which we shall witness the official launch of Project SURPIC.

Indeed, Project SURPIC is a significant step forward in the co-operative efforts between the two navies to combat sea robberies in the Singapore Strait area under the ambit of the Indon-Sin Co-ordinated Patrol. Since its inception in 1992, the ISCP has been very effective, and we have seen the number of sea-robberies in the area drastically decrease over the years to near zero for the past few years.

By operating closely together for so many years, our two navies have learnt a lot from each other and we have become very inter-operable. In the process, we have greatly deepened our understanding and trust of each other. Truly, it is this friendship, respect and bond we have both built together that has enabled us to make Project SURPIC a reality, thereby allowing us to take another stride forward in our fight against maritime security threats together.

The Singapore Strait is a strategic waterway. Together with the Malacca Strait, it links countries in Asia to markets around the world and also brings to countries in Asia the energy resources and other goods that are important for their economic growth. It is estimated that the straits carry as much as a quarter of the world’s commerce and half of the world’s oil.

At the same time, the global economic system is now drawing countries within and beyond our region even more closely together through the densely integrated supply chains that stretch across regions. The straits are the arteries of this integrated system. The ships that ply these routes fly the flags of many states, are manned by multi-national crews and carry cargoes bound for destinations around the world.

The straits are therefore attractive targets for terrorists groups that seek to make grand political statements and also for sea-robbers who seek to make a quick buck. Ensuring the maritime security of the straits against these threats, which are not only trans-national in nature but also global in their impact, is therefore of strategic importance to all of us.

In this context, Project SURPIC will be able to make a real contribution as it will enable the two navies to share a common and real time sea situation picture of the strait. With this, the two navies will be better able to monitor the sea situation as well as to exchange information on a real time basis more efficiently and effectively. This will in turn enable the two navies to deploy their assets more optimally, and to respond more decisively should any incident in the strait develop.

To conclude, I would like to express my appreciation to the staff from Guskamlabar and Coscom and the headquarters of our two navies for working hard to realise Project SURPIC and to ADM Soebijanto for his support. Project SURPIC is yet another co-operative initiative of the TNI-AL and RSN, and is tangible evidence of the strong ties of co-operation between our two naives. The RSN looks forward to working even more closely with the TNI-AL in the future. Thank you.

By Udayan Namboodiri

People in ancient India ate beef. Mahmud of Ghazni was a great patron of poetry. The Mughal period was the ‘Age of Magnificence’. The Jain tirthankaras who preceded Bhagwan Mahavira did not exist. Shivaji, Guru Gobind Singh, Guru Teg Bahadur were only ‘rebellious’ leaders who sought to destabilise the great Mughal empire and were (logically) executed. Banda Bahadur was something of a caste leader who organised ‘lower caste Punjabis’ and did not receive the support of the upper classes; so ‘he was executed’. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan was a nationalist while the Hindu Mahasabha was communalist. Joseph Stalin was a great leader (who was not responsible for the outbreak of World War II) and the ‘paranoia’ over communism in the free world was ‘unjustified’. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose ‘died’ in an air crash. The Soviet Union only ‘intervened’ in Afghanistan and despite its (peaceful?) withdrawal, the civil war in Afghanistan is continuing.

With National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) bringing back the history books discontinued by the NDA government in 2002, the campaign to distort India’s history has got a new lease of life. Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister, Arjun Singh, who owes his position to the Leftists, has taken charge of the operation to drill pinko history into the minds of innocent children. In his zeal to please his masters, the HRD Minister has destroyed the autonomy of NCERT and thrown every pedagogical principle out of the window. Leave alone their typographical errors, factual mistakes and brazenly communal distortions, the books by the so-called ‘eminent historians’—R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar, Bipin Chandra, Arjun Dev and Satish Chandra—are unfit from the point of view of the National Policy of Education (NPE) which was formulated under Rajiv Gandhi and given shape by P.V. Narasimha Rao.

The NPE, in its Plan of Action (1992) had categorically stated that the National Curriculum Framework of School Education (NCFSE) must be revised every five years to keep students up to date with the needs of the age they would be required to live in. Accordingly, the NDA government had commissioned a new NCFSE which was implemented from the beginning of the academic year 2002-03 after the Supreme Court upheld it. It had integrated the teaching of history, geography, civics and economics and from that session onwards, these disciplines were taught out of a common book of social sciences between Classes VI and X. Only at the ‘plus two’ stage were exclusive books on history supposed to be introduced. In keeping with the new NCFSE, students had got new books which were proved to be academically sound. The Leftists who had criticised these books through their forum, the Indian History Congress (IHC), were silenced when NCERT, in August 2003, gave a point-by-point rebuttal in a book called Fallacies in the IHC Report (from Fallacies to Report). Students, teachers and parents all over India had welcomed the new pedagogy because not only were young children finally instilled with pride in their national past, but the academic burden was also substantially reduced. But now, under orders from A.K. Gopalan Bhavan, the national headquarters of the CPI(M), the NCERT has, in one stroke, revived the history books which conformed to an old NCFSE. If Singh had at least waited for a new NCFSE, however farcical and ill-conceived it could get under Leftist influence, he could at least have had a fig leaf. But, the Congress party is now reduced to such servility before the communists, that it has discarded the same NPE that its glorious leader, Rajiv Gandhi, had introduced.

Under orders from A.K. Gopalan Bhavan, the national headquarters of the CPI(M), the NCERT has, in one stroke, revived the history books which conformed to an old NCFSE. If Singh had at least waited for a new NCFSE, however farcical and ill-conceived it could get under Leftist influence, he could at least have had a fig leaf.

Henceforth, students of the secondary stage will be required to buy and memorise a separate book for history and continue with the social sciences text developed under NDA rule for knowledge of geography, civics and economics. That means, for just 30 marks, they will be required to memorise books of minimum 100 pages (as they go higher, the books thicken and end up at over 220 pages for the Class X text) plus geography, civics and economics.

The callousness of Singh’s lackeys in NCERT can be gauged by the fact that the ‘new’ books don’t even conform to the syllabus. For instance, the Class VI book by Romila Thapar is wholly focused on ancient India whereas the syllabus (formulated after nation-wide consultation in January 2002 and upheld by the Supreme Court subsequently) says students must learn bits and pieces about all ancient civilisations like those of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, Babylon, etc. Initially, NCERT had requested Thapar to write a fresh book to adapt to the new syllabus. But, imagine the arrogance of the high priestess of Leftist academia, she not only refused but also asked NCERT to change its syllabus and match it with the chapterisation of her book. And, NCERT obliged! The same munificence was granted to Thapar’s peers—the other ‘eminent’ historians.

The question that naturally arises is: Which civilised country allows its democratically evolved policies to be destroyed at the whims of a handful of persons? But, of course, the communists will argue that India is not a civilisation worthy of protection (remember what Karl Marx wrote about India in 1853?) and, therefore, anything goes. The history books make up just one manifestation of their sleight of hand. With a spineless minister like Arjun Singh at the helm, the communists are striking an unprecedented success rate with pushing their twisted ideology down the throats of India’s Generation Next.

History is a particularly sensitive area of study. It must be remembered that 95 per cent of India’s students who complete the first 10 years of education do not prefer to study history from the ‘plus two’ stage upwards. Way back in 1966, Romila Thapar and her ilk realised the necessity to ‘catch them young’. They reckoned that a sure way to control the minds of Indians was to shape their consciousness through a steady dose of Marxism-Leninism before they are lost to the professional courses. That is why we see most Indians, even of the most educated variety, harbouring ill-conceived ideas about India’s history. They are not aware that the Aryan Invasion Theory is a hoax. They nurse a perception that ancient India had a feudal society marked by caste and gender discrimination, superstition and intellectual poverty. To them, the arrival of the Turks, Persians and Mughals was like a welcome influence which transported the Indian people to a higher level of spiritual and material prosperity. Few Indians are aware that far worse than the Jewish holocaust perpetrated by Adolf Hitler was the one committed on the people of India by waves of conquerors between the 11th and 18th centuries. For instance, even the most brilliant Indian Foreign Service officer who feigns ‘specialisation’ on Afghanistan, is scarcely aware about the significance of the name of the mountain range in that country—Hindu Kush. How many millions of Indians were slaughtered there will never be known, because our ‘eminent’ historians will ensure that it is never introduced into the national discourse.

They are not aware that the Aryan Invasion Theory is a hoax. They nurse a perception that ancient India had a feudal society marked by caste and gender discrimination, superstition and intellectual poverty. To them, the arrival of the Turks, Persians and Mughals was like a welcome influence which transported the Indian people to a higher level of spiritual and material prosperity.

NCERT is guilty of promoting communal ill-will. Instead of bringing the facts about Indian history into the open, the premier educational policy institution is pandering to the same vote-bank compulsions which mark the politics of Arjun Singh and his communist backers. When history books force Hindu and Sikh children to denounce their ancestors and praise their conquerors, a sense of inferiority is instilled into their minds. But, because the smriti and shruti traditions will not permit the vanishing of the collective memory of humiliation, rape and murder, a sense of rage is willy-nilly allowed to build up in young minds.

Simultaneously, the children from Islamic families are given a false sense of glory when they are brought in line with the conquerors from the West. If, on the other hand, they are informed that under the Mughals and Tuglaqs, their ancestors suffered as much as the Hindus, a sense of national reconciliation will be promoted. They will not be perceived as Aurangzeb ki aulad, but inheritors of a common past. If this is ‘secularism’, then it will be resisted. Arjun Singh can expect hell fire and brimstone from nationalists.

(The author is senior editor, The Pioneer, and national spokesperson of Siksha Bachao Andolan.)

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