Aslam Aliekuem Ve Rehmatullah ve Berkat huoe

Mid nineties, the then Prime Minister of India, P V Narsima Rao visited the home or shrine of a Muslim saint. Next day headline of the entire National and local News papers were: “The Prime Minister of India visited the shrine of a secular Muslim saint of the twentieth century”.

Journalist Arun Shorie challenged the information and knowledge of all the sycophant journalists who described the saint as a secular saint of the

20^th  Century.

The saint had died in the 19^th century. Besides, he challenged the mediocre  sycophant journalists if they had read even seven pages of the seven hundred page book authored by the saint. Arun Shourie quoted some of the pages of the book: “Description of a Hindu: is given as the one with a duster on his shoulder to clean his nose, sweat and the cauldron meant to boil milk or prepare sweets. He forbids Muslims to have friendship with a Hindu and inter-dine only in case of a peculiar unavoidable emergency. He should never pray to Allah for convalescing of his ailing Hindu acquaint. He should never thank Allah if his ailing Hindu acquaint recovers his ailment.

Until I read ‘Zindgi kay asuel’ authored by Syed Mohammad Ashraf Hamdani published in The Daily Aftab Srinagar dated July 3, 2012 on page number 05, I doubted claim of Arun Shourie.

In my childhood, I along with my parents used to share the blessings that were showered after Nimaz onto all human beings irrespective of religion or region at Zaindar Sahib’s mosque in our neighbourhood at Srinagar.

My grand daughter a second primary student at Delhi Public School, Dubai was emphatically asked to wish ‘Aslam Aliekuem’ to her teachers, elders irrespective of religion and region. On skype, she wishes me ‘Nanu Aslam Aliekuem’. In response, I reciprocate in the same language. Arabic is a compulsory language for all students at Dubai.

In view of Syed Mohammad Ashraf  Hamdani’s  ‘Zindgi kay asuel’ either teaching at the school in Dubai is wrong or Hamdani Sahib needs to be corrected.

1989, I, being a Hindu, was forbidden by Liaqat Ali Khan to wish Aslam Aliekuem. The late Mohammad Amin Khan argued with Liaqat that it is only the language to wish good to the other. Language is to communicate. It has no barrier on account of religion.

I pray to be educated whether to wish Aslam Aliekuem or am banned to do so.