13 November: Baloch Martyrs’ Day ‘Shahmeeren Balochani Roch’

The aftermath of Arab uprising has shaken the conscience of the democratic world. The uprising that started in 2011 was peaceful and very promising. Masses came out in millions and demanded their basic rights. They wanted freedom, democracy, justice and employment. These demands were neither naïve nor idealistic. In fact, most people in the developed democratic nations take these rights for granted.
The prevailing view of the pundits, the region’s ruling establishments and the world powers was that this system does not fit in with the nature of these people. They openly professed that freedom, democracy, human rights and rule of law cannot be applied in the region! When people removed one dictator after another from power the prevalent view changed overnight completely. One could hear the prediction that the end of dictatorship at last arrived in this part of the world. After this social and political upheaval it was said that one country after another would invariably adopt a liberal democratic political system.  In their remedy, however, one key factor was missing.
We all know that the present map of the Middle East and its surrounding is the creation of the European Empires that colonised the nations of this region in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. When these empires ruled they watchfully handpicked the most corrupt, ignorant, violent and religious fanatics out of the local people to run and guard their interests in their colonies. As they left, they drew artificial boarders and created arbitrary countries and handed these countries to their most loyal servants that they had so methodically selected and trained for many decades. The prototypical product of this policy is the state of Pakistan.  When the British Empire left India, they divided it and a segment of India was presented to their most dutiful servants, the Punjabi fundamentalist Muslims.  Moreover, the British governments have continued their support to this artificial state and their horrendous violation of human rights and their Islamic extremism to this very day.
The rise and fall of the Arab Spring is also a consequence of this unpalatable truth. The problem is not with the people who reside within these artificial constructions. These people like rest of humanity want to live free of tyranny, prison, torture, flogging, execution, stoning to death, cutting of limbs and hunger. They want to live in peace, security and with dignity. The problem is with these colonial theocratic geopolitical structures. These colonial constructions are inherently irrational, undemocratic and inhumane. Formation of Hezbollah, Taliban and ISIL and their rise to political power is a natural outcome of this legacy. Needless to say that all other military and non-military left and right rulers of these Frankenstein states have not acted any different from these groups. There is a common tie that unites all these rulers and that is to guard these colonial constructions by all means. In one word, dictatorship. It would be utterly foolish to expect anything but raw dictatorship from colonial geopolitical structures such as Pakistan and Iran. Preservation of such artificial political construction can only be prolonged by extreme violence, religious hatred and warfare.
Among the nations the Baloch nation is the least known and has suffered the most due to these colonial theocratic constructions. The British Empire invaded Balochistan in 1839 and subsequently divided it into three parts. The western part was given to Persia, the Northern part to Afghanistan and the eastern part was illegally occupied by the state of Pakistan in 1948 soon after the British forged the state of Pakistan in 1947. With all the hurdles placed against the Baloch, they have not stopped their desire for their freedom and independence. Thousands of Baloch political and human rights and ordinary Baloch have been arrested, disappeared, imprisoned, tortured and killed by the occupying states of Pakistan and Iran during this period.
Since the year 2000 both colonial theocratic states of Pakistan and Iran have broken their records of atrocities per population against Baloch people. The Punjabi army and rulers of Pakistan have abducted and disappeared up to 20,000 Baloch political and human rights activists. The mutilated bodies of about 2,000 of these victims have been discovered in many desolated areas and in several mass graves in the eastern occupied Balochistan. The number of people being disappeared and killed this year alone goes to many hundreds of individual.
The Persian rulers of the colonial theocratic state of Iran also have carried out the largest mass execution craze per population from 2003 to 2009 in western occupied Balochistan. They also executed the first web blogger in the world, the Baloch journalist Yaghoob Mhrnehad in 2008. The regime policy of shoot to kill is still in its full swing. So far just this year the Islamic regime of Iran has killed over 30 Baloch, mostly youth and mostly bystanders.
The victory of Arab Spring is fundamental to restoration of Baloch democratic rights. The current set back is only temporary. It is mainly due to the policy of preservation of the present colonial theocratic constructions by all means. The setback has also emboldened the rulers of Pakistan and Iran to arrest; disappear, torture more Baloch political and human rights activists in the last two years. While the attention of the world is on the Middle East, these states in Balochistan are doing what ISIL does with their opponents in the territories that are under their control.
The Punjabi Jihadists of Pakistan and the Hezbollah of Iran have transformed Balochistan to a no go area. There is no independent media in Balochistan. Neither is there any human rights organization nor a single foreign scholar to carry out an independent study of Balochistan. Even foreign tourists and adventurists are not allowed to enter Balochistan. In case they see what goes on to the Baloch people under occupation of Punjabi Muslims and the Persian Mullahs.  Instead, both eastern and western occupied Balochistan are full of all sorts of military and paramilitary crusaders and jihadists that are sent by the Pakistani and Iranian states to counter Baloch secular democratic liberation movement.  Those who belong to these armies and groups are not different from ISIL in their beliefs and deeds. While the democratic world abhors ISIL’s creed and actions but they have kept quiet about the Punjabi and Persian extremists’ ideology and actions in Balochistan.
Besides all the atrocities cited above Baloch are deprived of their economy, environment, health, infrastructure, culture, language, art, music, moral and cultural values, peace and security. To the colonial theocratic states of Pakistan and Iran a Baloch life is worthless. But despite of all difficulties and the weaknesses of a few Baloch resistance organisations and their leaders, the Baloch liberation movement is still thriving and growing in strength. The main reason for that is every sensible person knows that what is going on in Balochistan is not viable in the long run. The same colonial and violent policies and methods cannot be sustained for too long. As much as it is not the end of the Arab Spring and in the same way Baloch resistance will never disappear until its eventual victory. The hidden currents are underway. Political tyranny and religious fanaticism had their time in the region and are no longer in demand. The colonial theocratic states solution to Baloch is more of the same; more cruelty, death, destruction and religious fanaticism. This is obviously not the answer to the legitimate rights of the Baloch nation and other nations that are under their domination.
What is more, no option is workable unless it is grounded on rational reasoning; freedom, democracy, respect to human rights, justice, the rule of law and mutual respect. These conditions will only materialize within a free, open and accountable environment. Baloch have been fighting for these values for a very long time. Many Baloch have given their lives to restore these rights for their people and homeland. For this reason Baloch nation has dedicated one day in the year to remember and celebrate the life and achievements of Baloch Martyrs of liberation struggle and continue their path of struggle for our freedom. This day is known as Baloch Martyrs Day “Shahmeeren Balochani Roch.” This is held on the 13 November of each year to remember them and to keep their memory alive.  On this day the British imperial army invaded independent state of Balochistan and killed the head of Baloch state, Mir Mehrab Khan Baloch.

Balochistan Women Leading the Movement against Oppression and Injustice

By I Baloch
All around the world today; people celebrated International Women’s Day.  We pay tribute to all the Brave Women throughout history and commemorate their significant achievements and impact upon the world.  Still, even today in this modern and developed world, in many Middle Eastern & Central Asian regions; women are oppressed, victimized and treated as slaves.
The Women of Occupied Balochistan are deprived of all the basic necessities of healthy life such as clean water, education and adequate health care facilities. Often times Baloch women must often travel over 700km to the hospital in Karachi.  Because of the deprivation of proper health care facilities, Baloch women are faced with very high maternal mortality rates.  According to a Pakistan Health Demographic Survey, more than 3 times as many Baloch women die during childbirth than all the other regions of Pakistan combined.
Since the day Balochistan was annexed and occupied by Pakistan in 1948, the Punjab run State has been plundering Balochistan’s resources.  Every day Baloch women are being beaten, tortured, abducted and murdered during Pakistani Army operations in occupied Balochistan.
Although the Balochistan is rich in natural resources such as Gold, Gas, Coal, Oil, etc. Balochistan remains one of the most impoverished and underdeveloped regions in the world.  While Balochistan is a major natural gas producer, Baloch women and families are left to cook their food on sticks over open fires.  Additionally because of the lack of clean water, illness and disease have become commonplace.  Many Baloch women have been completely deprived of education.  As a result of threats & attacks against female students & educators, as well as lack of educational facilities, many Baloch women have been prevented from learning Urdu and English and obtaining meaningful education.
The Baloch women who have become educated, learned their rights and realized Pakistan was directly responsible for the oppression and suffering of the Baloch people.  Women like BSO-Azad chairperson Banuk Karima Baloch, and Voice of Baloch Missing Persons General Secretary. Both are struggling for the rights of Baloch women and freedom for the Baloch nation.  Banuk Farzana Majeed was at the forefront of the VBMP Long March demonstration to demand the safe release of the over 20,000 abducted and 2000 killed Baloch people.
Alongside Mama Qadeer, Banuk Sammi Baloch, Banuk Saba Baloch, and 11 year old Ali Haider Baloch, Banuk Farzana Majeed marched 2000km from Quetta to Islamabad via Karachi.  Unfortunately despite promises from the United Nations; the international community has not taken any action to investigate or improve the shameful human rights situation in occupied Balochistan.  In addition to the Long March demonstration, the VBMP has also been holding hunger strikes and protest camps for 1918 days since 2009.  Banuk Farzana Majeed’s brother Zakir Majeed was abducted by Pakistani Intelligence Agents 6 years ago and has never been seen or heard from again.  Since then Banuk Farzana Majeed has been actively protesting for his safe release.
Banuk Karima Baloch is currently the chairperson of Baloch Student Organization (Azad) and prior to the abduction of former BSO-Azad chairperson Zahid Baloch by state security forces  in March of 2014 Banuk Karima Baloch was the vice-chairperson of BSO-Azad.  Since the abduction of Zahid Baloch, Banuk Karima Baloch initiated a campaign to protest the enforced disappearance of the former BSO-Azad chairperson.  Although BSO-Azad has been holding continual protests, demonstrations, hunger strikes, and social media campaigns, former chairperson Zahid Baloch is still being unlawfully imprisoned by State forces without charge or crime.
As a result of her active campaign to demand the safe release of Zahid Baloch, Banuk Karima Baloch has been regularly threatened by the Pakistani State Agents.  On a number of occasions her home was attacked by Security Forces, who on one occasion even bombarded her house with mortars.  Despite state persecution, threats and attacks, Banuk Karima Baloch bravely stands against the occupier state’s oppression and persecution.  She is considered to be an effective leader, and is universally admired and respected as a true daughter of the Baloch nation most recently, BSO-Azad announced an awareness campaign and rallies on March 18^th the day Zahid Baloch was unlawfully abducted by State Security Forces in Quetta one year ago.
Banuk Farzana Majeed and Banuk Karima Baloch are but two examples of an entire nation of strong bold women who are perpetually faced with untold suffering and severe inequality.  Every day the mutilated dead bodies of their Brothers, Fathers, and Husbands are found dumped in Occupied Balochistan.  Pakistani Armed Forces carry out constant military operations against tiny rural villages injuring and killing countless civilians.  Thousands more have been displaced within their own homelands, forced to flee the unending violence dealt upon them by the Occupier State’s cruel armies.  Many Women too are abducted and martyred by State Forces in occupied Balochistan, taken to torture cells and subjected to unspeakable atrocities.  In 2006 Pakistani Security Agencies abducted Zareena Marrie along with her 6 year old son Murad Bux.  Since their enforced abduction, her status and location remain unknown.
Baloch Women have set an example for all of us, they have shown us their bold tenacity and perseverance in the face of extreme adversity.  Despite such harsh realities; today’s Baloch Women have never abandoned hope, they are bravely standing at the front lines of the Baloch struggle for freedom with obstinate resolve.

Justice of Kashmiri Hindu Refugees on Human Rights Day

KASHMIR IS FOR ALL KASHMIRIS.  BALOCHISTAN IS FOR ALL BALOCH. 

GET OUT PAKISTAN.

Kashmiri Hindu Refugees Protest For Justice of the Genocide they Faced

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) observed Human Rights Day today amidst a renewed call for justice for Kashmiri Pandits (a Hindu community native to Kashmir). “65 years ago, the United Nations proclaimed December 10th as Human Rights Day to highlight the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for all peoples of the world,” said Samir Kalra, Esq. HAF’s Senior Director and Human Rights Fellow. “Today, that promise remains unfulfilled for Kashmiri Pandits, who continue to be deprived of justice and their fundamental human rights, 25 years after being religiously cleansed from their ancestral homeland.”

In 1989-1990, more than 300,000 Kashmiri Pandits (the indigenous Hindu population from the Kashmir Valley) were forced out from the Kashmir Valley in India’s State of Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistani sponsored Islamic militants. Fleeing a systematic campaign of violence, including massacres, rape, threats, and intimidation by Islamic extremists, thousands of Kashmiri Hindu families sought refuge in makeshift camps in the cities of Jammu and New Delhi.
According to the Foundation’s annual human rights report, Hindus in South Asia and the Diaspora: A Survey of Human Rights 2014-2015, there has been little change to their conditions as thousands of Pandits continue to live in decrepit refugee camps, and the vast majority have been unable to safely return to the Kashmir Valley. The report similarly documents the discrimination, violence, and restrictions on religious freedom faced by Hindu minorities in countries throughout South Asia and other parts of the world.
“It is incumbent upon the central Indian government and the Jammu and Kashmir state government to comprehensively address this lingering tragedy and finally accord the Pandits with the full dignity, security, and basic civil liberties they have been denied for so many years,” said Rajiv Pandit, HAF Executive Council Member and a Kashmiri Pandit. “Officially recognizing them as Internally Displaced Persons will go a long way towards that goal and is long overdue.”

The Foundation also announced plans to launch a Kashmiri Pandit Digital Archive in early 2016 to keep attention focused on this historic ethno-religious cleansing and the community’s current plight. Kalra noted that the oral history project will document the experiences of Kashmiri Pandit survivors and their family members through the collection of stories, interviews, pictures, and videos.

Protest against Pakistan, India.---- Free Balochistan, Free Sindh, Free Kashmir.

NO INDIA NO PAKISTAN We want free Kashmir, Free Balochistan.

Hyrbyair Marri: A dedicated leader of Baloch freedom struggle

Monday, July 21st, 2014 11:10 pm

By Shahdad Baloch
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” I believe Hyrbyair Marri Baloch is among the one to whom greatness has been thrust upon.
Self-made men often have to overcome great obstacles to achieve their national objectives. He spent most of his early adolescence with his wretched people in Afghanistan where he experienced their pain and sufferings. During his school vocations instead of going elsewhere he preferred mostly to visit the Baloch refugees in Helmand (Afghanistan) where he witnessed the sufferings of his victimized Baloch people, victims of Pakistani cruelty. His two elder brothers disliked his closeness with the Baloch refugees in Afghanistan but their behaviour didn’t hamper his ambition to visit his poor people and be with them in most difficult times.
Baloch nation, its sufferings and deprivations are the core subject for him to ponder on. Pakistani army and agencies tried a lot to distract his keenness towards Baloch nation. Pakistan’s anti Hyrbyair propagandas and their attempts to use carrot and stick could neither bribe nor hamper his love and dedication towards Balochistan and Baloch people. Today he is recognised as architect of current freedom movement in Balochistan.
Born on 4 august 1968 in Quetta Balochistan, at Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri’s house, he studied at Quetta Grammar School. He continued his studies in Kabul (Afghanistan) when he moved there along with his family in 1980s. He went to Russia for further studies where he studied journalism. During this time he made frequent visits to Baloch refugee camp in Helmand Afghanistan and his ties grew with his own people. This was a new chapter of life for him. He used to listen to the stories of Baloch Veterans of 70s war and the difficulties they had faced.
He returned from Afghanistan in 1992 and started working for Baloch freedom struggle. He along with his ideological and likeminded friends organised study circles to educate Baloch youth about their right to independence. He took part in Balochistan Assembly elections in 1997 and won the votes with overwhelming majority. He then became the minister of C&W ‘Communication and Work’. He was the youngest and first Baloch Member of Parliament and minister who declined to pledge loyalty to Pakistan. Instead of the words ‘I shall remain loyal to Pakistan’ he vowed “I shall remain loyal to my Nation”. Mr. Marri was also the first Baloch minister to protest against conducting nuclear tests in Balochistan in May, 1998.
In 1999 he went to Europe for vacations, he was still abroad when Musharraf’s government implicated him, his father Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri and brothers in murder case of Justice Nawaz Marri who was killed by unknown persons, presumably by Pakistani intelligence agencies, on 7, January, 2000. Hyrbyair Marri stayed in London and effectively promoted the Baloch national freedom movement in accordance with the requirements of contemporary world.
In December, 2007, Mr Marri along with Faiz Baluch was arrested in London, United Kingdom on behest of Pakistani government and on request of General Parves Musharraf. Prior to his arrest there were reports in British media that Pakistan and Britain wanted to agree on a swap deal under which Pakistan would hand over Rahid Rauf (a man wanted for a murder case in UK and accused of planning to blow up of transatlantic airlines) to UK and in return Britain would extradite Baloch leaders including Hyrbyair Marri. However, in reality Pakistan wanted to silence Mr Marri because he was exposing the atrocities of Pakistani state and its army against the people of Balochistan. Pakistan was afraid because this young man has internationalised the Baloch freedom movement and because of his tireless efforts the world organisations and international community was becoming aware of Pakistani state barbarism in Balochistan.
He was imprisoned for more than four months and then released on bail under strict conditions including he had to wear a tag at all times, he was not allowed to make phone calls to Balochistan, he was not allowed to speak to media and he was not allowed to attend any meetings about Balochistan. This ordeal continued for almost one year before he was put on trial which continued for around two months where he eloquently explained the problem of Balochistan and successfully persuaded an ordinary British jury about Pakistani state’s crimes against humanity against Baloch people. The jury of British men and women saw through his cause and acquitted him of three charges whereas the CPS later withdrew the remaining charges against him as there was no evidence. Hence he was set free as a dignified Baloch leader and human rights activist. After one year of ordeal Sine his acquittal he has continuously been advocating for the Baloch freedom movement.
Hyrbyair Marri is a great statesman, diplomat and politician. At public events he delivers his speeches with wisdom and maturity. He weighs his words well before he speaks them out. Moreover, he disclaimed himself as prince or Sardar. Despite belonging to the Sardar’s family, he says he is an activist of Baloch freedom movement and he is not better than any ordinary Baloch who struggles for Baloch national freedom. His humbleness, honesty and straightforwardness are his strength. He has not ever been afraid of enemy’s strength and power, wanting to win he always rightly estimate occupier strength and he knows his nations resolve and will power for an independent state. His eyes and mind are always fixed on the ground to his struggling nation and defenders of his motherland.
One of his revolutionary steps is the formulation of “BALOCHISTAN LIBERATION CHARTER” a political road map for free Balochistan. Hyrbyair Marri and his friends believe that Baloch nation needs a written pledge from their leaders which they say is the Balochistan Liberation Charter. They presented the Charter for feedbacks and improvement to leader of BRP Mr Brahumdagh Bugti, Dr Allah Nazar Baluch, Khan Suleman Dawood Baloch, BSO-Azad, BNM, BNM (Shaheed Ghulam Mohammad), BNP leader Akhtar Mengal, Baloch Salvation Front, Baloch Raaji Zrombesh, Balochistan Peoples Party and other organisations inside and outside Balochistan.
His true comrades are those who struggle for Balochistan’s independence; he called his own brother Jangaiz Marri as one of those who have sided with the enemies of Baloch and are working against Baloch national interest. He gives ideological relations priority over blood relations and his truism lays in the fact that he loves those who sacrificed their lives for Free Balochistan and those who sincerely struggle for Baloch national liberation. He has successfully drawn the attention of international community towards atrocity of Pakistan in Balochistan. Due to his extraordinary advocacy of Baloch cause, Pakistan considers him a headache that is why on several occasion Pakistan tried to mislead the international community in their endeavour to get Marri deported so that they could imprison torture and kill him like thousands of other Baloch leaders and activists.
Two other well-known names in Balochistan freedom struggle are of Dr Allah Nazar Baloch and Brahumdagh Bugti who have had close proximity with Hyrbyair Marri. On several occasions Hyrbyair Marri and his friends have supported them and worked closely with them in term of experience and stragies, diplomacy and brought consciousness in them regarding changing world order and its growing favour towards Balochistan freedom. The recent example of which is the formulation of “BALOCHISTAN LIBERATION CHARTER” and presenting it to all stake holders for their suggestions and feedbacks to improve it further and make it a national document which could unite all stake holders before the world with a clear political road map in their possession.
Sine 1990s Hyrbyair and his comrades have been actively galvanising the Baloch nation from Kohlu to Mashky for freedom of Balochistan. Among Nawab Marri’s sons he is true follower of Khair Baksh Marri and he was a supporter of Balochistan’s independence long before the others even knew there was a movement for Balochistan’s freedom. If Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri was the architecture of Baloch freedom movement, then Hybyair is the engineer who built this strong foundation and the building designed by Nawab Marri.
However, as the ill-luck would have it, few of his comrades deviated from the broader cause of free Balochistan and internal political rifts emerged among pro-freedom stake holders. After his arrested in London and subsequent imprisonment some of his comrades mismanaged liberation struggle but still he favours negotiation on those misconducts. He wants to address the internal political rifts so that all stake holders can unite and work for the freedom of Balochistan instead of wasting time and energy on blaming each other. He is man of principles who believes that accountability is very first step for an organised and combined movement.
On several occasions he offered world nations to open their Embassies in Balochistan and allow the Baloch people to open embassies of Balochistan around the world. Indeed he is a grand strategist he knows well how to lead the dimensions of a movement he always speaks of geographical importance of Balochistan. Moreover, he rejects the current geographical distribution of Balochistan and considers it obsolete. His personality is unique he selects people on the basis of ideology, his political ideal is his father (late Khair Baksh Marri) and he has been influenced by his brother Hunza Marri as a young boy, he also had great working coordination with his brother late Balach Marri. His hope and ultimate sources of inspiration are Baloch nation.
Today Baloch nation has its eyes on him that how he resolve the prevailing issues in Balochistan and its independence movement. He is abiding by the responsibility on his shoulders and it’s important to bring all Baloch stakeholders on one platform. He should convince Brahumdagh Bugti, Allah Nazar, and rest of the Baloch pro-freedom parties and individuals to come forward and support the “BALOCHISTAN LIBERATION CHARTER” so that it can be presented to the international community unanimously which help Baloch national freedom movement gains more will support internationally. It is the national duty of all these pro-freedom Baloch stakeholders to bury their personal egos and grudges and adopt the charter as a national document. That is because Baloch nation is a nation of Martyrs; thousands of Baloch have sacrificed their lives for independence of Balochistan. The mothers, sisters, bothers and other family members of Baloch martyrs of liberation struggle are asking for the freedom of nation for which their sons and daughters poured their blood.
Making a human chain and holding hands in the air as a show of unity is one thing but for a great vision and having a comprehensive document like the Balochistan Liberation Charter in your hands is quite another thing. Empty handed with no clear vision the unity will remain an empty slogan and rootless cause which will soon fade away with the passage of time and becomes a disappointment for the Baloch nation.

Dr. Zakir Naik: A Modern Charlatan by Aftab Zaidi

Dr. Zakir Naik: A Modern Charlatan by Aftab Zaidi Britain for far too long has been a breeding ground for would-be terrorists due to its lax laws. Therefore the tough stance taken last year by British home secretary Ms. Thersea May to ban the entry of self proclaimed Muslim preacher Dr. Zakir Naik into United Kingdom comes as a breath of fresh air. The British authorities were quick to refuse admission to Mr. Geert Wilders, a respected member of the Dutch parliament, on account of stoking inter-community tensions. However this is the first time that Dr. Naik, a hate monger and a radical terrorist supporter, has been denied a British visa. Although Dr. Naik makes it clear that he does not advocate specific acts of terrorism, his inflammatory speeches makes it abundantly clear where his sympathies lie. He seems to have a personal grudge against the west in general and a specific revulsion towards United States. This is what he had to say when questioned about Bin Laden: “But if you ask my view, if given the truth, if he is fighting the enemies of Islam, I am for him. I don’t know what he is doing. I am not in touch with him. I don’t know him personally. If he is terrorizing the terrorists, if he is terrorizing America the terrorist …. I am with him. Every Muslim should be a terrorist.” This particular statement is an instigator for Muslim youth to commit different acts of terrorism. The American terror suspect Mr. Najibullah Zazi, arrested in 2009 for planning suicide attacks on the New York subways, was reportedly inspired by the provocative and hate filled speeches of Dr. Naik on YouTube. Zakir Naik has been swift in passing judgments on the morality of Western women. His exact words were: “Western society has actually degraded [women] to the status of concubines, mistresses and social butterflies, who are mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketers.” On the contrary he fails to take into account the fact that slavery was never abolished by Islam. In fact it permits polygamy, and the practice of keeping concubines was prevalent even during the reign of Muhammad. Koran sanctions the use of concubines in the following verse: And if you fear that you cannot act equitably towards orphans, then marry such women as seem good to you, two and three and four; but if you fear that you will not do justice (between them), then (marry) only one or what your right hands possess; this is more proper, that you may not deviate from the right course. (Koran 004:003) The right hand possessions in the above verse have been interpreted by various Islamic scholars to be concubines. Muhammad himself had a number ofzakir_naikconcubines, apart from several wives. Among them was Maria the Coptic who was a Christian slave gifted to Muhammad by an Egyptian ruler. Maria’s name has not been found to be listed anywhere as the wife of Prophet in the earliest sources of Islamic history such as the notes of Ibn Hashim on Ibn Ishaq’s sira. Muslim theologians however try their level best to prove that the Prophet actually married Maria, in order to scale down the criticism of his disgraceful deeds. Obviously Dr. Naik conveniently overlooks this aspect of Islamic history. Even today Muslims spring up immediately to defend this despicable example of misogyny. To be fair it was actually the American Civil war that led to the near-eradication of slavery on a global scale. Dr. Zakir Naik has also been quoted as saying that Western women make themselves more susceptible to rape by wearing revealing clothes. Such a sweeping statement explicitly clarifies his stance. The underlying message is that women should be controlled and put behind several layers of veils. They are inferior beings and their purpose in life should be to act on the whims of their husbands and to raise kids. Dr. Naik expediently puts the entire onus on the shoulders of women. Men in his contrived view can carry on with their lustful activities. This also runs contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 article 1, which states. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act toward one another in the spirit of brotherhood. The assertion by Dr. Naik is also inconsistent with the facts. Developing countries have a higher rate of rape incidents. This is because of poverty, lawlessness and anarchy. In many Islamic countries rape victims refuse to report the crime because of the shame associated with it. There were actually laws in Pakistan known as the Hudood laws based on Islamic injunctions which advocated the incarceration of the rape sufferer in case she fails to provide the law enforcers with four witnesses. Several women were put behind bars under the pretext of these laws. These have now been amended. However the main gist remains intact. Ironically it was the Islamist parties who were its biggest proponents and tried their level best to delay legislation for their revocation. Another heart wrenching story is of Dr. Shazia Khalid. She was posted as a medical doctor at a hospital in a small town of Sui in Pakistan. She was an employee of Pakistan Petroleum Limited, a state owned oil exploration company. She was allegedly raped by an officer of the Pakistan army who was actually a part of a military contingent guarding the state owned facility. Later she was prohibited from reporting the case. When the news finally went out, the authorities hounded her immensely thus forcing her to flee from the country. She was eventually granted political asylum in the United Kingdom. Not a word in her support was uttered by any cleric or Islamic scholar. This is what one gets for being a modest and chaste woman. Her dignity was after all restored in an “infidel” Western country. Dr. Zakir Naik has also claimed to have found scientific miracles in the Koran. All the holy scriptures were written between 2000 years before Christ and 200 years after Muhammad. Modern science includes the period from Galileo, Newton up to Einstein and the current century. The two are at odds. None of the scriptures teach science. His half truths and myths have been debunked by Ali Sina who is a leading critic of Islam. Naik is a showman who is able to impress his audience by memorizing and quoting directly from various scriptures. He has also been accused of inflaming communal feelings with this strident debating style. He is also a proponent of the death penalty for apostates. He should be completely barred from the Western capitals until he changes his uncivilized behavior.