Mangalore, December 23: Muslim students have been asked to change their feeling that they will be discriminated on grounds of religion in India.
Suggesting that this attitude will only prevent their progress, Khaleel Ahmed, Chairman, Karnataka Zakath and Charitable Trust said that Muslim community in general has become victim to this misconception that it will be discriminated by people of other communities because of its identity.
Speaking at a scholarship distribution programme organised by the Trust in Mangalore on Sunday, Mr. Ahmed said that the Muslim community needs to relook at this thinking and change it as soon as possible.
“Do not nurture this fear of discrimination. It is a competitive world and if you are competent and able, you will make it irrespective of whichever organization or workplace you want to get into. This fear of discrimination will only strand your progress and stop you from looking for better opportunities. If discrimination was really a factor, how would Tata become a leading company in India which is owned by the ones belonging to Parsi minority community? How Ranbaxy and Cipla pharma owned by Sikhs and Muslims respectively shoot up to the top in the country if there really was any discrimination? There are many Muslims who are holding top positions in the country. How they could have got there if there was discrimination?” he asked the students present.
Urging the Muslims to feel proud of their Indian identity, he said that nowhere in the world do Muslims enjoy the rights and freedom that they enjoy in India.
“Muslims enjoy the reputation of being first class citizens of the country although they are a minority community here, while on the contrary, minorities in other countries including Muslim states are being subjected to harassment,” he opined. Muslim students must come out and mix with students of other communities, he added.
The Muslim community has used the Sachar Committee report to merely complain about their plight and not take a bold step in uplifting itself, Mr. Ahmed said.
“The Sachar report has painted a poor picture of Muslim community but there are other communities in India too which are also in poor condition and they are more in number compared to Muslims”, he added.
“Muslims cannot keep on complaining all the time. The community itself has to take initiatives. The prescribed Zakath has to be channelized aptly and spending it on the education of poor Muslims is a revolutionary thought”, Mr Ahmed said, while mentioning that trend of lavish weddings should be stopped.
He also urged the youth to shun dowry and appealed to the rich to spend more on helping poor children's education.
Ziyauddin Nayyar, Trustee, KZCT, in his address said that there is no distinction in Islam between the worldly education and religious education. “The Prophet (pbuh) asked us to obtain education even if it means traveling to China? In those times, what kind of education would you have got in China? Certainly not religious”, he reasoned and asked the students to seek help from Almighty Allah and stay away from 'Shirk', besides developing a good character.
A total of 2,200 students from coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada, who had scored good marks were provided scholarships on the occasion. U T Khader, MLA, was also present.
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