25 Ways to Improve Your Health

 

1) Brush twice a day!

 

 

2) Dress right for the weather.

 

 

3) Visit the dentist regularly.

 

 

4) Get plenty of rest.

 

 

5) Make sure your hair is dry before going outside.

 

 

6) Eat right.

 

 

7) Get outside in the sun every once in a while.

 

 

8) Always wear a seatbelt.

 

 

9) Stay away from alcoholic beverages.

 

 

10) Smile! It will make you feel better.

 

 

11) Don't over indulge yourself.

 

 

12) Bathe regularly.

 

 

13) Read to exercise the brain.

 

 

14) Surround yourself with friends.

 

 

15) Stay away from too much caffeine.

 

 

16) Use the bathroom regularly.

 

 

17) Get plenty of exercise.

 

 

18) Have your eyes checked regularly.

 

 

19) Eat plenty of vegetables.

 

 

20) Believe that people will like you for who you are.

 

 

21) Forgive and forget.

 

 

22) Take plenty of vacations.

 

 

23) Celebrate all special occasions.

 

 

24) Pick up a hobby.

 

 

25)  Love your neighbor as yourself.

 

Do all these things and you will be a happier, healthier person

“Submit” to Husbands, Priest Tells UK Women

IslamOnline.net & Newspapers

“Wives are to submit to their husbands in everything in recognition of the fact that husbands are head of the family,” rector MacLeay said. (Google) CAIRO – A Church of England priest has urged women to “submit” to their husbands, raising the ire of women as keeping with “dark ages”, reported the Guardian on Saturday, February 13. “Wives are to submit to their husbands in everything in recognition of the fact that husbands are head of the family as Christ is head of the church,” reads a leaflet issued by rector Angus MacLeay. “This is the way God has ordered their relationships with each other and Christian marriage cannot function well without it.” MacLeay, a member of the General Synod, also urged women to keep “silent” when asked questions that could be answered by their husbands. “It would seem that women should remain silent … if questions could legitimately be answered by their husbands.” The comments were backed by MacLeay’s curate, who blamed the behavior of “modern” women for the high divorce rate in Britain. The Status of Woman in Islam Islamic Guidance on Treating Wives “We know marriage is not working. We only need to look at figures – one in four children have divorced parents,” curate Mark Oden told worshippers on Sunday congregation. “Wives, submit to your own husbands.” Anger The comments drew ire of women parishioners, who described them as keeping with “dark ages”. “How can they talk that way in the 21st century?” a female parishioner said. “No wonder the Church is losing touch if this is the kind of gobbledegook they want us to believe it.” The parishioner vowed to shun the Church until it reconsiders its position. “I will not be going back to that church and will have to seriously consider my faith if this is the nonsense they are spouting now.” The Church of England preachers were also accused of having a “medieval” mentality. "What kind of medieval sermon is that? We are not in the 15th Century?” said another woman parishioner. “I have already cancelled my direct debit to the church.” But the Church of England preachers rejected the accusations. “I am passionate about helping people to have healthy marriages,” said Oden, a married father of three. “I did not set out to unnecessarily offend people, but I stand by what God has said in his word, the Bible.” MacLeay, the Church Vicar, also defended his position. “There are times when the Bible challenges modern society,” he said. “It recognizes that women are fully equal to men, but it also recognizes that in certain areas of life they may have different roles.”

New Wind Turbine

The Magenn Power Air Rotor System (MARS) is a patented high altitude lighter-than-air tethered device that rotates about a horizontal axis in response to wind, efficiently generating clean renewable electrical energy at a lower cost than all competing systems. This electrical energy is transferred down the tether to a transformer at a ground station and then transferred to the electricity power grid. Helium (an inert non-reactive lighter than air gas) sustains the Air Rotor which ascends to an altitude for best winds and its rotation also causes the Magnus effect. This provides additional lift, keeps the device stabilized, keeps it positioned within a very controlled and restricted location, and causes it to pull up overhead rather than drift downwind on its tether.

All competing conventional wind generators use bladed two-dimensional disk-like structures and rigid towers. The Magenn Power Air Rotor system is a closed three-dimensional structure (cylinder). It offers high torque, low starting speeds, and superior overall efficiency thanks to its ability to deploy higher. The closed structure allows Magenn Power to produce wind rotors from very small to very large sizes at a fraction of the cost of current wind generators.

The distinct advantages of the Magenn Air Rotor System design are as follows:

• Magenn Air Rotor System is less expensive per unit of actual electrical energy output than competing wind power systems.
• Magenn Power Air Rotor System will deliver time-averaged output much closer to its rated capacity than the capacity factor typical with conventional designs. Magenn efficiency will be 25 to 60 percent. This is hugely important, since doubling capacity factor cuts the cost of each delivered watt by half.
• Wind farms can be placed closer to demand centers, reducing transmission line costs and transmission line loses.
• Magenn Air Rotors are operable between 2 meter/sec and in excess of 28 meters/sec.
• Magenn Air Rotors can be raised to higher altitudes, thus capitalizing on higher winds aloft. Altitudes from 400-ft to 1,000-ft above ground level are possible, without having to build an expensive tower, or use a crane to perform maintenance.
• Magenn Air Rotors are mobile and can be easily moved to different locations to correspond to changing wind patterns. Mobility is also useful in emergency deployment and disaster relief situations.

These points are mutually inclusive. The advantages above combine to make Magenn the most cost-effective wind electrical generation system.

Waqf scam!! Meant for Muslim welfare, Waqf lands are being sold for a song by its trustees

Sandipan Chatterjee Wakf land now a club: Tollygunge, Calcutta Having failed to give the lease rent agreed upon in 1934, the management of the club has now been ordered by court to pay Rs 30 lakh as arrears and Rs 1 lakh a month as rent Saba Naqvi Wakf Deconstructed ‘To tie down’ is the literal meaning of the Arabic word Wakf. It's used across the Muslim world to denote property donated by individuals and institutions in the name of Allah for the benefit of the poor in the community. 800 years is how old the institution of Wakf is in India. It began when Muslim rulers donated huge lands for charity. 3,00,000 is the approximate number of registered Wakf properties in India 4 lakh acresis the land Wakf properties account for. According to the deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, K. Rahman Khan, this makes the board the third-largest landholder after the railways and defence. 35 is the number of Wakf boards in India, many of them non-functional 5 is the minimum number of members a board must have. The number, however, varies according to the Muslim population of a state. Members are nominated by ruling parties in each state. Wakf Acts The 1954 and 1995 central laws endow huge powers with the state governments that set up and run Wakf boards in their states *** Modus Operandi Outright sale Builder or businessman identifies a Wakf property They approach members of the board The land is sold for a pittance Board members get their cut Cheap rent Happens in states where outright sale is not encouraged Builder/ businessman approaches board members The land is given on a ridiculously low lease Land use is changed to facilitate commercial exploitation Members pocket their cuts Allegations against the board Although Wakf is a national resource to be used to develop institutions and earn income for Muslims, it is so terribly managed that it is the only system where virtually no accountability is demanded Cases of blatant corruption abound. Land is sold off for buildings, hotels, malls or factories for a pittance or given out for shockingly low rents to commercial interests. The boards have become an avenue for political patronage. Muslims who cannot be accommodated in ministries are sent off here. They mostly never do anything for the community. In most cases, they are hand-in-glove with the land mafia and encroachers. The "Islam in danger" sentiment is crudely raised to hoodwink the Muslim public and stop any real scrutiny of the functioning of boards, whose members are out to make a fast buck Ironically, Wakf boards keep claiming properties protected by the ASI as "living" religious shrines. In many cases, there is a clear monetary incentive under the guise of religion. The mess in the boards is also a reflection of the apathy of state governments. Many have not constituted boards; none have carried out a survey of Wakf properties as required by the 1995 Act. As a result of this mess, 70 per cent of Wakf properties are encroached upon, often in connivance with board members or government department overseeing. Allow encroachments The board covertly encourages Muslims to encroach on a monument. Friday prayers begin to be held on a regular basis. Wakf board then attempts to make it a ‘living’ place of worship. Very often, the encroachers are board members or persons acting on their behalf. Later  surrounding land is sold/ leased as  private property for  commercial  purposes. *** It is collectively the biggest land scam in India’s history. Wakf can be described as a religious endowment made in the name of Allah for the benefit of the poor and needy in the Muslim community. There are approximately 3,00,000 registered Wakf properties in India on about four lakh acres of land. It is a national resource that should have been developed for the welfare of the community, as it is meant to. Instead, this resource has been mortgaged, sold and encroached upon with the connivance of the very institutions and individuals responsible for safeguarding it. This is an investigation into a systemic rot. The Wakf boards in most states of India are repositories of corruption, in league with land sharks and builders. They continue to get away with the daylight robbery of their own community because, whenever there is any demand for scrutiny, they crudely take cover behind the “Islam in danger” sentiment.     Earlier, a sale or exchange of land had to have the approval of the district judge. Now the board pretty much does what it wants.     Rahman Khan, deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, was chairman of the joint parliamentary committee on Wakf that submitted its report a year ago. Having examined the issue in depth, he says: “If the Wakf properties were managed properly, many problems of Muslims such as joblessness, lack of education and resultant poverty would have been resolved. Today, even if we presume that 70 per cent of these properties have been encroached upon or sold off, even the remaining 30 per cent is a huge resource that can be developed.” He has already recommended to the Manmohan Singh government that there be a “total change” in the constitution of the boards and a national Wakf development corporation be set up with professionals at the helm. “Imagine what great institutions can be built as the land cost is zero,” he says. Wakf property now encroached upon: Fatehpuri Mosque, Delhi In one instance, the board got a property with Punjab National Bank vacated and then leased it to a society headed by one of its own members. Shops too have been given out on lease. But that is some distance away and will happen only if public awareness about the scale of the problem is created. Currently, those who purport to be leaders of the community are complicit in the conspiracy to rob resources while perpetuating a siege mentality. They want to capture existing institutions and sell them off piece by piece. They are adept at fanning fears and feeding into the victimhood syndrome but quite incapable of building institutions or shepherding the community towards modernity. Atyab Siddiqui, advocate and standing counsel of the Jamia Millia Islamia university, says that “anytime we talk of reforming Wakf, they bring religion into it”. According to him, the 1995 Wakf Act actually increased corruption within the boards. Earlier, any sale or exchange of land had to be cleared by a district judge. “But now,” he says, “the board can pretty much do what it likes, and shocking decisions are taken all the time.” Some examples of suspect land deals from across the land: Chennai: In 1997, the Tamil Nadu Wakf Board took the decision to outright sell 1,710 square feet of land in the commercialised Triplicane High street in Madras for a paltry Rs 3 lakh. A sale like this would have required the sanction of two-thirds of the board members. Mumbai: The Maharashtra Wakf Board got a measly Rs 16 lakh for 4,532 square metres in the upscale Altamount Road on which none other than Mukesh Ambani is building his plush 27-storey home. Bangalore: Developed on about five acres of land, the Windsor Manor hotel here was till recently giving the board a rent of Rs 12,000 a month for a property worth Rs 500 crore. Faridabad: The Wakf board has been giving out about five acres of land on 11-month leases for several years at a ridiculously low rent between Rs 500 and Rs 1,500 per month. A factory was built and land use altered. When Outlook approached Salman Khursheed, the Union minister for minority affairs, he admitted that “Wakf is one of those areas in which accountability has not been demanded. The community itself has not demanded accountability possibly due to a level of ignorance”. Can things change? Khursheed says he has proposed changes in the existing laws. “Once there was no accountability in the management of Haj. Now questions are asked all the time,” he points out. “Although the Wakf situation looks impossible, things do and can change once awareness builds up.” Wakf land now a hotel: Windsor Manor, Bangalore The hotel was paying a lease of just Rs 12,000 a month for this five-acre plot till the courts recently ordered a rent of Rs 6 lakh a month for a property worth Rs 500 crore The heart of the problem lies in the constitution of the boards. A senior bureaucrat familiar with the issue says bluntly: “The boards are ill-constituted, not constituted or politically constituted. Often, they’re nothing more than a gang of thieves.” Mostly, political hangers-on and operators from the minority community are sent off to man the boards. The policies of successive governments have created a class of “sarkari Musalmans” adept at capturing institutions and bagging positions through which they can patronise others down the pecking order. The incentive they have, besides authority, is to pilfer as much as they can get away with.     The policies of successive governments have created a class of ‘sarkari Musalmans’ who are adept at capturing institutions.     There are enough examples of how a small group of “insiders” at Muslim institutions benefit from the overall laxity in the boards. For instance, there is the case of a member of the Delhi minorities commission running a private school on a large tract of Wakf land in the expensive Nizamuddin area and paying the board a pittance of Rs 1,000 rent per month. Mohammad Arif, section officer in charge of properties in the Delhi Wakf office, admits reluctantly that there are “some schools running on Wakf land but they are not for the poor and charge fees”. Further digging reveals that, two decades ago, Delhi Wakf ran a charitable dispensary but it was shut down. Now the main service they provide is paying salaries of imams attached to masjids (see On a Wink and a Prayer). Wakf land now Ambani Home: Altamount Rd, Mumbai The market value of this 4,532 sq m plot on which Mukesh Ambani is building a 27-storey skyscraper is Rs 21 crore but the board ratified its sale for a "contribution" of Rs 16 lakh There are two revealing cases linked to the huge Fatehpuri mosque in Delhi. According to some documents accessed by Outlook, what was listed as “Wakf estate number 6540 in masjid Fatehpuri” was occupied by a branch of the Punjab National Bank. The board fought a case and got the property vacated. Subsequently, however, it leased the property to a society headed by one of its own members, a Maulana Moazzam Ahmad. A blatant case of insider trading? Three years ago, a lawyer representing a school running inside the Fatehpuri mosque tried to get a shop at the entrance removed. The Wakf board claimed that the documents relevant for that plot of land were missing—it was widely suspected that the shopkeeper was paying off members. Salman Khursheed also pleads helplessness. “What do we do when the boards let their own properties be encroached upon and then say the documents are missing and they have lost the title deeds?” That is, in fact, the most common tactic used when the boards are in league with encroachers. RS deputy chairman Rahman Khan says that there is no doubt that almost 70 to 80 per cent of Wakf land is encroached upon. Often, it is the government that simply takes over the land. But all too often Muslims themselves are the encroachers who pay off board members to live inside mosques and shrines or run shops and businesses on the premises. “Corruption in the boards is rampant,” says Rahman Khan, “and this is made worse by the attitude of state governments to Muslim institutions. They don’t want to interfere in case there is a reaction and they also don’t care because Muslims are involved.” Wakf land sold cheap: Lal Bagh, Bangalore This 90,000 sq ft of prime property in the city’s posh area was sold for just Rs 1 crore when it could have fetched over Rs 90 crore in the market Standing counsel for Jamia Millia Islamia Atyab Siddiqui says that whenever there is an initiative from educated Muslims to preserve a legacy, build an institution or perhaps even introduce modern education, there is a run-in with the Wakf board. “We believe the Wakf does not have the instruments to preserve old mosques and we have been arguing that the ASI is better positioned to manage properties. But the problem that enlightened sections of society face is that they run up against monetary interests of a few who hide behind the guise of religion.” K.K. Mohammad is a veteran ASI archaeologist who has worked across India. Now the superintending archaeologist for the Delhi circle, he says, “My experience shows me that whenever people claim protected monuments as living shrines, there is a commercial incentive of occupying the monument or developing the land around it. All communities have people who do this.” Most old Wakf properties have caretakers who treat it like a personal fiefdom, building houses and businesses and destroying the character of the shrine. Siddiqui has been part of the initiative to preserve the historic Anglo-Arabic school in Delhi’s Ajmeri gate area. He says, “The high court ordered the removal of encroachers (about 50 families) from the heritage property. But the same lot of property dealers, local toughs, interlopers are again trying to move in under the Wakf umbrella.”     Andhra has the largest number of Wakf properties registered in the country. Here the government has simply taken over land.     Across the country, there are examples of the huge Wakf mess. West Bengal has many cases of properties being encroached upon and made into little slums. Some examples: 4,000 illegal occupants are in possession of a property in Calcutta known as the Mysore Family Fateha Fund Wakf Estate. Over a hundred mosques in Calcutta and Howrah have been encroached upon. Sixty-four other mosques in the state have been illegally occupied. The story is somewhat different in Andhra Pradesh, which has the largest number of Wakf properties registered in the country. Here the government has simply taken over huge tracts of Wakf lands. For instance, Hyderabad’s hi-tech city stands on Wakf land. There is the interesting case of the government taking over 6,000 acres of land worth Rs 500 crore in Visakhapatnam and allotting 900 acres out of this to NTPC and 800 acres to the Hindujas at the rate of Rs 2.25 lakh per acre. When the Wakf board contested this, the Supreme Court ruled in its favour saying that the land was theirs and transferred it back to them. The government had to then transfer the money to the Wakf board.   Wakf land now sold to developer: Aurangabad Notified as Wakf property in 1973, 14 acres of this Rs 60-crore property was allegedly sold for Rs 8 crore to Nirman Bharti Developers, owned by Vilasrao Deshmukh’s brother Dilip Clearly, Wakf is a remarkable resource that can be tapped for the community. In a state like Kerala where people are literate and demand accountability, the board is manned by professionals and headed by two advocates, not by racketeers. Bureaucrats in the ministry of minority affairs in New Delhi cite the work done in Kerala as an example of what is possible. But that is an exception. The norm is rampant corruption, in the firm belief that no one will demand accountability. More than anything else, the terrible state of Wakf properties in India reflects on the Muslim community’s failure to build institutions. Compare this with the manner in which the tiny Christian minority has preserved and built schools, colleges and hospitals. There is a complex set of reasons for this state of affairs in institutions that purport to work for the welfare of the country’s largest minority and the world’s second-largest Muslim population. In the case of Wakf, many illiterate Muslims just see their placards and presume the land belongs to them. They are encouraged to believe there is some higher religious purpose to Wakf, little knowing that it has become a synonym for daylight robbery. The greatest hypocrisy perhaps is that the men who violate the spirit of charity behind the concept of Wakf then pretend to be devout and pious believers.

Misuse of Wakf properties: Who is Responsible for It? | TwoCircles.net

Misuse of Wakf properties: Who is Responsible for It? | TwoCircles.net

Misuse of Wakf properties: Who is Responsible for It?
Submitted by admin on 9 February 2010 - 11:26pm.

* Indian Muslim

By Syed Sultan Mohiddin

The Outlook (September 21, 2009) made a shocking revelation about the colossal delinquency by the Wakf Boards. The cover page printed these shameful letters: WAKF – INDIA’S BIGGEST LAND SCANDAL. Followed by this it said: “4,00,000 acres – 3,00,000 properties. Wakf boards around the country are doling out land meant for poor Muslims for a pittance.” Inside the glossy magazine, the cover story by Saba Naqvi has unveiled the height of dishonesty and lackadaisical attitude of the Wakf Boards.

The report has exposed as to how the Wakf Board officials, far from being the guardians of the Muslim properties worth thousands of crores of rupees, have allowed the encroachments, given the occupation of prime lands on ridiculously low rents and even resorted to outright sale of priceless properties. All these disgraceful acts they are doing, the author alleged, “to fill their pockets”. Some examples cited in the article would surely boil the blood of even a suave Muslim. The Maharashtra Wakf Board sold 4,532 square metres plot at the posh Altamount Road in Mumbai to Mukesh Ambani, for a measly Rs.16 lakh. He is building a 27-storey skyscraper on it. By any mean standards, the land would have fetched Rs.21 crore in the market. The 90,000 sq ft prime property at Lal Bagh in Bangalore with market value of about Rs.90 crore was sold for just 1 crore. In Aurangabad, 14 acres of land worth Rs.60 crore was sold for Rs.8 crores. [Courtesy: The Outlook].

Though one should categorically blame the Wakf Boards for the misuse of wakf properties, there are other factors too which have contributed to the hopeless situation. The snail’s pace in the justice-delivery system where cases are not cleared for decades on end, and the callous attitude of the local authorities that never bothered to execute the judicial orders are equally responsible. Even the Wakf laws do not have sufficient teeth to bite the offenders.

A Muslim graveyard in Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh) is a classic case to prove the point in question. An extent of 1.10 acre was granted by the Nawab of Kadapa around 260 years ago for its use as the burial ground. The graveyard had been under the control and use by the Muslim community until 1966, when suddenly a few hoodlums occupied around 22 cents of the land by flattening the tombs and erecting some huts over them.

THE ENDLESS SAGA

The Muthavalli of the graveyard, Mr. Allabaksh Miah, promptly approached the District authorities and pleaded for removal of the encroachments. The Wakf Board also addressed several letters to the District Collector informing that the graveyard is the Wakf Board property and no part of the same can be allotted to private persons. In the year 1967, the then District Collector, Mr. R.M. Sastry, on receipt of a letter from the Secretary of Wakf Board, Andhra Pradesh state, Hyderabad ordered the Municipal authorities to remove the encroachments. The Muthavalli went from pillar to post, pleading for the implementation of the orders from the Collector but the concerned authorities did not take any action to remove the encroachments.

The hooligans resorted to further encroachment of land by demolishing a few more tombs in 1970. This time, the Muthavalli decided to seek justice from the Judiciary. It has taken 12 years for the Court to give its verdict. In the year 1982, the Sub-Court of Kadapa in its judgement clearly said: “The District Collector has the right to remove the encroachments if there are any, taking into consideration the sentiments of the Muslim community.” The High Court too upheld the verdict of the sub-court, Kadapa in its judgement of 1987. As the District Collector did not care to execute the court orders – the Muthavalli got frustrated and handed over the maintenance of the graveyard in the year 1988 to the Committee of Roshan Munawwar Mosque, which is also situated in the premises of the same graveyard.

Now it was the turn of Mr. Jaffer Baig, President of Roshan Munawwar Mosque Committee, to walk through a thorny and exasperating road. He was a high-ranking officer in the government service as the Superintending Engineer before he retired in 1985. Initially he thought of leading a hassle-free life after retirement, but gave up the thought when he knew about the illegal occupancy of a Muslim graveyard. He took up the cause of liberating the occupied land. During the past 20 years, he did not leave any stone unturned to secure the wakf land from the clutches of illegal occupants. A massive Dharna organised under his leadership in 1993, was participated by around 5000 Muslims and a large number of secular and peace-loving non-Muslims. It jolted the then District Collector to convene a meeting at his bungalow by summoning the Committee members and the encroachers. A promise was made to the Committee that the matter will be resolved in a few days. ‘That day’ never came. As the years rolled by, Mr. Baig approached the authorities tirelessly without renouncing hope. The Civil Court of Kadapa passed the buck to the Wakf Board Tribunal in April 2000. The case is pending for disposal in the Wakf Board tribunal for nine long years! When this writer met Mr. Jaffer Baig at his house, he was preparing to go to Hyderabad to appear for the 157th adjournment in the Wakf Board tribunal. He is doing too much at his ripe age of 84 years. “Do you see light at the end of the tunnel?” asked this writer. “Why not? I do have faith in the law of the land,” he retorted.

The Wakf properties are under the clutches of unauthorised hands – in the name of lease, tenancy or encroachment. As the statistics reveals, it is the government, which is in the possession of large wakf properties. What the Muslim leadership and intelligentsia should fight for is for the passing of a law on the floor of the Parliament that gives statutory powers to the Wakf Boards, to enable them to take possession of all the notified Wakf lands in the country on a time-bound plan. Besides, the State Wakf Boards should be cleansed of the political brats who shall be replaced with bureaucrats having impeccable integrity.

The Wakf properties in the country are more than sufficient to address the myriad problems faced by the Muslim community like illiteracy, unemployment and socio-economic backwardness. The trillion-dollar question is: Will the Muslim parliamentarians raise their voice in the parliament for a special law with statutory powers to the Wakf Boards?

---
First published in Radiance Viewsweekly Vol. XLVII No.30, 2009-11-01 issue.

Muslims to get 10% quota in OBC: West Bengal cabinet

Submitted by admin4 on 8 February 2010 - 3:55pm.

• Indian Muslim

By Manzar Bilal, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Yielding to the pressure by the Muslim community in the state, the West Bengal Government today decided to reserve 10% quota for socially, educationally and economically backward Muslims under OBC category. The state cabinet took the decision today in Kolkata.
Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind had launched a state-wide campaign demanding 20% reservation for the Muslim community in the state. Muslims constitute 30% of the state population. Rather than giving reservation to entire community, the state government decided to give 10% of OBC quota. The government has already decided to include more Muslim groups in the OBC category. Muslims have only 2% share of reservation under the OBC in West Bengal while half of the Hindus, who are the 71% of the state population, are enjoying reservation as SC/ST.


Avoiding the constitutional bar which is against religion-based reservations state government had made up mind to bring as many Muslim castes in the OBC category as possible. Currently, only 12 Muslim castes are under the OBC. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has reportedly asked West Bengal Backward Classes Commission to identify another 28 Muslim castes to include them in OBC list. If it will be implemented nearly 10% reservation will be available for Muslims in the state.
According to Sayed Masudal Hussain, member of West Bengal Backward Classes Commission presently Muslim castes like Ansaris (weavers), Qureshis (butchers) are among the 12 Muslim castes under OBC reservation. But now castes of Muslims like Beldar (grave diggers), Abdal (sweepers), Mahaldar (fishermen), Kahar (palanquin bearers) and many others will be able to get reservation through the OBC quota. The work in this regard is going on.
Siddiqullah Chaudhary, who is on a three-day campaign in the state for Muslim reservation, has expressed his happiness at the decision. He, however, said that until the government issued notification their movement will continue. He reiterated his demand that the Muslim community should be given 20% reservation.
As soon as the news about the cabinet decision spread Chaudhary’s phone didn’t stop ringing. People and villagers were congratulating him for the success.
However, the state government decision is seen as part of vote bank politics as the Left Front government is facing fast erosion in minority vote. The move is to catch the erosion. The ruling alliance was humiliated in the Lok Sabha elections and some assembly by-polls.

The Afterlife

It is the story of a girl who, before embracing Islam, belonged to a family associated with extremist Hindu organization Shiv Sena. Here is a brief interview of the girl named Kavita. Her name was later changed to Nur Fatima when she converted to Islam.

Question: What was your name before embracing Islam?
Answer: My name was Kavita. While my nickname was Poonam.
Question: And what is your Islamic name?
Answer: I have been named as Nur Fatima after embracing Islam.
Question: Where were you born and what is your age now?
Answer: I was born in Mumbai and I am 30. But I consider myself as a five-year-old because my knowledge about Islam is not more than a five-year-old Muslim kid’s knowledge.
Question: Would you please tell us about your education?
Answer: After schooling from Mumbai, I went to the Cambridge University for higher education. After completing my masters there I did many a computer courses. I regret that I have attained a number of degrees for this world but have done nothing for the world hereafter. Now I want to do some-thing for the purpose.
Question: Would you share with us some facts of your life?
Answer: I had joined a school in Mumbai. The school is big enough and only children of royal families studied there.
Question: Where were you married and how many children you have?
Answer: I was married in Mumbai but later I came to Bahrain along with my husband. I’ve got two sons.
Question: How did you convert to Islam?
Answer: First of all I shall love to pay my gratitude to Allah for His blessings. As Allah’s Messenger? said: “When Allah wishes well for someone He grants him under-standing of Deen.” I say Allah has showered me with His blessings. The environment in which I grew up was extremist Hindu where Muslims were severely hated. I embraced Islam after my marriage but I disliked worship of idols since my adolescence. I remember that once I had removed an idol to a washroom in my house. When my mother admonished me on it, I replied that if it cannot protect it-self then why do you seek bless-ings from it? Why do you bow be-fore it? What does it grant you? There is a ritual in our family that when a girl is married, she washes feet of her husband and drinks that water. But I refused to do so on the very first day due to which I was severely admonished. As I told you that I had joined a school (for teaching purposes) and since I was alone and used to drive my car; I started visiting a nearby Islamic centre. I heard their conversation and knew that Muslims did not worship idols. They were seeking blessings from some other person. Their Bhagwan was someone else. I liked their views. I knew later that this is Allah Who accomplishes everything.
Question: How did you attract to Islam?
Answer: the prayer (Namaz) of Muslims impressed me. I did not earlier know that it is called as prayer. However, I was aware of the fact that all the Muslims do like that. At first I thought it was some sort of exercise. I learnt that it was called as Namaz when I started visiting the Islamic centre. I dreamed of one thing whenever I went to bed. It was a four-dimensional room that I dreamed daily. I would get harassed and wake up sweating. The same room would re-appear in my dreams when I would sleep again. I learned much later about this room.
Question: How your family learnt about your conversion to Islam?
Answer: After marriage I shifted to Bahrain which helped me a lot in understanding Islam. As it is a Muslim country, our house was surrounded by Muslims. I befriended a Muslim girl. She seldom visited me but I used to visit her mostly. One day she forbade me from visiting her for it was Ramazan, the month of worship. “My worship is disturbed due to your visit” she told me. As I wanted to know about the rituals of worship performed by Muslims I got more curious and requested her not to forbid me from visiting her house. I said: “Do whatever you want to. I shall just see you doing all that. I would say nothing and would rather hear whatever you would recite.” So she did not forbade me from visiting her house. When I would see her worshipping, I my-self would be attracted to copy it. Then I asked her about the “exercise.” She told me that they call it Namaz. And that the book she used to recite is the Holy Quran. I wished to do this all. I would lock a room of my house and copy my friend in private though I did not know much about it. One day I forgot to lock the room and started offering Namaz when my husband entered there. He asked me what I was doing. I replied: “Offering Namaz.” He said: “Are you in your senses? Do you know what are you saying?” At first I got harassed. My eyes were closing out of fear. But, suddenly, I felt a huge power in my inner self that made me courageous enough to face the situation. I cried out that I had converted to Islam so I was offering Namaz. He said: “What! What have you said? Would you repeat your words?” I repeated my words with an added emphasis: “Yes! I have converted to Islam.” Hearing this he started to beat me. Hearing the noise my sister reached there. She tried to rescue me. But when my husband narrated the entire story she too advanced to beat me. I stopped her saying: “You should not come in my way. I know what is good for me and what is bad. I shall walk on the way I have adopted.” Hearing this my husband got furious. He tortured me so much that I lost my senses.
Question: Where were your children when you were being tortured? What was their age? And how did you manage to escape from there?
Answer: My children were at home when this gory drama was being played. My elder son was in 9th and younger son in 8th at that time. But after this incident I was not allowed to meet anyone. I was locked in a room. Though I had not formally embraced Islam, I had uttered these words that I had converted to Islam. One night when I was there locked in the room; my elder son came there and burst into tears in my arms. I asked where the other family members were. He said they had gone to attend some function and no one was at home. (There was our religious festival on that night.) My son requested me to escape from the house for the family wanted to kill me. I consoled him that nothing such would happen. They would not hurt me. And he should take care of himself and his younger brother. But he continued to insist amid sobs that I should escape from the house. I tried to make him under-stand that then I would be unable to meet them. But he replied that you could meet us only if you were alive. “Go away, Mama, they will murder you.” At last I decided to leave. I could never forget those harsh moments when my elder son went to wake up his younger brother and said to him: “Get up. Mama is leaving. Meet her now for who knows that whether she will meet us again or not.” The younger one had met me after many days. He was rubbing his eyes while looking at me. But when I stepped forward, he clung to me and burst into tears. The children perhaps al-ready knew all. He just asked me, “Mama, are you leaving?” I nodded in affirmative saying we would meet again. My both sons were seeing me off on that dark and chilly night. I was crushing the love of mother under my own feet. On one hand was the love of children and their separation and on other was the love for Islam which was overcoming the former. I was moaning, clinging to my children.... crushing my love for them. My injuries were fresh. I was un-able to walk on foot. However, I somehow managed to do so. Both the children were waving their hands to me with tears in their eyes at the gate. I could never forget those moments. Whenever I recall this scene, I remember the Muslims who had abandoned their homes and families for Islam.
Question: Where did you go then and where did you embrace Islam?
Answer: From my house I headed straight to the police station. My biggest problem there was that they did not know my language. One of them, however, could understand English. I was out of breath and was unable to speak for I was nervous. I requested him to let me take rest until I collect my-self. Then after a while I collected myself and told him that I had left my house and wanted to embrace Islam. I was anxious to narrate all these facts. However, he consoled me and said that he too was a Muslim and would help me as much as possible. He took me to his family and provided me shelter in his home. In the morning, my husband reached the police station to seek help saying his wife had been kid-napped. But he was told that his wife had not been kidnapped rather she herself had come there. As she wanted to embrace Islam, he did not have any relation with her (being a non-Muslim) so she could not go with him. He insisted and hurled threats. But I myself refused to go with him. I said he could take all my jewellery, bank balance and property, but I would not go with him. At first he did not give up, but seeing my consistent refusal he got a written statement to obtain all my belongings.
The person who had given me shelter said that now your family would not harm you and you might embrace Islam. I thanked him and went to a hospital for my whole body was wounded. I remained admitted to the hospital for some days. Once a doctor asked me: “Where have you come from? No one from your family had ever visited you at hospital.” I remained quiet and did not reply. For I had left my house in search of only one thing...... Now I neither had any home nor any family..... Now my only relation was Islam which had extended me affection on the very first step...
The Muslim policeman had called me his sister and kept me at his home like a sister. He had provided me shelter on that chilly night when I had lost all my relations. I could never forget his favour. When I was hospitalized, I was anxious about my next step. Where to go in search of peace and protection? After being discharged from the hospital I straightaway went to the Islamic centre. There was no one at that time except an elderly person who perhaps lived there. I went to him and narrated my account. He hesitated for some moments and then said: “Daugh-ter! This sari is not the dress of Muslims. Go, wear headscarf and clad yourself like Muslims.” I had some money with me when left the police station. I purchased a suit with this money and returned to the centre. He told me how to per-form ablution. As I performed the ablution he took me to a room. Entering the room, I found a big picture hanging on a wall. Seeing the picture I halted as it contained the room that I used to dream in my dreams. I immediately cried out: “That’s it which I have been seeing in my dreams.....which have been disturbing my sleep.” He smiled and said it is the house of Allah. Muslims from across the world come to this house for Hajj and Umra. It is called Baitullah. I was surprised to learn it. I asked, “Does Allah live in a house?” He was answering my questions with a smile and affection. Perhaps he knew a lot about Islam. I was facing no difficulty in talking to him. He was explaining each and every thing in my own language. I was feeling a strange happiness which I could not understand at that time. He made me recite the Kalima and then told about Muslims and Islam. Now I was neither anxious nor feeling any burden on my mind. I was feeling myself very light. I felt like I had swum from polluted to clean waters. The owner of this centre where I had embraced Islam adopted me as his daughter and took me to his home. Later, he arranged my marriage in a Muslim family. My first desire was to see the “house of Allah.” And then I performed Umra.
Question: Did you go to India after embracing Islam?
Answer: No, I neither went to India after that nor I want to go there. My family has links in political as well as religious organizations there. They have announced head money for me. I am a Muslim, a Muslim daughter.... and I am proud to be a Muslim..... I want to lead my life in the light of Islam.
Question: What was your thinking about Mujahideen before embracing Islam?
Answer: We had been told that they were oppressors who had crossed every limit of oppression. We were made to hate them. But now I have come across the truth and have love for them. I offer prayers for their success in every Namaz. I also pray to Allah that if He blesses me with sons I shall love to see them lined up as Mujahid. I shall devote them for the glory of Islam. Inshallah.
Courtesy: www.islamway. com

Honey, Honey, Honey, Oh Honey, It's a Qur'aan's Word !!

Scientific research that is in accordance with Sharia has helped us a lot in understanding some honey issues in much greater depth. A Hadith points out a tradition that says, “If it is used at least thrice in a month at early morning, the one who uses it will remain safe from diseases.” Fresh honey is highly beneficial but should not be used with fish, vinegar, radish or melon. Always store honey in a glass jar that should not have even a single drop of water, as even a few drops of water can destroy honey’s value.

Beneficial for cardiac patients

The heart muscle works continuously and needs glucose to make up energy expended. When a very small quantity of glucose (0.1 percent) is added to physiological saline in which an isolated heart is immersed, the heart will continue working outside the body for four days.

Honey has a beneficial effect on the heart because it contains much easily assimilated glucose. It has been noted that it has an invaluable effect on the weakened heart muscle in various types of cardiac diseases. Even diabetics can take honey, since pure honey improves cardiac activity. Honey causes veins to expand and improves circulation through coronary arteries.

Anti-diarrheal properties

At a concentration of 40 percent, honey has a bactericidal effect on various intestinal bacteria known to cause diarrhea and dysentery such as Salmonella, Shigella and enteric pathogens like E. coli and Vibrio cholera. In one study, honey given with oral dehydration fluid was shown to reduce the duration of bacterial diarrhea in infants and children. (1).

Anti-tussive and expectorant properties

Honey’s anti-cough properties are related to its capacity to dilute bronchial secretions and improve function of the bronchial epithelium. Uncontaminated or pure honey is a natural, healthy, energy-rich and easily-digestible food. Observation of treatment for lung abscesses in professor F. A. Udintsev’s clinic at the Kiev Medical Institute has drawn attention.

Three patients were given 100 to 150 grams of honey a day, resulting in considerable improvement. They began to feel better, their appetites improved and they began putting on weight. Their hemoglobin increased, while the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) decreased. Patients coughed less and the amount of sputum decreased; they began urinating more during the day than at night (the opposite was the case before honey was given); and a beneficial effect also was noted on the gastrointestinal tract.(1).

Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties

These are well-established properties of honey. Undiluted honey inhibits bacterial growth such as Staphylococcus aureus, certain intestinal pathogens and fungi such as Candida albicans. At a concentration of 30-50 percent, honey has been shown to be superior to certain conventional antibiotics in treating urinary tract infections. (1).

Diabetic cure

A recent study published in the Journal of Family Practice reports the case of a 79-year-old man with Type 2 diabetes who developed foot ulcers. After 14 months of care costing $390,000, which included five hospitalizations and four surgeries, the ulcers measured 8x5 cm and 3x3 cm and were resistant to effects of the best antibiotics.

During this time, the patient lost two toes but refused below-the-knee amputation, despite being informed by two different surgical teams that without it, he likely would die. The patient eventually was discharged to his home at his request. He lost a third toe before consenting to a trial of topical honey.

Once-daily, thick applications of ordinary honey were smeared on gauze and placed on the wounds, which then were wrapped. Oral antibiotics and saline dressings were discontinued, but otherwise, treatment was unchanged. Dressing changes were painless and the serum glucose remained in excellent control.

New tissue appeared within two weeks, with the ulcers healing completely in six to 12 months. Two years have passed and the ulcers have not reoccurred. The patient moves about with a walker and reports improved quality of life.

Researchers state that as diabetes incidents increase, it’s important to identify effective strategies to reduce amputation rates, both to improve quality of life and decrease costs. They also recommend random controlled trials to determine efficacy and invite physicians to consider topical honey therapy for patients with refractory diabetic foot ulcers. (2).

Medical experts still dispute the topic, with some firmly believing that honey is a cure, while others say it’s injurious to diabetics.

The Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) drank honey in the early morning and in the afternoon. The Sunnat is a blessing if one has no doubt. The user achieves two advantages simultaneously: one is physical, which is a cure, and the other is spiritual blessing.

Sayedna Abdullah bin Abbas provided the Hadith, “You have sources of cure and remedies – Qur’an and honey.” This Hadith is a forceful categorical reply to arguments based on the opinion of medical experts who disallow honey’s use for diabetics. Honey provides the quickest energy boost for longer endurance without a big drop in blood sugar later.

Wound healing and anti-inflammatory properties

Al Shaikh Al-Rais, Abi Ali Ibn Sina, considered honey to have absorbing properties, recommending a waterless ointment of honey and wheat flour to treat wounds. Honey is of value in treating burns, infected surgical wounds and decubitus ulcers in that honey is very viscous, thereby enabling it to absorb water from surrounding inflamed tissue. It also has been suggested that honey may be useful in treating chronic, foul smelling ulcers seen in leprosy. Honey is unique and has an excellent “track record” – more than 4,000 years’ usage as a wound dressing.

Dr. Peter Molan, a leading honey researcher for the past three decades and a biochemistry professor at New Zealand’s Waikato University, says of honey’s anti-microbial properties: “Honey speeds healing of open wounds and also combats infection. Modern science now acknowledges honey as an anti-microbial agent, meaning it deters growth of certain types of bacteria, yeast and molds.

“Honey and beeswax form the basis of many skin creams, lip balms and hand lotions. Thanks to honey’s ability to absorb moisture from the air, it facilitates the healing process and prevents scarring because it stimulates growth of epithelial cells that form the new skin covering a healed wound. In this way, even in the case of large wounds, honey may eliminate the need for tissue transplantation.” (1). (3). (4).


Quick burn treatment

Random trials have shown that honey is more effective in controlling infection in burn wounds than silver sulfadiazine, the antibacterial ointment hospitals use most widely (Honey against infected skin lesions). A 1991 study by Dr. Subrahmanyam compared results of topical honey application on burns with conventional burn treatment using silver sulfadiazine. Results showed that within a week, 91 percent of infected wounds treated with honey were free of infection, compared to less than seven percent of silver sulfadiazine treated burns.

Gastroenteritis and stomach ulcer treatment

Research by Haffejee and Moose (1985) found that honey treatment shortened the duration of diarrhea in patients with bacterial gastroenteritis, in that patients treated with honey had an average recovery of 58 hours compared with 93 hours for control patients.

Additionally, research conducted by Somal, et al (1994) at New Zealand’s Waikato University showed that Manuka honey successfully inhibits Helicobacter pylori, the organism responsible for upper gastro-intestinal dyspepsia in stomach ulcers.

However, it should be noted that research is ongoing in this field, and although initial results are promising, full clinical trials are yet to be completed. As well as its other therapeutic properties, the presence of potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium means that honey is capable of neutralizing body acid, thus maintaining the acid-alkaline balance. (5) (6)

Allergy relief

At the University of Connecticut Health Center-Farmington, immunologist T.V. Rajan, M.D., Ph.D., is studying simple honey’s healing powers to treat seasonal allergies. The study is based on the theory of oral tolerance, which reasons that humans become accustomed to things they ingest. So if people eat local pollens via pollen-rich honey, allergic pollen reactions in the spring and summer should diminish. Study subjects receive either a tablespoon of local honey, non-local honey as a placebo or their usual allergy medications.

University of Illinois researchers reported in the 1998 Journal of Agricultural Research that antioxidants in 14 honey varieties are highest in the darkest honeys (Manuka honey is very dark). Antioxidants are important to the diet because they slow production of free radicals that cause DNA damage and have been implicated in age-related illnesses like arthritis, stroke and cancer.

Enhance exclusive pleasure

In the East, ginger has lived up to its reputation of being a powerful herb. Indian literature recommends a mixture of ginger juice, honey and half-boiled eggs, taken nightly for a month, as a remedy against impotence. Taking a teaspoon of honey and milk before hitting the fire increases virility and is even said to cure premature ejaculation. According to traditional Indian herbal medicine, it also increases masculine power.

Powdered cardamom seeds boiled with milk and mixed in a glass with a spoon of honey is believed to be an excellent remedy against impotence and premature ejaculation, as well as recommended as an ointment for recovery from impotency (Qaratis Yamaniyah manuscript written Hijra year 871).

Honey and the eyes

Honey long has been considered a most effective remedy for many eye diseases. Only sterile honey from the honeycomb should be used on the eyes and only under doctor or ophthalmologist supervision. Honey applied as a kuhl (eye ointment) strengthens weak eyesight. If used by those under age 40, it improves vision and also removes their need for glasses. An added benefit is that honey has no side effects.

Cure for dental problems

Dentists have no doubt about the harmful effect of sweets on teeth. It has been established that the remains of sugar in the mouth increase bacteria’s effect, leading to slow but considerable teeth decalcification and cavities. Honey, on the other hand, has active antibiotic properties and in fact disinfects the mouth.

Pure honey may refine with age, but its food value remains unchanged. Various honey varieties taste differently, depending on its source: clover honey tastes like clover, while citrus honey has a citrus scent.

Honey is Allah’s gift to humans. No medicine can ever equal its cure and benefits. If you’ve not tasted honey yet, now is the perfect time to benefit from it. Firm faith is indispensable in the commandments of the Qur’an and “Sahib al Qur’an.” It is highly beneficial to recite prayers before and after taking honey to cure any disease. If we judge with full justice, the divine commandments are sweet to the taste, sweeter even than honey.

Dr. Qazi Shaikh Abbas Borhany is an attorney at law in Karachi, Pakistan and a member of Pakistan’s Ulama Council.


(1) Bees & the Hidden Miracles of Honey, Dr. Monzur Ahmed, MRCP (UK), M.D. Muslim Technologist, November 1990.

(2)Topical honey for diabetic foot ulcers, Jennifer J. Eddy, M.D., Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin Medical School, 617 W. Claremont Ave., Eau Claire, Wis. 54703.

(3)Effects of topical honey on post-operative wound infections due to gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria following Caesarean sections and hysterectomies, N.S. Al-Waili, K.Y. Sallom. European Journal of Medical Research, 1999, Vol. 26, pp. 126-30.

(4)Using honey as a dressing for infected skin lesions, C. Dunford, et al. Nursing Times, 2000, Vol. 96, pp. 7-9.

(5)The Curative Properties of Honey and Bee Venom, N. Yoirish. New Glide Publications (US), 1977, pp. 46-54.

(6)The Antibacterial Effects of Honey: Medical Fact or Fiction? J. McCarthy. American Bee Journal, May 1995.

Israel opens organ theft hearing

Israel opens organ theft hearing

Israel's parliament opened testimony on Wednesday over the organ theft allegations  [AP] Israel's parliament has begun hearings on the theft of human organs from Palestinians, Israelis and foreign workers without their relatives' permission. Israeli health officials testified on Wednesday that Israeli authorities harvested organs from the dead bodies of Israelis and Palestinians in the 1990s for transplant purposes. The testimony came three days after the government admitted to the practice, following previous denials. Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros, reporting from Jerusalem, said Wednesday's hearing was not the first time Israeli officials have had to face difficult questions in parliament about the organ theft issue. "What we tended to see in the past was officials trying to skirt around the issue, really not wanting to confirm or deny that organ theft took place," she said. "What we had on Wednesday was a very public admission by an Israeli official that organ theft was in fact taking place. "But the health ministry said it was a practice that happened in the past and is no longer a problem." Practice 'continuing' However, Ahmed Tibi, an Israeli Palestinian member of parliament, told the assembly on Wednesday that he had evidence that organ theft was still taking place. "You said that it was ended in the '90s. But Fadul Ordul Shaheen who was from Gaza passed away. He died of diabetes this year.  When his body was given back to his family, his eyes were bleeding and there was a deep cut through his body," he said. In depth  Video: Israel angered over Swedish 'body parts' story  Video: Israel in 'organ theft' row  Palestinians seek organ theft probe "The family is saying that both the corneas and the kidneys were taken. "I am asking you if you're willing to look into this complaint and see if this activity is continuing, if organs are being harvested from Palestinian prisoners." Yaacov Litzman, the Israeli deputy health minister, said he would investigate the case "with all seriousness" to determine if any wrongdoing was committed. Tibi later told Al Jazeera that he would continue to pursue the health ministry for answers for the families of those who were affected. 'Highly informal' The government's admission this week followed the release of an interview with Jehuda Huss, the former head of Israel's forensic institute, in which he said that workers at the institute had harvested skin, corneas, heart valves and bones from Israelis, Palestinians and foreign workers. In the interview, which was conducted in 2000 when Hiss was head of Tel Aviv's Abu Kabir forensic institute, he said: "We started to harvest corneas ... Whatever was done was highly informal. No permission was asked from the family." Nancy Scheper-Hughes, who conducted the interview, said that she made the article public because of the controversy last summer over allegations of organ harvesting made by a Swedish newspaper. In August the Aftonbladet newspaper ran an article alleging that the Israeli army had stolen body organs from Palestinian men after killing them. Israel denied the claims, calling them anti-Semitic, and the incident raised tensions when Sweden refused to apologise for the article, saying that press freedom prevented it from intervening.

Source: Al Jazeera

Israel admits to organ thefts

Israel admits to organ thefts

Harvested organs were alleged to have been used by the military and in public hospitals [File: AFP] Israel has admitted that it harvested organs from the dead bodies of Palestinians and Israelis in the 1990s, without permission from their families. The admission follows the release of an interview with Jehuda Hiss, the former head of Israel's forensic institute, in which he said that workers at the institute had harvested skin, corneas, heart valves and bones from Israelis, Palestinians and foreign workers. In the interview, which was conducted in 2000 when Hiss was head of Tel Aviv's Abu Kabir forensic institute, he said: "We started to harvest corneas ... Whatever was done was highly informal. No permission was asked from the family." Nancy Scheper-Hughes, who conducted the interview, told Al Jazeera on Monday that Hiss had said the "body parts were used by hospitals for transplant purposes - cornea transplants. They were sent to public hospitals [for use on citizens]. Guidelines 'not clear' "And the skin went to a special skin bank, founded by the military, for their uses", such as for burns victims. The practice is said to have ended in 2000. The interview was also reported on Israel's Channel 2 television, which quoted an Israeli military statement that said: "This activity ended a decade ago and does not happen any longer." Israel's health ministry said in the Channel 2 report that at the time the guidelines for transplants "were not clear" and that for the last 10 years "Abu Kabir has been working according to ethics and Jewish law". Scheper-Hughes, who is a professor of anthropology at the University of California-Berkeley, said that she made the interview public because of the controversy last summer over allegations of organ harvesting made by a Swedish newspaper. In August the Aftonbladet newspaper ran an article alleging that the Israeli army had stolen body organs from Palestinian men after killing them. Israel denied the claims, calling them anti-Semitic, and the incident raised tensions when Sweden refused to apologise for the article, saying that press freedom prevented it from intervening. 'Conflict deaths' Donald Bostrom, the journalist who broke the story in Aftonbladet, told Al Jazeera: "UN staff came to me and said that you have to look into this very serious issue. Palestinian young people were disappearing in the areas and five days later they appear back in the villages with an autopsy done on them against the will of the families. "We need to know who are the victims. Mothers need to know what happened to their sons." Bostrom said that there is no proof that people were killed for their organs but that an investigation is needed to find out whether there was a policy in place or if the bodies used were random. Bostrom added that Hiss is the "main key" to solving such unanswered questions, but that there would also be other people involved who could help uncover the truth. Scheper-Hughes said that some of the dead Palestinians from whom organs were harvested were killed during military raids. "Some of the bodies were definitely Palestinians who were killed in conflicts," she told Al Jazeera. "Their organs were taken without consent of families and were used to serve the needs of the country in terms of hospitals as well as the army's needs." 'Technically illegal' She said that Hiss told her "that the people who did the harvesting were sent by the military. They were often medical students". "He did it informally and without permission, and it was technically illegal," she said. The military establishment gave their "sanction and approval" to the procedures, according to Scheper-Hughes. During his interview with Scheper-Hughes, Hiss said that the eyelids of bodies were glued shut to prevent the removal of corneas being found out. Hiss was dismissed as head of Abu Kabir in 2004 over irregularities in the use of organs, but charges against him were eventually dropped. He still holds the position of chief pathologist at the institute.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies