Opinion A summit that wasn’t

The Urdu press has had a mixed reaction to US president Barack Obama’s speech from Cairo,addressed to the Muslims of the world. The most widely circulated Urdu daily,Hyderabad-based Munsif (June 8),views Obama’s speech as “a statement somewhere between boldness and caution” (jurat mandi aur ehtiyaat pasandi ke darmiyaan jhoolta hua ek bayaan)”. It has described the “surprising positive reaction in the Arab world” to the speech as a “half-full glass” perception,asking: “To what extent can Obama himself assure that America is seriously intent on starting a new chapter of friendship and conciliation with the Islamic world? It is worth our serious consideration if in the American president has such wide powers that he can,on his own,act against the mandate of the houses of Parliament. It has also to be seen if Obama can make both the American Senate and the House of Representatives support his viewpoint.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s organ,biweekly Daawat,while taking note of the many conciliatory components of Obama’s speech,writes: “He has been talking in this vein ever since his presidential campaign. Practically,he has not presented any evidence so far that he is really in favour of improvements in relations with the Muslim world… However,his style of speaking (andaaz-e-takallum) indicates that he wants to do something.”

Empowering women

The most emphatic view against the proposed reservation for women has come from some religious scholars. Delhi-based Hindustan Express (June 9) carries their views with the headline,‘Khwateen ko reservation dena sahi nahin’. It quotes Maulana Mohammad Aslam Qasimi,the academic head of Dar-ul-uloom (Wakf) of Deoband (an institution formed after a split in the famous Deoband seminary over two decades ago) saying,interestingly: “If reservation becomes common,there will be a fall in the Muslim representation,and they (Muslim women) will not take part in election. Even if some of them do participate,violation of purdah (be-hijabi) is imminent.” and “the graph of Muslim representation in Parliament and assemblies already that is low,will fall rapidly.” The report quotes Maulana Nadeem-ul-Wajedi,chief editor of a noted journal Tarjuman: “it will not be a step for justice to deprive persons with better capabilities.” Delhi-based Jadeed Khabar writes: “To empower women there is need to change the mentality of people in the male-dominated society. By providing representation to a few hundred women in Parliament and state legislatures,we cannot empower crores of women of India. But the ruling party can use it to politically cripple the backward classes,tribals and minorities.”

Compiled by Seema Chishti