Terrorism in the name of Jihad

Terrorism has become a global problem. Countries whether poor or rich, developed or underdeveloped have been severely affected by the menace of the terrorist actions. On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, nineteen Young Arabs, fifteen of them from Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Egyptian Mohammed Atta, hijacked four U.S. domestic airliners, two of them slammed into the twin towers (the United States of America's most prominent buildings) the World Trade Centre in New York City. Another plane plowed into the Pentagon and fourth airplane crashed in field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In all of them, 5219 civilian individuals were died some of them victimized. That, shocking news was spread all over the world within a minute. Within hours, the U.S. government identified the hijackers as members of al-Qaeda under Osama Bin Laden, a citizen of Saudi Arabia, living in Afghanistan. This attack led war against terrorism.

In the same year another terrorists suicide attacks occurred at the Parliament house of India on Thursday, December 13, 2001 using a car having a blue light on top and siren as if they were VIPs' with commandos targeting the dignitaries. Terrorists were able to enter in the parliament security zone with the help of forge entry on their windshield. This incident badly affected the Indo-Pak relation.

Similarly, Nepal has been facing terrorist actions in various forms within and outside the country. Among many, one of the bitter example that Nepal witnessed transnational terrorism, is the hijacking of IC 814 Indian Airlines- Airbus 300 flying from Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu to Delhi carrying 178 passengers (154 Indians, eight Nepalese and many foreign tourists as well) on December 24, 1999 by Ibrahim Athar, Latif and others (members of one of the terrorist organizations). This became one of the major security issues between Nepal and India. In the same way, Meerza Dil Sadbeg, a sitting MP (House of Representatives) was also killed in Kathmandu, by the organized criminal groups. Different people use terrorism to describe different things: As a label for acts of violence, it reflects negatively on those who are labeled as terrorist. If one side in a dispute can characterize the enemy in a negative way, and so win public opinion over to their point of view, they will not hesitate to do so”. Hence the saying: “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. Terrorism has led to an inhuman atmosphere all round the globe. The most popular kind of terrorism that has emerged is Islamic terrorism. With different terrorist associations coming up, media has propagated new words like ’militant Islam’ (which has been in vogue in the World Press recently) and ’Islamic terrorism’.

I have heard in many news that in name of JIHAD the terrorist associations have been doing many disasters. I also wanted to know what the word Jihad means exactly. For this first of all I talked with many religious leaders, my family members. And finally i read the Holy Book "Quran" for my mother says that it has all the basic things. And i got my answer that no religion supports born terrorism.

The word Jihad stems from the Arabic root word J-H-D, which means "strive." Other words derived from this root include "effort," "labor," and "fatigue." If we talk about Jihad in the context of the holy Quran, Jihad means striving utmost to achieve an objective in a noble manner. The primary objective being to establish a social order based on the Quranic fundamental principles.

Jihad is the name of an organized effort and its rules are defined in Islam e.g. nobody is allowed to fight with other person, kill other's woman, children and the old in name of JIhad, likewise it is forbidden to burn crops or houses. All terrorists do such activities and yet they are called Jihadis.

The very word ’Islam’ means peace and mischief is prohibited in Islam. Thus, it is said: "And create not disorder in the earth after it has been set in order…. Do you think mischief and belief in God can go together?

The Quran says: "O you, who believe, stand firmly for God as witnesses to fair dealing and let not the hatred of others make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice"

Fighting is allowed in Islam. But do you know with whom this fighting is meant? It is allowed against the forces of evil which interferes in the establishment of a social order based on truth. The religion never allows transgressing limits. Taking hostages and maltreating envoys and private citizens in any shape and form is totally foreign to the teachings and doctrines of Islam. In other words the philosophy of Islam totally rejects terrorism.

Hazrat Aqdas says: "The people who call themselves Muslims, but are convinced that Islam should be spread by swords, are not aware of the inherent excellence of Islam and their actions are like the actions of beasts". (Taryaq-e-Quloob, Roohani Khazain, vol. 15, p. 167).

Whatever the terrorists have been doing all around the world in name of Jihad can not be neglected by the Muslims themselves. This is a shameful thing for all those terrorists who are fulfilling their misconceptions in name of Jihad.

Controversies on Sita

The story of Sita is told in the Ramayana, one of the most popular stories in the Hindu mythhology. Sita is the one of the most popular goddesses of Hindu religion. She is regarded as the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, the divine consort of Lord Vishnu. She is also considered as the ideal daughter, ideal wife, and ideal mother, since ages. Goddess Sita is remembered for her virtues and attributes. She symbolizes all that is noble in womanhood. Her entire life constitutes an example of idealism. Sita is said to be a perfect example of loyalty and morality that is why Sita is one of the principal characters in The Ramayana, the great epic of India.

Sita also known by many epithets like janaki, Maithili, Ramaa, Vaidehi, Siya. Sita was daughter of King of Mithila Janaka in hindu epic. Mithila comprised the present districts Madhubani, Darbhanga, Samastipur, vaishali, Muzzaffarpur, Champaran, Mongyr, Saharsa and Purnea of North Bihar of India and Terai under Nepal lying between the districts of Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Saptari, Rautahat, Sunasari and Morang. Its total area was 25,000 sq.miles. In Nepal, Sita is considered as a brave woman of extraordinary brilliance. She has got all the values that people believe, a woman must have in her character.

The Ramayana, one of the most popular stories in the Hindu tradition, tells of Sita and Rama's exploits. As a young prince Ram performs heroic acts and in due course wins Sita as his wife after succeeding in bending a great war bow. Cheated of his rightful role as successor to his father the king, he goes off into exile. Sita and his brother Lakshmana insist in going with him. One day Sita is kidnapped by the ten-headed demon Ravana and carried off to his stronghold in the island of Lanka. Helped by Hanuman, the god-king of the monkeys, Rama eventually defeats Ravana and his army in battle and rescues Sita. They then return to their kingdom where Rama is given his rightful place as king.

After their reunion, Rama wondered whether Sita had remained faithful while held captive by Ravana. Sita proclaimed her innocence and proved it by passing through a fire unharmed. The fire god Agni also spoke on her behalf, and Rama accepted her innocence.

The couple returned to Ayodhya, and Rama began a long reign of peace and prosperity. But the people still questioned Sita's faithfulness. In time, Rama began to doubt her innocence as well, and he banished her. While in exile, Sita found refuge with an old wise man named Valmiki, and she gave birth to Rama's twin sons, Kusa and Lava.

After many years, the two boys visited Ayodhya. When Rama saw them, he recognized them as his sons and called Sita back from exile. Sita returned and protested her innocence again. She called on Mother Earth to verify that she was telling the truth. In response, the earth opened a crack beneath Sita and swallowed her.

Sita and Rama are said to be the model wife and husband in the Hindu tradition. Traditionally Hinduism has championed Sita as the role- model and epitome of domestic wifely duty towards one's husband. Her elevated status in Hindu mythology, however, has recently been tarnished and criticized by Indian feminists who see sita as an overly- submissive wife who commited suicide for an ultimately untrusting husband. Sita's ideal qualities are presented in the Ramayana to be her unquestioned subordintaion to the demands of her hsuband. Many indian feminists therefore reject Sita as archetype of women rights. In their reassessments of the Ramayana, they have concluded that Sita's behaviour is not worthy of emulation and instead identify Draupadi as better role model based upon her confidence and resolve.

Another controversial element surrounding Sita's mythology can be found in some part of North Bihar is People say that Sita chose her own husband! But it was her parents who put out the word that whoever can pull the bow, Sita's going to marry. So where did Sita choose her husband?! No, she did not really get a choice. But she saw that her husband is capable of doing something great.

But since her marriage wasn't a successful one, parents in that region have stopped letting girls choose their own husbands. They say that marriage wasn't a successful one, or that Sita should have been stopped.Everything that Sita did-- whatever she did---has been stopped for girls of Mithila region in India. Here sita is rejected as a role model

This legendary story, written between the 6th and the 4th century BC, is considered history, not legend, by most Indians. While in terai region of Nepal Sita is considered as an ideal daughter who obeyed her parents choice, lived as a faithful wife and a dutiful mother.

With change of years the impression of people on Sita have been changed a lot. But still we can say, Sita is a woman of virtue and of immeasurable patience. Through her great character, she has captured hearts of millions of people.

Hope

Once you choose hope, anything's possible.It's a very well qoute by Christopher Reeve.

"Hope" is necessary for us to be able to visualize a clear, positive future for ourselves. Not to be able to do this leaves our personal future in doubt. It can lead to (or result from) discouragement, depression, doubt, etc.

Today millions of people believe that there is nothing worth living for---that there is no hope of anything good or even okay happening ever again. Not everyone takes that route though...when a person loses hope in everything, life ceases to be for them, so much so that the life will seem to drain from them. In plainest phrasing, this person would seem like a zombie....laughing and smiling or even crying would be rare and completely fake when they do happen. This person would isolate themselves from their friends, family, colleagues, teachers, etc....they wouldn't share their thoughts with anyone. They would do the bare minimum to survive. Life would hold no meaning....even when sleeping, there would be no solace, for a person without hope cannot dream.

The point is not its cause, but what we're going to do about it.

If hope is the basis on which we plan our future, set goals, and make plans to achieve something, then we must be able to manage and control our thoughts.

Thoughts are the way our mind does a number of wonderful, important things: solves our problems; gives meaning to things that happens to us; defines (using words and images) the future we want to have...just to name three.

Hope on the other hand, is like drugs. It gives you a temporary high, but then, reality strikes and you have to face the consequences. One of my dear friends once said, that hope is a fools weapon. There are times when I almost agree. Look at this world! Everyday, things seem to be getting worse. The crimes against innocent, the crimes on the streets and on the internet. You can’t trust anyone, you can’t depend on anyone. People you know, show sides you would rather not see. All this not only weakens Gods and goods case, but also that of hope. Forgive me for acting the devils advocate, but happiness, trust, virtue, good and God, all disappear when you need them most. Pain and hatred at least stay. You can never predict or claim, that if you are fair to people, they shall be fair with you. That if you do good, you will get good in return. But I can bet that if you do something bad, you shall receive bad. if you kick someone, you can trust them to retaliate. But if you hug someone, you can’t trust them to reciprocate.

Robert Louis Stevenson said 'It is better to travel hopefully than arrive', indicating how hope can be a pleasant in itself. In particular, hope is often tinged with the fear both that you will not get what you want, and also that even when you achieve your goal, it will not be as perfect as your fantasized eventualities.

As a result, many people are happy just to hope. All you need to do is offer them this, as all casinos do to their hapless customers. Many such punters will merrily gamble away until their money is all gone, then return time and again just to experience that temporary thrill of hope
All the great spiritual leaders in history were people of hope. Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Mary, Jesus, Rumi, Gandhi, and Dorothy Day all lived with a promise in their hearts that guided them toward the future without the need to know exactly what it would look like. Let's live with hope.

Kalidasa had also said about hope:

Listen to the Exhortation of the Dawn!
Look to this Day! For it is Life, the very Life of Life.
In its brief course lie all the Verities and Realities of your Existence.
The Bliss of Growth, The Glory of Action, The Splendor of Beauty;
For Yesterday is but a Dream, And To-morrow is only a Vision;
But To-day well lived makes Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness, And every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope.
Look well therefore to this Day! Such is the Salutation of the Dawn!

Hope is the reason why our hope might indeed come to pass. We say, "A good tailwind is our only hope of arriving on time." In other words, the tailwind is the reason we may in fact achieve the future good that we desire. It's our only hope.

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all.

Marriages In Mithila

Marriage is the basic institution of the society. In every known human society, some form of the institution of marriage exists. Marriage gives religious and legal sanction to the matrimonial relations. Marriage is considered necessary and sacred ritual in Hindu Culture. It is a religious duty and purificatory rite. According the Manu, the man who is not married has not fully perfected his or her personality and must regard as incomplete and imperfect. His personality is developed and completed only upon the union of two persons, his wife and himself. Marriage to Hindus is a religious duty and purificatory rites; it is a sacrament, being based upon religious ceremony.

Marriage is considered the major one of the samskaras, which means religious purification. Every Hindu is supposed to pass through these samskaras (life-cycle rituals) at the proper time and age. Marriage is the ritual to start householder’s life i.e. grhysthashrama.

Mithila, the birth place of Hindu goddess, Sita was part of the ancient kingdom of Videha during the later Vedic age. Historically, the name Mithila has been more frequently used for a somewhat fluid cultural region than for a definite political or geographical unit. The Land of Mithila comprised the present districts Madhubani, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Vaishali, Muzzaffarpur, Champaran, Mongyr, Saharsa, and Purnea of North Bihar, India and Terai under Nepal lying between the districts of Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Saptari, Rautahat, Sunsari and Morang. Its total area was 25,000 sq miles.

In the early nineteenth century, Prithivi Narayan Shah of Gorkha Kingdom, united the several kingdoms of hills and plains and became the founder of modern Nepal. Since then Mithila Kingdom merged in two countries Nepal and India. At present, the districts Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Saptari, Rautahat, Sunsari and Morang fall in Mithila region of Nepal.

People who live in this region are Maithilis. The social organization of Maithili people is based on the Hindu occupational castes, a number of categories arranged in a vertical ladder of hierarchy. Maithili people speak Maithili language and in some parts of Mithila Bhojpuri language is also used. The people of Mithila region are very courteous and hospitable. They welcome their guests like god (Atithi Devo Bhava) is the slogan of Mithila. Every Maithili is saddened by separate ideas and they learn to live in spiritual brotherhood.

The norms and culture of Maithili people are very polite just like their language and manners. Mithila is land of fairs and festivals. There is not a single month in the year which has the absence of festivals. Some of them are religious in nature and some of them are not. These festivals are celebrated even today. One of them is Marriage. Hindu Marriage is irrevocable. The parties are bound to each other until death of either of them; The rituals are usually differ from society to society as apart from the Vedic rituals there are many local rituals existing in social practices in different societies. Maithilis follow the traditional system regarding the marriage i.e. arrange system. Their wedding is full of numerous Vedic rites and local rites. The priest performs Vedic rites and the women perform local rites mostly. The marriage of maithilis involves many stages. In maithilis marriage involves not only the relatives and neighbors , it involves the large number of occupational castes of the village i.e. Brahman (priest caste), Hajaam (barber), Dhanuk (cook/servant), Lohar(blacksmith), Sonar(goldsmith), Chamar(drummer), Dom (basket maker) etc for different purpose.

There is women’s song tradition in the wedding among Maithilis. The wedding songs are related to the ritual proceedings as well as celebrative aspect of the wedding. Women sing while they are performing they are performing rites, while rites are being performed by men, or by the priest. They also sing before and between the rites as well as while to as place where they have to perform rite. Every Maithili woman is expected to be able to sing. Songs are sung in the absence of any kind of musical instrument. All women participate on an equal level when they are singing. The theme of songs may vary form one rite to another.

Likewise song tradition, there is the tradition of painting walls of nuptial chamber (Kohbar ghar), on the wall beside the entrance to the room of household deity (gosain ghar), and on the papers to perform a few of the most important wedding rituals. These paintings are an assemblage of symbolic images of lotus plant, the bamboo grove, fishes, birds and snakes in union and represent the fertility and the proliferation of life.

In a high class named Kayastha in maithili society, there are about 42 rituals from pre-marriage to post-marriage day. Each ritual in marriage of Maithilis has it's own importance and meaning. Every relation, people of every caste are given importance in marriage of maithili people. The rituals and songs are the lovely part of their marriages.

In overall the culture, tradition and rituals of maithili Hindus are very different and lots of things can be found when explored.

For more details please visit www.mithilanepal.com and contact Mr. Ranjit Saxena for any research purpose.