(૪૯૩) “કોરો કાગળ” – શ્રી વિજય જોશીનાં અંગ્રેજી કાવ્યોના ભાવાનુવાદ અને સંક્ષેપ (૪) -વલીભાઈ મુસા

A piece of blank paper

A Muslim wrote “Quran”
A Christian wrote “Bible”
A Jewish wrote “Torah”
A Hindu wrote “Gita”.
On a piece of blank paper

Everyone claimed
their version of the truth
to be the real truth
the only truth.

A pandemonium ensued
peace unraveled
Tempers flared
Chaos erupted

In great agony
the paper screamed
stop these hatred
these unholy wars
stop it all

let me be
let me just be
a blank piece of paper.

– Vijay Joshi

* * * * *

કોરો કાગળ

(અછાંદસ)

મુસ્લીમે લખ્યું ‘કુરાન’
ને ખ્રિસ્તીએ લખી ‘બાઈબલ’.
યહુદીએ લખ્યું ‘તોરાહ’
તો વળી, હિંદુએ લખી ગીતા;
કોરા એક કાગળ ઉપર.

દાવો દરેકનો એકસરખો;
કે તેમનો ગ્રંથ સત્ય,
આખરી સત્ય
ને એક માત્ર સત્ય.

કોલાહલ ઊઠ્યો,
શાંતિ ડહોળાઈ,
મિજાજ ભડક્યા,
અંધાધૂંધી ફાટી, સઘળે.

તીવ્ર પીડાએ
કાગળ ચીસ્યો :
આ ધિક્કાર બંધ કરો,
આ નાપાક યુદ્ધોય બંધ કરો.
આ સઘળુંય બંધ કરો.

મને રહેવા દો,
ખરે જ મને રહેવા દો,
કોરા કાગળનો એક ટુકડો જ !

– વિજય જોશી (કવિ)

– વલીભાઈ મુસા (ભાવાનુવાદક)

* * * * *

કોરો કાગળ (સંક્ષેપ)

કાગળનો કોરો ટુકડો કોરા કાગળ તરીકે જ અસ્તિત્વમાં આવ્યો અને લહિયાઓએ પ્રાચીન ધર્મગ્રંથોની હસ્તપ્રતો તેના ઉપર લખી કાઢી. તેમણે ઈરાદાપૂર્વક પોતપોતાની તરફેણ અને વિરુદ્ધનાં અવળાં અર્થઘટનો એ કાગળમાં લખી નાખ્યાં; જેનું પરિણામ એ આવ્યું કે ધર્મયુદ્ધો, દલીલબાજીઓ, ધિક્કારની ભાવના, ધર્માંધતા વગેરે વગેરે ઊગી નીકળ્યાં. અહીં રૂપક તરીકે લેવાયેલો કોરા કાગળનો ટુકડો ધર્મગ્રંથોનાં ખોટાં અર્થઘટનો સામે બળવો પોકારી ઊઠ્યો અને આજીજી કરવા માંડ્યો કે તેને એકલો છોડી દેવામાં આવે, કોઈપણ ધર્મ સાથેના જોડાણથી તેને મુક્ત રાખવામાં આવે અને તેને માત્ર અને માત્ર એક કોરા કાગળ તરીકે જ રહેવા દેવામાં આવે.

 – વિજય જોશી (કવિ)

 – વલીભાઈ મુસા (ભાવાનુવાદક)

* * * * *

શ્રી વિજયભાઈ જોશીનાં સંપર્ક સૂત્રો : –

ઈ મેઈલ – Vijay Joshi aajiaba@yahoo.com

બ્લૉગ – VIJAY JOSHI – WORD HUNTER : https://vrjoshi.wordpress.com

* * * * *

 

Expressing Feelings of Honor and Gratitude

I am pleased to represent here a Report of my Guest Author – Mr. Karimbhai V. Hada who had rendered his services as an Anchor-man to the local social function held at Kanodar Mahila Mandal Hall and which was presided by Mrs. Ladiben V. Bangalawala, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat. Mr. Karimbhai Hada was honored with “Sanchar Sarthi Award” when he was in service with Telecom Department. He is a man of literature and presently the President of Local Community. He is a devoted man of social services and had glorified the Chair of Secretary of Sarvodaya Kelavani Mandal, a reputed local Trust for Higher Secondary Education.

Now onward, you will read the words of Mr. Karimbhai Hada. At the concluding part of this post, I’ll appear before you just to express my feelings of gratitude in brief. Here, Mr. Karimbhai speaks in his following words:

“Under the banner of Local NGO – Ascent Foundation, running a well-equipped and full fledged Institution known as Adarsh Public Library, had organized a remarkable function attended by a great mass of invited village people on May 10, 2009 to felicitate the three native personalities for their contribution of social welfare, education and global brotherhood through respective fields of their works and activities. These honorable persons are:-

 

No honor in Honor-killing!

Click here to read in Gujarati
Every year, 8th March is celebrated as the International Women’s Day throughout the world. Many multi-national companies, Governments, NGOs and both Print and Electronic media play a very important role to highlight the achievements of women in every field of life and give honor to them. Women are the half population in the world. An old Native American proverb narrates, “A nation is not lost as long as the women’s hearts are still high. Only when the women’s hearts are on the ground then all is finished, and the nation dies”.

But, what is in naming a Day? Celebrations of various Days have remained, now a day, formalities and shows. Any concrete work only can become meaningful; otherwise it is like a farce. My today’s Article is an attempt of disclosing the naked truth of the titled words. In most of the countries of the world, ‘Honor killing’ is the burning issue. It is true that we may not be able to stop honor killings overnight, but it must be tried at all levels and we are sure to have the results to reduce them at least. People who are sincere, religious minded and believing in humanity may be good for them, but it is not enough. They should also think for others and not to turn blind eyes to such cruel practices in the society. People should recognize such domestic violence as crime. The educational institutions should add the topic of ‘Human Rights’ into their textbooks. Greater awareness in public can minimize such crimes in the society rather than merely laws and judiciary system.

Now, let us study and go deep to understand this social evil spread over throughout the world and also in the most of the communities like a viral disease. No exact numbers of honor killings worldwide are traceable, but they are considered to be very high. These honor killings are covered up as private family matters and attributed as the natural deaths. Honor killing is the cold murder of a female committed by the close relative of the victim in her own household. It is generally observed that such killing is most probably a pre-planned sin as it is being handled through a minor male in order to have minimum punishment by law. Sometimes where murder is not carried out, some other types of oppressions such as beating, torture, forced marriage, imprisonment in home etc. can be seen.

Honor killing is such where a woman is murdered for the shame that she is supposed to have brought on her family. Some acts either they may be beyond her control or not, but are deemed to be stain on family’s reputation in the community and she is cruelly murdered. Such hateful and mean thinking of so-called damage to the prestige of the family initiates the elder members of the family such as father, brother and some times mother, elder sister or brother’s wife to commit the crime. How sad it is when the women themselves participate in conspiracy against a woman! How we can blame only the men! They people leave behind the cultural and religious obligations and also feelings of blood relation to perpetrate such a sinful act. It is unanimously established that murder is a non-forgivable sin.

The Holy Qur’an says, “Killing one person is the same as killing all humanity and saving one person is the same as saving all humanity.” Not only Honor-killing, but any type of human-killing without any justification, is forbidden in all religions of the world. Some oriental religions do not recognize the killing of even a very small insect as a good deed and consider it to be the violence which is the grave sin beyond any forgiveness from the God. But, here, here it is the violence towards a human, a female! How tragic such act of female murder is! Isn’t it a climax of brutality?

Many scholars of sociology have found out some roots of such rude behavior towards the female. According to them, a certain class of people of every community, race or religion considers the woman as the commodity and property of the male and they only have the right to decide the fate of the female. Even they can exchange, buy or sell the women. In some communities marriages of daughters are arranged by the elder male persons, where money is also exchanged ignoring liking or disliking of the female; and if it is opposed, it is considered to be the shame to the honor of the men who might have negotiated the marriage. Thousands of brides are burnt having brought a very little dowries to their expectations also. Any married woman seeking a divorce from her violent husband is also considered to be the prestige issue and is killed to save the honor of the family. Some women are also heavily pressured to commit suicide for various reasons of honor.

Some common reasons for performance of an honor killing include the illegal relationships, marrying or expressing a desire to marry a man of her own choice but male members disapprove, divorcing an abusive spouse or being a rape victim. For the misfortune of being raped, the girl or woman is murdered by her family in spite of her innocence. Moreover, many other reasons for honor murders are there such as bringing food late, answering back or undertaking forbidden family visits.

It is the general opinion of the people that the courts should sentence not only to the actual murderer but also the rest members of the family who might have co-operated in punishing the woman and the head of the family also who might have passed the order for the killing with heavier sentence. Honor killing is a murder and must be punished accordingly. Some time ago Indian Supreme Court, while referring a case of inter-cast love-marriage, had passed a comment that the honor killing or any harassment to either any one or both is illegal. Even though, if the parents think that their feelings are hurt with such love marriages due to one or another reason, they cannot take the law in their hands to punish the couple in a way of murder or torture; but instead of that they may cut the social relations with the couple if they think fit. Honor killing cannot be justified as true by the law. My Readers also will agree with the fact that there is no honor in honor killing and it is the disgrace to humanity and mankind.

Further, one more tragedy in the society is that the responsibility of keeping the honor of the family intact is over the head of the female only and the male is given special privilege. The women are compelled to be obedient and passive. Criminal codes of discrimination against women should be reviewed. In some countries, the murder of a wife is treated more leniently than murder of a husband.

Before I conclude my Article, I’ll put before you one more kind of honor-killing and that is the abortion of an illegal child developing in the womb of an unmarried woman. Has anybody the right to pass a death sentence on totally a defenseless and innocent child? Murder of innocent and unborn child is the worst of all satanic works. It is the natural justice that every creature has the right to life. Life is the gift of God and nobody has any right to reject it in any circumstances. Anti-abortion fundamentalists cry out against abortion and say that all abortions are murders. Sometimes many such unmarried women give birth to the child in secrecy and afterwards they either give it up or kill it for the family honor.

Lastly to say, we should never get disappointed for the solution of the above issue as still there is the thread of hope that the collective measures and attacks from all directions to conquer this social evil will surely bring good results of saving the lives of millions of unborn infants as well as numerous miserable women in the world.

Let us be the part of the mission of saving the sacred human blood being spilled unnecessarily in the name of family honor.

With regards,

– Valibhai Musa
Dtd.: 5th December, 2007

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Winning hearts and bridging minds

Click here to read in Gujarati

Today, I am going to undertake a risk of writing this Article, with hope and despair, whether I would be able to justify its aim as I am far away from National or International  Politics. Mr. Jeff, my bother-like friend and who recently passed away, was the US citizen. We used to sit together frequently and he made me aware of the US and its National and International politics. My subject here is not on politics, but the great thing the US recently did is praiseworthy and I am inspired with it to express some thoughts of mine here regarding the most essential ideology of Global Brotherhood and Peace in the prevailing situation of the world.

Just before I step forward, I would like to represent A RESOLUTION, recognizing the holy month of Ramadan and expressing the deepest respect to Muslims in the US and throughout the world, was passed unanimously by 110^th Congress of the US on October, 2, 2007 (International Non-violence Day) by a vote of 376-0. The Resolution was the 1^st of its kind to acknowledge the importance of Muslims in America as a sign of respect and recognition. Its text is as follows:

RESOLUTION

Recognizing the commencement of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting and spiritual renewal, and commending Muslims in the United States and throughout the world for their faith.

Whereas since the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, threats and incidents of violence have been directed at law-abiding, patriotic Americans of African, Arab, and South Asian descent, particularly members of Islamic faith;

Whereas, on September 14, 2001, the House of Representatives passed a concurrent resolution condemning bigotry and violence against Arab-Americans, American Muslims, and Americans from South Asia in the wake of the terrorist attacks;

Whereas it is estimated that there are approximately 1,500,000,000 Muslims worldwide;

Whereas Ramadan is the holy month of fasting and spiritual renewal for Muslims worldwide, and is the 9^th month of the Muslim calendar year; and

Whereas the observance of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan commences at dusk on September 13, 2007, and continues for one lunar month: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That : –

(1) during this time of conflict, in order to demonstrate solidarity with and support for members of the community of Islam in the United States and throughout the world, the House of Representatives recognizes the Islamic faith as one of the great religions of the world; and

(2) in observance of and out of respect for the commencement of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting and spiritual renewal, the House of Representatives acknowledges the onset of Ramadan and expresses its deepest respect to Muslims in the United States and throughout the world on this significant occasion.

Mr. Keith Ellison, a converted Muslim from Christianity, presently the Member of the U.S. House of Representative, a lawyer and also active on a national level in advocacy for Muslims in the United States told USINFO showing the motive of US Congress behind the above Resolution as this : “The basic idea is demonstrate not only to the Muslim world but to the whole world that the US Congress is a place where all faiths are respected, all faiths are recognized, where we embrace our diversity and where we believe that promise of America is that you may seek the Divine as you see fit within your own judgment, and in your own tradition and your own way.” Further, he added, “We are a nation of religious tolerance and religious inclusion.”

Over and above, one more positive and noteworthy step of the US is that its Postal Service has announced on October 7, 2007 to re-issue Eid Stamps with an appeal to support it by purchasing and using it. Previously the Postal Stamps of both the Eids (Eid–ul- fitra and Eid–ul- Adha) were issued in 2001.

In my previous Article “International Non-violence Day”, I had suggested to media to observe its Dharma (duty) to highlight such positive events publicly for developing Inter–Religious Understanding. But, very regretfully, I want to say that such a historic event is little brought to the knowledge of the oriental world.

Above two positive approaches undertaken by the United States of America have a vital importance, in my view. Muslims are the second largest populations of the world. Many Arab and Muslim countries of the world as well as numerous individual Muslims had sympathized with the victims of September 11 and offered valuable moral support to the US. I referred some books and other sources to know what re-action the Muslim world had shown on and after the terrorist attack, the brutal violation of Human Rights, on WTC. My recently referred book “The War on Freedom” (How and Why America was Attacked  – September 11, 2001) written by Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed, a ‘think tank’ dedicated to the promotion of human rights, justice and peace; is riveting and thoroughly documented study of the grave sin committed by those enemies of humanity.

Sheldon Solomon of New York, a Professor of Psychology, on a debate platform of an Auditorium on the 9/11 attack said,” There is hostility in the world because people are incapable of accepting different views.” He further said, “I saw the worst and the best human behaviors there in few days when WTC was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001. The best that people set aside their pretty differences in pursuits to help others. The worst is that that event was the worst.” He further added, “Countries will never get along if they keep using military and economical approach to solving problems, and that a Psychological approach is also needed.” He said also, “Imagine if, every day, we acted like those New Yorkers did after Sept. 11, if we fulfilled our human potential everyday and how much better this world would be.”

The noble people of the world are always horrified by the massive killing, destruction and attack on innocent lives reported from any corner of the world in any form, even wars. Particularly, regarding the philosophy of war, they people are of such opinion that “A war never decides who is right but who is left!” Besides terrorism, some other forms of massacre are racist attacks derived from confessional hatred and so-called ethnic cleansing. All such forms of massacres are the worst in views of all the religions of the world and their true believers. Meanwhile, I would like to justify the title of my Article in a way that its profound substance is in line with above mentioned Sheldon Soloman’s views of applying psychology for the solution and prevention of various forms of massacres in the world. With such positive approaches, the hearts of those noble people can be won and their co-operation can be useful for bridging the minds of opposite groups of extremists.

Now, I come to my subject with a link of Muslim re-action after above one of the tragic episodes of the world history. Here below, you will find some specific reports of re-action related to the event. Corey Saylor of the Council on American – Islamic Relations had reported that American Muslim re-action was overwhelmingly positive at the time when the tragic event had happened.

In my first phase, I’ll illustrate some examples of re-action of American Muslims in this regard. Let us go through a Fatwa (Religious verdict) against Religious Extremism by the Fiqh Council of North America in its words as “In the light of Qur’an and Sunnah, we clearly and strongly state that, (1) All acts of terrorism targeting civilians are Haram (forbidden) in Islam. (2) It is Haram for a Muslim to co-operate or associate with any individual or group that is involved in any act of terrorism or violence. (3) It is the duty of Muslims to co-operate with the law enforcement authorities to protect the lives of all civilians.”

One more example, in brief, is the re-action of “15 American Muslim Organizations” – through their joint statement said, “We reiterate our unequivocal condemnation of the crime committed on September 11, 2001 and join our fellow Americans in mourning the loss of up to 6000 innocent civilians.”

In my second phase, I would like to give you some more re-actions reported from many Muslim countries and individual Muslims of the world. Some extracts of the same in general and specific are as follows:

“We condemn in strongest terms the incidents which are against human and Islamic norms. All forms of attack on innocents are criticized in Qur’nic verse as ‘No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another’. Attacking innocent people is not courageous. Islamists who live according to the human values of Islam could not commit such crimes.”

“They must be brought to justice in an impartial court of law and punished appropriately. It is a duty of Muslims to participate in this effort with all possible means.”

One of the Muslim countries in Middle East re-acted in its open words as “Apprehend them and those supporters who aid and abet them through incitement, financing or other support.”

League of Arab States stated, “Any human being, regardless of his ethnic and religious origin, will never think of carrying out such a violent, evil attack. Whatever its purpose is, this action cannot be justified and tolerated.”

One more statement is as “Islam does not encourage any kind of terrorism; in fact, it denounces it. Those who use terrorism in the name of Islam, in fact, have no other faculty except ignorance and hatred.”

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Supreme Jurist-ruler of Islam through Islamic Republic News Agency reported in severe words in general reminding us far past and recent Historic massacres. The words themselves are self-explanatory persuading the political mistakes of those countries that could have saved millions of human lives by opting alternative solution of the issues rather than the wars.  He stated, “Killing of people, in any place and with any kind of weapons, including Atomic Bombs, long-range-missiles, biological or chemical weapons, passenger or war planes, carried out by any organization, country or individuals is condemned. It makes no difference whether such massacres happen in Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Qana, Sabra, Shatila, Deir Yassin, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq or in New York or Washington.”

Now, when I am near to sum up, I feel free to say that I am satisfied with the presentation of my text in this Article. I have put before my Readers both the two positive re-actions; one, from the side of the United States of America and the other from the Muslim world. Now, I leave the decision upon you whether you agree with what I have presented here to make the universe peaceful.

Lastly, I shall quote a Czechoslovakian proverb as “Misfortunes always come in by a door which has been left open for them.” This proverb is equally applicable to the Nations of the world also besides individual ones. Now, it is the right time to take the stock of the domestic and international strategies and policies by all the Nations of the world to maintain peace and order in the world. Any problems among nations to nations, religions to religions and individuals to individuals can be solved by winning hearts and bridging minds of each other or one another. No matter how magnanimous the evil forces may be, the honest measures for the welfare of the world from the rulers and the ruled through out the world are bound to grow and bear good fruits.

May God enable us to achieve what is the best for the entire mankind.

With best Regards,

– Valibhai Musa
Dtd: 15^th October, 2007