By Staff Reporter

A talk of Dr. Javed Jamil, Head of Chair in Islamic Studies & Research, Yenepoya University, Mangaluru, was organized in School of Language, Literature and Cultural Studies of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. The subject was “Need of Applied Islamics in the current world”.  The programme was presided over by Prof. Mazhar Asif.

Dr. Jamil stressed that time has come when all the current international ideologies, programmers and policies be examined in the light of Islam and “alternative Islamic definitions, concepts, parameters, paradigms and models presented for the benefit of the whole humanity”. He said that Physics, Health Sciences, Social Sciences and Philosophies—all need the guidance of Quran. The study of various branches of Natural, Medical, Social Sciences and Philosophies is what he termed “Applied Islamics”, he told.

Dr. Jamil narrated the story of his journey from a medical professional to recognition as a thinker and Islamic scholar. When he was only a student of MBBS 2^nd year in King George’s Medical College, Lucknow, way back in 1978, while studying the anatomy of Brain, he found that the somatosensory map of the body on Postcentral Gyrus had the sequence of the organs of the body corresponded to the sequence of the organs washed and rubbed in Wudu. His research articles on Wudu and Namaz got published in several magazines right then. Subsequently he gave Islamic models of Family Planning and Control of AIDS in 1990s. He told that he was the first to propose that circumcision should be included in AIDS control programme as it plays an extremely protective role against sexually transmitted diseases. He told that there are a number of words and verses in Quran that can provide clues to the Laws of Nature governing the universe.

Dr. Jamil told that the dominance of “economic Fundamentalism” and the forces of economics and politics in the world affairs have been hitting the mankind in a big way and more than 70 million people die every year in the world owing to the practices prohibited by Islam. He said that “people cannot be given free access to dangerous choices in the name of “freedom of Choice”, which has become the biggest weapon in the hands of the Market for globalizing dangerous vices like Smoking, Alcohol, Gambling and various sexual practices.”

Dr. Jamil emphasized that “the challenge today is not from one religion to the other but to religion as a whole from irreligion.” He advocated the “unity of all religions on the ground of common religious morality” rather than disunity “on the ground of religious identity”.

In reply to a question he said that the Indian nation comprises several minority groups like Upper Caste Secular Hindus, Upper caste Hindutvavadis, Dalits, OBCs and Religious Minorities. Muslims must launch a peace and friendship offensive and have dialogues with each of these groups trying to find out common grounds.” “Constitutionally, Muslims are a Minority, Ideologically they are the second largest majority and Socially, they are part of the deprive Majority”, he argued. In reply to another question, he said that “there is no point in Muslims not fighting for the minority rights enshrined in the Constitution but at the same time it is their duty to work for the betterment of the deprived poor and backward and oppressed.”

The talk was attended by a number of faculty members and research scholars. These included Prof. Ishtiaq Ahmad, Prof. Mujeebur Rahman, Prof. Rizwanur Rahman, Dr Qutubuddin Ahmad, Dr. Mazharul Haq, Dr. Akhtar Alam, Dr. Hafeezur Rahman and Dr. Zarnigar.