O. Abdul Rahman

JEDDAH, 23 September 2006 — O. Abdul Rahman, a well-known journalist and intellectual from Kerala, has called upon the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government to devise a strategic plan for using the funds of non-resident Keralites (NRKs) for the state’s developmental activities.

“Instead of taking loans from the World Bank, the government has to seek better alternatives such as making use of NRK funds for developmental activities,” he told Arab News, pointing out that some 2.5 million NRKs send 200 billion rupees ($4.3 billion) to state coffers annually.

Abdul Rahman, who is currently visiting Saudi Arabia, emphasized the media’s role in guiding the public by telling both sides of the story. “When the United Democratic Front (UDF) government came up with the express highway project, many thought of it as a good idea. It was only after the media’s exposure that people came to realize the project’s negative impact on society and ecology.”

He favors the education bill passed by the LDF government and opposes the move by certain groups to make education a business under the pretext of protecting minority rights. He called for joint efforts to address the growing number of crimes, AIDS cases and suicides in the state.

Abdul Rahman welcomed the resolutions taken by a conference of OIC information ministers in Jeddah recently. “We are in need of a strong media to confront Islamophobia and deliberate attempts to tarnish the image of Islam and Muslims.” However, he stressed that a strong media required a free environment in order to live and grow.

He said among India’s 600 million literate people, some 210 million read newspapers. “The print media still dominate the market despite the influx of electronic media including satellite channels,” he pointed out. He cautioned against the move by colonial powers to make Indian newspapers apolitical.

According to him, the US campaigns against Afghanistan and Iraq in the name of war on terror were part of a new Crusade. “Many Christian missionaries are now working in both countries,” he said, quoting a report from Time magazine.

A Time interview with Albert Mohler, a Southern Baptist Theological Seminary leader and missionary worker in Iraq, revealed growing zeal “to distribute humanitarian aid and spread the gospel to the region’s Muslims.”

He said the anti-terror campaign was aimed at justifying the occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq. “Muslim countries have first to identity their main enemy and work out a strategy to confront that enemy.”

“If the United Nations had come out with a definition of terrorism, Israel and the US would have been the first to be labeled as terrorist states,” he said and criticized US President George W. Bush for considering as enemies those who oppose his policies. “He has said either you stand with us or against us. This is sheer arrogance. As a result, the winds of anti-US sentiments are blowing throughout the world, not only in the Middle East.”

He urged Muslims to boycott American products if they want to change US policies, which are detrimental to them. “We have seen the success of the boycott campaign against Danish products following the publication of cartoons denigrating the Prophet (peace be upon him).” Muslim countries are a major market for Western products.

He criticized the move to remove certain Qur’anic verses from school syllabuses under US pressure. “The Qur’an is the Word of God. Its message is peace, mercy and tolerance. It has never called for violence or terrorism. It is our duty to correct the misunderstandings surrounding certain Qur’anic verses,” he said.

Referring to the nuclear standoff between Iran and the West, he said Iran had the right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. At the same time, he added, Iran should give guarantees that it would not use the facility for making nuclear bombs. He wondered why the world was saying nothing about Israeli nuclear weapons. He urged Iran to establish good relations with other Muslim countries and amicably end its row with the United Arab Emirates over islands in the Gulf.

Abdul Rahman, who is a social worker and general secretary of the Kerala chapter of the Forum for Democracy and Communal Amity (FDCA), said the organization was instrumental in promoting communal harmony, protecting human rights and ensuring free and fair elections in India.