Masjid One — a vision in the making

Aysha Tanisha
March 29, 2018

The gathering point of the Muslim Ummah or community is the mosque. For Muslims, it is a divine place wherein they connect to their Creator through prayers. It is synonymous to the house of God, as one can see the rich and poor, healthy and ill, educated and uneducated stand alongside one another, praying in synchronization. 

In India, Muslims fall under the minority category. This qualifies the socially and economically disadvantaged Muslims to avail government benefits designed to improve their condition. Till date, due to lack of information and guidance, not many have benefitted from this. NGOs and organizations working for the development of Muslims weren’t of much help, as they have been tackling issues from a surface level.

In the Prophetic times mosques didn’t function solely for prayer purposes. It engaged in activities concerning community development. Many organizations, activists and leaders have insisted on re-working this concept. Mohammed Imthiyaz, a young businessman and social activist, and his team have left for Mangaluru to lay the groundwork for the ‘Masjid One’ plan.

This project aims at bringing all the mosques in the country under one plan of action, with an objective of developing the Muslims throughout India. As per the plan, the Masjid committee will stop by each Jamaat’s home and gather information on the family economy, social status, family members’ employment, health and education level etc. The information thus collected will go on the App. The project will enable Muslims to benefit from government plans and schemes. The poor will be helped by the rich donors. Many mosques are enthusiastic about the project, including the ones from Karnataka, Kerala, and Uthar Pradesh. 

The situation of Muslim community

1. Socio-economic conditions of a considerable number of Muslims in India are too bad. A major part of Muslims is below the poverty line.
2. The literacy level of the Indian Muslim is below the country average.
3. Muslims are often found crammed into ghettos with poor infrastructure and civic facilities.
4. They are often neglected and discriminated.
5. Many of the Muslims are doing menial jobs, working as daily wage laborers which leaves children with no choice but to toil away their childhood too.
6. In poor Muslim neighborhoods, housing facility and basic sanitation is lacking to the point where inhabitants develop various communicable diseases.  

Why Masjid One?

If you are wondering how Masjid One can fight poverty, illiteracy and employment hindrances Muslims face, then the action plan of this project will bring around a ray of hope to relax those furrowed eyebrows.
1. Its vision is to utilize masjids as an epicenter for the betterment of the Muslim populace all over India.
2. Foremost, it will organize masjids and Jamaat’s of Masjids. 
3. Through the Masjid One Platform, it intends to collect, document, process and analyze data concerning all Muslims in India.
4. This is done to identify the most destitute, needy and urgent cases of Indian Muslims.
5. Resources will be identified and allocated for the ones in desperate need of it.
6. It aims at finding sustainable, realistic, achievable and permanent solution to raise the dignity and socio-economic status of the Muslim Community in India.

Advantages of Masjid One

1. The data collection via Masjid One Platform will enable the Muslim Ummah to utilize the resources available in ‘n’ number of ways. 
2. The data collected through and through will be subjected to analysis in order to generate a clear picture of the current scenario of Indian Muslims. This will be instrumental in identifying root problems. As per the needs, various short-term and long-term programs will be designed. Also, execution of sustainable programs will be looked into for empowering the less fortunate Muslim masses.
3. Data collection will be segregated family wise. ( all information on a families socio-economic condition will be noted down)
4. The Data collection includes full details of mosques and khazis across India, including the status of mosques, access to resources, and resources.  
5. It will work in a decentralized way. Work and Contributions are expected from each Masjids, rather than one central body doing all the work.
6. It will use technologies like Data Analytics and Web Technology to optimally solve the problems. 
7. This platform will also facilitate Voter ID and Aadhar registry related work enabling the Muslims to be the rightful citizens of India.
8. Information can be helpful to allocate facilities to all Muslims in India.
9. Resource recognition and resources distribution for Muslims and mosques is the first priority.
10. Muslims can use many government schemes through Masjid One.
11. Motivating and supporting the mosques to generate Income through alternative sources and making them self sustainable and financially independent.

The fundamentals that can be achieved through Masjid One

1. It will create system for Muslim families wherein families with excess of resources and willing to help will reach out to the ones in greatest need.
2. It will also create a Systemwhere Masjids with abundant resources, which are self-sufficient and with the capacity to help other Masjids, to help those Masjids that are lacking in basic and fundamental infrastructure and in greatest need.
3. All India Muslim Development Board (AIMDB) will be eventually formed. This board will take initiatives to bring out new welfare schemes and try to tackle problems prevalent in the society.

Masjid One - Why it is the Solution?

1. It aims to generate more than 10 lakh leaders.
2. It will establish 24 clusters in India.
3. It aims at providing at least 2+ Crores of Indian Muslims are with an income source.
4. It will facilitate pooling of nationwide resources of Muslims.
5. It will create commerce, entrepreneurship and establish support structures.
6. It aims at constructing 5 lakh family trusts, construction of schools, colleges and infrastructure for Indian Muslims and encouraging industry throughcouncilors and chambers. 
7. It will bring together Ulemas, Businessmen, Masjids, Organizations and Muslim Politicians.
8. It will provide career guidance and motivation for youth. 
9. It will create larger and greater Sadaqah Network that reaches maximum number of Muslims.
10. It will raise the overall standard of living among the Muslims.
11. It will focus on education, healthcare, Shelter and other basic necessities of Indian Muslims.

Contributions to the country from Masjid One

1. Every Muslim in the country registered under Masjid One Platform will receive announcements, government updates and other important information within minutes, through instant SMS. 
2. Four mosques can join together and start a school and 8-10 mosques can start an Islamic financial cooperative institution. 
3. Platform may alsowork as a News Portal and News Agency. 
4. It will improve the Economic output by the Muslim communities, consequently improving the GDP of the country.  
5. It will increase the literacy rate of the Country. 
6. It will contribute to Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, by keeping Masjid and its Mohalla surroundings clean.

‘Masjid One’ is a large scale utilization of the data collected on the Indian Muslim population. Its desired result is to uplift the Muslims in reduced circumstances. To ensure this, Masjid One will look into utilizing the existing NGO’s and formation of NGO’s under Masjids and Committees.  Sub- committees that can focus on Jamaat wise and city wise social work will be formed. Assignment of social work will be segregated based on underlying concerns such as Women and Child, Economic upliftment and Self-Reliance, Education and Healthcare. 
 

Comments

Saifuddeen P
 - 
Sunday, 8 Jul 2018

can you Please provide the contact detailes of people handling this project. intreseted in implimenting same in our jamath 

 

 

Saleem
 - 
Saturday, 31 Mar 2018

Highly challenging task in this present era, but nothing shall be impossible if the intention is holy & pure.  I personally pray with almighty Allah to bestow endurance and success upon this team. Aameen. 

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News Network
January 15,2020

Davangere, Jan 15: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on January 14 threatened to resign when the seer of 'Panchamasali Guru Peetha' warned that the community will leave him, if a BJP MLA from the community is not made the minister during the upcoming cabinet expansion.

The chief minister, who is awaiting the BJP high command's nod to expand his cabinet, amid intense lobbying by the aspirants, wanted the seer Vachanananda swamiji and the 'Panchamasali' community to understand his "situation." Yediyurappa pointed out that he has come to power because of the Congress-JD(S) legislators who rebelled against the then coalition government.

The incident took place when Vachanananda swamiji, while addressing an event at Harihara, near here, said "chief minister, you are a good person, Murugesh Nirani (BJP MLA)has helped you a lot, he has stood by you..if you leave his hands this time, the united Panchamasali community will leave your hands." As the swamiji was making this statement, Yediyurappa, who was seated next to him, rose and threatened to leave the stage.

"If you speak like this I will go away...what are you speaking...kindly pardon me, I will leave, you should not speak like this, if you speak like this I can't work..you can give me suggestions, you cannot threaten me," he said, as the swamiji tried to convince Yediyurappa and asked him to take his seat.

As Yediyurappa acceded to his request, the seer said he was not threatening him but was putting forward the rights of the community. The chief minister, who was visibly upset, was seen talking to Home minister Basavaraj Bommai next to him, who even tried to convince the seer not to continue with the topic. Nirani, a MLA from Bilgi who was Industries minister in the previous Yediyurappa government, was seated on the stage when the incident occurred.

Later addressing the event, Yediyurappa said he was not "selfish" and was even ready to resign.

"Vachanananda swamiji has spoken, through you I request him to understand my situation also. If 17 legislators (Congress-JDS), few even as ministers, had not resigned and stayed away, Yediyurappa could not have occupied this Chief Minister position.

You (swamiji) need not make people raise their hands on any demand, if you tell me, I'm ready to listen to you," he said.

Stating that he was ready to take suggestions from the swamiji on all issues, including on how to run the administration for the next 3 years, Yediyurappa said "I'm ready to bow my head and listen to it, if you don't want I'm even ready to resign and go home, I'm not someone who wants to stick to the chair."

Further noting that if he says that the financial condition of the state is not good it will become headline in papers tomorrow, he said he will have to wait till March for the situation to improve.

"I dont have selfishness, I'm aware that if the Panchamasali-Lingayat community had not stood by me, I could have not sat on this chair (CM)... but kindly understand my situation also," he added.

Yediyurappa is expected to expand his ministry later this month after discussing with BJP national president Amit Shah during his visit to the state on January 18.

As the chief minister has already made it clear that 11 of the disqualified JDS-Congress MLAs who got re-elected in the bypolls on BJP tickets will be made ministers, lobbying has been on within the party for the remaining ministerial berths.

Currently there are 18 Ministers, including the chief minister in the cabinet that has a sanctioned strength of 34.

The cabinet expansion will not be an easy task for the chief minister as he will have to strike a balance by accommodating the victorious disqualified legislators as promised and also make place for the old guard, upset at being "neglected" in the first round of the induction exercise.

He also has to give adequate representation to various castes and regions in his cabinet and also deal with allocation of key portfolios.

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News Network
January 17,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 17: Chief minister BS Yediyurappa is likely to induct new ministers into his cabinet only after he returns from Davos, Switzerland, on January 25.

Yediyurappa will leave for Davos on January 19 to participate in the World Economic Forum’s 50th annual meet.

Sources say Yediyurappa is keen on expanding his cabinet before he leaves for Davos and is still trying to secure the green signal from BJP national president Amit Shah. However, Shah has cold-shouldered Yediyurappa’s several requests for a meeting to discuss the issue.

Shah is scheduled to visit Karnataka on January 18 to participate in a pro-Citizenship (Amendment) Act rally in Hubballi and the CM plans to corner him there. But, given the time constraint, Yediyurappa is likely to put off the exercise till he returns from Davos even if Shah extends approval.

“Even if Shah gives the green signal, Yediyurappa will have less than 24 hours to expand his cabinet,” a source said. “It is highly unlikely he will rush through the process of inducting ministers. Also, his presence is required to douse disgruntlement which is bound to arise once the new ministers are sworn in.”

The CM and the party high command are on different pages as far as cabinet expansion is concerned. While Yediyurappa is hell-bent on keeping his promise of inducting all the newly elected MLAs, who switched from Congress and JD(S) to the BJP, Shah is keen on sharing vacant berths equally between loyal MLAs and the new entrants. There are 16 cabinet berths vacant.

Shah, sources said, is of the opinion that giving 12 berths to the turncoats will lead to heartburn among loyalists and it will impact the party’s prospects in the next election. “Moreover, he is of the opinion that none of the turncoats have mass appeal, nor do they have any administrative experience. This, he thinks, will impact governance,” said a source.

This has resulted in a deadlock and the issue has dragged on for a month now.

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News Network
July 25,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 25: The Karnataka government on Saturday announced a waiver of crematorium fees for those who succumb to the COVID-19 infection in Bengaluru and said the city civic body would bear the cost.

It said that from now on, families of the COVID deceased need not pay any fees fixed by the city civic body- Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP)- across 12 electric crematoriums in the city.

"There were reports in the media about difficulties faced in performing the last rites of those who died due to COVID-19 infections. Aimed at resolving those difficulties, certain decisions have been taken," Revenue Minister R Ashoka said.

He told reporters here that BBMP had fixed Rs 250 as the cremation fee, Rs 100 for the ash collection pot and Rs 900 for the bier (bamboo stretcher on which the body is carried), all of which have been waived for COVID deaths.

"So it will be a waiver of Rs 1,250 per cremation. The BBMP will bear this cost," he added.

Ashoka also announced Rs 500 per body incentive for the personnel who conduct the last rites of COVID victims.

"This is in recognition of their services at a time when family members of the deceased are not ready to touch the body and not ready to take the body in some cases," he said.

Noting that the government has identified 23 acres of land at five places around Bengaluru for burial or cremation of COVID victims, Ashoka locals in all these areas are protesting against it.

Appealing to the people for cooperation during these difficult times, he said the government's intention was to ensure respectful burial or cremation for the deceased.

"Obstructing it is not right, it is not Indian tradition," he said.

Pointing out that it takes almost a day's time for a COVID victim's body to be handed over for burial or cremation, he said "scientifically, according to experts and doctors, the virus will not remain alive for more than three hours.

...Also, bodies are either burnt or buried eight feet below. So there will not be any problem for those living in nearby areas and it will not spread infection. Cooperate with humanity," he said.

"These lands identified are for all religions and communities and once the pandemic subsides, can be used for other deaths as well," he said.

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