Are the reformist on right track ?

[udaipur_75]

Hi i am Udaipur_75...i will come back with my views on above topic.

By then if someone else has someone to share pls comeback..

I am getting late...will write more when i reach home..

Cheers.

[tahir]

Udaipur_75,
I guess the reformists are on the right track and growing rapidly. Now they attract not only the progressive minded but also the orthodox. They are making deep inraods into the dai's follower base. More and more hardcore kotharis are deserting malumaat.com and mumineen.org to join this site and to gather knowledge from the reformists. Doesnt matter if they always pretend to curse and send laanats on the reformists and sing the kothari national anthem of "jalan jalan failure". Infact, now the disguised kotharis outnumber the original and open reformists on this site. If u have any doubts, just count the number of responses u get from the kotharis. Also, please dont mind their stupidity since they are new converts and it will take some time before we decondition them from the burhani influence.

YE ANDAR KI BAAT HAI, KOTHAR HAMARE SAATH HAI...

[udaipur_75]

Hi Tahir

Salam

Read ur views...i care a shit abt these kotharis or whoever they are. I even dont care abt the reformist leaders who are making fool out of people in Udiapur. Namely Adib , Rocket , Mansoor Nathdwarawala and the biggest joker Mansoor Ahmed who makes pondy movies in Chennai. They are also as fuc.r like the Kothar guys.

If you see today most of the reformists feel Q TV ( the islamic Channel ) is the right way...i know people in bombay who hv stopped seeing ekta kpoor serials and now watch only Q TV and pray nama the way it is shown there,,,,

Dont you feel there are fools on both sides....i will add more...there is lot to be said....let me end with one true fact....

Mohammed Hussain rocky a prominent figure and my close relative had been the guy who took 20-25 reformoist boris to Haj in 2002-03 ...this bugger is drinker like hell...baat samaj mein a rahee hein na bhai ( i can give proofs...Insaaf aap unko pehhante honge Jaroor ...if not Abbas Bhai Nath se pocch lena ...woh khud khilaf hein )

See this the issue....there is no one to guide...if u need a drinker to show the way...then boss it is better u guys convert into Scintology which Tom Cruise has converted into....

"Dosre ke ghar pe pathar marne se pahle hum dekh le hamara ghar shishe ka hein."

Cheers...will come back ..there is lots to be discussed

[tahir]

Udaipur_75,

I am not a part of the Udaipur youth which I think is just a part of the reform movement. What you call reformists or progressive bohras are not an organised and tightly knit community like the dawoodi bohras are. The former are just free spirited individuals who act on their own discretion and fortunately enough are not under the control of a dai like "leader". So it would be really futile for u to raise issues about personal lives of some people in Udaipur for which no one is responsible here. However, I have something to say about ur comments:

If you see today most of the reformists feel Q TV ( the islamic Channel ) is the right way...i know people in bombay who hv stopped seeing ekta kpoor serials and now watch only Q TV and pray nama the way it is shown there,,,,Dont you feel there are fools on both sides

The full form of Q TV is Quran TV and since bohras originally were followers of Islam, whats so foolish in follwing the islamic ways that Q TV suggests ? I am not impressed by Dr. Zakir Naik but having heard the dai's waaz so many times, I can tell that Dr. Naik makes much more sense than the Syedna. So if one chooses to follow Islam, learning from Q TV is much more advisable than "learning" from the Dai.

See this the issue....there is no one to guide...if u need a drinker to show the way...

How does drinking adversely affect leadership capabilities?? What matters is integrity towards one's job. And btw, the kotharis not only drink alcohol but blood too so the Udaipur youthis still have a better leader than dawoodi bohras have...right?

[Fruits]

Hey the progressives claim to be the real voice of the common supressed bohras. But let me make a point here. When it comes to their own turn or their own personnel intrests, they forget what they had preached N what they are to follow. Recently the relative of a high profile reformist bohra had flown to a relatives marriage N she took part full heartedly, even endorsing the so called rituals n coustoms of the orthodox. Why this double standard. When on one hand u say that u are standing against the wrong practices of kothar then why do u endorse of participate in their functions?

[S. Insaf]

Dear Fruits,
There should be no compulsion for any body. If wants to wear Bohra cap or grows beard on his personal choice ( as my father used to do) we should not have any problem.
Even if some one wants to give a million of rupees to Sayedna Saheb we should no objection. What is objectionable is collecting money forcibly or compelling Bohras to wear a particular dress, or forcing them to give misaq, or compelling them do sajda before Sayedna.
On other hand it is the duty of the Sayedna Saheb, as community's religious head, that he openly condemns practices of Sajda, forcible collection and condemn violent attacks.
Sayedna Saheb has been charged for attacks on four ustads of Jamiya Surat, for burning to death Mulla abbas Aurangabadi in Karachi, for several murderous attacks on Noman contractor and Dr. Asgar Ali Engineer, for attacks on innocent women of Udaipur, but he has never condemn these violent activities. On contorary attackers have been awarded by him.
He is 94 years of old man and has enough money sufficient for his seven generation still he has not stop collection. This what is objectionable.

[Humsafar]

Fruits,

I tried to explain to you nicely, but I think your fruit-salad of a brain is not ready to accept anything other than your pre-concieved notions. What is the double standard in a reformist woman participating in ortho celebration? Bohra customs and traditions are the same for everybody - for reformists and orthos. I'm beginning to suspect that you do not even know what the reform movement is all about. If you knew you wouldn't be wasting our time with your stupid, petty ideas and views.

[Muslim]

Fruits,
Reformists are fighting to abolish many corrupt practices. But weddings are not one of them.

[Fruits]

Mr Insaaf you say that"There should be no compulsion for any body. If wants to wear Bohra cap or grows beard on his personal choice ( as my father used to do) we should not have any problem."
If one has to be part of any organisation there there are some rules that are to be adhered to. what will you say if the child has to wear a particular dress if it has to go to the school or why is the dress code given for the employess of an organisation. If people wear that dress then it must be a compulsion as you say, then why dont you raise your voice for them. there is a lot to be discussed & i will come up shortly with the reasons why i lost my faith in the reformist movement & particularly with the reformists leaders at this time

[heavenoheaven]

Salam fruits,
Reformists movement is not abt REFORM its about not obeying dai n cusring n abusing him n fellow dawoodi bohras. its OPPORTUNISTIC movement, they dont want to follow dawoodi bohra customs where they have to pay money. they want MONEY FREE World.

was-salam.
way2heaven

[Fruits]

"Reformists are fighting to abolish many corrupt practices. But weddings are not one of them"
__________________________________________
if this is the case then why take part in any ceremony that we are against bcoz the marriage i reffered to was performed in the typical bohra way that the reformists are opposed to.If ex-communication was a tool used by the orthodox bohras then the reformist should look into their own house in udaipur. There they are threating the people who invite the orthodox bohras in their function. The poor family has either to host the function at some private place or at the community centre but not at the jamat khana under the control of the reformists.Why such harassment of the loyal reformists???

[Humsafar]

Fruits,

I too am from Udaipur. I'm am original born-and-bred dyed-in-wool hillybilly rustic native Udaipuri. As pristine, provincial and pure as they come. Okay, you can accuse me of being tainted by my intellectual pretensions (always a dangerous thing) but I remain a diehard reformist all the same. I'm one of the very aroused, angry and goddamned mad rednecks in this "den of reformists". Don't think you can spew any nonsense about Udaipur reformists - or any reformists, for that matter - and get away with it.

marriage... performed in the typical bohra way that the reformists are opposed to.

What rubbish! Reformists are opposed to no such thing. You've got all the wrong ideas about reformists and their purpose. What reformists are opposed to is the gouging and day-light robbery by the mullas that takes place on such occasions.

There they are threating the people who invite the orthodox bohras in their function

Nobody threatens anybody here. That is not the enlightened reformist way. The reformist jamaat only places one restriction - and that too with great reluctance - that members do not invite orthodox if they hold functions on jamaatkhana premises. There is a reason for this, a tactical reason - as mentioned before in one of my posts. There are more orthodox in Udaipur now than reformists - a 60-40 ratio. We have suffered reversals over the years.(Why? Complacent leadership, lack of enduring social programmes, and the defeatist "if you can't beat them then join them" attitude prompted by weak commitment and easy convenience.)

Despite smaller numbers, reformists continue to control the jamaatkhana, masjids and other properties. We believe these properties belong to the community and the members of the jamaat - and not to the absentee, lazy landlord, the Sayedna. Our fear is that if we allow the orthodox into the jamatkhana, they with their greater number and the power of money and smart layers that it can buy they will soon take claim to the jamatkhaana arguing that they have been using the place, they are in majority and therefore it should morally, legally, ideally belong to them. We reformists in Udaipur have been betrayed, snitched and cheated too many times - by our own and others - to allow ourselves to be bamboozled all over again. This is the reason why we don't allow the orthodox into jamatkhana. We realise this like barat in reverse, but we do it at great pains. Keeping control of properties is critical for the survival of reformists and this glorious reformist experiment.

But you Fruits, an ex-reformist, a turncoat, a traitor will not understand this. You're too preoccupied with your personal conveniences and petty concerns to understand the complexities, subtleties and occasional shortcomings of what reformists are trying to achieve. Or have the mental capacity to appreciate the bold, historical and unprecedented experiment that reformists are embarked upon.

[Humsafar]

Corrections:

1) I'm am an original born-and-bred....

2) ... will soon stake claim to the jamatkhaana....

[anajmi]

Humsafar,

I have a question, who actually owns these properties that you talk about, this jamatkhana and this masjid? Is it a trust or individuals?

[mumineen]

Is that a question or is that a question? Perhaps a rhetoric question!

Dawat-e-Hadiya - a.k.a His Holiness Syedna Saheb, who else?

What do you think is the purpose of applying in each of the western countries for a "corporate sole" legal status? - except of course in Canada Senate - Bill S.13, where the Kothar failed miserably. But we understand that the Province of Ontario, Canada has now allowed this status without going to the legislator. It is bureaucratic rather than a political process there - as opposesd to the Federal one. Now each of the Jamaats in Canada will have their own so-called local autonomy (not Toronto). You will notice that the Toronto Jamaat has surreptiously changed their name from Anjuman-e-Najmi to Anjuman-e-Burhani without any fanfare or announcements.

[anajmi]

mumineen,

I am sorry, but there was no right way of asking that question. Just wanted to know.

So if it is in Syedna's name, why couldn't he just put a lock on his property?

[jazz]

AsalaamWalaikum

If you belong to an organisation which is corrupt and you just let the rot spread, I believe this is a sin even more so when the organisation is religious in nature. In Orthodox Bohras for example when you stand with folded hands, kiss the feet etc. of Maulana, remember there may be children, young adults & also grown adults, who will elevate Maulana to such a high position that it becomes worshiping. Please let no Shahzadas, Amils or AbdeSaydnas tell you otherwise. I have come across in Ortho society where things like 'Maula ni dua thi...' is more spoken more often than 'Alhamdullilah'!!

The message in the Qur'an, and the history of Prophets (PBUT) has constantly spoken of times when people will associate others with Allah - one type of shirk. Honestly, don't you see this behaviour in mainstream Bohras these days?

Salaams.

ps: one more example. In Haj this year, the Amil told us kissing the Al-hajar Al-aswad (black stone in the Kaaba), is like kissing the hand of Maula!!

[anajmi]

mystik,

You should've asked the Amil what kissing his ass was similar to?? Cause that is what he seems to be doing!!

[ezzoud]

Yes we have big trouble...the UK reformist community is in BIG trouble...there is large amount of monies being squandered in controversial trusts and hastily organised committees...these trusts are on the brink of being investigated by the UK charities commission...The weak minded reformists jumaats are being targeted for monies by the so called intellectual reformists....substantial commercial properties and rental incomes from previous Uganda jumaats are the centre of bitter disputes and turmoil...Religious activities non existent...there is no recognised Religious leader...alcohol consumed at most gatherings...prayers being lead by individuals known to be under the influence of alcohol... The numbers of reformists moving to the Kothar is increasing on a monthly basis…

In the UK, the facts are the reformist agenda has been overtaken by battle of personal ego's and power among the so-called leaders.... VERY troubled times ahead in what is the most affluent section of the reformist movement...
movement...

[mburhan]

During the very recent past there was a similar problem encountered in Mumbai with the Progressives - and well publicised by Bombay/Mumbai Samachar in a few issues. It was to do with the Ikhwanus Safa trust. Nobody has said boo here on this progressive website yet!

I think the issue was between one camp Baluwalla versus the Dr. Asghar Engineer/S Insaaf Camp?

Can Admin or S Insaaf throw some light on this problem please?

[Humsafar]

This is true. There is a problem in the reformist camp. And it has to do with money, what else, and egos and power.
All too human, nasty and all too ironical. Reformists are demanding transparency and accountability from the clergy, and now the situation demands that we also turn our attention to our own "leaders" and bring them to account.

But before any of the detractors jump up and down with glee, let me point out that these problems have nothing to do with jamaat accounts or such. Both the crises - in the UK and Mumbai - is to with trust money, 86 Trust and Ikhwanus Safa Trust. The problem is that these trusts have permanent trustees - for life - and the public seems to have no influence over their functioning and decisions they make. Making permanent trustees is the most un-democratic thing to do and should have never been allowed. We can do nothing to get rid of them, except wait for them to die. Or we can appeal to their good sense, remind them of the larger goal of the reform movement and tell them not to behave like the very petty and egoistical mullahs that we are fighting against. Or the only real alternative is to smoke them out and beat them up.

All this is troubling of course, but not really alarming. Not in the sense that it will do any long-term damage to the reform movement. All of us have to get together, make a lot of noise and get rid of the whole lot of them. If we can challenge the mighty Kothar, confronting these petty crooks should not be a problem.

[mburhan]

Humsafar:

I agree and disagree somewhat with what you say. The trust is a trust and a charity, I believe, and the moneys received or expended should be publicly accounted for regardless of who the trustees are or what their tenure is. There should be utmost transparency when dealing with trust or community properties or fundings - and in way the trust funds/properties should be used as a personal fifedom.

One of the allegations by opposition to the dictator-trustees is that Dr. Engineer appears to be using or have used the trust property for his own personal/business use and they are asking for accounting as to what kind of rental is being or has been paid Dr. Engineer and his "Secular" organiztion and who pays the salaries or stipend of his 12 or so employees. These are presumbaly fair questions or concerns.

If the so-called nemesis or detractors of the permamnent trustees are satisfied with a reasonable response from the trustees or Dr. Engineer, then it should not be alarming or do any long term damage to the Progressives. If the community crooks are petty or otherwise is not a good justification. "Either a woman is pregnant/virgin or she is not pregnant/virgin - But NOT slightly, almost or petty pregnant/virgin!!"

Any comments or rebuttals from Dr. Engineer, the tustees or S.Insaaf or perhaps the ADMIN?

Wassalam

[mburhan]

sorry, the correction to my previous post:

There should be utmost transparency when dealing with trust or community properties or fundings - and in NO way the trust funds/properties should be used as a personal fifedom.

[Humsafar]

mburhan,

I'm not aware to the details of the allegations, but whoever is inovolved must come clean. We must insist that they come clean. Of course, the trusts have to be accountable ideally - but they are not, and that is the point. Permanent trustees behave like dictators, if you look at the history of Ikhwanus Safa trust you will know what I mean.

As for the use of the word "petty" you seem to be over-reacting. The word is meant to describe the crooks and not to provide justification for wrong-doing.

[S. Insaf]

Dear Fruits you say "to be part of any organisation there are some rules that are to be adhered to. A child has to wear a particular dress while going to the school or a dress code given for the employees of an organisation. It is compulsory. Then why don’t you raise your voice for them.
Islam is a religion and Ismailism is a faith. People adhering to this religion and this faith wear different dresses in different places and different time. So dress is a part of tradition, and traditions do change with the environment and the society you live in.
30 years ago there was no compulsion of any dress code in our community. I have photographs of orthodox Bohra women in hundreds parading on road opposing the first World Reformist Conference in Udaipur. None of them were wearing any Rida. There were few youngsters along with them in pant-shirt and none of them were wearing Talebani kurtas as they do now.
Bohras of Rajasthan used to wear white Rajasthani turbans, Bohras of Malva a diffent orange colour turbans, Bohra of Saurashtra, Gujurat, M.P., west Bengal they all used to wear different turbans and caps and that used to represantatives of their local customs. That is all gone now. Even golden turbans are seen rearly.
In fact when Sayedna Saheb's anti-Islamic practices of Raza, Misaq, Baraat and monitory exploitation were exposed in media by his own followers he went on imposing the covers to project himself as Muslims. So today's compulsion of dress code is the result of the reform movement.

[orp]

Dear Fruits
What you compare is totally out of place. Religion and the membership of the school or other organizations is totally different. You become member of the organizations by your will, where as you become Dawoodi Bohra by not your will but by default and by the wish of god. So please stop comparing without any sense.

[S. Insaf]

It is not the fault of brother Fruits.
Way back in 1975 it was late Yusuf Najmuddin who came out with this aurgument. He said that the D.B. community is like a club and club members are required to abide by its rules. But when we aurgued that it is highly disregard to a religion and even if it is like a club then every club has a constitution and every member has a right to question the functioning of the club. Where is your constitution? He had to keep quite in front of media.
Like a true Muslim he could have said our constitution is "Quran" but then he would have fallen into more trouble as he was the brother of Quran-e-Natiq (speaking Quran), a diffent Quran from the one releaved on our holy Prophet (pbuh).

[mburhan]

Can Dr. Engineer, S. Insaf, the four permanent trustees or the Admin. please respond to our earlier queries and allegations re. Ikhwanus Safa Trust also posed in Mumbai Samachar?

The Progressives will lose all crediblities and goodwill gathered so far if the matters is NOT satisfactorily resolved. Put your money where your mouth is now.

[Admin]

mbohra,

We've no informatin on this matter, but we surely will make it available when we have any.

[S. Insaf]

Ikhwanus-Safa Trust - Facts and malice
After the mass revolt, successful mass marriages and first World Conference in Udaipur, the Bohra Reform Movement had consolidated and Central Board of Dawoodi Bohra Community was formed as the central organisation of reformists.
It was then the need for a trust to enhance the activities was felt by the leaders of reform movement. Thus with the aim of creating a corpus of Rs. 25 lakh, a Secular Trust was formed. The trust was given the name "Ikhwanus-Safa" by Asghar Ali Engineer who being an Islamic scholar knew the significance of this name in Ismaili history.
Earlier trusts formed by the reformists like Faize-Husaini Trust, Kandivali Bohra colony trust etc. were overtaken by Kothar by forcing the original trustees to resign. So Noman Contractor's advocate Dhadich suggested to make the trustees of Ikhwanus-Safa trust as life-trustees which means that they will remain trustees for life time unless some trustee dies or chooses to resign from the trust on his/her own accord.
Some trustees like Asgharbhai Potia, Noman Contractor, Adamji P. Peerbhoy, Abdul Husain Nazim, Siraj Karva died and vacated the place for new trustees.
According to a letter written by Asghar Ali Engineer to the Charity Commissioner of Mumbai, "until the death of Mr. Nazim the trust affairs were running smoothly and they were managed mainly by (1) Asghar Ali Engineer (2) Yunus Baluwala, with the named trustees i.e. A.H. Nazim, Mr. Husaini Rangwala, Mr. Shoaib Ranalvi, Ismail Attarwala & Tahir Poonawala. After the death of Nazim and Siraj Karva when Asghar Ali and Yunus Baluwala came in minority the other four trustees ganged up together and seized control of the trust and carried on all the activities of the trust for personal vendetta against rest two trustees."
Trust had by then stopped financing the reform activities carried on by the Central Board. They even demanded that Mr. Engineer should vacate the Central Board's Santacruz office.
According to this letter "In order to gain control of the trust and block activities of the trust the above four trustees against whom this complaint is being lodged through this letter conspired together to defeat the objectives of the trust."
In this letter various incidences were quoted and annexures were attached to exhibit the deliberately late postings notices of meeting to two trustees namely Asghar Ali Engineer and Yunus Baluwala and taking serious and important decisions including appointment of new trustees, without that item being on the agenda.
According to this letter, "In such one-sided meetings to seize the total control of the trust, Mr. Shoaib Ranalvi was appointed as Managing Trustee and decision was taken that the accounts of the trust will now be maintained by Mr. Husaini Rangwala rather than Mr. Yunus K. Baluwala who was elected treasurer in the world conference, calling upon him to hand over all the cheque books and account books to Husaini Rangwala. Mr. Yunus K. Baluwala in order to co-operate and maintain congenial atmosphere handed over the cheque books and account books of the trust to Mr. Husaini Rangwala.
Here to annexed and market EXHIBIT- 2 is copy of the letter dated 2nd June, 1992 from Shoaib Ranalvi to Mr. Yunus K. Baluwala.
Here to annexed and market EXHIBIT- 3 a copy of the acknowledgement of receipt stating that the cheque books and account books have been received by Rangwala from Mr. Yunus Baluwala."
(Husaini Rangwala goes on labeling the charges that he could not get the accounts audited since last 15 years because the account books are not handed over to him by Baluwala.)
According to this letter, "Thereafter Mr. Shoaib Ranalvi who had now assumed charge of Managing Trustee refused to call any meeting inspite of telephonic requests from other trustees to do so. In none of the meeting held after 1991 the accounts were presented nor were approved.
The applicant trustees felt disturbed that neither the income of the trust was being spent to promote the objectives of the trust nor were accounts properly maintained. The applicant trustees therefore jointly and individually addressed several letters protesting against.
(Copies of letters were annexed)
1. No trust accounts since 1991 have been audited and got approved in the trust meetings.
2. The fact that no accounts were being maintained and circulated.
3. No meetings of the Trust were being held after 27-4-93 after duly notifying all the trustees about the meeting.
4. Non application of the income of the trust for objectives of the trust activities and objective of the trust. Inspite of writing several letters, we have not been able to pursue the managing and other respondent trustees to rectify their methods and administer the trust in accordance with law and trust deed. Non-maintenance of account is the serious matter.
The applicant trustees are therefore approaching you to do the needful and take legal steps against the respondent trustees."
After this letter to the Charity Commissioner the trustees against whom the complaint was lodged lied low for some time. Then Mr. Husaini Rangwala started writing letters to the friends in India and abroad giving a distorted picture of the whole affair. Strangely the entire fund of the trust (about 30 lakhs) was under his control and still he blamed Asghar Ali and Baluwala for misusing it.
Then Mr. Fazal husain bhai Kapasi from U.K. and Mr. Husain bhai Hamdani from Canada came to Bombay and called the meetings of all the trustees in Hotel Gulistan. Four trustees, Husaini Rangwala, Mr. Shoaib Ranalvi, Ismail Attarwala & Tahir Poonawala were of the opinion that Asghar Ali is not leading the Bohra movement properly but both these outsiders who had visited numbers of Bohra reform centers said that the popularity of Asghar Ali as reformist leader can not be ignored. A settlement was then reached in this meeting that the expenses done by Asghar Ali and Baluwala for the reformist activities would not be refused and that a cash of Rs. 15,000 should be made available with Asghar Ali Engineer for which he will be accountable. Though agreed by all in the presence of these gentlemen these four trustees refused to abide by this decision thereafter.
Thereafter various friends like Zainuddin Vali, Tayebi Zamindar, Shabbir bhai Madraswala, Abid Adeeb and Capt. Mansoor Ali Bohra tried to resolve the issue but these four trustees did not give up their malice especially against Asghar Ali.
The reform movement was badly suffering due to the lack of finance so it was jointly decided by the members of Central Board to create another trust and raise funds. A secular trust in the name of Central Board of Dawoodi Bohra Community was thus registered and funds were raised.
Shoeb bhai Ranalvi and Husaini Rangwala came to the C.E.C. meeting held in Hydrabad with the signed written proposal that all the present trustees of Ikhwanus-Safa should submit their resignation to the chairman Central Board and new trustees be appointed. Both Asghar Ali and Yunus Baluwala tendered their resignations immediately but other four trustees did not.
Due to heavy corruption in the office of Mumbai Charity Commissioner though no action has been taken so far on Mr. Engineer's complaint but the malicious propaganda against Asghar Ali is continued especially by Husaini Rangwala.
Lately Hatim Rani, the brother-in-law of Mr. Ismail Atterwala, who is back from USA after remaining away from the reform movement for several years, has started a debate on Ikhwanus-Safa in "Bombay Samachar" under the assumed name "Darde-Dawoodi". He is supported by Taher Poonawala and Husaini Rangwala.
On 17th May 2002 the chairman of Central Board, Shabbir Hussain Madraswala wrote a letter to Husaini bhai in his he said: "Dear Hussaini Bhai,
I have received your registered letter dtd. 20-04-2002
on 7th. May, 2002. You have requested that I reply to your letter within a month. Let me begin with some preliminary remarks:
1) You have been alleging misconduct on the part of Dr. Engineer for the last ten years.
2) Several opportunities were given to you and other like-minded trustees to establish your allegations in the CWC and other forums. You chose not to avail of these opportunities. What would be the logical inference of your such defaults?
3) Your allegations are vague. Why? Would it not be better to be specific? I suggest that you specify the nature of private "business" carried on by Dr. Engineer for his personal "profit" from the premises of CBDBC.
4) How do you know that many office bearers of CBDBC do not know where its office is situated, let alone visiting it? How many times, in the last ten years, have you and other like-minded trustees visited the office of CBDBC? If you have not done so, you should have, to apprehend Dr. Engineer "red handed."
5) Is it not rather uncharitable, to put it mildly, on your part to allege that we, the office bearers, are unaware of the work being done from the premises of CBDBC or have not given due importance to the other alleged activities of Dr. Engineer which are in the nature of his private "business" for his personal "benefit"? How do you know this? Or is it your contention that we should be aware of imaginary phantoms which exist only in your mind?
6) How is it that you have not been able to convince CWC, let alone the general body, all these years, about the alleged "misdeeds" of Dr. Engineer? How is it that the general body, term after term, re-elects Dr. Engineer as the Hon. General Secretary of CBDBC inspite of his oft-repeated desire to lay down the office?
To the best of my, our, knowledge all work, whether routine or revolutionary, connected with the Reform Movement is carried out satisfactorily from the premises of CBDBC. This is in large measure due to the continuous and dedicated services of Dr. Engineer. Bohra chronicle is published regularly, literatures and other propaganda materials are printed and distributed regularly, seminars and workshops are organised from time to time, meetings of CWC are held on schedule, Annual world conferences are organised, funds are raised, and umpteen other chores are discharged. Who does all these? If it is not Dr. Engineer personally or under his able supervision and guidance, who else? I venture to assert that but for Dr. Engineer's services, Bohra Reform Movement would not be alive and kicking today. What more do you want from a Hon. Gen. Secretary? That he be at your beck and call? Why?
Hussenibhai, stop Engineer bashing. It is now disgusting, counter- productive or is Engineer bashing an unconscious camouflage for your inaction, nay, your betrayal of the Reform Movement? If it not had been for God's gracious help, you would have surely killed the Reform Movement by depriving it of the income from the Ikhwanus Safa Trust for almost a decade now. Is this not a fact? Earlier, was Reform Movement not largely funded from the income of IST? And in recent years how much fund has been made available to the Reform Movement from IST? Zero. By maneuvering to bring IST under your control, to settle personal scores with Dr. Engineer, you have peevishly tried to render great disservice to the Reform Movement. Why? That lamp whose source is Eternal light will always radiate brightly.
So many times I requested you and others personally to utilise the income from IST yourselves to do some productive work for the Reform Movement. You did nothing except to indulge in Engineer bashing, mud slinging and bickering. Please own up. All you people have a pathological fixation vis-a-vis Dr. Asgar Ali Engineer. Introspect honestly, if you can. Also acknowledge that you are now, all of you, old, otherwise engaged in your businesses and have other priorities. Pass on the torch to younger, other willing hands. Even now belatedly, you will do the Reform Movement a singular service by retiring, relinquishing your control over IST. Hand it over to others. What is preventing you? It is community's trust. Do not betray the trust. Community will not forgive you." Whether Mr. Husaini Rangwala replied to this letter or not, but his mischievous propaganda against Dr. Engineer is continued.
In my opinion the four trustees who have seized control of Ikhwanus-Safa Trust are acting against the basic policies of the Central Board and hence they have no right to be the trustees of a trust created for the activities of the Central Board. Mr. Taher Poonawala, claims that he is an open Nastik (atheist), and does not consider the Sayedna as Dai, others, some time say "we should only work for Bohras" and some time they say "we should not talk in terms of orthodox or reformist Bohras, but appeal on humanitarian grounds."
As suggested by our chairman and as proposed by themselves these trustees must resign and pass on the torch to other willing hands. As for Dr. Engineer and other majority of reformists are concerned they have raised funds again and they are carrying on the reform activities as before without any assistance from Ikhawanus-Safa Trust.