Hindu statesman Rajan Zed warmly welcomed in Aligarh Muslim University

In a remarkable interfaith gesture, distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed was warmly welcomed at the premier Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in India on November 20.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism headquartered in Nevada (USA), met with the Vice Chancellor Zameer Uddin Shah and addressed the faculty and research students of Department of Islamic Studies and answered their questions. He was welcomed in the Department by its Chairman Professor Zafarul Islam, an expert on Islamic jurisprudence, who introduced Zed.

In his talks, Rajan Zed stressed the need of interfaith dialogue and working together on issues of common interest like social/economic development, freedom/human-rights, peace-keeping and peace-making, etc. He also pointed out the need of bringing together the communities and learning about the basics of the traditions of others.

Kabir Ahmed Khan, Assistant Librarian, showed Zed the rare collection of Islamic books in its prestigious library and Dr. Rahat Abrar, Public Relations Officer, took him around the campus and showed him historical buildings.

Besides being the world renowned center of Islamic and Quranic studies, AMU, whose history goes back to 1877 and first life member of whose Students’ Union was Mahatma Gandhi, is spread in over 467 hectares and has about 32,000 students. AMU also includes medical-dental-engineering-food crafts-etc. colleges, diabetes-cardiology-wildlife centers, Horse Riding Club, school for visually challenged and has centers in Kerala and West Bengal. It offers 300 courses and draws students from world over. Its alumni include President and Vice President of India, Maldives President, President and Prime Minister of Pakistan, Bangladesh Prime Minister and actor Naseeruddin Shah.

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Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>