Lack of knowledge in Arab world distressing

Distorted understanding of the conditions of the community

This prompted him to set up the Rabita Islamic News Agency (RINA) in 1987. While it functioned on a low-key for many years, the agency was given a new lease of life two years ago.

“I wanted international news, especially about Muslims and Islam in other countries to reach newspapers. The aim was also to give out news, views and information about Indian Muslims to newspapers abroad, particularly Arab countries.”

For this purpose, RINA culls out information from different Arabic and English websites, newspapers and magazines, translates it into Urdu and sends it in the form of a weekly news bulletin Alam-e Islam ki Khabrein (news from the I slamic world) to more than 150 Urdu publications across India.

“It is otherwise very difficult for many of these newspapers to access this material,” he pointed out.

RINA also provides news about Indian Muslim affairs to Arabic and English publications, the latter both in India and abroad.

According to the Maulana, the Arabic press gives very little coverage to Indian Muslim issues, mainly for lack of information.

“Many Arabs have a distorted understanding of the conditions of Indian Muslims. They think that we are all poor and deprived and this has painted a very sordid picture of the Muslims outside India,” he said.

The news agency is now creating a website that would provide the latest information on Indian Muslim issues.

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