Hazrat Khadija was my inspiration : Ishrat Shahabuddin Shaikh

She owns Shalimar hotel, a famous and highly successful eating joint in South Mumbai. She also runs a school SAFA, which has the unique distinction of imparting modern as well as religious education to its students.

Meet Ishrat Shahabuddin Shaikh, 42, a widow and an entrepreneur who epitomizes the idea of brilliant management as she runs her eating joint and also brings up five kids all alone. Born and brought up in Azamgarh Shaikh comes from a modestly rich family. She migrated to Mumbai after she got married Shahabuddin Shaikh at the age of 18

Shanno as Ishrat is popularly known within her family, was a housewife enjoying a peaceful and happy life until her family met with an accident in 2002. She lost her husband; her daughter, Khansa and other two daughters Zara and Sara got seriously injured.

While talking to TCN, Ishrat said, “That gruesome accident shattered my life into pieces. I was in a situation, where on the one hand I had to bring up my kids and at the same time I had to take over the business. Then there was SAFA School also, which was the dream of my husband.”

At that time her businessmen brothers and her mother-in-law, Rehana Shaikh, a highly religious woman, who lost her only son, encouraged her to look after the multi crore, multi cuisine restaurant, Shalimar which employs nearly 350 employees and is spread across 18000 sq.ft.

Shaikh takes her inspiration from Hazrat Khadija, “Hazrat Khadija, wife of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was a businesswoman and that finally motivated me to join the business.” Talking about hijab, Ishrat said, “Veil is never a deterrent but interestingly it helped me dealing with outsiders and my employees.”

She also attributed her successful business to her employees and staff in the hotel and in the school. She is very loving and caring towards her staff. Arshad a sweeper in the hotel said, “Madam, always call me as Arshad Bhai that sounds very loving.”

“Love can win you anyone in this world and these are the people who helped me at the time of distress. I am very grateful to them.” Ishrat said.

The most important aspect of the hotel is the taste of food it serves. “Taste of our dishes has improved a lot since the time Ishrat Madam took over,” informed, Abdul Rehman Azmi, manager of the hotel. “She even introduced sweet section and consolidated Dastarkhwan; five enclosed cabins offer sit-down seating from 2 people to a dozen, pure white upholstery and rare privacy in Mumbai. Each cabin has its own telephone and more importantly best suited for the family,” said Abdul Rehman Azmi.

Umaer, 23, Ishrat’s son who joined her mother at the age of 16, is geared up to open two more branches of Shalimar hotel in Andheri, western suburb and at Vashi, an eastern suburb of Mumbai.

Talking about her future plans, Ishrat said that she is planning to handover the hotel to her son, “Umaer is big enough to handle the business and I will concentrate on SAFA School. From this year only we are starting SAFA Junior College.”

Rehan Ansari's report in Two Circle. Here

I speak good Marathi besides English, Gujarati and Hindi : Mumbai corporator Afreen

Imagine a scene where a burqa-clad woman, among more than two hundred corporators of Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party, is shouting for the problems of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Mother of two teenagers, Afreen Fayyaz Ahmed is the Congress corporator of Mumbai Municipal Corporation for last 3 years.


Born to Parsi parents, educated in one of the best schools in south Mumbai to marrying Fayyaz Ahmed and becoming a corporator, story of Afreen is very interesting. Afreen converted to Islam at the age of 18 years and married to Fayyaz Ahmed, former Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and was just a housewife till Madanpura Municipal seat reserved for women.

Although, it would be normal for Muslims but very strange for others not to see their own elected corporator ever and vote for her. Imtiyaz Ahmed, 30, a local of her area said, “No one has ever seen Afreen Fayyaz Ahmed but everybody knows her and get their work done.” Afreen, while talking to TwoCircles.net said, “Hijab is my ornament and it never stops me from serving the people of my area.” She also added that she derives all the courage from Allah and her husband Fayyaz Ahmed is the biggest support for her.

Sharing her experience of working along with hundreds of men in the corporation, she said, “Initially it was bit odd but now I am used to it because of their co-operative nature. They all respect and care for me. Sometimes they go out of the way to co-operate me.”

In Maharashtra and specially in Municipal Corporation Marathi is the only way to communicate the grievance. “Knowing Marathi is compulsory if one likes to get her work done in Maharashtra and Alhamdulillah, I speak good Marathi besides English, Gujarati and Hindi” said Afreen.

Rehan Ansari in Two Circles. More Here

Mumtaz Kazi – Asia’s first woman diesel engine driver

Nation’s Pride and all along a supportive daughter, sister, wife and a caring mother. This is Mumtaz Kazi, the first woman diesel engine driver in Asia. Limca Book of Records, in its 1995 edition, has acknowledged her great success. Adding another feather to her cap is that she is the first train driver who has the skill of driving both Electric and Diesel engine.

In 1989, the change in the railway recruitment board policy in India enabled her to sit for the exam and she fared very well with the merits in all the exams right from written exams to Personal Interview. With the experience of nearly 20 years she is now serving the most crowded railways in the world the Mumbai Local.Born and brought up in Mumbai, Mumtaz has seen many ups and downs in the life but it’s the family support that kept her moving.

Mumtaz is not just successful in her profession but a very typical Indian woman. She is helpful, supportive and sacrificing for her family.

A.I. Kathawala called up when he came to know that a journalist is doing an interview with his daughter to tell about her contribution to his family. A.I. Kathawala said, “I am really proud of my daughter because she is not only successful in her profession but also because she changed the life of my family.”

A.I. Kathawala continued to praise her courageous daughter. He said it’s because of her support he was able to buy a home in Mumbai and was able to educate his two sons Imtiyaz and Feroz, both are engineer and now settled in Canada.

Rehan Ansari in Two circles. More Here

Indian Media is soft on Hindutva Terror

“When Abdul Kaleem of Hyderabad and Imam of Haj House, Mumbai were arrested then it’s a national news and when they were released no one bothered in the media to make it news. This attitude of Media must change.”

- Maulana Burhanuddin Qasmi, Markazul Ma’arif

L-R: Nazar Mohammed Madu, President Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Maharashtra, Abu Asim Azmi, President Samajwadi Party, Maharashtra, Maulana Azhari, Kul Jamaati Tanzeem, Malegaon and others

“Hemant Karkare has proved that Military camps and Ashrams are the breeding ground of Terror and not the Madarsas.”

- Maulana Abdul Hamid Azhari, president of Kul Jamati Tanzeem

''It’s a deadly combination of Brahmanical fascism and Zionist communalism which is not only dangerous for Muslims but for the nation. He reminded, “It’s not only Muslims but they are the first target of Brahmanism the rest, who are not Brahmin, will follow.”

-Nazar Mohammed Madu, President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Maharashtra

"Media also played very communal role in profiling Muslims"

-Rashid Azeem from Movement for Peace and Justice MPJ.

Hyderabad youth Abdul Kaleem, already acquitted in the Mecca Masjid blast case and released on bail on Monday in another case, and whose good conduct and torture story moved Swami Aseemanad, also participated in the agitation. He told the media that he and many other Muslim youths were picked up after the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast not for investigation but to get their confession. He said, “I was brutally tortured by the police to get my confession. Even Swami Aseemanad ji had tears in his eyes when he heard that I was asked to sleep naked on ice, electric shocks were applied on secret parts of my body, and was hanged naked for hours, abused and beaten like an animal.”

Abdul Kaleem wants to pursue LLB to help the poor innocents who are unable to pay fees to advocate. He also shared his meetings with Swami and said, “I was behaving as a normal Muslim and practicing what is taught to me by my mother i.e. to respect elders.” He thanked God that he was released but is worried about his elder brother who is still in jail in some other case. He demanded the government that arrest must not be allowed before investigation.




Sheikh Abdul Kaleem (with a shawl) of Hyderabad at the Mumbai rally







Corrective and immediate legal actions must be taken to get these boys released, Amjedullah Khan, Lawyer of Abdul Kalim from Hyderabad suggested to the Mumbaities.
Advocate Zubair Azmi, Urdu Markaz termed Anti-Terrorist Squad as Anti-Muslim Terrorist Squad and demanded the resignation of RR Patel, home minister of Maharashtra for his anti-Muslim behavior.





The NGOs have given ultimatum to the Central and State Governments to take the corrective steps before the budget sessions of Parliament and Assemblies. Otherwise, they will gherao the assemblies and Parliament and will lie down in front of the vehicles of Ministers to press their demands.

From a report of Rehan Ansari in Two circles. More Here.