Sheikh Mohd Javed was born in the year 1941 in Ranbirpur area of Thiksay village. He was the Secretary of Block Congress Committee. Sheikh Mohd Javed served as Arabic teacher in Leh for 27 years. He with the support of Kushok Bakula Rinpochey struggled for the post of Arabic teacher in Leh and with his continuous effort, succeeded in getting 13 posts for Arabic teacher. He was the president of the committee for Bhoti and Arabic language. He also served as the Vise chairman of LEDeG for five years.

Q.Tell us something about your childhood and about your educational background.

We lived a very simple life and my father used to teach me the Holy Quran, Persian and Arabic language. At the age of nine, I had already finished the Holy Quran. In 1950 my father took my whole family to Iraq and there I was admitted in a private school in Karbala Mualla for three years, which was the base of my education but due to some reasons I had to come back to Leh. In 1958 I again got the chance to go back to Iraq and spent another four years pursuing Islamic studies.

Q.You have studied Arabic and Persian but still have a good hold on Bhoti language. How you learned all these languages.

I was very interested in poetry since my childhood and have written many poems and Qasidas in Arabic and Persian. In Jammu, during the event of Youm-e-Hussaini (Imam Hussain day) experts from all parts of India were invited and they requested me to deliver a small lecture, at that time I realized my weakness and the importance of learning language because I could not speak Urdu. From that point in time, I started reading newspapers and books in Urdu and got hold on it. But the same problems arise again when I came back to Leh as the common people do not understand Persian and Balti language. Then I began learning reading and writing Bhoti without the guidance of any teacher. I learned all these languages on my own.

Q.Leh is known for communal harmony; nevertheless, we have seen some communal tension in the past. How do you think we can inspire the youths to maintain harmony in the future?

The unity that we have has been seeded in us by our parents, also if we look at how they have spent their lives with harmony. Now, to be honest, with time those feelings of unity has been affected as well. I have always argued it in discussions that the main reason behind all these negative consequences is coming from outside because we were not confined to our own resources. These days we see and hear about many new diseases which didn’t exist during the times of our parents. These diseases have come from outside, it wasn’t born here. Another major reason for these shortcomings is that our culture which is the way we used to eat, dress up according to the weather and their good relationship with each other have also changed with time. If we are able to follow the old culture, we will be successful in preserving it. In the same manner, our culture of being harmonious people are being affected by some negative agents coming from outside and youngsters have to be very careful and responsible about it. The outside world will have different negative things in the name of good policies which will attract people but we need to be strong and protective for our own culture.  In fact, the youths should start a movement together for this issue as you do it for many other issues. Harmony is as important as having a good environment.

Q.You are also a well-known historian of Ladakh. Could you tell us a brief history of how ‘Baltis’ came to settle in Ladakh and their origin?

They have come here at different times. Though there is no strong evidence during the reign of King Takpa Bumlde, he married a Balti Queen. They had three sons and the youngest son was called Tongpa Ali. None of the experts and historians could find out the reason behind the King having a Balti wife. At that time there was a trend of sending lots of companion (priests, tailor, friends, servants, artists) along with the queen when she is married. Due to that many people came with the queen from Baltistan and settled in Shey where the king built a mosque for them. At that time during the reign of Takpa Bumlde there was a flood in the river Hushey and the whole village was destroyed. Due to that many people ran and took shelter in Leh and the king provided them land in Chuchot Yokma where these people built the Imam Bargah Chuchot Yokma that is the oldest Imam Bargah in Leh. During the reign of the eldest son Lotus Chokdan the king of Baltistan attacked Ladakh, but due to some reason both the kings compromised and decided not to go for war and many armies of Baltistan also settled here. Later on, many traders from Afghanistan, Central Asia, Kashmir, Kazakistan, and Turkistan also settled in Leh.
 
Q.These days’ people see Muslims as a terrorist, your comments.

All the innocent killings that are taking place these days are just Terrorism and not Jihad. Islam does not allow of the killings of humans. Many senior religious leaders have even given Fatwa that the suicide bombers killing innocents will go to hell and even many of the suicide bombers are now killing the true religious leaders in mosques. Few rich and ideologically motivated countries in the Middle East and particularly in our neighborhood are trying to spread terror to the whole world in the name of Islam. Every day we hear news of people being killed in Islamic countries like Bahrain, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, and Pakistan. A particular sect in Islam is doing all these terrorist acts and all the other innocent sects have to bear the consequences of their misdeeds.
 
Q.What is the real concept of Jihad?

There are two types of jihad, Jihade difai and Jihade Ibtidae. Basically, jihad in its essence is the greater struggle that goes in a man’s life on a daily basis. His struggle to feed his children and to bring them up, give them a good education, his struggle to help the poor and the needy is the greater jihad. The constant struggle that goes on in his heart to follow the Almighty’s path and be a pious Muslim and a good human being is the greater jihad. Every day small good deeds that bring about happiness and joy in the lives of others is, in fact, the greater jihad that can be waged. Jihade difai can be waged only in defense and never in an attack. Bombing and killings of innocent are not jihad but a ghastly misappropriate interpretation and propaganda in the garb of Jihad and even then the jihad that can be waged in self-defense can only be initiated on the command of the 12th Imam Mehdi a.s. according to Shia sect.
 
Q.How much importance is being given in terms of education in Islam particularly to women?

The concept is still not clear to many people. During earlier times everybody was against the concept of pursuing modern and English education to boycott the British rule in India. But with time these views have changed. Islam has never been against a girl’s education. Women can be sent to anywhere for the sake of education provided she presents herself in a chaste and decent manner. I am sure every religion and human being will feel the same. In Islam, it is followed by being in the purdah, the same is the condition for boys. Just as a girl, a boy also has to present himself in a decent way both in the way of clothing as well as in morals and also he has to guard his desires. The purpose of education is only served best if it is imparted both to a boy and a girl child.

Message to the readers

We Ladakhis are very firm believers of God and my message to all is to follow your religion with faith and honesty because every religion teaches us to follow the path of peace, honesty, cooperation, brotherhood etc. In order to have peace in the world the true understanding of one’s religion is very important. If we follow the path shown by our respective religions, all the evils in the world will be eradicated.