In Delhi, another set of Ulemas, almost simultaneously, lashed out at those who try to put a terror tag on the Muslim community. At a conference they blamed the media for projecting the Muslim community in a way as if there is some thing wrong with it. . They said “a person ceases to be a Muslim when he becomes a terrorist” and that Madrasas teach moral values to the children and are not factories for terrorism as is being made out.

Apart from Ulemas, film maker Mahesh Bhat found fault with the Indian Media for aping the west in demonizing Islam. So did others. While the concern for faulty projection of the Muslim community was evident at both the functions, the difference in emphasis was clear.

One may argue, perhaps rightly, that just because most of the terrorists come from the Muslim community does not mean that the entire community is a terrorist. Just as every Sikh could not be a terrorist in the hay days of terrorism in Punjab, nor was every Bengali a Naxalite at the peak of the Naxal movement in West Bengal. But why is it that every terrorist now is a Muslim. Obviously, it has some thing to do with Muslim community as a whole.

A survey conducted in Britain strengthens this view. About 23% of 1.6 million British Muslims justified the July suicide bomb attacks in London. It is double the figure that justified these attacks in last year’s survey. What is alarming is that the most radical views came from the youth less than 24 years of age. Almost 4 in 10 believed that another attack would be launched by British born Muslim terrorists. A third went to the extent of saying that they dream Britain will become an Islamic state one day. Four in ten think that Princess Diana was killed to stop her marrying a Muslim, Dodi Al Fayed in 1997. That may sound overstating the case but that is how a section of the community thinks.

Fahad Ansari, a member of the Islamic Human Rights Commission, feels that Muslim Community is being increasingly targeted. He goes to the extent of saying that British government may have timed the raids to deflect criticism over Britain’s stance on the Lebanon crisis.

Analysts link this psyche with political events across the world. The US war on Iraq and the war in Afghanistan are said to be two most important factors. The Muslim Community perceives the two wars as attacks on Islam. The hatred for Bush is so evident that he is considered the greatest enemy of the Muslims. And this feeling alone has radicalized the Muslims all over the world.

New Delhi also opposed the war against Iraq. Why then is it a target of terrorist attacks? Is it because of the Kashmir issue? If so, the issues become somewhat clear. The penchant for mixing politics with religion is the crux of the matter. It is because of this that issues get mixed up and religion dominates issues which have essentially nothing to do with religion. Otherwise, Ulemas, one after the other, vouch that Islam does not allow killing of the innocent. It does not permit anything that is against humanity at large. Yet, why things are different in practice.

Unlike Christianity, Islam has not kept pace with modernity. In India, despite a non-discriminative and congenial atmosphere, Muslims are 5 percent behind the national average in education. So is the case in other fields. It is important that the community modernises its outlook making a beginning with literacy levels. History is replete with instances when Muslims sacrificed their lives for the country they live in. Why then are they becoming a suspect today? Perhaps a deep introspection alone can bring out genuine answers.


Courtesy : Syndicate Features

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