Ram Puniyani
Just a month ago (August 2014) a
group of Muslim activists-scholars organized press meets in various cities.
They issued a statement condemning the brutal violence being committed by ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria).
There statement carried a visual saying Islam Means Peace. The statement said “Indian Muslims Condemn the Brutal Atrocities by ISIS
against Minorities in Iraq and Syria; denounce religious intolerance,
persecution and violence in the name of Islam” I circulated the
statement to many lists. One of the members on the list wrote back that “‘Islam
means Peace’ is the biggest joke of the century”. Simultaneously in India, the
propaganda about love Jihad is being spread like wild fire by communal
elements. Irrespective of the fact that in such a propaganda few cases of
marriage-conversion, the girls changing their version the boundary line between
love and imposition being regularly breached, have been picked up as an example
of Muslim men on a path to Jihad for conversion to Islam, by marrying Hindu
girls by deceit. A friend demanded whether I can cite even 100 cases where
Muslim girls have married Hindu men. To my good fortune I could locate a list
longer than that of 100 and also a Google search of Hindu Men Muslim wife gave
good many beautiful stories (https://www.facebook.com/R3alityofPorkistan/posts/613266692020533 )
of such ‘love jihad’ in reverse! To add
to the already existing atmosphere Al Jawahiri of Al Qaeda issued a Video
declaring its plan to expand the activities in India.
The ‘social common sense’ is so
heavily weighted against Islam and Muslims that to talk of reason in
understanding religion and its abuse for political goals seems to be a very
difficult exercise. The current ghastly acts are being described to be due to
Islam and in turn Muslim community is blamed for the violence. The
understanding that religions are for ‘morality and peace’ is accepted for other
religions but not for Islam in popular perception. Many a processes of
‘Manufacturing Consent’ are today fusing to create a picture of Muslims which
is neither true nor of any good to the peace in the World. All Muslims are
being presented in homogenous-uniform image and the selective examples of the
criminal Muslims and intolerant version of Islam is being projected as ‘the
Islam’ feeding into the massive prejudices which have intensified during last
several decades.
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| Flag of ISIS |
This force, Al Qaeda was created,
richly funded and armed to the teeth by US, to fight the Soviet occupation of
Afghanistan. With the brutality of Al Qaeda being manifest, US media presented
its demonic image by coining the word ‘Islamic terrorism’ after 9/11 2001.
Before this 9/11 episode, the acts of terror were not linked to religion,
though people coming from different religions have resorted to such acts. From
killer of Mahatama Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, to Buddhist monks
resorting to terror acts in Thailand, Mynmar, Sri Lanka to Anders Berling
Brevik of Norway, people coming from different religious stocks have indulged
in acts of terror for diverse political reasons. After 9/11 the acts of terror
was associated exclusively with Islam.
Interestingly the version of
Islam picked up by US to create Al Qaeda, to indoctrinate Mujahideen in to
terror trails, was formulated by Abd al-Wahhab, who had started rigidifying
Islam; imposing his exclusive version in the projection of Islam. He
pontificates that "any doubt or hesitation" on the part of a believer
in respect to his or her acknowledging this (Wahab’s) particular interpretation
of Islam should "deprive a man of immunity of
his property and his life." This was the version of Islam which was one amongst many.
Why did it become more dominant? Mostly
because this version got the sanction form the political masters as this
version got patronage of
the rulers of Saudi Arabia. “One of the main tenets of Abd al-Wahhab's doctrine
is takfir. As
per this doctrine fellow Muslims are called infidels if they engage in
activities that in any way could be said to encroach on the sovereignty of the
absolute Authority (that is, the King)." Those
who would not conform to this view should be killed, their wives and daughters
violated, and their possessions confiscated, he wrote.” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alastair-crooke/isis-wahhabism-saudi-arabia_b_5717157.html )
This
version suited the Saudi rulers in keeping their control over oil resources and
the same version suited the US designs, where the meaning of Kafir (One who
hides the truth) is changed to the non Muslim, the ‘other’. This is the version
where the word Jihad is made synonymous with killing the non believer. As such
scholars of repute tell us that Jihad stands for striving to your utmost for
good deeds. The same Islam, which says ‘to me my din (faith) to you yours’ is changed over
to killing those who disagree with you. The same Islam which tells us that
‘killing of even a single innocent human being tantamount to killing the whole
humanity’ (Koran, chapter 5 verse 32) was manipulated to kill innocent human
beings. This interpretation of Islam was the perfect recipe for those who
wanted to fight Russian army through proxy! The indoctrination of this variety
cannot be undone once the goals are achieved. The Al Qaeda elements after
collaborating in defeating Russian army; retain the distorted version of Islam
and the dangerous weapons supplied by US. What do they do now with Wahabi Islam
in head and armaments received courtesy the United States, in hands? So ISIS
comes up in due course, and the illusion that they can now rule the World, they
will install Khalifa, and all the insanity follows!
As such
US has been out to play ‘divide and rule’ like the earlier colonial powers. In
India colonial powers sowed the seeds of communal politics. In West Asia,
during last few decades after the demise of Soviet Union; US imperialism is
aiming to create smaller states along ethnic-sectarian divides and feeding into
the divides and clashes along Shia-Sunni-Kurd lines. ‘Divide-et-empera’ (divide
and rule) is at its peak but is also at the same time demonizing the Muslims
Worldwide through the Islam phobia which is constructed around the evil deeds
of the likes of Al Qaeda or ISIS.
1 comments:
Well written and sober article.
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