A World Gripped by the Cancer of Terror

Ram Puniyani

The current times are very disturbing as so many innocent lives are being lost and social resources being destroyed due to the dastardly phenomenon of terror. To cap it all, this phenomenon has been linked to religion in the popular perception. Just during last two weeks (July 2016) we witnessed with horror the massacre of 49 people at the Pulse club in Orlando, US.  This deadly incident had two interpretations, one that it is an act of Jihadi terror and two it was prompted by a man gripped by homophobia. One of the commentators pointed out, “It turns out that he may have been motivated by both homophobia and Islamic radicalism…Terrorism or homophobia? The answer is yes. Both.” 

In another incident 119 people were killed in Baghdad blast by Islamic State. In Bangla Desh on 1^st July 28 people were killed. Those who lost their lives were identified as foreigners. There are some reports that the terrorists belonged to Jamaat Ul Mujahideen and were not affiliated with Islamic State. One commentator points out that ISIS and the Al Qaeda are currently engaged in a fierce competition across our sub-continent aiming to outdo each other in spreading their terror tentacles. But the malignant growth of Islamist extremism in Bangladesh can be easily traced back to the Jamaat-e-Islami (JEB) and its militant student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir. 

What connects these diverse destructive phenomena? At the surface it seems these are the manifestations of Islamic terrorism, as the phrase has become popular since 2001 after the 9/11 tragedy. If we go slightly deeper we can discern some clear strands of very different underlying pathologies operating in each of these. The one in Orlando has a lot to do with the prevalent gun culture in US. and this has woken up the law makers to the prevalent norms of possession of the gun. While this may be most horrific of such cases, similar one’s at lesser intensity has been occurring in US off and on unrelated to the Islamic terrorism so to say. In case of Baghdad mostly it is the one related to the Islamic State.  

As far as the case of Bangla Desh terror is concerned this seems to be a continuation of the terrorism which has roots in the fundamentalist streaks in Bangla Desh politics. Such terror acts have been stalking Bangla Desh since quite some time, manifested in the murders of progressive-secular liberal bloggers and Hindus. This has indigenous origin to which the present regime had turned a blind eye and violence came to the fore in this dastardly way due to the failure of the state and society to curb the rising fundamentalist trends in politics. Currently in many countries of South Asia the militancy has origins in fundamentalism-communalism as seen prominently in Pakistan, Bangla Desh and India among others. 

In Pakistan fundamentalist doctrine was given the official status during Zia Ul Haq’s regime. To get the cover for his dictatorial ambitions he resorted to alliance with feudal forces and Mullahs and brought in the doctrines of Maulana Maududi (Deoband Islam). This is what is referred to as Islamization of Pakistan. The focus of this was to push back the civic social norms around the Sharia as interpreted by Maududi; the focus was to bring in feudal conservative values, suppression of women and of civil liberties. In India the politics in the name of religion manifested more in the form of communalism, communal violence, where the religious minorities have been the victim. The extreme form of this ideology manifested in organizations upholding Hindutva ideology which have been alleged to be responsible for the acts of terror in Malegaon, Makka Masjid (Hyderabad), Ajmer and Samjhauta Express. The communal-fundamentalist ideology is an attempt to restore pre-modern, feudal values of birth based hierarchy of caste/class and gender in the garb of Sharia law or glorious traditions of the past, presented as religion. 

Terrorism related to Al Qaeda-Islamic state variety has its roots in the politics of oil control in which the policies of United State has played a major role. It is the policy of US which funded the Madrassas based in Pakistan and brought in the Maulana Wahab’s version of Islam. Here the major focus is killing the infidel (kafir) as a part of jihad. In this variety the central focus is on violence against those differing with these dominant groups. It had a reason; as they wanted to fight communism, Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and so the killing of infidel. If we see the case of Pakistan one can see the Islamization of Pakistan during Zia’s regime getting a continuum through the Al Qaeda variety taking over later, and Al Qaeda in turn laid the ideological foundations of Islamic State. Hillary Clinton clarified the US role very succinctly. There is adequate reference to show that US has been supporting the terrorist groups in more ways than one.      

So two strands of terrorist actions are creating havoc in contemporary times. One has the motive of restoring the pre-modern values as seen in the case of Pakistan (inspired by Maulana Maududi), Bangla Desh (similar variety), India (Hindutva) and in Mynmar and Srilanka as well. The latter have used particular interpretation of Buddhism. The other has its support system derived from the global politics of oil control. The tragedy is that both these varieties draw their foundation and legitimacy in the name of religion, particularly Islam. Religion has many streams, like Islam has Sufi as well as Wahabi tendencies and Hinduism has Bhakti and Brahmanism. US picked up Wahabi version for political goals in West Asia, Zia had picked up Maududi for strengthening dictatorship, Hindu Nationalism-Hindutva has picked up Neo-Brahmanism, for its own political agenda. Various streams of religion do prevail as such but become dominant only when propped up by political forces who can use that cover to enhance their political goals. Recognizing this may be a major step in combating terrorism, and make it clear that it is political agenda masquerading as religion.

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Islamist Terrorism: The Underlying Politics

Ram Puniyani

The World at large has suffered massive inhuman acts of violence, terrorism in the name of Islam. There are many glaring insane, cruel acts which cannot be forgotten and condoned in any way. Be it the killing of nearly three thousand innocent people in the attack of 9/11 (which was upheld by Osama bin Laden), the attack on Peshawar school children, the abduction of schoolgirls by Boko Haram, attack on Charlie Hebdo, the violence by ISIS, all are equally condemnable and global society has to put its head together to stop this insanity. 

Since 9/11 again, a new phrase has been coined, ‘Islamic terrorism’, associating Islam with terror. It is true that this Islamist terror has been very persistent and is a cancerous phenomenon. An impression has been created due to these incidents that this violence has something to do with Islam. The same has been strongly propagated by the US media to begin with and later other media also picked it up. Simply speaking if these acts have anything to do with Islam, why they are occurring more in the oil rich countries? 

Adding to this misconception various writers have come with the thesis that reform in Islam will cure the problem. Some say that there is a need for ‘religious revolution’ to purge Islam of extremist tendencies. It’s pointed out that Islamic fundamentalists, those indulging in terror have come to dominate and so reform in Islam will ensure the end to violence. The question is who gives power to fundamentalists to shoot down the peaceful interpretations of Islam, is it Islam or some politics behind the mask of Islam. One concedes that what is going on is one of the most horrendous phenomena in the history of human kind and it must be condemned and uprooted. 

While Islamist terrorists are holding the humanity to ransom, we need to go beyond the obvious to understand this phenomenon, how it has come up and who is behind it. We need to ponder whether theoretical reform can hold forte in the face of ‘politics of oil’ supported and secretly operated by vested interests to achieve their goals by any means. As such the political context, which gives birth to these violent tendencies in the name of Islam, needs to be unraveled. 

There have been brilliant, humane interpretations of Islam by the likes of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan and Asghar Ali Engineer; precisely around the time when the terrorists have been morphing from one area to another, executing one or the other horrendous acts of terror. Why these interpretations of Islam are not in the mainstream? Fundamentalists with their version of Islam have held the sway with inhuman acts and violent versions of Islam is stalking the streets. At the same time the voice of liberal-humane versions of Islam is in the margins. The books elaborating different meanings of the Quran, the movements for rationality are very much there but these are not the one’s which are acknowledged by the terror factories created by the politics, which aims to gobble up the ‘oil wealth’ to quench ‘oil hunger’. What is argued by some is already there in the Islamic domain, the humane version of Islam; question is that this rationalist-reform version has been having insignificant impact due to extraneous economic-political factors. 

The dominant political forces pick up and discard interpretations of religion to suit their political-economic agenda. The verses of Koran have to be seen in the particular context, as putting the text out of context is what the critics do. We refuse to see the political motives which are lying not so hidden under the mask of Islam. Thus while some Muslims may be living in denial mode for sure; the problem is not within religion. Problem is use of religion for the sake of power and wealth. The core point is to understand ‘the genesis and enfoldment’ of fundamentalism-terrorism in the name of Islam. Today how come ‘killing the kafirs’ is the buzzword while Islam’s ‘All men are brothers’ and ‘Islam means Peace’ lies in the by lanes of Islamic domain. 

Today’s terror acts have their genesis not too far ago in the politics of control over oil wealth of West (Central) Asia. While US supported-encouraged the creation of Al Qaeda, the Wahabi version of Islam came in handy for the Madrassas set up in Pakistan to create the ‘Jihadis’, to ally with armies taking on the Russians occupying Afghanistan. US equipped the Al Qaeda with 8000 million Dollars and 7000 tons of armaments, which also included the latest Stinger missiles. It was the progenitors of Al Qaeda who were presented by US President Ronald Reagan as the moral equivalents of America’s founding fathers, in a press meet in White House. The overthrow of the democratically elected Government of Mossadegh (Iran 1953) led to the chain of events which paved the way for the violent interpretations of Islam being brought to the forefront and the liberal human versions being undermined. In the area; where Maulana Rumi put forward; ‘Peace and Love’ as the central doctrines of Islam (Sufi version), how come the Wahabi version is ruling the roost? The Salafi versions of Islam was put forward nearly two centuries ago; how come it was picked up as the Islam in these Madrassas just few decades ago? The version of Islam used by those involved in the business of killing and mindless violence was deliberately brought in for political goals to be sure. 

If we have a slight peep into history we can see that religion has been used as a mask for goals of power throughout history. Kings doing Crusade, Jihad or Dharmayudh abound. During colonial period it was the declining sections of Landlords-Kings (Hindu and Muslims) in India which came together to form United India Patriotic Association (1888), the parent organization from which Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha emerged in due course. These communal formations resorted to hate propaganda which led to intensification of communal violence. The Nawab of Dhaka and Raja of Kashi were the founders of these organizations. So do we attribute ‘religion-Hinduism and Islam’ as causative factor for the formation of these communal organizations or should we attribute it to the political context where the feudal lord-kings were declining and resorted to versions of Islam and Hinduism to safeguard their political interests? Currently in South Asia, we can see similar use of Buddhism in Myanmar and Srilanka where violent groups are formed in the name of Buddhism. 

In current times if we see a bit closely; the Islamist terrorists came up primarily in the oil zone and not in the most populous areas of Muslims say Indonesia for example. The cancerous seeds of terrorism were planted with the motivation of the economic goals of the superpower thirsting for oil, and not by any religious preacher. In present case Maulana Wahabb’s interpretation which was already there dormant in the deserts of Saudi Arabia was refurbished and ‘used’ to create the present dread. The primacy of political context can be missed only at our own peril. It is the political powers and vested interests who choose which version of religion to pick, which will suit their goals the best. We should see that there are those opening girls’ schools citing the importance of knowledge in Koran, and there are those gunning for the girls going to schools in the name of Islam again. The terrorist groups don’t debate on the versions of their religions, the few phrases put in to their heads during the process of indoctrination is what converts a sensitive human being into the gun or bomb wielding beast. 

The likes of Anders Behring Breivik, who shot 86 youth in Norway, are also not inspired by the teachings of Christ. Similarly belonging to same religion, a Gandhi will go out and make non violence as the central creed of his teachings while another Hindu Godse will pump in three bullets into his chest, in the name of the same religion. Where is religion involved in the process? The present set of Islamist terrorist is the outcome of the indoctrination done in the madrassas supported by the superpower, United States. The initial implants have gone on to spread in the whole area, where the innocent human lives are being sacrificed at the altar of political goals of maintaining hegemony in West Asia. There have been reports which show the role of US behind the ISIS militants also. The offshoots of this type of political outfits do spread here and there, but the center of gravity of the terror factory remains in the West Asia and motive being oil wealth. During colonial period the politics came in the label of religions; different religions. In these areas the colonial powers chose to let the feudal powers persist even when industries were coming up. Now since the major inhabitants of the oil rich zones are Muslims, Islam has been used for the political goals and paradoxically Muslims have become the victim of their own wealth, the black gold!

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Paris, Peshawar and Boko Haram - Religion, Politics and Violence

Ram Puniyani

Massacre of hundreds of children in Peshawar by Pakistani Taliban, the atrocities, murders, kidnappings by Boko Haram, an Islamist group and the attack on Paris cartoon magazine Charlie Hadbo killing 16, have occurred in a short span of few months. The popular perception of relationship between violence and Islam got a further boost. The phrase ‘Islamic Terrorism’, which was created by US media in the aftermath of 9/11, got a further shot in the arms. It got a booster dose of unprecedented level. The debates regarding freedom of expression, sharia laws, education for girls continued to be in the fore and columns after column either dissociating Islam from these mindless acts or boosting the perception of Muslims being in the business of merciless killing of their own kith and other with gay abandon; dominated the visual and print media (January 2015).

Logo of Boko Haram (Courtesy: Wikipedia)

These acts of terror kill the innocent people and Koran- chapter V verse 32- goes on to say that even if you kill a single innocent person, that’s like killing the whole humanity with an addition that if you save a single innocent person that’s like saving the whole humanity. Still the impression continues that currently most of the dreaded acts of terror are either done by Muslims belonging to this or that group or faction. Not too long ago we did witness acts of terror from the like of Andres Behring Brevik(Norway); the people like Ashin Wirathu (Buddhist Myanmar) were in the news for related actions. Swami Aseemanand is in jail and had confessed to the acts of terrorist violence not too long ago. Does one want to underplay the association of Islam-Muslims and acts of terror? Is one wanting to be in denial mode as for as violence by some Muslims is concerned? The teachings of Koran notwithstanding; there are some Muslims who take to the senseless killings in the most insane and cruel manner; is definitely true. The question is; are such acts due to Islam or Muslims as such? How does one understand the association of label of religion with acts of violence and terror?

At the cost of broad generalizations one can say that most of the prophets of religions focused on some issue of injustice in the society and called for peace, non-violence in their own historical context. The society was either based on pastoral or agricultural mode of production and tribal society-kingdoms were the main pattern of organization of society. The religions, which began as the moral edicts had added social and communitarian functions as well. Clergy became a major component of religions. The spread of the message of prophets also led to the institutionalization of religions, which added one more dimension to the broad umbrella provided by religion as a social phenomenon. These institutions built around religions became a very significant part of religions. Those controlling levers of power gradually allied with the religions’ institutions; and these institutions came to be patronized by the rulers. In turn the institutionalized religions legitimized the power of the king, landlord. King was presented as the son of God in different ways.

The alliance of King-Clergy was best seen in the alliance King-Pope. In other religions’ contexts it became Nawab-Shahi Imam, Raja-Rajguru for example. Currently in Pakistan and Myanmar; mostly; the institutions of religions and dominating army are hands in gloves times and over again. In our Maharashtra a popular Marathi phrase sums it very well Shetji-Bhatji (Landlord-Priest). With religions being institutionalized the collaboration between kings and clergy became the foundation of social system where the agricultural producers-craftsmen and other laboring masses submitted to the system created by the power of the king and ideology of the clergy. The words of Prophets went in to the background. The organization of clergy was varying, from the most organized in Christianity to the decentralized one in Hinduism, to Islam where there is no theological justification of clergy; nevertheless it is very much there.

Here comes the entry of power in the realm of religion. Kingdoms, many a times took the cover of religion for their goals of power. The kings expanded or wanted to expand their kingdoms and put this expansion project to annex other territories in the garb of Crusade, Jihad or Dharmyudh depending on the religion of the king.

The real use of religion’s identity, label, can be seen during colonial period. In most South Asian countries, particularly in India, we see that with the social, economic changes accompanying the introduction of transport, communication, industries and modern education during colonial period, there was a rise of new classes in the form of businessmen industrialists, workers and educated classes in particular. They formed secular organizations, with secular democratic Indian nationalism as the goal, like Hindustan Socialist Republican Army (Bhagat Singh), Independent Labor Party, Scheduled Castes Federation (B.R.Ambedkar) and the overarching Indian Nationalist Congress (Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Mahatma Gandhi). In contrast to these rising classes the declining classes of Landlords and Kings pledged their loyalty to British and went on to form Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha and later RSS with the agenda of Hindu nation. In the Religious nationalist organizations initially only kings-landlords were there later some educated and upper caste elite and still later sections of middle class also joined in. Here the communitarian identity of religion was exploited by declining classes to protect their social-political interests. When they said ‘my religion in danger’ they meant my political interests are in danger. They also indulged in ‘Hate other’ propaganda, leading to communal violence and later to the partition of the country.  Here we see religion being used as a cover, the religious nationalism to hide their feudal values of caste and gender hierarchy. Similarly the cover of Buddhism has been used by political tendencies in Srilanka and Myanmar.      

With the coming in of Imperialism, the rise of the US as the global super power dominated the global scene. Two superpowers USSR and USA were in the game of ‘Cold War’. US later planned and used Islam to counter Socialist block. It meticulously used a version of Islam for indoctrination the minds of youth. These youth were used to fight against the Soviet Russia and later the same indoctrinated youth came up and are tormenting the parts of the World. This phase of ‘religion as a cover of political goals’ begins with the formation of Israel in the aftermath of Second World War, the eviction of 14 lakh Palestinians away from their home and hearth. In due course to protect its oil interests the US-Britain nexus overthrew the democratically elected Mossadegh Government in Iran. This ‘chain of events’ did lead to coming to power of Ayatollah Khomeini. At this point US media coined the word ‘Islam the new threat’. They meant that Socialism as the threat is in decline and Islam is coming up as the new threat to the free World. In its design to use all methods to crush the socialist block, US encouraged the Madarassas in Pakistan, where the Wahabbi version of Islam was introduced as a part of the training module designed in Washington. This version of Islam had already been the ally of the Saud family, in whose name Saudi Arabia stands. The Saud family came to use this version of Islam, Wahabbism to control the oil wealth of the region. US allied with Saud dynasty and also promoted Wahabbi version in the Madrassas in Pakistan. This version of Islam saw in every person disagreeing with their interpretation of Islam, as Kafir and killing the kafirs as Jihad. Jihad being the path to Jannat after death, jannat waiting with the rich reward of 72 virgins!

This heady mix of ‘brain washing’ did lead to Mujahedeen being transformed to Taliban-Al Qaeda and later giving rise to ISIS, the major menace in today’s world. Tendencies like Boko Haram draw their inspiration and support from the similar understanding of Islam. Time and again a large section of leaders of Muslims, many of the maulanas have issued the fatwa’s that terrorism is against the tenets of Islam, but what sticks in social awareness is the picture of Taliban or ISIS or Al Qaeda or Boko haram as the face of Muslims and Islam. No wonder one of the greatest philosophers of all the times Karl Marx, remarked very aptly that’ Ruling ideas are the ideas of the ruling class’, that’s the power of media at the service of the US, at the service of Corporate houses. Today the Islamophobia rules the streets and in some form or the other the religion which came to give the message of peace is perceived as the ultimate in prompting and indulging in violence.

Do we need to factor in the political forces, Kings of the past, the colonial masters of yesteryears and the ‘oil hungry’ global superpowers, behind promoting, abusing religions’ identity to understand the dastardly acts tormenting the humanity? The phrases joining any religion and terrorism are the biggest insult to the morality of religions to be sure!

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ISIS, Oil Politics and Peaking of Islamophobia

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.

Flag of ISIS

While the ISIS is an offshoot of AL Qaeda, which was trained by USA-ISI through Madrasa’s set up in Pakistan. There are enough good resources to tell us about the scheme of US in the West Asia to control the oil wealth. The US dictum for this area has been ‘Oil is too precious a commodity to be left to control of natives’. While one has burnt midnight oil to unravel the trajectory of US policy through books with solid scholarship, the job of understanding this has become easy with a small video clip of Hillary Clinton. Very smartly and briskly she tells us that it was US which created Al Qaeda by indoctrinating the Muslim youth. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLhRKj6633w). A peep into the history of the region tells us that this indoctrination was done by using the distorted version of Islam, Wahabbism to be more precise.

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.

How can we bring in reason in ‘social thinking’ in the face of powerful vested interests who want to use and abuse religion for their political goals, demonize a religious community is a question not easy to resolve. Challenging the prevalence of ideas of the dominant sections, dominant social powers; is a tall order, which has to be taken up in all seriousness if we want peace and progress in our society.

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Formal versus Substantive Justice: Shinde’s Letter on Harassment of innocent Muslims

Ram Puniyani

In his letter to all the Chief Ministers Sushil Kumar Shinde’s Centre’s Home Minster (30, 09, 2013), wrote that Government has been receiving complaints of harassment of innocent Muslim youth by Law enforcement agencies. He asked the state authorities to ensure that no innocent Muslim youth should be arrested or wrongfully detained in the name of terror. The letter also suggests that if such wrongful act has been done it should be duly compensated.

Terrorism has been one of the major phenomenons of recent global scene. Globally the politics of controlling oil wells used the radical versions of Islam for creating the Al Qaeda series of terrorist groups, where the words Kafir and Jehad were totally manipulated, and that’s what resulted in the word “Islamic Terrorism’. With the coining of this term the catchy phrases were built by the vested elements. The currently popular one is, ‘All Muslims are not terrorists but all terrorists are Muslims’. This has become not only the part of ‘social common sense’ but also the policy base for investigating police officers.

Sushil Kumar Shinde

There might have been many other factors due to which police behaved like the way it did, a quick and reckless arrest of Muslim youth. For first few years of these arrests, only a handful of activists raised their voice against the biased attitude of the authorities. There were couple of people’s tribunals which heard the voices of the victims of biased behavior of the state machinery. There were painful narrations by the youth and their relatives about these youth having to abandon their studies half way through, many medical students, technology students amongst others, suffered due to the biased non professional attitude guided by the prevalent communal stereotypes in the society.

With the Malegaon blast (2008) investigation done by Maharashtra ATS Chief Hemant Karkare, his professionalism took the better of the prevalent biases of the system and he was able to nab the real culprits, starting from Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Swami Dayanand Pandey to Swami Assemanad, many of who are currently in jails. The confession of Swami Aseemanand turned the tide of investigation and now those involved in acts of terror got nabbed by police.

Notwithstanding this, the acts of terror at one level came down but after a bit of a pause they came up again and many an offshoot of Al Qaeda raised their nasty head once again. While a professional attitude can lead the authorities to the culprits, the biased attitude kept leading the police to many a Muslim youth over and over again. It is no body’s case that many a Muslim was not involved in the acts of terror, they were. The Al Qaeda and its stinking ideology it brought up kept circulating like a cancer and not only in India, but more so in Pakistan the acts of terror kept occurring.

So where do we stand. One, Terrorism has nothing to do with religion. On one hand it is the cancerous spread of the Al Qaeda, a dangerous outcome of the policies pursued by US in setting up Madrassas in Pakistan. These insane acts of terror have been tormenting South Asia in particular. Second, as Swami Aseemanand confessed in front of a magistrate and the ideology enunciated in Sanatan Sanstha web site, these acts of terror are for creation of Hindu Nation. As per the ideology of Sanatan Sanstha, in this kaliyug (dark age) the Muslims and Christians are demons who need to be dealt with. So in the series of blasts starting from Malegaon to Ajmer to Samjhauta blast to Mecca Masjid the bombs were made to explode at the times when large number of Muslims congregates at one time. Samjhauta Express was targeted as the major passengers are Muslims.

So we are dealing with two streams of terror, the Al Qaeda variety and Swami Aseemanand variety. Both these shades of terror wear the cloak of religion. Both have nothing to do with religion, both are motivated by politics. The question comes here if there are both the types of terror, how come youth only from one community are arrested left, right and center. Highlighting these issues, Ashish Khetan, a journalist with commitment to truth has started his web portal Gulail (slingshot), exposing many an acts of biased investigations and Muslims being the victims of that. Currently in Lucknow, Rihai Manch started a long lasting Dhrana to demand the release of innocent Muslims arrested for being terrorists, with no substance in the so called evidence. Many a Muslim groups took out a peace march from Malegaon to Mumbai to demand for the release of innocent Muslim youth who were in jails despite the fact that Swami Aseemanand had given the legally valid confession as per which his groups was the one behind Malegaon blast. Despite this, the innocent Muslims youth continued to be in jails without any evidence whatsoever. Since then they have now been released.

It is in this background that Sushil Kumar Shinde’s letter to the state Chief Ministers has to be seen. BJP, as is its wont is communalizing the issue by saying that it is another act of appeasement on the part of the Government. As per BJP it is an attempt to divide the nation and that the letter should be taken back. This attitude of BJP is in pursuance of its agenda of Hindu Rashtra, one which benefits the elite of majority community. BJP can never understand that the unequal people cannot be treated equally in a democracy. The concept of affirmative action, the concept of the state a guardian of the weak cannot be the part of this communal party’s ideology.

At one level they argue on the grounds of Constitution that all should be treated equally. So why is there provisions like Anti-Dalit Atrocities act, why is there a law against domestic violence for safeguarding women? A sensitive humane democratic society realizes that weak of the society need extra protection, extra provisions so that they don’t get trampled under the wheels of ‘Formal Equality’. As such the process of democracy is a march from formal equality to substantive equality. BJP cannot understand this journey and logic of democracy as they want a status quo of caste and gender hierarchy; they want supremacy of Hindu elite. So such actions which are meant to protect the weak are seen by them as dividing the society.

As a matter of fact the efforts of Mr. Shinde are coming too late in the day. Years ago once the citizens inquiries, the tribunals, the dharnas brought forward the plight of Muslim youth in the wake of acts of terror, such a letter should have been issued. Not only that there is a need to train the police to overcome its biased behavior against religious minorities and other weaker sections of society. Mr. Shinde must take the process forward and call the convention of the top police officers and discuss the roots of terrorism, they should be made to understand the plight of marginalized people, and they should be made to go through the reports of these tribunals. As human beings, as officers, and as those who can be important conduit to bring justice to society, the police needs to be trained in a delicate social issue. Many a BJP leaders had been supping with the likes of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Swami Aseemanand. In those cases they had even approached the Prime Minister to go soft on them! What a hypocrisy or is it? It is the part of their politics to protect Sadhvis and Swamis exploding bombs and to merrily oversee the torture of Muslim youth in the name of terrorism. That’s what communalism is, the ideology which is the base of this party!

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Pak Zoo and Malsi, the Elephant

Pak Zoo was carved out of Hind Zoo in 1947, when the imperialistic British zoo-owners got bored of toying with the inhabiting animals, and decided to abscond from animal parks all over the world. For the decade or so leading up to the British selling Hind Zoo, it was clear that the zoo’s ownership would be returned to the locals, but the dynamics of the final deal weren’t quite as unambiguous. After much deliberation and debate, the future of Hind Zoo hinged over the fate of one animal, an elephant named Malsi.

Malsi was born in Saudi Arabia, what seems like ages ago, and was brought to the subcontinent by Arab warriors, who used him to destroy any resistance that they faced in their long journey. Malsi encouraged their imperialistic cravings – among other fetishes – as he stampeded over anyone who denounced the Arabs or didn’t accept the elephant as the supreme authority. After reaching the subcontinent, Malsi first threatened to ‘Arabanise’ Hind, but when that didn’t materialise he found acquiescing followers who ended up creating a whole new zoo for Malsi.

To read more of Malsi's vicious behaviour in the Pak Zoo, click the following link:

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/03/01/comment/columns/elephant-in-the-room/

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Pakistan: Sectarian Divides

Ram Puniyani

South Asia has been in the grip of sectarian violence since fairly long. During last three decades and more particularly during the last decade this violence has been intensifying in degree and spread. It was sad news to hear that the Christian Community of Joseph Colony, Badami Bagh Lahore was the victim of one such violence recently (March 2013). In this violence 178 houses of the low-income community, as well as shops and three churches were looted and burnt to ashes. The local Pastor was attacked and the father of Savan Masih, the youth falsely accused of blasphemy, was beaten up and subsequently arrested.

In Pakistan both non Muslims and some Muslim sects have been harassed on religious grounds. As such the major victims of such violence are the sects of Islam, Shias and Ahmadis. The Ahmadis has been declared as non Muslims through an act of Parliament. As such Shias, Barelvis, Sufis, Ahmadis, Christians, Sikhs and Hindus are the religious minorities who have facing the wrath of dominant communal forces in Pakistan. At the time of Partition, creation of Pakistan, the percentage of religious minorities was close to 23% and gradually it declined. The foundation of communal violence was very much there in the social thinking which regarded Pakistan as a Muslim state. Non Muslim minorities and some sets of Islam has been the victim of this violence. This violence picked up for the worse, during Zia ul Haq regime, when the Khakis and beard-cap came into a firm embrace, an alliance, which mutually boosted the power of both these groups.

In the decade of 1980s the other factor which contributed to the rise in divisive thinking was the setting up of Madrassas, richly funded by United States for its goal of control over oil resources, for countering the Soviet occupation in Afghanistan. With these Madrassas, the US-Saudi support strengthened the Salafi, Wahabi version of Islam and this not only targeted the non Muslims but also the Shias and Ahmadis, the former being a substantial in number.

This targeting of intra Islam minorities also had some external support in the region, the Sunni factions being promoted and funded by Saudis and Shias by Iran. The Christian and Hindus were easy enough targets for these forces. In later decades this violence at social level came to be supplemented by the terrorist violence from sections of Al Qaeda...

The large number of Christians there belongs to scavenger castes. Not only they are looked down upon, and most of the times the aim of violence is to dispose them of their lands. This is a very vulnerable social group. The blasphemy law has come in handy for attacking these communities. One recalls the case of Asea Bibi, who is in jail for her alleged remarks against Prophet Mohammad. She has been sentenced to death. Her appeal is pending in the Punjab High Court. When Salmaan Taseer, the former Governor of Punjab, spoke about reformation of the blasphemy laws of Pakistan, he was killed by a member of his own security guard.

Every sectarian force develops its own tools and pretexts for attacking the minorities. Asea had fetched some water from a well, and a Muslim crowd chided her for “polluting” the water since she was a “dirty (low caste) Christian”. The twist of arguments led to her death sentence.  Similarly in Aug. 2012, Rimsah Masih, the young, mentally challenged 14 year old girl was arrested for burning the pages from the Koran.

And now this mob of Muslims, which was coming out from the Masjid, broke into and destroyed the belongings of several Christian homes, because, as alleged by the one Muslim man who had a argument with one Christian man, the Christian had blasphemed against Islam. Quick mob justice, punish the community for the alleged work of one!

The pretexts notwithstanding the pattern are similar. The Muslim communal groups have been on the rise since the Zia regime. The degree of intensity of their boldness can be gauzed from the fact that they openly take the credit for such violent acts. This to some extent shows their clout and acceptability in the system.

The trajectory of communal forces in three major countries of South Asia has been parallel but very distinctive. In India the Hindu communalism, vitiated the peace and the regular targets were the non Hindus, Christian and Muslims. In between Sikhs were also subjected to massive violence. The increase in anti Dalit violence during this period cannot be visibly linked up with the anti Muslim and Anti Christian violence. Still the study of history of this violence tells us that the intensification of anti minority
violence in early 1980s began with violence against dalits in 1981 and 1986. In Bangla Desh and Pakistan the non Muslims are targeted and differing sects of Muslims are also subject to this violence. In Pakistan, it seems the minority sects of Muslim and Christian and Hindus seem to be sailing in the same boat.

It will be infesting to note that unlike the perceptions prevailing here that all Muslims are anti Hindus and supporting violence what came to be noticed in recent anti minority violence was that the condemnation of these attacks against religious minorities by the secular groups in Pakistan. The case in point is the recent anti Christian violence in Lahore, the people to condemn this have been the activists from Forum for Secular Pakistan, articulating the wish for a secular state in Pakistan and upholding the secular values in that country. To condemn this attack in Lahore the Jamia community in Delhi organized a candle vigil and Khudai Khidmatgars issued strong statements condemning the violence against Christians n Pakistan, Many other groups have also added to the voices against such an insane act of violence.

While condemning one type of violence, the criticism dished forward is ‘why you criticize only this communalism’? As such the comments and criticism of democratic elements are directed against the acts which take place irrespective of the religion of offenders and victims. The secular groups and commentators who raise their voices against violence are dubbed as being against being this or that religion, being one sided and what not? The real issue is to be against all sort of targeting of religious minorities and intra religion groups. We seem to be in a downward phase of history where the communal elements are getting more powerful through the dastardly violence against the vulnerable groups, more often poor of the community, but not necessarily so.

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Americaroopam: Kamal Haasan’s Flawed Scripting

Ram Puniyani

The release of Vishwaroopam, the latest film from Kamal Haasan was mired in controversies. (Feb 2013). Haasan decided to arrange a pre-screening for some groups, despite the film being cleared by the censors. These Muslim groups raised lots of objections and demanded for the ban on the film. As matters unfolded, these groups agreed for the release of the film after some cuts in the film, which the renowned actor-producer did and film went on to get very good response on the box office.

The demand for ban was totally out of place and unwarranted. The cutting of some scenes and the background recitation of Quran, before and after the acts of terror, was done by the producer. .Film all through creates the feel that Quran is the source of inspiration for violence. Though Haasan went on to say that the film is a tribute to Indian Muslims, as such the film falls in the trap of the Islamophobia created by America, American media and media here at home. Briefly, in the film the hero helps the US troops against Taliban forces and helps in the Americans in preventing the blast by Muslim group. An analysis of script of the film can be summed up by stating that the hero of the film, a Muslim working with RAW; is a very conscientious person out to save the World from the terror created by Muslim groups. Some writers have summed it up by saying that the film tries to portray ‘one good Muslims and all other bad Muslims’. It leaves an impression that the terrorist Muslim groups are creating problem all over and US is the savior, its agencies trying to protect US and the World from these dastardly acts. Film also roughly goes on to portray that Muslim children are given the arms training right from childhood, and Quran is their training manual for these acts of terror.

While one knows the impeccable secular credentials of both the lead actors of the film, Kamal Haasan and Rahul Bose; still the film is based on the script which is very superficial in its attempt with tackling the problem of terrorism. It’s not that it is the first film trying to grapple with the phenomenon of terror. There had been earlier attempts to deal with the theme, some of them doing a commendable job to go beyond the obvious in unraveling the deeper causes of terror then restricting to the understanding that terrorism is to Islam itself. Films like New York, My Name is Khan, Tere bin Laden Aamir and others did a good job as the script writers tried to break the shackles of the US propaganda and the ‘constructed social common sense’ that ‘All Terrorists are Muslims’. This film takes this formulation as the basic dictum adds to that the imagery that the terrorists keep carrying Koran, keep offering Namaz, and keep shouting Allah Ho Akbar while indulging in the acts of brutality.

How come such a serious film maker like Kamal Haasan falls in to the trap of the US inspired thesis which links terrorism with the teaching of Islam? Haasan claims to have 300 evidences for his script. Going by the story line of the film it seems that his sources seem to be lacking deeper scholarship. One guesses that what is paraded as evidence is mostly the propaganda of dominant global power, America. Look at the statement made in all seriousness that Americans don’t kill women and children! Will the script writer be able to defend it after going through the list of victims of US aggression in Afghanistan and Iraq to give the recent examples?

The film while caricaturing Mullah Umar, as Omar in the film, or the nature of whole Taliban gang, gives the impression that all this is due to what Koran teaches. Here the film gives the impression, the script goes out to elaborate that the hero stands as an exception to all the bad Muslims out to destroy the World. One can say the story line of the film is the passive acceptance of the dominant World view. Karl Marx remarked that the dominant ideas are the ideas of the ruling classes. One can modify it to state that the dominant groups-powers can and do manipulate the social thinking and hide the truth. They project the falsehoods, which the large sections of society go on to accept. Same thing was articulated by Noam Chomsky, the US human rights activists, in his classical formulation of ‘manufacturing consent’. The extensive study undertaken by Chomsky into the policies of US Empire showed its machinations to create the opinion in its favor while attacking other countries for its narrow political goals.

It’s not that there are no dissenting scholars and serious researched material on the subject. There is enough in the arena of serious scholarship and some dedicated websites, which show the deeper truth. One can very well mention the two profound works of scholarship on the subject, Mahmud Mamdani’s ‘Good Muslim Bad Muslim’ and Tariq Ali’s ‘Clash of Fundamentalisms’, which show the deeper connection of the current terror groups, Bin Laden and Al Qaeda outfits themselves being the product of the US attempt to dominate West Asia for controlling oil wealth. The US imperialists worked with the thesis that oil is too important a commodity to be left to Arabs for control. The deeper peep into the current history of West Asia will clearly show the role of CIA in promoting the Madrassas, which picked up Salafi version of Islam to indoctrinate the generation of Muslim youth to undertake acts of terror. The whole sequence of Mujahideen, Taliban and Al Qaeda had been the outcome of that. All this, was richly funded by the United States to fight against the Russians; occupying Afghanistan. Apparently later Al Qaeda turned its guns against Western powers and today is playing the Frankenstein’s monster. The whole formulation of ‘Islamic-terrorism’ was the creation of US media post 9/11 2001, linking Islam-Muslims with terrorism. Here one is not referring to the conspiracy theories, which are doing rounds through various films and social media.

It’s a tragedy of times that despite the large presence of social media and serious scholarship on contemporary history of West Asia, the popular conceptions are those dictated by the US media, and Kamal Haasan’s script neatly falls into the superficial trap laid by the global ‘social common sense’. How come the film mentions the involvement of Al Qaeda type groups into the acts of terror in Malegaon and other cities in India, while totally forgetting Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Swami Assemanand and their ilk who are currently in jails accused of being involved in the series of blasts in different places in India! Why film makers and others remain confined to the superficial level of analysis, which in turn worsens the popular perceptions? Surely, deepening of these perceptions does suit the interests of the Imperialist powers and also the communal forces. This pattern of projection of terrorism leads one to conclude that the power of ideas propagated by America, the other dominant social groups with their prowess to influence and shape the opinions emerging from mainstream media and films like Vishwaroopam, is immense. Films like Vishwaroopam have their own right to be screened without any cuts but are disgusting for the poverty of their research and regressive values, which in turn strengthens the Islamophobia, being perpetuated all round, and is serving the Western powers to dominate the oil zone primarily and also other areas. It strongly helps the communal thinking also.

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Viswaroopam: Kerala Shows The Way!

One of the most redeeming scenes we have witnessed during the current Islamist protest against the screening of the Kamal Hassan film Viswaroopam is the protection offered by the public to the theaters when the film was screened in various parts of Kerala.

The Hindu reports that when the ultra-fundamentalist Social Democratic Party of India (what a name for a group still wallowing in the tribal values of the seventh century Arabian desert people!) tried to stop the screening of the film in government owned Kairali theatre in Thiruvananthapuram, DYFI workers assembled at the theatre offering protection.  In other places too cultural activists came out in support of the film and offered protection to screen the film emboldening the theatres to continue to exhibit the film.

While in a civilized society it is the duty of the police and other law enforcing authorities to protect the public from hooligans, sometimes it becomes necessary for the civil society to come forward and take on the cultural fascists who use their muscle power to muzzle the voice of freedom and progressive values.

While we understand the decision of the producers of the film to have a discussion with the fundamentalist groups protesting against the film (after all, they are in business and has to, at least recover the money they invested), it is indeed depressing to find that in addition to the Central Board of Film Certification, the producers of a film has to get the approcval of religious nuts before a film is exhibitted to the public in India - supposely a Secular State!

Vishwaroopam comes home to plaudits, brickbats in equal measure

Special Correspondent

(The Hindu, 26 January 2013)

Amidst protests, the fans of actor Kamal Hassan gave a warm reception to his latest film `Viswaroopam,’ in the capital on Saturday.

As the film was not released in Tamil Nadu, the fans of Mr.Kamal Hassan from Madurai and Tirunelveli reached the Kairali and Sree theatre complex in the city to watch the film. The enthusiastic youth showered flower petals and sprayed milk on the huge flex boards of the actor put up before the theatre complex. Some of them offered pooja too. The fans had a word of praise for the State government for taking the initiative to screen the film. In spite of news about the protests against the film alleging that it hurt the sentiments of a community, the theatres were crowded.

Later, a group of Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) took out a protest demonstration to the theatre complex. They destroyed the boards put up before the theatre. Meanwhile, DYFI workers under the aegis of the district committee assembled at the theatre offering protection for the screening. Kerala Cine Exhibitors Association president V.Mohanan told `The Hindu’ that all those cinema houses which had stopped screening in the wake of protest will resume shows as usual from Sunday. “Across the State, the film was released in 86 theatres, but at least 14 theatres were forced to give up the screening in the wake of protests. Cultural activists in various regions, including Perumbavoor and Palakkad have come out in support of the film offering protection and this has emboldened the exhibitors to resume the screening in full swing from Sunday. Cultural and political activists have taken an active interest in preventing such undesirable tendencies,” he said.

Leader of the Opposition V.S.Achuthanandan said in a statement here that the blocking the screening and unleashing violence against the film amounted to infringement on creative freedom and right to expression. Permission for screening the film was granted by the Censor Board after scrutiny. The violence against theatres was cultural fascism. Those opposing the film can campaign against it, but should not resort to violence. This was proof of intolerance. Mr.Kamal Hassan hails from a family which upheld religious amity. He and his brothers are symbols of religious unity. Casting a wrong impression about a revered artiste was unfair, he said.

The SFI State secretariat demanded the government to give due protection to the theatres screening the film. It described the protests as uncalled for in a statement here. Legal action should be initiated against those targeting the cinema houses. Communal forces were trying to upset creative freedom. The attacks and ban on a work of art were not conducive for a civilised society, the statement said.

(http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Thiruvananthapuram/vishwaroopam-comes-home-to-plaudits-brickbats-in-equal-measure/article4348207.ece

 Accessed on 31 January 2013)

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A Nobel for Malala

Ram Puniyani                                                                

Pakistan has been facing innumerable troubles, not entirely due to its own faults. The whole politics of oil, the designs of Empire and the subservience of Mullah-Military complex to the US designs have brought in lot of misery in the region. Currently one is painfully witnessing the plight of a young girl, Malala Yususzai, (Age 15) who is battling for her life after she was shot twice by the Taliban. (October 2012) Her ‘crime’ has been that she dared to defy the Taliban dictats and expressed her longing for education for herself, and for the education of other girls. When Taliban became powerful in Swat valley they shut down girls’ schools and women were banned from social space till Pakistan got control over the area, but still Taliban’s influence in the area did not vanish.

During this period Malala, a young girl, then aged 12, started writing her diary for BBC Urdu, and later a film with her in the center was made by New York Times, ‘A Class Dismissed’. She emerged as the major voice of rebellion against the fundamentalist assertiveness of Taliban, the reason for which she was shot by them due to which she is currently struggling for her life. Taliban like all fundamentalist streams uphold the oppressive patriarchal values, where social space is a strict ‘no no’ for women, who are supposed to take care of Kitchen, Children and their life has to revolve around instructions of Mullahs. In the transition from feudal society to the democratic norms, the major change is that of caste/class and gender transformation. There is no straightforward formula for this. In the countries where the democratic revolutions were complete, the feudal norms of caste-gender hierarchy were overthrown along with the rule of Kings-Feudal elements.

In colonies the introduction of newer set of norms of modern education, industrialization and the consequent changes in the society did bring in social movements, enabling society to come out of the grip of older set of values. The grip of older dominating forces, kings-landlords, was not done away with totally in most post colonial states. The newer classes, the industrialists-workers-educated classes came up side by side with the declining section of society, the feudal elements. The declining sections did not disappear and so they tried to preserve and assert their values and social norms under the garb of religion, politics in the name of religion, what is popularly referred to as communalism. As such it is abuse of religions’ identity to uphold and impose the norms of feudal society in the newer language.

In colonies, particularly talking of Indian sub continent, the subjugated sections of society, the low caste and the women had a marathon struggle on hand to strive for equality and to come to the social space, this struggle is not yet over despite sixty years of Independence in the Indian part of the post partition area, while in Pakistan the process has been slower and has seen a massive reversal after the Zia ul Haq-Maulana Maududi regime. The same got further worsened with the coming up of Mujahideen-Taliban- Al Qaeda, a process supported or rather engineered by United States and Saudi Arabia. The ideological use of Wahhabi version of Islam to train Mujahedeen-Taliban interprets Islam in a backward way to enslave the women and other weaker sections of society. 

In India the trajectory has been parallel to some extent. As fundamentalism, political assertion in the garb of fundamentals of religion, rose in the West Asia-Pakistan, in India we see the rise of communalism in the name of Hindu religion with parallel agenda, which has pushed back the march of caste and gender towards equality. During 19th century, Indian women had to face something very close to what Malala and large section of girls-woman are facing today in Taliban dominated area. Savitribai Phule, who began the school for girls, had to face the wrath of the conservative sections of society. As Malala has to hide the books under her shawl, a woman named Rash Sundari Devi in Bengal had to hide her longing for reading, as touching a printed paper was regarded as sin. In her autobiography Aamar Jeevan (My Life) she tells the challenges she faced as a woman who wanted to learn. She learnt reading by picking up newspapers when men folk were not at home. Lot of rumors were spread to stall education of girls. The struggle of Pandita Rama bai, Anandi Gopal and many of their contemporaries, to get education, was equally harrowing. Even today girls’ education is lagging behind in its reach and importance in large parts of the country.

In earlier part of 20th Century in United States when the social transformation for caste (class) and gender began, the conservative Christian groups opposed this social change by bringing out ten small booklets called Fundamentals, which argued against women and workers rights in the language of religion.  It is from these booklets that the term Fundamentalism emerged. The fundamentalist tendencies have resurfaced world over during last three decades or so, and have been promoted by the Imperialist powers in West Asia in particular. Similarly when Hitler rampaged the democracy in Germany in the name of Race, he dictated that the life of women should revolve around Kitchen Church and Children. Similar things, coated with sugary syrup are being beamed through the Television serials in India, where the unending Saas bhi Kabhi Bahu thi… serials dominate the television and give the message of subordination of women. To add to the impact of these serials, the Godmen, hordes of them who have mushroomed during this period, talk of such norms in a refined language and they do have higher acceptability and sanctity.

Pakistan society today is the victim of many phenomenons at the same time. While US created the Frankenstein’s monster of Taliban-Al Qaeda, today the same US-Nato wants to do away with them through drone attacks. These drone attacks are hardly a solution to the cancer which they have planted in this part of the World. The large section of Pakistan society is realizing and standing with the aspirations of Malala, knowing fully-well that she does represent the longing of girls of her age. Most parents in the region want their girls to be educated and wish them a future of knowledge and enlightenment. Many a scholars of Islam remind us that learning-education, both for men and women has a high place in the teachings of Prophet, while there are many others who draw from other sources to justify the shootings of Malalas. There are peace rallies in Pakistan which are telling the Talibans, ‘Bandukon Wale Darte hain Ek Nanhi Ladki se’ (Those with guns are scared of of a little girl). This section also knows the dilemmas of their country have roots in, the ideology from Saudi, the machinations of CIA operating through the military mullah complex. 

The ‘Malala moment’ is a serious turning point for Pakistan. Which way it wants to go, which way it can make space for itself? The past cannot be changed. Today’s problems created by Taliban and its clones need a serious engagement, a ‘do or die’ situation for Pakistan’s democracy. The persistence of Taliban is a malignant disease eating up its vitals. It needs to be put behind, this ideology and this mindset has to be thrown in the dustbin of history with total willpower, determination and efforts. Those in the subcontinent need to hold their hands for democracy and freedom from imperialist domination. We, in the region, need to strive towards solidarity for a democratic South Asia to bury the ideologies operating in the name of religion. We all need to stand with the cause of Malala!

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