Mufaddal Khumri comments on Babri controversy: The worship of Allah can be done in a grand mosque, in the humble abode of the poor or just on bare gr

Letters19 Oct 2008, NewAgeIslam.Com

Mufaddal Khumri comments on Babri controversy: The worship of Allah can be done in a grand mosque, in the humble abode of the poor or just on bare ground
Apropos Sultan Shahin responds to Dr Mookhi Amir Ali's comments on the retrieval of Babri land and the clamour “Masjid Wahin banayenge” NewAgeIslam.Com - 18 Oct, 2008
------------------------------------------------------------------
Rules of civility demand that we restrain ourselves while acknowledging the faith of our Hindu brethren and give what rightfully belongs to them. This one single gesture could go a long way in softening the stance of many fanatics and they would look towards Islam in light of its benevolence.... it is the Indian Muslim who has to bring about a radical change in his stance and thought. We have to be most accommodating and that by no means calls for our faith to be subservient to the majority. It is merely benign humility which Allah favours the most.
-------------------------------------------------------------
2008/10/19 Mufaddal Khumri
Salam Sultan,
Permit me to express my humble opinion on your efforts.
I took time to respond to your thoughts projected in an exceedingly well written article. It came at a juncture when the community needs to re-examine many of its leanings and outpourings of emotional tumult, as I may call them. An emotional outburst either against or supporting the article might be well labelled as being rather premature or myopic. I refrained from expressing myself and waited for reactions to pour in. I was not much surprised to learn that many of our fellow faith brethren have learnt little from the last 60 years of our erratic misadventure and community misdemeanour. Rather unfortunately, many of us live in a utopian world and are unwilling to soil their belief with the situation at hand. The word "ameliorate" used by you, if juxtaposed with the reality of Muslim social and economic status in India, could well show us the light.
Astonishingly though, our elite bourgeois learn little from the harsh realities of our proletariat brethren who form a rather expansive segment of the Indian Muslim population. Articles of faith especially monuments built or destroyed by vandals can never belittle the might of Allah or of his pristine faith. His glory is not enmeshed in monuments rather in the modesty of its adherents. He who is the purveyor of all could hardly have been smitten by such raucous and wanton destruction. Rules of civility demand that we restrain ourselves while acknowledging the faith of our Hindu brethren and give what rightfully belongs to them. This one single gesture could go a long way in softening the stance of many fanatics and they would look towards Islam in light of its benevolence.
The worship of Allah can be done in a grand mosque, in the humble abode of the poor or just on bare ground. Unfortunately the element of Sulh e Kul is missing from us as we refuse to behave like minorities in a nation that has done much to ensure that many of our freedom and rights are not trespassed. You have already mentioned that in your article and I can only vouch for your secular thoughts. We have to merely look at the plight of minorities in many nations across the world and we would realize how fortunate we are to reside in India's secular bulwark. Albeit we do not deny that this fabric has of late come under relentless pressure from the right wing and been impaired and its credence questioned. Nonetheless, the sway of secularism in India has not yet yielded in these chaotic times.
And if we are to maintain this status quo, it is the Indian Muslim who has to bring about a radical change in his stance and thought. We have to be most accommodating and that by no means calls for our faith to be subservient to the majority. It is merely benign humility which Allah favours the most.
Please continue to lead the charge against radicals and the so called educated hoi polloi of our faith. I envy what you have done for I had always dreamt to start such a noble initiative. Your efforts to assist the community to arise from their stupor and bring about a much needed renaissance shall not go in vain. Let victory cherish the likes of you and may you be blessed.
Regards,
Mufaddal Idris Khumri
Head – Islamic Banking Products
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank
P O Box 939, Abu Dhabi, UAE
http://newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=900