Muslim Penchant for spinning state-sponsored conspiracies: Will it turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Islam and Politics15 Oct 2008, NewAgeIslam.Com

Muslim Penchant for spinning state-sponsored conspiracies: Will it turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy?
But do we ever come across a word of gratitude, even gratitude expressed to God, for what “in practice already had become a Brahmin-dominated state” to have not gone the Pakistan way or the Islamic way? Do those Muslims fighting for their cause, no matter how legitimate even remember and remind the common Muslims of the larger perspective? Do we even hear our intellectuals, barring a few, of course, even restrain themselves in the language they use for their perpetual grievance-mongering? …

Do we ever wonder what would be our situation if we were living as a religious minority in an Islamic state? Do we ever move our lips or lift our little finger in support of the religious minorities living in Islamic states next door? Well, what to support them, we have hounded out the one Muslim lady who dared to speak for them in Bangladesh? There are so many Hindus and even Hindu ladies who fight for our causes in this country: would we like the Indian system to hound them out of the country and of course, not get any refuge anywhere else, certainly not in a Muslim country? …

We have tens of thousands of mosques and madrasas running throughout the length and breadth of this country, but one of our mosques, a dilapidated and disused one, was demolished by people who were characterised by the Supreme Court as miscreants, and we blew that into an issue of our religious freedom in the country. We have still not solved that problem and allowed it to fester, to our nation’s detriment. Do our intellectuals take time off fighting the system and tell us it is not in our interest to allow a cancer to grow. The mosque is gone. We apparently don’t worship bricks and soil. Bricks too are gone in any case. Why can’t we initiate an amicable solution, as it would be in our own interest too? We need a plot of land to pray, we can pray anywhere in the area. Why do we need to blow it out of all proportion, make it such a big issue, when the country – the system - is allowing us to have as many mosques and madrasas as we wish?

An analysis by Sultan Shahin, editor, NewAgeIslam.com
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Though always popular in literature as a plot-device, self-fulfilling prophecies have gained enormous popularity recently, particularly in the Science fiction genre. A Wikipedia note reveals that t they are typically used ironically, with the prophesied events coming to pass due to the actions of one trying to prevent the prophecy.
I am reminded of this as I find almost all commentators in the Muslim Urdu Press talking of a “grave conspiracy” hatched by the Indian state and being carried out since Independence in 1947 to deny even a modicum of prosperity to Muslims. The danger of this prophecy turning self-fulfilling lies in the fact that so-called Muslim leaders are now trying to “prevent the prophecy from coming true” and as many of us know science fiction has a way of turning into science fact sooner than many of us may have bargained for.

The recent Batla House encounter has now been turned into an issue of Muslim survival in the same way as the demolition of a dilapidated, disused mosque in 1992 had been converted into the question of religious freedom for Muslims in India.
I quote a few sentences from one of the least provocative of syndicated columns by a senior journalist who always asks Muslims to “behave sensibly and not emotionally”:

“As soon as Some Muslim students turned lucky and started qualifying in medical and engineering courses, evil eyes fell upon them and the albatross of terrorism was hung around their neck….
“The passion for learning and moving forward in life brought about the good result in the shape of a great doctor like Mohammad Haneef and a software engineer like Mohammad Mansoor Peerbhai who was earning 19 lakhs per annum. The Indian system (or state, the Urdu word used is Nizam) could not digest this….
“We consider it (the encounter and arrests) a grave conspiracy against the Muslim community with the sole aim of pushing the community into the abyss of frustration and hopelessness so that our youth are not able to qualify for good jobs. This conspiracy is not new, it has been going on since 1947 when Muslims were denied jobs in India; indeed, when they went looking for jobs they were asked why they were searching for jobs here in India and why didn’t they go to Pakistan.
“The Bhiwandi riots were to destroy the Muslims industry there. When the Muslims started sari businesses in Banaras, their businesses were burnt down. Their brass industry was destroyed in Moradabad through police terrorism. The prosperous Ansarees of Bhagalpur are still not able to make ends meet following the riots there; the riots of Malyana were aimed at destroying the growing prosperity of Muslims in Meerut. In short, all this is part of a pre-planned conspiracy against the Muslims’ economic progress and prosperity. ”
[The full article is reproduced below in English translation]

If this is sensible talk, one wonders what the less sensible among us would be saying or doing. Encounters have been fake in the past and will probably happen in the future too. Even apologists of the police in the media do not quite vouch for their credibility. As for Batla House encounter no outsider can say anything for sure. Since a police officer was also martyred in the process, the balance is in favour of the police. There are many questions, however, that need to be satisfactorily resolved. As we have not seen even a charge-sheet yet, there is not much point in speculating. However, in our system, an alleged criminal or terrorist remains innocent until proven guilty in the court of law. Our system, therefore, provides them with legal support in defending themselves if they cannot afford to do that themselves.

However, to infer from a case of possibly false encounter, or even a proven false encounter by overzealous or communal-minded police personnel, that the system (state) has hatched a conspiracy to eliminate all the employed youth of a community that constitutes nearly 15 percent of the total population is truly outrageous. Apparently the protagonists of the state conspiracy and a conspiracy that has been going on since Independence in 1947 do not know what states are capable of doing. They should read the history of Bangladesh; they would learn what the Muslim, indeed Islamic state of Pakistan did to fellow Muslim citizens when they demanded that the verdict of a free and fair elections held by the same Islamic state be implemented. One to three million East Pakistani Muslims killed, almost the entire brain power of the future Bangladesh was eliminated. Pakistan Army hunted educated Bangladeshis, in particular, from professors’ colonies and journalists’ colonies, etc. with a ferocity that remains unparalleled so far. Almost the entire Hindu minority population of Pakistan and Bangladesh has of course been eliminated. Where are the Muslims who ruled Spain for seven centuries? What happened to the Jews of Nazi Germany? Six million killed. History books are strewn with examples, gruesome, indescribably gruesome, instances of what state conspiracies can do.

What crime has the Indian state committed to be reviled so? Or, the Indian system (Nizam), which would presumably include the constitution? Well, it did not declare itself a Hindu state as Maulana Abul Ala Maudoodi, the founder-ideologue of Jamaat-e-Islami and the mentor of SIMI, advised it to do and treat Muslims and other religious minorities as second class citizens. Had it done so, it would not be accused today of hatching conspiracies against the rights of the minorities.

Are you sure? Did Maulana Maudoodi really say that? Well, though a Maulana and capable of the vilest of lies in support of his arguments, even capable of quoting the weakest of Ahadees (sayings of the Prophet known to be concocted) when required by his arguments in favour of purdah, for instance - something that genuine ulema are not supposed to do - Maulana Maudoodi did have moments when he would take his arguments to their logical conclusion. So, for instance, he opposed the so-called Jihad for Kashmir in 1948 and was reviled for that in Pakistan and even sentenced to death eventually. Anyway, this is what one of those most active in the present imbroglio, Ghulam Muhammed of Mumbai posted in his blog not long ago:

Maulana Maududi’s Terrifying Vision for Indian Muslims

Posted: 30 May 2008 06:49 PM CDT

Maulana Maududi’s estranged disciple and Tanzeem-e-Islami chief Dr. Israr Ahmed appearing on the Jawabdeh program of GEO television in 2005 made some startling remarks about Indian Muslims. According to a published report of the program in the liberal Daily Times he reportedly said the following:

In Islamic state non-Muslims would be second-class citizens. He said if India decided after that to declare all Muslims second-class citizens then that would be right too. He said Muslims had fought in India on the claim that they were a different nation. There was no harm if India considered its Muslims a separate nation. [1]

Dr. Israr Ahmed’s lack of concern for the protection of the rights of India’s Muslims is hardly surprising when looked through the prism of the views of his mentor Maulana Abul Ala Maudoodi. Both were comfortable with a possible political scenario in India where the nation’s Muslims were reduced to second class citizens.

In the often cited Munir Commission report Maulana Maududi emphatically said in reply to a query that he will have no problem if Indian Muslims were treated on par with the Malechhas or “untouchables.” He was asked the question, “If we have this form of Islamic government in Pakistan, will you permit the Hindus to base their constitution on the basis of their religion?” He reportedly replied, “I should have no objection even if the Muslims of India are treated in that form of Government as Shudras and Malechhas and Manu’s laws are applied to them, depriving them of all share in the Government and the rights of a citizen. In fact, such a state of affairs already exists in India.”[2]

But the venerable Maulana later on denied making such a statement. In a letter to Dr. Nejatullah Siddiqi, he wrote:

There is a fair amount of distortion in things attributed to me in Munir Report. Actually, I did not say that Manu’s Dharma Shastra be introduced in India, and that I would concur with the treatment of Muslims as Malechhas and Shudras. In fact these were [Justice Muhammad] Munir Sahib’s own remarks which he attributed to me. His question was: “If you want an Islamic government, would you then agree if a Hindu government is formed in India, where Manu’s Dharma Shastra would be introduced.” What I had told him [Justice Munir] was that it is up to Hindus to decide what they wanted to do and what they did not want to do. They will not ask us what form of system they would establish. Our task is to work according to our belief and faith wherever we have the option. As to India, there the Hindus will do whatever they want to whether we agree with them or not.”

Despite the denial there are at least two other instances where the Maulana made known his contempt for Indian Muslims? A booklet titled Jamaat-e-Islami Ki Dawat contains a speech made by Maulana Maududi on May 10, 1947. In it he says:

“It appears now certain that the country will be partitioned. One portion of India will be given to the Muslim majority and the other will be controlled by the non-Muslims. In the first part (Pakistan) we shall mobilize public opinion to base Pakistan’s constitution on the Islamic laws. In the other part we will be in a minority and you (Hindus) will be in a majority. We would request you to study the lives and teachings of Ramchandra, Krishnaji, Buddha, Guru Nanak and other sages. Please study the Vedas, Puranas, Shastras and other books. And if you cull out any divine guidance from these, we would request you to base your constitution on this guidance. We would request you to treat us exactly on the lines of the teachings of your religions. We would raise no objections.” [3]

Further evidence of Maulana Maududi’s disdain for Indian Muslims is evident from his following answer to a question regarding the permissibility of a Pakistani male citizen marrying an Indian Muslim female:

Answer: As far as I know the Quran’s derivative is that there can be no relations of inheritance and marriage between the residents of Darul Islam and Darul Kufr…From now on there should be no marital relations between Indian and Pakistani Muslims.”[4]

This shows that the Maulana not only disregarded the plight of Indian Muslims but also considered them unequal to Pakistani Muslims.

It is the good fortune of Indian Muslims that the founding fathers and the present rulers of India did not heed the calls of Maulana Maududi or an Israr Ahmed. As it is the nation’s imperfect democracy has relegated the community to the most backward status. One can only imagine what would have been the scenario if a theocracy was imposed upon them.

References:
[1] http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_4-10-2005_pg3_3

[2] Report of the Court of Inquiry …to Enquire into the Punjab Disturbances of 1953. (Lahore: Superintendent of Government Printing, 1954), p.228. Cited in Dr. Omar Khalidi’s ‘Between Muslim Nationalists and Nationalist Muslims: Mawdudi’s Thoughts on Indian Muslims. (New Delhi: Institute of Objective Studies, 2004)

[3] Cited in S.E.Hasnain’s Indian Muslims: Challenges & Opportunities (Bombay: Lalvani Publishing House, 1968) pp.51-52.

[4] Mahnama Tarjumanul Quran, September 1951. Cited in Khalid Waheed Falahi’s Hindustan Mein Zaat Paat Aur Musalman. p. 357.

Then, apparently defending and clarifying Maudoodi’s statement, he writes the following:

There is serious flaw in not considering within proper context, Maulana Maududi’s verdict on Muslims that remained back in India, after an ‘Islamic state’ is formed where their religion and their Islamic way of life was to be protected from the kind of discriminations that were the starting point of the demand for a separate state/province for Muslims.

Maulana Maududi (MM) was responding to a question, the notorious kind that journalists invariably ask, more for argument and less for information. MM’s sarcastic line of argument should not be interpreted to mean that he ‘advocates’ or ‘prefers’ harsh treatment of Indian Muslims by their new ‘Hindu’ rulers. He possibly was encouraging them to appreciate the quality of religious and social life they will enjoy in the new Islamic state of Pakistan and at the same time scaring them of the dire consequences of remaining back in ‘Hindu’ India. He was all for Muslims to migrate in the best tradition of our beloved Prophet (PBUH).

At that stage, neither MM not Maulana Israr Ahmed, could have imagined that India, at least legally as per its constitution, would not become a Hindu religious state; even though in practice it already had become a Brahmin dominated state. Religious freedom to some extent was available to Indian Muslims in British rule too. But the thought of British handing effective power to highly communalised Brahmin rulers of independent India, was naturally nightmarish to practically all Muslims across the board, in terms of new religious/political changes in the country.

In the event, even though India is still highly communalised, its legal system, its constitutional safeguards to a large extent, give Indian Muslims a fair chance to rise up and even govern the country, if they can play the political game according to the new rules of the game. If a US or Israel can organise and manage a peaceful ‘regime change’ without firing a single shot; who has stopped the Muslims to get their due in their own land.
( http://ghulammuhammed.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/comments-posted-on-‘indian-muslim’-blogsite/ May 31, 2008)

But do we ever come across a word of gratitude, even gratitude expressed to God, for what “in practice already had become a Brahmin-dominated state” to have not gone the Pakistan way or the Islamic way? Do those Muslims fighting for their cause, no matter how legitimate even remember and remind the common Muslims of the larger perspective? Do we even hear our intellectuals, barring a few, of course, even restrain themselves in the language they use for their perpetual grievance-mongering? We Muslims are taught to express our sense of gratitude to God all the time for what we have, and always before making anew demand. Do you ever notice a sense of gratitude for the fundamental rights our constitution, our system (Nizam) has guaranteed us? The fundamental rights that allow us to fight for our rights and complain against the state authorities when in our reckoning they cross their limits or do not implement the laws of the land as they should be implemented? Do we ever remember the fact that we are lucky to be living as a religious minority in the “Brahmin-dominated state”?

Do we ever wonder what would be our situation if we were living as a religious minority in an Islamic state? Do we ever move our lips or lift our little finger in support of the religious minorities living in Islamic states next door? Well, what to support them, we have hounded out the one Muslim lady who dared to speak for them in Bangladesh? There are so many Hindus and even Hindu ladies who fight for our causes in this country: would we like the Indian system to hound them out of the country and of course, not get any refuge anywhere else, certainly not in a Muslim country? We were ordained Jihad, even Qital, to safeguard religious freedom, religious freedom per se, religious freedom of all people, not the religious freedom of Muslims alone.

We have tens of thousands of mosques and madrasas running throughout the length and breadth of this country, but one of our mosques, a dilapidated and disused one, was demolished by people who were characterised by the Supreme Court as miscreants, and we blew that into an issue of our religious freedom in the country. We have still not solved that problem and allowed it to fester, to our nation’s detriment. Do our intellectuals take time off fighting the system and tell us it is not in our interest to allow a cancer to grow. The mosque is gone. We apparently don’t worship bricks and soil. Bricks too are gone in any case. Why can’t we initiate an amicable solution, as it would be in our own interest too? We need a plot of land to pray, we can pray anywhere in the area. Why do we need to blow it out of all proportion, make it such a big issue, when the country – the system - is allowing us to have as many mosques and madrasas as we wish? (To be continued)

15 October 2008

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The Sword of Terrorism hanging over employed Muslim youth
By Zafar Agha
12 October, 2008

Now-a-days, in any street, at any nook or corner, talk to any Muslim he will be worried about the well-being and survival of Muslim youths - a bleak future that is looming large over their heads, it may be any city, Jamia Nagar-Delhi, Hyderabad, Aligarh, Bangalore, Meerut, Amroha, Nanded and many, many more.

First, higher education or qualifying in competitive examinations was a matter of something happening once in a blue moon. However, as soon as Some Muslim students turned lucky and started qualifying in medical and engineering courses, evil eyes fell upon them and the albatross of terrorism was hung around their neck.

Sometimes, a meritorious student like Atif is killed in a fake encounter in his own house at Batla House or a talented software engineer Mohammad Mansoor Peerbhai is arrested in the name of terrorism from Pune for no crime. Do you want to know what his crime was? According to police Mohammad Mansoor Peerbhai had done a dangerous computer course for sending terrorist e-mails!

The ironical part of this story is that Mohamad Mansoor had taken the computer course at the instance of his employer Zebra Company of Yahoo India.

This information is available in the Indian Express of 8th October 2008, “A software architect who worked in Zebra Company of Yahoo India had taken E2 course for 6 days in Network Security at Banjara Hills, Hyderabad". According to Mansoor's company, it was a corporate training course which he had successfully completed under the able guidance of trained security experts as his company wanted to strengthen its networking security system.

Mohammad. Mansoor Peerbhai was an extremely talented young software engineer who belonged to a highly sophisticated and cultured family. One of his brothers is a reputed doctor in England and another is an architect. He had scored 98% in class XII examination.

Presently, he was working in the famous company YAHOO as Software engineer and drawing a salary of 19 Lakhs per annum, an unimaginable amount for numerous youths in India. What did he not have in his life? He had acquired an enviable career and good reputation in the short span of his life. He was leading a very satisfying life. There was nothing lacking in his life, no room for frustration of any kind. Why should some one like him turn to terrorism?

Now, ironically enough, the same fortunate youth is behind the bars in the name of terrorism. How is it possible? How can one believe that such a youth, who had achieved everything in his life, will be attracted to terrorism? Isn't it incredible that someone like Mohammad Mansoor Peerbhai has been called a terrorist?

The Police and intelligence have not yet provided any conclusive proof against Mohammad Mansoor Peerbhai and until his crime is proved in the court, we will consider him and numerous other young Muslims like him arrested by Maharashtra police as innocent.

Actually, we consider it a grave conspiracy against the Muslim community with the sole aim of pushing the community into the abyss of frustration and hopelessness so that our youth are not able to qualify for good jobs. This conspiracy is not new, it has been going on since 1947 when Muslims were denied jobs in India; indeed, when they went looking or jobs they were asked why they were searching for jobs here in India and why didn’t they go to Pakistan.

But the Muslims continued to fight against all odds and somehow they have managed to educate their children by selling their jewellery and properties. The Muslims had remained estranged from English education for a long time after their defeat by the British. But they have a long tradition of education. Indeed the very first word of the holy Quran that Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) was given as an instruction by Allah is "Iqra” (READ). The passion for learning and moving forward in life brought about the good result in the shape of a great doctor like Mohammad Haneef and a software engineer like Mohammad Mansoor Peerbhai who was earning 19 lakhs per annum. The Indian system (or state, the Urdu word used is Nizam) could not digest this.

The Police and Intelligence of a country reflects the ideology and thinking of the government and the country. A great conspiracy has been going on in India since 1947 simply to break the economic backbone of the Muslims. The Hindu-Muslim communal riots have been the result of pre-planned strategy of the Indian system to deny Muslims economic prosperity.

The Bhiwandi riots were to destroy the Muslims industry there. When the Muslims started sari businesses in Banaras, their businesses were burnt down. Their brass industry was destroyed in Moradabad through police terrorism. The prosperous Ansarees of Bhagalpur are still not able to make ends meet following the riots there; the riots of Malyana were aimed at destroying the growing prosperity of Muslims in Meerut. In short, all this is part of a pre-planned conspiracy against the Muslims’ economic progress and prosperity.

It's the time for you to ponder over your sad plight, think wisely and take an appropriate decision well in time so that you utilise your vote-bank power and utilise it to uproot the destructive forces as you had done in 2004 by throwing the Vajyapaee government out of power. The general election is round the corner, you should be ready to utilise your political might to take revenge from the fascist forces by voting collectively in favour of anti-BJP candidates. Caste politics has finished the Hindu vote bank. The only available vote bank now is that of the Muslims; that is quite obvious according to Sachchar committee report and other investigations.

Anyway, do not worry. By the grace of Allah-e-Kareem, time will prove your innocence even from the serious allegations like terrorism that is being levelled at you. You will pass this test too. Young innocent Muslims like Mohammad Mansoor Peerbhai will certainly get justice. However, you have to use your democratic rights wisely and repeat the collective effort of defeating BJP and its allies in the coming general elections. Then, no one will dare to charge your children with terrorism. As always, my advice is act sensibly, and not emotionally.

Courtesy: Sahafat, Delhi, October 11, 2008
Translated from Urdu by Syed Raihan Ahmad Nezami

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