Muslim Indians are Warriors Against Terror

Islam,Terrorism and Jihad

27 Mar 2009, NewAgeIslam.Com

Muslim Indians are Warriors Against Terror

Muslims consider India as their own country to love, to live in and to die for.   The terror groups' interpretation of the verses of Quran and definition of Jihad are fiercely being disputed by Muslim communities all over the world and Muslim Indians are at the forefront of such anti-terror campaign. Muslim Indians' role in challenging the terrorist group's interpretation of Islamic scriptures has been acknowledged and lauded internationally. The condemnation of terrorists and statements and fatwas against them is ceaseless. Muslim Indians have always been maintaining that what these terror groups have been calling jihad is no jihad at all. In fact, Muslims in India have coined the word "fasad" for their murderous doings. Every act of these fasadis has been squarely condemned by Muslim Indians.    Muslims of Mumbai have ostracized the Pakistani terrorists who attacked their city on 26/11 and refused to bury them. Denial of a burial to the dead is considered reprehensible in Islam and participating in the burial of even a stranger is considered noble. Perhaps the Muslim Indian community has risked the wrath of the world Muslim community for passing this harshest castigation of the felled Muslims. The fury of Mumbai Muslims was too fierce to care. -- Dr.Mookhi Amir Ali, Mumbai URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1277 ------------------------------     Muslim Indians Must Be Trusted As Warriors Against Terror   Muslims consider this as their own country to love, to live in and to die for.   Dr.Mookhi Amir Ali, Mumbai   The Vishva Hindu Parishad in a letter to 13 Muslim bodies demanded that Indian Muslim clergy declares that Hindus are not kafirs and therefore jihad does not apply to them. Also that India is Dar ul Aman and therefore no jihad should be waged against it.    Most Muslims bodies have expressed displeasure at the letter calling it illogical and malicious. Now, as Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind stated, if we take the literal meaning of the word Kafir there is nothing derogatory in it. The word Kafir is derived from Arabic "kufr" meaning suppression or non-acceptance of truth or to disbelieve. If X does not believe what Y believes and Y does not believe what X believes; they are Kafirs in the eyes of each other. The President of All India Muslim Majlis–e- Mushawwarat Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan has succinctly explained this without mincing words. He says Muslims are kafirs to Hindus and vice versa. The first doesn't believe what the other believes and the other does not believe what the first believes. To each his own religion! That should not stop them from sharing a cup of tea at the corner stall.   However, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, rightly again, suggests that the perceived meaning of the word "kafir" being somewhat like the meaning of the word "mallechh" used for Muslims which is indeed very derogatory, it is best that the word is not  used to describe anybody. It is the case of the wrong usage of the word changing its meaning. As an example, the word "Miyan" is a highly respectful word. "Aapke miyan kaise hai?" one would ask a lady politely. Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan is respectfully addressed and referred to as "Miyan". But Narendra Modi has totally changed the meaning of "Miyan" in Gujarat. "Miyans" are referred to with great disdain and contempt in Gujarat.   Besides, VHP and others should not go by the terrorists' meaning and definition of the words. Hindus or anyone else by virtues of being non-believers in what Muslims believe do not automatically become targets of jihad.   The terror groups' interpretation of the verses of Quran and definition of Jihad are fiercely being disputed by Muslim communities all over the world and Muslim Indians are at the forefront of such anti-terror campaign. Muslim Indians' role in challenging the terrorist group's interpretation of Islamic scriptures has been acknowledged and lauded internationally. The condemnation of terrorists and statements and fatwas against them is ceaseless. Muslim Indians have always been maintaining that what these terror groups have been calling jihad is no jihad at all. In fact, Muslims in India have coined the word "fasad" for their murderous doings. Every act of these fasadis has been squarely condemned by Muslim Indians.    Muslims of Mumbai have ostracized the Pakistani terrorists who attacked their city on 26/11 and refused to bury them. Denial of a burial to the dead is considered reprehensible in Islam and participating in the burial of even a stranger is considered noble. Perhaps the Muslim Indian community has risked the wrath of the world Muslim community for passing this harshest castigation of the felled Muslims. The fury of Mumbai Muslims was too fierce to care.   VHP's concern for the nation deserves praise. Even if one questions the credentials of the VHP to talk on behalf of the Hindu community or the Indian nation there is no harm in addressing those concerns.The VHP and the allied organizations should rest assured that this country is as much dear to Muslims as it is to them. Issuing a fatwa on this issue at present serves no purpose. Still one Muslim seminary issued a fatwa declaring India a Darul Aman and explaining the meaning of Kafir. This fatwa has humoured the Hindu group and avoided confrontation. Beyond that it has served little purpose. If this fatwa was put up as a huge hoarding at Gateway of India on 26/11, it would not have made the ten terrorists take a u-turn.   Surely VHP and the like minded groups have their ears to the ground. It is, therefore, reasonable to presume that they are aware of the great churning taking place in the Muslim community. The Quranic interpretation by the jihadis is severely being questioned. The moderates among Muslims are slowly but surely prevailing upon the mullahs and the conservatives to have a second look at the meaning of Quran as it is hitherto understood. In the present circumstances it has become necessary to highlight the fact that the concept of Darul Harb and Darul Islam etc has come to be mentioned many years after the Prophet. This concept  has no place in Quran or the tradition of Prophet. There are numerous verses on which the interpretations differ very drastically. Efforts are being made to promote such interpretation which prevents inter-communal strife.   An assembly of Muslim clerics, Ittehad-e-Millat, in December 2008 stated that the blot of Islamic terrorism would have to be removed by Muslims themselves – We will have to forget about Deobandi, Barelvi, Wahabi, Sunnis or Shias and act as one body against the scourge of terrorism. We will have to stop the terrorist outfits from using our children for their murderous plots in the name of Islam   At the present juncture of history when the talibans are set to be our next door neighbors it is extremely important that the country stands like one nation. The internal strifes need to be eliminated. If, God forbid, Talibans becomes our neighbours the cross border terrorism is bound to rise. Unless the Hindu and the Muslim community understand each other the seeds of communal discord will be sown from across the border. Already in some states communal harmony has been sacrificed at the altar of political gains.The organizations like VHP and Sangh Parivar must learn to trust Muslims.   By issuing the letter like the one they sent they are only giving the impression that they cannot accept the fact that Muslims are not hand in glove with the terrorists and that the terrorists do not have their endorsement. The letter which they have sent hardly sounds like a plea to Muslims to allay their legitimate anxieties. The tenor of the language is threatening and pushing the Muslim community against the wall. It is surprising that the VHP is not realizing that issuing such a letter frustrates the efforts of the moderate Muslims to inculcate national spirit among the Muslim youth.   Putting Muslims in the dock, this way, only goes to make the uneducated, unemployed, and poor Muslim youth more vulnerable to indoctrination and recruitment by the terror outfits. In a few cases in which Muslim young boys have been involved, the terror groups have invoked Babri Masjid and Gujarat carnage to instigate the boys. Who will deny that the events in Gujarat in 2002 and subsequent sequestration of Muslim community in Gujarat were responsible for the birth of Gujarat Revenge Group? Here the observation of Julio Ribeiro, the former Commissioner of Mumbai police is worth mentioning. Soon after Gujarat carnage, standing in Ahmedabad's Shah Alam relief camp talking to the victims of the Gujarat riots, the Super Cop had expressed the fear that unless justice is given to the victims of the atrocities they would turn into criminals or take to terrorism.   It should be understood that one boy recruited by the terror group can neutralize a thousand Muslims' fight against terrorism.   Hindu and Muslim communities should close rank and see that the efforts of the terror outfits to recruit our boys are frustrated. Little will be gained by constantly pointing accusing fingers at Muslims. The Sangh Parivar should understand that Muslims are potential warriors against terrorists. They should not be seen as potential terrorists. For that they need to embrace Muslims and acknowledge that Muslims consider this as their own country to love, to live in and to die for. URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=1277