Rethinking Islam with Sultan Shahin

Urdu Section

10 Nov 2010, NewAgeIslam.Com

Attacks on the Sufi Islam in Pakistan

What target do the terrorists want to achieve by attacking the mazars of the Sufis? The Islam which is seen in the subcontinent is the gift of the Sufis and the attackers targeting their mazars do not deserve even to be called human beings let alone Muslims. The followers of these Sufis form a clear majority in the subcontinent but Al Qaida, Tehreek Taliban Pakistan and other terrorist organisations of Pakistan are critically opposed to this concept of Islam and consider it as a big obstacle in the spread of their jihadi ideology....

We should not ignore the fact that the Sufi culture of Kashmir is also on the agenda of these terrorist organisations. In the past too there have been attempts to incite people on sectarian lines there but the people foiled their conspiracies. The turmoil going on for the last four months in the valley has also boosted the morale of the separatists but the majority of the Kashmir people has realised that violence is not the solution to any problem. -- Nusrat Ali

(Translated from Urdu by New Age Islam Edit Desk)

Attacks on the Sufi Islam in Pakistan

By Nusrat Ali Translated from Urdu by New Age Islam Edit Desk The terrorist attacks on the mazars of Data Ganjbaksh and Abdullah Shah Ghazi and now on the mazar of Baba Farid Ganjshakar has shocked the Muslims not only in the subcontinent but of the whole world. Six people were killed and several were injured including women in these attacks. What target do the terrorists want to achieve by attacking the mazars of the Sufis? The Islam which is seen in the subcontinent is the gift of the Sufis and the attackers targeting their mazars do not deserve even to be called human beings let alone Muslims. The followers of these Sufis form a clear majority in the subcontinent but Al Qaida, Tehreek Taliban Pakistan and other terrorist organisations of Pakistan are critically opposed to this concept of Islam and consider it as a big obstacle in the spread of their jihadi ideology. Baba Farid’s mazar is in Pakistan but he has deep relations with India. All the Sufi monasteries of India are associated with the dargah of Baba Farid. Even the construction of his dargah was done under the personal supervision of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia. He is considered the first poet of Punjabi language. Guru Gobind Singh had included all his chaupais in Guru Granth Sahab. His name is included on the list of the 15 Bhakt Gurus of the Sikhs. Ibn Batuta has also mentioned his name as a great Sufi. There is no doubt that the satanic chain of bomb attacks on the mazars of the Sufis of Islam is the part of a dangerous plan. It is a conspiracy to bathe the great Indian subcontinent in blood and an unholy game of stoking the religious and sectarian fire. Pakistani rulers have failed miserably in stopping this game. The ruling section is unable to gauge the gravity of this conspiracy. The government institutions are paying more attention to the so-called war on terror but are unaware of the state of affairs in their own backyard where another Afghanistan is in the making. They do not have the courage to confront the real terrorists. Several organisations in India have condemned the attack on Baba Farid’s mazar. All India Ulema and Mashaikh Board has condemned the attack in the harshest terms and demanded strong action from the Pakistan government. The Board has stated that those attacking dargahs and spreading terror in the name of Islam cannot be Muslims. Muslim Students Organisation of India General Secretary Shah Nawaz Warsi said that the people attacking the mazars of the Sufis were killing the soul of Islam. He added that by attacking the mazars they have made it clear that they have no relations with Islam. The General Secretary of All India Jamaat Reza-e-Mustafa Maulana Shahabuddin Bareillvi said that Taliban were regularly attacking dargahs in Pakistan but the government was not taking any action. The Sajjada Nashin of Dargah Hazrat Nizamuddin Syed Aziz Nizami said that Baba Farid did not belong to any single country. He is known for peace and fraternity all over the world. The attack on his dargah was an attack on humanity. We should not ignore the fact that the Sufi culture of Kashmir is also on the agenda of these terrorist organisations. In the past too there have been attempts to incite people on sectarian lines there but the people foiled their conspiracies. The turmoil going on for the last four months in the valley has also boosted the morale of the separatists but the majority of the Kashmiri people has realised that violence is not the solution to any problem. The Kashmir Conference held in the Ram Lila Maidan in Delhi on the 31st October has also sent the same message to the Kashmiri people that all the Muslims of the country want a solution within the framework of the Constitution because as a citizen the interests of the Muslims of the country are not different from their interests. A peaceful and democratic process alone can defeat anti-national elements. Source: Sahafat, New Delhi URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamUrduSection_1.aspx?ArticleID=3662