Why Muslim Ulema's Condemnation Of Udaipur Killing Is Hypocritical: The Real Culprit Is The Post-Quranic Theology Which Sanctions Beheading For Blasphemy

By Arshad Alam, New Age Islam 30 June 2022 The Source Of Such Violence Is Within The Theology; No Aalim Is Willing To Question It Main Points: 1. Terrorism is designed to disrupt modern civic and national life. 2. Barelwi radicalization poses a unique risk as they are the largest sect of subcontinental Muslims. 3. All Muslim organizations have condemned the gruesome murder. 4. But none of them have talked about the need to change the theology or weed out Ahadith that sanction such beheadings. ------ A Hindu shopkeeper (L) was killed in Udaipur by two men (R) over a social media post in support of Nupur Sharma. ----- The brutal killing of Kanhaiya Lal, a tailor, in Udaipur is an act of pure terrorism. The objective of the execution is to silence all those who have a different point of view regarding the issue of blasphemy. This terror works to silence not just Hindus but also those Muslims who have consistently argued that issues like blasphemy should not have any relevance today. It is a terror act also because it partakes in the global trend of using brutal violence to kill or maim anyone who does not believe in maintaining the sanctity of the prophet of Islam. At many places, the effect of this terror has been self-censorship or a dire reluctance to criticize aspects of Islam that one is uncomfortable with. Anyone remotely interested in the existence of modern nation state needs to speak up against this. Simply because a civic national life is not possible without the free exchange of ideas, without a looming threat that one can be killed simply because of speech. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: The Brutal Killing Of A Hindu In The Name Of Blasphemy In Udaipur Rajasthan Is Extremely Shameful, Reprehensible And Anti-Islamic: Muslim Organizations, Ulama And Personalities --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The video, self-shot by the killers, shows a determination in carrying on the act. It was not a spur of the moment decision but a calculated move. In one of the videos, shot on the 17th June, one of the killers already announces his intention of avenging the insult to the honour of the prophet. In this video, Feroze Attari shames the local Muslims for not doing anything while the name of the prophet is being besmirched. In the second video, which was shot after the murder has been committed, he along with Muhammad Ghaus, declare proudly that they have avenged the honour of the prophet and that Muslims elsewhere should follow suit. They declare their love for the prophet, stating that they live and die only for his glory and honour. Muslims have always regarded the way of the prophet (Sunna) along with the Quran as two of the most important sources of fashioning a life of piety. Almost all sects of Islam have high regard for the prophet of Islam. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Indian Muslims For Secular Democracy Condemns In Strongest Terms The Brutal Murder Of Kanhaiya Lal In Udaipur By 2 Muslim Fanatics, Who Have Openly Declared That They Did So For The Love Of The Prophet And Thus Is A Case Of Death For Blasphemy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Over the years, however, the Barelwis have raised their love of the prophet to an almost fanatical devotion. The protection of his honour has become the sole politics through which the Barelwis have been defining themselves in the Indian subcontinent. The cries of Labbaik Ya Rasul Allah is heard from Chittagong to Islamabad, with the singular hope that Barelwi power be recognized as the most important voice of the subcontinental Muslims. And they do not speak in thin air: they constitute the majority of Muslims in South Asia, including in India. Over the years, they have been side-lined by Deobandis who because of their being more urbane, were able to access the state and penetrate different institutions without any resistance. Denied their share in power, the Barelwis of today want this privilege to be reversed. Their path is to anchor their politics around the issue of blasphemy, a theological trope which almost all Muslim governments will find hard to oppose. Both Feroze Attari and Muhammad Ghaus belong to the Barelwi sect. It is claimed that one of them visited Pakistan and was close to the Dawat e Islami, a proselytizing organization that was set up as a parallel to the Deobandi aligned Tablighi Jamaat. If true, then it points to a transnational radical linkage which needs to be thoroughly probed. However, one need not get radicalized by visiting Pakistan, there is enough material available online through which one can become self-radicalized. More importantly, the Barelwis in India have been raising similar slogans in the recent past and it would be worthwhile to understand what influence this has on the average followers of this sect. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Indian Ulema Need To Junk The Islamist Theology Behind Beheading For Blasphemy And Proclaim It Loudly And Repeatedly From All Mosques: Mere Condemnation Of Udaipur Killing Is Not Enough --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just recently, on the 20th of June, a huge rally was organized by Tauqeer Raza, the Barelwi leader to demand the arrest of Nupur Sharma and the slogans of Labbaik Ya Rasul Allah were raised in this rally. Those who think that Barelwis are moderate while Deobandis are the hardliners need to think again. In certain contexts, even the so-called moderates can become extremists. What is more worrisome is that this time we are talking about the majority sect within Muslims wherein even if a small percentage get radicalized, then we will have a major security issue at hand. It is heartening to note that all Muslim organizations have unequivocally condemned the beheading of Kanhaiya Lal. But much more is expected of them since this sanctimonious condemnation alone will not do. They have all underlined the fact that it is illegal and un-Islamic to commit such a murder. They have pointed out that such a penalty is to be awarded only after a due process. Statements like these only underline that none of these Muslim organizations condemn the very idea that blasphemers should be killed. Their only limited criticism is that the it is the state (secular or Islamic) which is the legitimate locus of executing this punishment. In other words, Muslim organizations do not have any problem with the medieval idea that blasphemers should be killed. Almost all of them have demanded a blasphemy law while at the same time arguing that they believe in constitutional democracy! This is like condemning the fundamentalists without condemning the fundamentals. The idea of beheading the blasphemer comes from so called sayings of the Prophet or Hadees. It is not at all a part of the fundamental teachings of Islam. The Quran not only does not expressly mention it, it teaches patience and forgiveness to Muslims and gives instances of the name callings and insults and humiliation the Prophet faced. In fact it says that all prophets had faced insults and humiliations. The hadiths do call for punishment for blasphemy. The Islamic sharia, first codified 120 years after the demise of the Prophet, and which has varied from time to time and place to place, has in some versions upheld the view that such a punishment should be given to anyone who blasphemes. Without questioning the corpus of Islamic scripture, it is not possible to have any informative discussion on the issue. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also Read: Udaipur Beheading: Educated Muslims Say Not In My Name --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today there is a need to say loud and clear that contemporary Islam does not believe in the idea of blasphemy at all. For this, we have to revisit, challenge and discard a theology which still sanctions the killing of blasphemers. The responsibility of doing so rests squarely on the shoulders of Muslim organizations, religious or otherwise. By dodging the issue, they are doing a great disservice to the Muslim community and to India. ----- A regular contributor to NewAgeIslam.com, Arshad Alam is a writer and researcher on Islam and Muslims in South Asia. URL: https://newageislam.com/radical-islamism-jihad/ulema-udaipur-killing-quranic-theology-blasphemy/d/127369 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism