'LOVE JIHAD': Politics Of Cultural Virginity, Islam and Politics, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and Politics

'LOVE JIHAD': Politics Of Cultural Virginity

By Charu Gupta

THE Hindu Right seems to have found a new agenda to arouse passions through the alleged ‘love jihad’ movement, supposed to have been launched by Muslim fundamentalists, to convert Hindu and Christian women through trickery. It is ironical that there is an uncanny resemblance of the issue and its language with similar ‘abduction’ and conversion campaigns launched by Arya Samaj and other Hindu revivalist bodies in the 1920s in north India, to draw sharper lines between Hindus and Muslims. Seen through the prism of a historical perspective, the dichotomy and falseness of the allegations of the Hindu Right appear more starkly.

In the 1920s, militant Hindu assertion reached new heights. There were unprecedented communal clashes in UP. What is significant in the present context is that in this period the Hindu woman’s body became a marker to sharpen communal boundaries in ways more aggressive than before. The period witnessed a flurry of orchestrated propaganda campaigns and popular inflammatory and demagogic appeals by a section of Hindu publicists and Arya Samaj against ‘ abductions’ and conversions of Hindu women by Muslim goondas, ranging from allegations of rape, abduction and elopement, to luring, conversion, love, and forced marriages.

Drawing on diverse sources like newspapers, pamphlets, meetings, handbills, posters, novels, myths, rumours and gossip, the campaign was able to operate in a public domain, and to monopolise the field of everyday representation. Tracts with provocative titles appeared. One was called Hindu Auraton ki Loot , which denounced Muslim propaganda for proselytising female preys.

http://newageislam.com/-love-jihad---politics-of-cultural-virginity/islam-and-politics/d/2030

Islamic militancy: a foreign policy tool of the US and Pakistani establishments, Islam and the West, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and the West

Islamic militancy: a foreign policy tool of the US and Pakistani establishments

December 26, 2008

By Yousuf Nazar

The Pakistani media was quick to dismiss Indian allegations about the complicity of elements from Pakistan in Mumbai attacks. Some channels even carried stories that there was no Aslam Amir in Faridkot, only to contradict themselves later. We need to reflect upon the whole paradigm of 'terrorism'. For this purpose, it is essential to take a holistic view including examination of some important and critical events since 9/11, US's strategic interests in the Middle East and Central Asia, the relationship between the US and Pakistan authorities, and the murky nature of CIA's involvement with the so-called Islamic militants.

In Pakistan, there are two extreme viewpoints. One view sees things through a conspiracy paradigm where India-US-Israel nexus is out to destroy Pakistan and Pakistani establishment is an innocent bystander. The other view sees fundamentalism as purely a home grown issue that has gone out of control. There are elements of truth in both the views. But the reality, as always, is far more complex.

It has been made more complex due to the fact there is big money involved on both the sides. The Americans have poured money into so-called Pakistani think-tanks and media groups. Some of these think-tanks have clear and identifiable linkages to those run by neocons or are directly or indirectly funded by the US government or organisations. Their views are given platforms by large and respected groups such as DAWN and GEO TV without bothering to make disclosures about conflict of interest; a standard practice.

Some of the so-called fundamentalists enjoy cosy relationship with the Arab kingdoms and the Pakistani intelligence agencies. These agencies are very close to the CIA and the Pentagon.

http://newageislam.com/islamic-militancy--a-foreign-policy-tool-of-the-us-and-pakistani-establishments---/islam-and-the-west/d/1103

'Muslims should abrogate verses of war in Islamic Law', Radical Islamism and Jihad, NewAgeIslam.com

Radical Islamism and Jihad

'Muslims should abrogate verses of war in Islamic Law'

By Ida Indawati Khouw

The Jakartapost.com

November 03, 2008

Although Islamic scholars have repeatedly explained that Koranic verses endorsing war and the use of violence only apply in specific circumstances, for example, in justifying defensive violence when fighting against repression, nonetheless contemporary hard-liners continue justifying violent acts using these sacred texts and seek to legitimize their own actions on religious grounds.

"We should think of a way to end this advocacy of violence in the name of Islam. Apologists argue that the problem lies in Muslims having misinterpreted these texts. They refuse to look at the religion in a critical way but suggest a method of contextualization in interpreting these texts (emphasizing that the verses are historically bound to the era in which they were revealed). But I have become tired with this approach."

"The problem is, fundamentalists create context," Guntur explains further: "For instance, they apply the word 'holy war' to the struggle against United States domination. Another example, the hard-liners extend the meaning of 'enemy of Islam' not only to followers of the Jewish faith and Christians but also to Muslims they consider to be cooperating with the 'infidels'. So, they are very 'contextual' in their arguments."

In order to 'rescue' Islam from being tarnished by violent acts, he suggests Muslims should dare to abrogate the Islamic law on war and the use of violence, an approach that is founded on Islamic tradition itself, "Islam acknowledges a method called nasakh, abrogation of law. It is not a popular approach but we can take the step when certain stipulations are no longer applicable to the contemporary context."

http://newageislam.com/-muslims-should-abrogate-verses-of-war-in-islamic-law---/radical-islamism-and-jihad/d/951