12 Indians & Terror Stigma
By MOHAN SAHAY
The dust has just settled over the arrest of 12 Indians by the Dutch Authorities following the scare in the sky aboard North West Airlines. But it has left a bigger question before the world. The West is being accused of discrimination against Muslims who have become suspect in the eyes of the world save the Islamic countries.
The Muslims as a religious community across the world now carry the stigma of
Being supporters of the so called jehad ( holy war ) of Bin Laden variety. Not only that the growing perception is that the Muslims are lending tacit and logistic support to the perpetrators of violence against innocent people. This not wholly true. Neither it is a total lie.
To end this stigma – call it racial or religious bias of the West – the Muslims of the world must unite against the terror. This is easier said than done. The Muslims must see reason and raise their voice against terror as an act of sin against humanity.
The post 9 / 11 period has witnessed a studied silence of majority the Muslims across the world in condemning the attack on the New York World Trade Tower. True, the Americans might be held responsible for two wars against Iraq, the elimination of Talibans in Afghanistan. But the Americans can’t be accused of declaring war against terror and forming a loosely held coalition against terror of which both India and Pakistan are members.
If the Muslims have suffered in the latest conflict in Lebanon at the hands of Tel Aviv, the group responsible for the sufferings of the Lebanese is Hizboulah, the terrorist outfit of Lebanon.
Look at the Indian side of the story. We are fighting terror on our own ground for the past two decades. The perpetrators are mostly Pakistani or Pakistan trained terrorists of Kashmiri origin – all Muslims. It has been alleged by a few commentators and celebrities that India is guilty of bias, discrimination bordering to persecution of some Muslims who were or are being detained on the charges of facilitating violence and murder of innocent people in the country by conniving or / and acting as sleeping modules of the terrorist outfits having their base in Pakistan.
This writer is in full agreement with the observation that India should be thankful to the Dutch authorities for clearing the 12 Indians detained within 48 hours
of any link with terror. The Dutch government should be praised for transperancy and fair justice. If the 12 Indians were handcuffed and treated badly at the time of being whisked out of the plane, it is sheer logic of Police reaction when they detains people on prima facie charge of terror intent. Howsoever innocent the 12 Indians might have been, their conduct and body moement in the sky were sure to invite fear of some mischief and vioence in the air as some passengers suspected and informed the captain of the flight leading the high voltage drama.
Partly this is true that in India the Police and other government agencies lay their hands on some innocent people the Muslims included.This is because the policing in India is still colonial and the Muslims alone are not the victims of the Police excesses. Many Hindus were and are being detained and killed for no crime or offence since the Indian Police has become a force of criminals in uniform.
This monumental violation of human rights in India is all pervasive. But what prevents the Muslims from raising their voice with some courage of conviction in condemning the terrorists and the organizations like the Jaishe – e- Mohammad, the Lashkar-e- Tayba and even Al Qaida of Bin Laden.
Whenever there is attack on temple, on innocent people and there are incidents of Mumbai serial blasts of 1993 and 2006, the saner voice of the Muslims are subdued since the vocal Muslims leaders enjoying clouts with politicians and the government find alibi to rationalize and even justify such terror attacks on India as backlash of the RSS and the Modi cauldron. Such approach is fraught with danger. Instead, the Muslims in India and world over should unite and raise their voice against terror which has been described a small number of Muslims Clerics as un- Islamic. For Islam teaches tolerance and forbearance and not senseless violence and killing of innocent people. Once this voice is heard from the followers of Islam, the stigma attached to the Muslims as a natural class of terror suspect would go.
ends
The dust has just settled over the arrest of 12 Indians by the Dutch Authorities following the scare in the sky aboard North West Airlines. But it has left a bigger question before the world. The West is being accused of discrimination against Muslims who have become suspect in the eyes of the world save the Islamic countries.
The Muslims as a religious community across the world now carry the stigma of
Being supporters of the so called jehad ( holy war ) of Bin Laden variety. Not only that the growing perception is that the Muslims are lending tacit and logistic support to the perpetrators of violence against innocent people. This not wholly true. Neither it is a total lie.
To end this stigma – call it racial or religious bias of the West – the Muslims of the world must unite against the terror. This is easier said than done. The Muslims must see reason and raise their voice against terror as an act of sin against humanity.
The post 9 / 11 period has witnessed a studied silence of majority the Muslims across the world in condemning the attack on the New York World Trade Tower. True, the Americans might be held responsible for two wars against Iraq, the elimination of Talibans in Afghanistan. But the Americans can’t be accused of declaring war against terror and forming a loosely held coalition against terror of which both India and Pakistan are members.
If the Muslims have suffered in the latest conflict in Lebanon at the hands of Tel Aviv, the group responsible for the sufferings of the Lebanese is Hizboulah, the terrorist outfit of Lebanon.
Look at the Indian side of the story. We are fighting terror on our own ground for the past two decades. The perpetrators are mostly Pakistani or Pakistan trained terrorists of Kashmiri origin – all Muslims. It has been alleged by a few commentators and celebrities that India is guilty of bias, discrimination bordering to persecution of some Muslims who were or are being detained on the charges of facilitating violence and murder of innocent people in the country by conniving or / and acting as sleeping modules of the terrorist outfits having their base in Pakistan.
This writer is in full agreement with the observation that India should be thankful to the Dutch authorities for clearing the 12 Indians detained within 48 hours
of any link with terror. The Dutch government should be praised for transperancy and fair justice. If the 12 Indians were handcuffed and treated badly at the time of being whisked out of the plane, it is sheer logic of Police reaction when they detains people on prima facie charge of terror intent. Howsoever innocent the 12 Indians might have been, their conduct and body moement in the sky were sure to invite fear of some mischief and vioence in the air as some passengers suspected and informed the captain of the flight leading the high voltage drama.
Partly this is true that in India the Police and other government agencies lay their hands on some innocent people the Muslims included.This is because the policing in India is still colonial and the Muslims alone are not the victims of the Police excesses. Many Hindus were and are being detained and killed for no crime or offence since the Indian Police has become a force of criminals in uniform.
This monumental violation of human rights in India is all pervasive. But what prevents the Muslims from raising their voice with some courage of conviction in condemning the terrorists and the organizations like the Jaishe – e- Mohammad, the Lashkar-e- Tayba and even Al Qaida of Bin Laden.
Whenever there is attack on temple, on innocent people and there are incidents of Mumbai serial blasts of 1993 and 2006, the saner voice of the Muslims are subdued since the vocal Muslims leaders enjoying clouts with politicians and the government find alibi to rationalize and even justify such terror attacks on India as backlash of the RSS and the Modi cauldron. Such approach is fraught with danger. Instead, the Muslims in India and world over should unite and raise their voice against terror which has been described a small number of Muslims Clerics as un- Islamic. For Islam teaches tolerance and forbearance and not senseless violence and killing of innocent people. Once this voice is heard from the followers of Islam, the stigma attached to the Muslims as a natural class of terror suspect would go.
ends
posted by MOHAN SAHAY at 10:45 PM
2 Comments:
Various Islamic organisations have indeed been condemning terror. But it is also necessary to emphasise the fact that Muslims are not just followers of Islam. They are ordinary people who work, commute, want their kids to do well, search for jobs, etc, with some added dimensions of insecurity bestowed by the history of manipulative communal politics in India. They are victims of terror attacks, they are victims of police suspicion and 'investigation' for terror crimes, and they are victims of communal politics. This vicitimisation must cease, and the community consciously fight victimhood as well
I agree with your observation. The communal politics of India must stop. And greater responsibility lies with the Hindus.
What I stressed in my article is that a loud voice of the Muslims against terror would blunt propaganda against the Muslims.
I have already mentioned about blatant violation of human rights in India and the role of Police in victimising innocent people including the Muslims.
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