[Reader-list] Life in a parallel universe - By Irfan Husain in DAWN

[Kshmendra Kaul]

Dear Javed
 
Your conviction is more important than my convenience. 
 
Your reworded statement now presents a completely different scenario from the one which you had earlier pictured. A factual one too, that   "The media doesn't reflect the deep bias some among Hindu society has been nurturing against Muslims".
 
There is yet another countervailing fact that "The media doesn't reflect the deep bias some among Muslim society has been nurturing against Hindus"
 
Here now is the interesting part. If you replace the two identities with any distinctive mix of groups based on faith, caste, economic class, region etc, you will  again get factual representations.
 
There is not much specialised targetting of or generalised bias against Muslims as a Group as compared with any other Group. Everyone whines that the Media is against them or does not pay enough attention to their problems. Some Hindus will in fact tell you that almost all of the major Media Organisations are owned by or controlled by Muslims and Christians. They will detail the Shareholdings for you. Such conspiracy theories abound.
 
Muslims get targetted by the Media when horrific acts are committed in the  name of Islam or purportedly on behalf of Muslims just as Hindus are targetted by the Media when horrific acts are committed in the name of Hinduism or puportedly on behalf of Hindus.
 
The more the divides are highlighted, the more they will deepen.
 
Do Muslims (as a society) face biases against them as a Minority. Of course they do. Again nothing specific to Muslims. Many "in the Minority" Groups face that all over India, including a "Hindu Minority". 
 
It might be pertinent to point out that the "bias against a Minority" has it's redressal at the level of  each individual State. Specific problems that could be faced by specific minorities to specific extents in each specific State.There is nothing Federal about either the "bias" or a solution for it. It is not a National Issue. 
 
Those who make it a National Issue are politicising the divides and the biases against Minorities. They do more harm than good. They highlight the divides.
 
The more the divides are highlighted, the more they deepen. The greater will be the repercussions.
 
Kshmendra
 

--- On Sun, 12/14/08, Javed <javedmasoo at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Javed <javedmasoo at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Life in a parallel universe - By Irfan Husain in DAWN
To: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com
Cc: "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Sunday, December 14, 2008, 9:29 PM

Kshmendra
Let me re-phrase my sentence for your convinience: instead of saying
Indian society, what I meant was: "The media doesn't reflect the deep
bias some among Hindu society has been nurturing against Muslims".
Does that make it sound better.

And when I posted the news about terrorists having purchased liquor
before attacking in Mumbai, I was asking what sort of Muslim
terrorists were they if they enjoyed alcohol. I maybe wrong, but one
can suppose that such kind of terrorist training (especially in places
like Pakistan/Afghanistan) must involve strict adherence to Islamic
laws, which means not touching alcohol. If they are promised paradise
in return of such deeds (which is why agree to become suicide-squads),
there is no way they should touch alcohol. So, I was only wondering
what sort of Muslims were they?

Javed

On Sun, Dec 14, 2008 at 9:01 PM, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com>
wrote:
> Dear Javed
>
> You are requested that you should not misquote. I did not call you a
dimwit.
>
> I said you cannot be a dimwit and that is why I saw deviousness in your
> seeking to propagate a divide by talking about Muslims as being separate
> from "Indian Society".
>
> If want to go the sympathy seeking route of "Poor Me, he suggested I
am a
> dimwit", that is your choice.
>
> I would rather you realise that you should not have mentioned Muslims as
> being separate from "Indian Society". Unless you were
deliberately being
> devious and want to instigate Indian Muslims. You have not commented on
> that.
>
> You have also not commented on your Zero-Sum proposal of "If JUD then
> Saffronites too".
>
> I apologise if you did not suggest / propagate any conspiracy theory about
> the Mumbai Terror Attacks. I vaguely remember a posting from you
questioning
> if the "terrorists" were Muslims and something about their
stocking alcohol.
> Maybe I misinterpreted. Apologies.
>
> Kshmendra
>
> PS: Incidentally, I quite liked the "Tasveerghar" work. Also I
> thoroughly enjoyed reading your recently posted comments on Iqbal.
>
>
>
> --- On Sun, 12/14/08, Javed <javedmasoo at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: Javed <javedmasoo at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Life in a parallel universe - By Irfan Husain
in
> DAWN
> To: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com
> Cc: "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Date: Sunday, December 14, 2008, 8:23 PM
>
> Dear Kshmendra
> Yes I am a dimwit (if that helps your ego), but I am not a
> troublemaker. I didn't suggest any conspiracy theory about Mumbai. If
> I have to repeat it again and again that "I am against terrorism and
I
> cry for Mumbai victims as much as anyone" then I think anyone who
> doesn't read my mail properly must be equally dimwit.
>
> J
>
> On Sun, Dec 14, 2008 at 7:23 PM, Kshmendra Kaul
<kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>> Dear Javed
>>
>> Regarding the question at the end of your post;Yes you are wrong and
you
> are
>> a troublemaker.
>>
>> In my eyes, your formulations and propagations make you suspect of
devious
>> intentions meant to instigate Indian Muslims. You are their enemy and
not
>> their friend. That is evidenced by your postings on this List.
>>
>> You are one of those people I was refering to when I wrote "some
on
> this
>> List itself have suggested / propagated  bizarre conspiracy theories
about
>> the Mumbai Terror Attacks."
>>
>> The divides that you seek to create become obvious in these words of
yours
>> "the deep bias Indian society has been nurturing against Muslims
at
> the most
>> ordinary levels." You cannot be quite such a dimwit to not know
that
> "Indian
>> Society" includes "Indian Muslims".
>>
>> Your recent convoluted proposal has been "If Pakistan bans JuD,
we
> should
>> demand banning of saffron outfits"
>>
>> What kind of a Zero-Sum game did you propose? Conversely your
suggestion
>> reads "If Pakistan DOES NOT ban JUD, we SHOULD NOT demand banning
of
> saffron
>> outfits"
>>
>> What does our banning or not banning in India of any 'outfit'
have
> to do
>> with what Pakistan does or does not do?
>>
>> Kshmendra
>>
>> --- On Sun, 12/14/08, Javed <javedmasoo at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> From: Javed <javedmasoo at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Life in a parallel universe - By Irfan
Husain
> in
>> DAWN
>> To: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com
>> Cc: "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
>> Date: Sunday, December 14, 2008, 5:50 PM
>>
>> Dear Kshmendra
>> This is not the first time that Muslims are "realizing" that
> Muslim
>> terrorists exist. And this is not the first time that they are
>> "jolted" and are denouncing the acts of terror. I wonder if
you
> have
>> heard about hundreds of peace marches and denouncements done by
>> madarsa students and scholars for last few years.
>>
>> As for the pleasant postscript of no demonizing of Muslims post-Mumbai
>> attacks, what is your criteria? On what basis do you say that. Just
>> because we have arrested one Pakistani boy, the attention has now
>> shifted to Pakistan. If that guy had also died, then everyone would be
>> shouting home-grown, home-grown, home grown terrorists. The media
>> doesn't reflect the deep bias Indian society has been nurturing
>> against Muslims at the most ordinary levels. Go out there and tell
>> someone you have a Muslim name and see how they react. How do they
>> look at you so differently if you wearing a beard and a skull cap. Am
>> I wrong?
>>
>> Javed
>>
>> On Sun, Dec 14, 2008 at 4:31 PM, Kshmendra Kaul
> <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com>
>> wrote:
>>> Irfan Husain talks about 'so many Pakistanis' who are
> 'simply
>> not willing to face the truth.". That could be said about so many
> Indians
>> also of whom some on this List itself have suggested / propagated 
bizarre
>> conspiracy theories about the Mumbai Terror Attacks.
>>>
>>> Worse still are those Indians who fleetingly acknowledge the
>> 'truth' but bury it in a web of words out which they extract
> deductions
>> that suggest "Oh! This was bound to happen. Such terror attacks
are
> logical
>> outcomes of our own policies. We ourselves are majorly to blame for
the
>> attacks
>> on us"
>>>
>>> One pleasantly astounding postscript of the Mumbai Terror Attacks
has
> been
>> that it has seen no communal demonizing of the Muslims of India.
>>>
>>> But it is being directly or indirectly communalised by the above
> referred
>> to Indians who in their intellectually devious jugglery of words and
>> extricated
>> cross-connections seem intent on breaking the solidarity shown this
far by
>> Indians of all hues.
>>>
>>> The Muslims of India and indeed many of Pakistan have been jolted
by
> the
>> Mumbai Terror Attacks and motivated into taking up issues head-on
against
>> the
>> convoluted interpretations of Islam that justify such terror attacks.
They
>> need
>> support in such introspection and efforts. They do not need facile
>> argumentation
>> that finds excuses for or justifications for such terror attacks. That
> will
>> do
>> harm to the Muslims and will do no good
>>>
>>> Kshmendra
>>>
>>>
>>> EXTRACTS:
>>>
>>> - ... there are thousands out there who have developed elaborate
>> conspiracy theories to explain who was behind the recent terrorist
> atrocity
>> in
>> Mumbai.
>>>
>>> - It would seem that millions do not accept the evidence
available,
> and
>> are seeking to fit in the attacks with their world view in which
nothing
> is
>> as
>> it seems; ....... In this parallel universe of smoke and shadows,
reality
>> shifts
>> according to your point of view, and there is no such thing as
objective
>> truth.
>>>
>>> - .....  many Pakistanis are in denial about the extent of the
terror
>> networks active on our soil, and the threat they pose to our country.
>>>
>>> - ..... it is a matter for concern that so many Pakistanis are
simply
> not
>> willing to face the truth.
>>>
>>> - ..... what are our leaders doing to crush the monsters we have
> created
>> ourselves? Surely it is not enough to elicit sympathy for our victim
> status
>> without doing something to change it.
>>>
>>> - .... the conflict over Kashmir is used to legitimise the actions
of
>> groups like the Lashkar-i-Taiba.
>>>
>>> - The ongoing crackdown against a handful of known terrorist
leaders
> and
>> groups will, I fear, result in little except to divert foreign
pressure.
> We
>> have
>> seen that in the past, the same suspects were picked up for brief
stints
> in
>> jail
>> or house arrest, and released as soon as the crisis was over.
>>>
>>> - .... since Zia's destructive decade in the 1980s, a climate
of
>> religious extremism has come to dominate the national agenda. In this
>> environment, a generation of Pakistanis has grown up thinking it is
>> perfectly
>> acceptable to persecute religious minorities, marginalise women and
kill
> in
>> the
>> name of Islam.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> "Life in a parallel universe" - By Irfan Husain
>>> DAWN
>>> 13th Dec 2008
>>>
>>> IF you do a Google search with 'CIA + RAW + Mossad + Mumbai
>> attacks' as your parameters, you will get about 51,200 results.
>>>
>>>
>>> So clearly, there are thousands out there who have developed
elaborate
>> conspiracy theories to explain who was behind the recent terrorist
> atrocity
>> in
>> Mumbai. Some of these theories have even appeared in the letters
column of
>> this
>> newspaper. Sadly, Hamid Gul, the ex-head of the ISI, is one of the
chief
>> proponents of such hare-brained theories. The fact that he rose to
become
> a
>> three-star general makes one wonder about the promotion policies
prevalent
>> in
>> our army.
>>>
>>>
>>> It would seem that millions do not accept the evidence available,
and
> are
>> seeking to fit in the attacks with their world view in which nothing
is as
>> it
>> seems; where we are all manipulated by forces that pull the strings
from
>> behind
>> the scenes; and where we are ultimately helpless to change anything.
In
> this
>> parallel universe of smoke and shadows, reality shifts according to
your
>> point
>> of view, and there is no such thing as objective truth.
>>>
>>>
>>> Over the last week, my inbox has been flooded with at least 300
emails
>> regarding the last two columns I wrote about the Mumbai attacks. I
have
> been
>> attacked for being naïve, as well as a traitor. But I have been
supported
> by
>> other readers for calling a spade a spade. So clearly, there has been
a
> very
>> strong reaction to the gruesome events across the border.
>>>
>>>
>>> I had suggested that many Pakistanis are in denial about the
extent of
> the
>> terror networks active on our soil, and the threat they pose to our
> country.
>> And
>> while we have become accustomed to the growing mayhem they cause
within
> our
>> borders, other countries are not going to put up with their activities
> when
>> their citizens are slaughtered by them. Despite the conclusive
evidence
> that
>> the
>> recent attacks were launched from Pakistan by Pakistanis, many angry
> readers
>> have asked me for proof. Others have accused me of betraying my
country.
>> Luckily, most of these diatribes have been poorly worded and argued,
thus
>> absolving me of the duty to respond.
>>>
>>>
>>> Nevertheless, it is a matter for concern that so many Pakistanis
are
>> simply not willing to face the truth. For unless they do, they will
not
>> demand
>> the change of policy and direction that gave birth to these terror
groups
> in
>> the
>> first place.
>>>
>>>
>>> However, it is important to remember that Pakistanis are not the
only
> ones
>> given to spinning elaborate conspiracy theories to explain the most
>> straightforward events. For example, millions are convinced to this
day
> that
>> the
>> 9/11 attacks were caused by the CIA and/or Mossad. I even came across
a
> guy
>> who
>> said the Japanese were behind the attacks to avenge the atomic bombing
of
>> Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Millions believe that Princess Di was killed
by
> the
>> British secret service at the behest of the royal family because she
was
>> going
>> to marry a Muslim.
>>>
>>>
>>> Most of these fantasies are harmless parlour games that occupy
people
> with
>> lots of time on their hands. But when a country emerges as a focal
point
> for
>> the
>> global jihad, and people across the world are killed as a result of
this
>> terror
>> campaign, clearly responsible leaders are duty bound to take action.
And
> if
>> the
>> leadership of the country concerned is unable or unwilling to act,
what is
>> the
>> rest of the world supposed to do?
>>>
>>>
>>> In our case, the establishment responds to international opinion
and
>> pressure by pleading that Pakistan is the biggest victim of terrorism,
as
>> President Zardari has said in a recent op-ed piece in the New York
Times.
>> This
>> is certainly true, but what are our leaders doing to crush the
monsters we
>> have
>> created ourselves? Surely it is not enough to elicit sympathy for our
> victim
>> status without doing something to change it.
>>>
>>>
>>> Since it is not easy to close our eyes to the reality of terrorism
in
>> Pakistan, given the grisly toll it exacts almost daily, many
Pakistanis
> find
>> all
>> kinds of reasons to explain and justify it. These range from Palestine
to
>> Iraq
>> to Afghanistan, and are seen by both right and left as a legitimate
> response
>> to
>> western attacks on Muslim lands. Closer to home, the conflict over
Kashmir
>> is
>> used to legitimise the actions of groups like the Lashkar-i-Taiba.
>>>
>>>
>>> What many Pakistanis forget is that these terror groups are more
> lethal
>> for us than they are for other countries. How, for example, would the
LeT
>> have
>> furthered the cause of Kashmir by vicious attacks on soft targets in
> Mumbai?
>> The
>> fact is that in purely tactical terms, the killing of innocent
civilians
>> does
>> not gain any cause any support.
>>>
>>>
>>> The ongoing crackdown against a handful of known terrorist leaders
and
>> groups will, I fear, result in little except to divert foreign
pressure.
> We
>> have
>> seen that in the past, the same suspects were picked up for brief
stints
> in
>> jail
>> or house arrest, and released as soon as the crisis was over.
>>>
>>>
>>> One problem that we do not examine closely enough is the fact that
> since
>> Zia's destructive decade in the 1980s, a climate of religious
> extremism has
>> come to dominate the national agenda. In this environment, a
generation of
>> Pakistanis has grown up thinking it is perfectly acceptable to
persecute
>> religious minorities, marginalise women and kill in the name of Islam.
>>>
>>>
>>> It is this acceptance of an extremist mindset that has created
> limitless
>> space for terror groups to thrive in. Add to this outlook the disputed
>> border
>> with Kashmir and the porous (and also disputed) frontier with
Afghanistan,
>> and
>> you get a scenario for sanctioned mayhem. The final ingredient in this
>> lethal
>> cocktail is a tottering economy that is simply not capable of
generating
>> gainful
>> employment for millions of young Pakistanis.
>>>
>>>
>>> But the rest of world is not interested in these problems. It
wants
>> Pakistan to crack down on terror groups now, and put them out of
> commission.
>> However, given the lack of a national consensus and the political
resolve
>> needed
>> to combat this menace, it is difficult to see the PPP-led government
> taking
>> strong action, especially if the army is not solidly onside.
>>>
>>>
>>> And here's the rub: for over two decades, the military and our
>> intelligence agencies have been using many of these militants to fight
> their
>> proxy wars. Many retired officers have developed personal and
ideological
>> links
>> with the groups they handled while in uniform. To expect all this to
> change
>> overnight is to demand too much of the fledgling democratic
government.
>>>
>>>
>>> irfan.husain at gmail.com
>>> http://www.dawn.com/weekly/mazdak/20081213.htm
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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