[Reader-list] INDIA: Others Among Us

Wed Oct 8 17:56:46 IST 2008

Dear Kshmendra,

Furthermore, you may want to read this excellent post by "An Indian
Muslim" which answers the questions you raise. S/He is not responding
specifically to your post but the some points. The co-incidence says
something about how widespread this cliche of Muslims and liberals not
condemning 'Islamic terrorism' must be.

http://www.anindianmuslim.com/2008/09/muslims-against-terrorism.html

Best,
Shivam

On Sun, Oct 5, 2008 at 9:57 PM, Shivam Vij शिवम् विज्
<mail at shivamvij.com> wrote:
>
> Dear Kshmendra,
>
> As a Hindu I think it is first and foremost important for me to speak
> out against those who use violence in the name of "Hindus". Only then,
> I think, do I have the right to speak against acts of political
> violence by others.
>
> Secondly, there is no dearth of denunciation of acts of political
> violence by Muslims. You are saying that there is a dearth, and
> stating it as a fact. But it is a perception. There have been any
> number of public denunciations of terrorism by Indian Muslims and
> Indian Muslim organisations including Islamic seminaries. The media
> doesn't give them much space as Inder says, but to the extent it does
> it seems you don't take note. See for instance:
> http://www.indianmuslims.info/documents/declaration_all_india_anti_terrorism_conference.html
>
> I completely agree with you when you write, "the greatest harm that is
> done to Hindus and Muslims is by those voices who try to rationalise
> with some or the other excuse the indulging in 'terrorism' by the the
> Hindus and Muslims in the name of their respective religions." Tell
> me, how many op-eds, posts etc have you seen, whether by the truly
> secular or the untruly secular, saying that the recent bomb blasts by
> the "Indian Mujahideen" are justified as they are a result of Gujarat
> 2002? After all the "Indian Mujahideen" state in their emails that
> they are avenging Gujarat 2002. So they are merely following Modi's
> interpretation of Newton's laws. But tell me, how many
> 'Muslims'/'Secularists'/'Intellectuals' have justified/not condemned/
> explained away the IM attacks thus?
>
> best
> shivam
>
>
>
>
> On Sun, Oct 5, 2008 at 7:17 PM, Kshmendra Kaul <kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Some thoughts for Naeem. Some for everyone.
> >
> > FOR NAEEM
> > Naeem, it is interesting that what you could find quotable in the article to serve as an introduction to your posting was the line:
> >
> > """""" even "famous Muslims" find it difficult to find a house.""""""""
> >
> > Tells me how your mind works and with what intent you posted this.
> >
> > As an Indian what I registered as noteworthy were the words:
> >
> > """""" I am still haunted by the words of that man in Thane "Where will I go? This is the place where I was born. This is the place I will die."  """"""""""
> >
> >
> > FOR EVERYONE:
> > There is some "Hindu Terrorism" in India - 'terrorism' in the name of Hinduism or directly linked to the Hindu Identity of the perpetrators.
> >
> > Thankfully for India, there are more than many people including Hindus who highlight it, analyse it, forcefully and vehemently denounce it and campaign against it. These voices include ordinary people as well as opinion-makers and opinion-generators.
> >
> > There is also some "Islamic Terrorism" in India - 'terrorism' in the name of Islam or directly linked to the Islamic Identity of the perpetrators.
> >
> > For me as an Indian, what is missing are the voices including those of Muslims and of ordinary people and opinion-makers and opinion-generators who would highlight it, analyse it, forcefully and vehemently denounce it and campaign against it.
> >
> > If the voices are 'truly secular', they would be voices common for the denouncement of and campaigning against both "Hindu Terrorism" and "Islamic Terrorism", voices of equal fervour and frequency for both denouncements.
> >
> > The greatest harm that is done to India, the greatest harm that is done to Hindus and Muslims is by those voices who try to rationalise with some or the other excuse the indulging in 'terrorism' by the the Hindus and Muslims in the name of their respective religions.
> >
> > Kshmendra
> >
> >
> >
> > --- On Sun, 10/5/08, Naeem Mohaiemen <naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > From: Naeem Mohaiemen <naeem.mohaiemen at gmail.com>
> > Subject: [Reader-list] INDIA: Others Among Us
> > To: "Sarai Reader List" <reader-list at sarai.net>
> > Date: Sunday, October 5, 2008, 1:07 PM
> >
> > ...even "famous Muslims" find it difficult to find a house."
> >
> >
> > Others Among Us
> > By Suroor Mander
> >
> > 04 October, 2008
> > Countercurrents.org
> >
> > I opened newspapers today, to be frank, after many days. Newspaper
> > after newspaper had articles on Eid. It had to be, Eid was just
> > yesterday (October 2). I went through article after article, my heart
> > sinking as I read. What have we done I wondered. So much fear in
> > Muslim community, that too in secular India, on Gandhi Jayanti.
> >
> > It seems as if the community is under siege, trying hard to keep
> > watchful eyes at bay. Speeches from every Imam, cries from every
> > Muslim ghetto begging people accept them.
> >
> > It isn't as if these voices weren't around earlier they just became
> > more prominent after the Jamia encounter in the heart of the national
> > capital. Floodgates opened. Every Muslim who could write, be it
> > teachers, journalists, techies tried every forum – the newspapers,
> > internet, television, in one way or another imploring people to stop
> > hating them. They tried hard to explain that they weren't the
> > terrorists, some even adding that those young boys also might not have
> > been terrorists. The more I would read, the more I was disgusted with
> > us.
> >
> > What have we done? We have let the Hindutva forces win. Golwarkar
> > didn't want the Muslims to be banished to another land or
> > exterminated; they wanted them to live in fear as second class
> > citizens.
> >
> > Since when was it a curse for people to believe in their faith? Why it
> > is so bad if the Muslims believe in their faith, staunch about their
> > namaaz, rozas guided by the tenets of their religion, aren't all
> > believers? Hindus who pray everyday, leaving their house with a tika
> > or stop eating meat and other things during Navratras etc aren't
> > viewed with contempt then why Muslims? If secular Indian gives Hindus
> > the freedom to walk out of their homes with Tikas, then why do we
> > stare at every skull capped and bearded Muslims?
> >
> > We have forced a community to stand up and condemn every act allegedly
> > done by their fundamentalists; expecting this from the educated, the
> > literate, the clerics and the ignorant. However, we don't have any
> > such expectation from Hindus against violence perpetuated by
> > fundamentalists from their community.
> >
> > We are thriving on the grief of terrified mothers beseeching people to
> > give their children a chance to access justice; gloating on the fact
> > that even "famous Muslims" find it difficult to find a house."
> > Strangely none of this has horrified us. We are happy to let the
> > community reiterate their secular identity while none of us ever have
> > to.
> >
> > We have become complacent in this hate, allowing our silences to be
> > read as our consent. If we truly believe in the secular identity of
> > this country we have to actively voice our dissent against hate.
> >
> > I am still haunted by the words of that man in Thane "Where will I go?
> > This is the place where I was born. This is the place I will die." I
> > wonder how many agonised voices it would take for us to speak what our
> > hearts feel.
> >
> > Suroor Mander is attached to the NGO Aman Biradari in new Delhi.
> > _________________________________________
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> >
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>
> --
> National Highway - http://shivamvij.com/