[Reader-list] Fwd: "Muslims must quit UK armed forces"

[Rakesh Iyer]

Dear Kshamendra ji

I have some views to express on the remarks you made:

1) I think the question has to be of freedom of speech. Since the cleric has
gone to a place where there is freedom of speech and has used it to express
his views, I don't think we should be critical of that fact. If you feel
that the cleric has misused this freedom, then you are welcome to have the
view (and you have the right as well to express it). But I don't think we
can or should stop him from making that statement.

And we should certainly not ban it by saying he has no business saying it.
He has said it, but if we don't believe in it, we can express the same.

2) If people are suspected for being terrorists just because they don't
express their opposition to it, then those considering so have some problem
with their minds, and it's that which has to be tackled. Let me state as to
why opposition to terrorism doesn't have to be shown publicly:

i) Firstly, when you don't oppose something, it doesn't mean that you accept
it or welcome that incident when it is happening or when it happens. It may
be so that you are in fear and hence don't oppose. (For example, there may
be Marathi manoos who may be afraid of protesting Raj Thackeray as they may
fear from their lives. Does that mean Marathis welcome everything what Raj
says?) Similarly,  it is also possible that you may not be inclined to any
political view at all, infact you may even consider politics as nonsense
(which some of our elitist class also believes).

There can be other possibilities as well. This is something we must take
into consideration.

ii) Secondly, there is no use protesting wrong doings by people who haven't
taken the responsibility of protecting people. When a terrorist attacks the
Taj hotel, even assuming I do oppose the terrorist action, what's the use
anyway? Will the terrorists listen to me, reflect and ponder upon their
action, and then decide in future not to conduct any more terror attacks?
Will that happen? If that were the case, after every terror attack, we have
scores of Indian politicians who are condemning terror blasts, and by this
time the conscience of the terrorists should have been awakened by now.
That, unfortunately, is not going to happen.

Then what do we do? We question the state, which is responsible for
protecting us. Since the state defines this right as per the Constitution,
we ask questions as to why the state apparatus failed. Which is why there is
no use saying that since Muslims don't condemn terrorist action, we should
call Muslims as traitors.

These are the two arguments I have for those people, who believe that
Muslims should condemn traitors, or they will be considered as terrorists.

3) I think there are some interesting questions asked like 'Are Muslims
allowed to kill Muslims' and others. I think what is critical is to ask
people to spell out their value judgements. On that count, I feel these are
nice questions, if they can help us in getting to the answer. We can at
least know whether this man is a 'peacenik', or does it mean he is just
saying only Muslims should not be killed.

However, I am not going to read much into that other than what I have stated
above. Every Muslim is not a follower of this cleric, and besides, all
people are not fools. Hence, I would leave it to just questioning in order
to know explicitly the values which make the person say the particular
things.

4) You have stated that Islam and politics are not mixed for a non-Islamic
country. You probably forgot what Gandhi had practiced in this country long
before India even became independent. Not only Islam, any religion and
politics are always mixed, simply because religion is political.

To explain what I mean by that, it's this. Politics, according to me, is
simply a few minds (and here it could be simply even two people or more than
two) trying to come to a consensus or setting an agenda which is acceptable
to them. Religion also does that. Which religion doesn't involve practicing
politics?

There's only faith which doesn't practice politics. Faith is personal, and
hence can't be political. You don't force others to convert and follow your
faith, you do that for religion.

Gandhi is a shining example of how Hinduism was mixed in a positive manner
with the freedom movement. And VHP is another example of how Hinduism can be
misused to start an anti-Islamic propaganda among Hindus.

5) This is what happens if you keep quoting things completely out of
context.

Here is a quote from a participant in the ongoing congregation of Muslims
(Tablighi) in Raiwind, Pakistan, ranting against the Taliban:

"""" ‘They call those who refuse to follow their brand of Islam infidels,
not knowing they are inviting the wrath of Allah the almighty by killing
Muslims, which I call an unholy crusade, """"

Note that. Allah's wrath is incurred if Muslim kills Muslim. It becomes an
'unholy crusade'. What happens when Muslim kills Non-Muslim? What defines a
"holy crusade" ?


I have just one thing to ask. They are fighting the Taliban, and in the
region they are fighting, there are only or mostly Muslims living there,
with very few people belonging to other minority sections like Hindus and
Christians. What's wrong if they just mention Muslims?

I would request you for one more thing. Be open minded. I am sorry to
mention this in public. But the fact is that you are seeing demons in places
where there may or may not be demons at all. Then how can we start
questioning like this?

We don't know whether the participant thinks of himself as a human being or
only a Muslim, and we have judged the perceptions without even thinking
about it at all. What you have said may be true, but so also it may be
false. What's the use of this then?

We should be sure enough about the reality and the value systems a
particular individual is following, before making such comments. Till we
don't have proof against this participant that he only cares about Muslims
not getting killed, I don't think making such allegations is fair on your
part.

But yes, you are free to throw this request this in the dustbin and shower
abuses.

A humble request to others as well.

Rakesh