Fighting Against Stereotypes in India
“Stop denigrating Muslims as terrorists and madrasas as factories of terrorism”.
That was the cry by Muslim and Muslim leaders in India as a response to the increasing suspicion by the majority community on them.
In the past few weeks, there has been an increasing suspicion among global community, especially the West, about Islam and Muslim community. In Britain, there have been reports about the eagerness of the authority to rein in the terror threats from fundamentalist groups (read: Muslim radicals). In India, where more than 13 million Muslims live as a minority in a democratic state, the situation is no difference.
Let’s take the following illustrations as examples of this phenomenon. Following the failed plot to blow up several airlines mid-air early this month, the British police took immediate actions by arresting 24 British Muslims of Asian decent for their “suspected” involvement in the failed plot. Two weeks later, only eight out of that 24 initially arrested were formally charged with conspiracy to murder and plotting acts of terrorism, and another three for lesser crime.
In India, the Mumbai police have since detained hundreds of young Muslims following the train blasts in the Indian economic capital last month. Even though no clear headway has been made so far in the investigation of the blasts, this aggressive action by the authority has created fear and resentment among Muslim community in India. The arrests that precede investigations and the media projection on Indian Muslim community have somehow deepened the popular stereotype in India that whenever terrorist strikes, Muslims must be a part of it.
It is in the view of these recent incidents, both in India and globally, that recently, Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Hind, India’s premier organization of Muslim clerics, organized a convention on terrorism in New Delhi to try to quash this Muslim stereotyping. It aims at seeking ways to defeat radical ideologies that attract Muslim youth to terrorism.
Attending the conference were prominent leaders of Indian Muslims like Maulana Asarul Qasmi, Maulana Fuzailur Rehman Hilal Usmani and Maulana Matinul Haque Osama as well as government representative, the Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, P.R. Dasmunshi. PM Manmohan Singh also attended this conference.
Indian Muslim leaders complained that instead of adopting the role of an objective and neutral medium in disseminating news about events and ideas relating to Islam and Muslims, the Indian government and the media had played a subservient role to the western perception: Islamophobia. Thus it urged the government to introduce curbs for biased and partisan projection of Muslims in India following the latest terror attack on trains in Mumbai that killed more than 200 lives and injuring many others.
Responding to this plea, the government promised to conduct more regular dialogues between Muslim community and the central and state governments to address their concerns and make them a partner to face the terrorist challenge as well as to correct the wrong impressions in the mindsets of the majority community about Islam and Muslim community in India. Concrete steps have been announced by the government in which a conference of chief ministers will soon be convened by the central government where corrective steps in this matter will be formulated.
Furthermore, PM Singh cautioned against the tendency to suspect an entire community for the handiwork of a handful of extremists. He also said that the police forces should guard against painting the entire community with the same brush while probing incidents of terrorist violence. Being a Sikh himself, he drew a parallel of the current situation faced by the Indian Muslims with the Punjab experience in the 1980s when all Sikhs were branded as terrorists due to the terrorist activities by a group in the Sikh community.
Similarly the Indian media that has been playing quite prominent role in this stereotyping should use their freedom to clear the misconceptions about the matter. They should go for a deeper probe into what started it all instead of aping the West in demonizing Islam and branded anyone a terrorist.
In the conclusion of the conference, the Muslim leaders agreed to disapprove terrorism in any forms and pledge to cooperate with each other to maintain peace and tranquility in the country.
It is an open secret that almost everyone is agreed that the fight against terrorism is one of hearts and minds. Not only will we not win them by clod-hopping investigation that paints an entire community as villains like the illustrations above, we will also lose many. Concrete steps promised by the Indian government to engage actively and understand the issues faced by the Indian Muslim community are good and promising steps in this direction. Similarly, the Muslim community should not be in denial about the fact that radical elements do exist in the community, or other communities in India. They have to work hard to eliminate this element.
Thus, closer cooperation with each other and active supports from the government as well as an objective and non-biased media will help in the successful fight against this stereotyping. Moreover, in democracy, dialogue to build a consensus is the key in solving problems. Since India is the largest democracy in the world in which democratic traditions have entrenched quite deeply in the Indian culture, it would not be difficult for India and Indian community as a whole to achieve this goal and preserve peace and tranquility in the country.
It was published in The Jakarta Post, Monday, 28 August 2006. The published version was Indian Muslims against Stereotypes
That was the cry by Muslim and Muslim leaders in India as a response to the increasing suspicion by the majority community on them.
In the past few weeks, there has been an increasing suspicion among global community, especially the West, about Islam and Muslim community. In Britain, there have been reports about the eagerness of the authority to rein in the terror threats from fundamentalist groups (read: Muslim radicals). In India, where more than 13 million Muslims live as a minority in a democratic state, the situation is no difference.
Let’s take the following illustrations as examples of this phenomenon. Following the failed plot to blow up several airlines mid-air early this month, the British police took immediate actions by arresting 24 British Muslims of Asian decent for their “suspected” involvement in the failed plot. Two weeks later, only eight out of that 24 initially arrested were formally charged with conspiracy to murder and plotting acts of terrorism, and another three for lesser crime.
In India, the Mumbai police have since detained hundreds of young Muslims following the train blasts in the Indian economic capital last month. Even though no clear headway has been made so far in the investigation of the blasts, this aggressive action by the authority has created fear and resentment among Muslim community in India. The arrests that precede investigations and the media projection on Indian Muslim community have somehow deepened the popular stereotype in India that whenever terrorist strikes, Muslims must be a part of it.
It is in the view of these recent incidents, both in India and globally, that recently, Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Hind, India’s premier organization of Muslim clerics, organized a convention on terrorism in New Delhi to try to quash this Muslim stereotyping. It aims at seeking ways to defeat radical ideologies that attract Muslim youth to terrorism.
Attending the conference were prominent leaders of Indian Muslims like Maulana Asarul Qasmi, Maulana Fuzailur Rehman Hilal Usmani and Maulana Matinul Haque Osama as well as government representative, the Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, P.R. Dasmunshi. PM Manmohan Singh also attended this conference.
Indian Muslim leaders complained that instead of adopting the role of an objective and neutral medium in disseminating news about events and ideas relating to Islam and Muslims, the Indian government and the media had played a subservient role to the western perception: Islamophobia. Thus it urged the government to introduce curbs for biased and partisan projection of Muslims in India following the latest terror attack on trains in Mumbai that killed more than 200 lives and injuring many others.
Responding to this plea, the government promised to conduct more regular dialogues between Muslim community and the central and state governments to address their concerns and make them a partner to face the terrorist challenge as well as to correct the wrong impressions in the mindsets of the majority community about Islam and Muslim community in India. Concrete steps have been announced by the government in which a conference of chief ministers will soon be convened by the central government where corrective steps in this matter will be formulated.
Furthermore, PM Singh cautioned against the tendency to suspect an entire community for the handiwork of a handful of extremists. He also said that the police forces should guard against painting the entire community with the same brush while probing incidents of terrorist violence. Being a Sikh himself, he drew a parallel of the current situation faced by the Indian Muslims with the Punjab experience in the 1980s when all Sikhs were branded as terrorists due to the terrorist activities by a group in the Sikh community.
Similarly the Indian media that has been playing quite prominent role in this stereotyping should use their freedom to clear the misconceptions about the matter. They should go for a deeper probe into what started it all instead of aping the West in demonizing Islam and branded anyone a terrorist.
In the conclusion of the conference, the Muslim leaders agreed to disapprove terrorism in any forms and pledge to cooperate with each other to maintain peace and tranquility in the country.
It is an open secret that almost everyone is agreed that the fight against terrorism is one of hearts and minds. Not only will we not win them by clod-hopping investigation that paints an entire community as villains like the illustrations above, we will also lose many. Concrete steps promised by the Indian government to engage actively and understand the issues faced by the Indian Muslim community are good and promising steps in this direction. Similarly, the Muslim community should not be in denial about the fact that radical elements do exist in the community, or other communities in India. They have to work hard to eliminate this element.
Thus, closer cooperation with each other and active supports from the government as well as an objective and non-biased media will help in the successful fight against this stereotyping. Moreover, in democracy, dialogue to build a consensus is the key in solving problems. Since India is the largest democracy in the world in which democratic traditions have entrenched quite deeply in the Indian culture, it would not be difficult for India and Indian community as a whole to achieve this goal and preserve peace and tranquility in the country.
It was published in The Jakarta Post, Monday, 28 August 2006. The published version was Indian Muslims against Stereotypes
Labels: Indian Muslim
blog by Mas Qisa'i at 12:25:00 AM
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Majlis ittehadul Muslimeen MP Asaduddin Owaisi Discussion regarding Communal Violence in different Parts of the Country in Parliament
ASADUDDIN OWAISI Mp (HYDERABAD) : Sir, at the outset I would like to compliment the hon. BJP Member for being the devil’s advocate. I happened to go to Vadodara on the 8th of this month. I have even gone to the place where this Dargah stood once. If the municipal authorities were doing a work, why was there a need for the Mayor and the concerned MLA to be there? Why was there a need that all of them had to clap, all of them had to raise religious slogans when this Dargah was demolished? I fail to understand that.I went to the Government SSG hospital to see the 24 injured patients. Out of them, 23 belonged to the minority community. All of them had bullet injuries above the waist. I even went to the houses of the deceased. I do not know whether any of the hon. BJP Members had gone or not. What crime did Mohammad Rafiq Vohra had committed that in front of his house he was first attacked by swords, killed and then burnt? When his family telephoned the local police, the police asked them to go to Pakistan. It is there on record on NDTV. What crime had Ashfaq Ahamed committed that he was shot in the head? He used to work in a night showroom. What crime did Mohammad Ayaz - a boy of 17 years, a brother of three sisters - had committed? All this clearly shows the complicity, connivance, conspiracy, and open support by the Gujarat Government. But for their active support, this incident would not have happened. In the name of development, minorities have been destroyed.Under the Central Wakf Act of 1995, all Muslim places of worship, mosques, dargahs and graveyards are protected. How can any Government go and eliminate a wakf property? Has the concerned State Government conducted any proceedings? Has any order been issued? Nothing has been issued.We are talking about Gujarat only here. At the same time, on April 14, a bomb blast took place in Jama Masjid. I have a complaint here with the Government also. So far, not even a single person has been caught. A bomb blast took place in Benaras. Within 48 hours two youths were killed in an encounter in Delhi and one person was killed in Uttar Pradesh. After 25-30 days’ time, Maulana Waliullah and his associates were caught. Whenever a majority place of worship is attacked, immediately within 48 hours or even ten days five to six Muslim youths are killed in encounters. It happens as if you have a buffer stock of Muslim youths who can be killed any time. When Jama Masjid bomb blast took place, why was this not done? Who is responsible for the bomb blast in Jama Masjid? Why did Delhi Police have to say that it was not a terrorist act when it was a terrorist act? It is not found out as to who was behind that act.The next point is about Uttar Pradesh. We are talking so much about secularism over here. Fifty Muslim youths were hit above the waist in Aligarh. The National Minorities Commission has demanded a judicial inquiry. What action is the Government going to take?I was hearing the hon. Member from Shiv Sena. The hon. Home Minister represents that area, Nanded area. On 6th of April, 2006, a bomb blast took place in the house of Laxman Rajpodwar. They are known Bajrang Dal activists. It was a single bomb blast. Later on, Surya Pratap Gupta the Inspector General of Police of that area said that they were manufacturing bombs. The police confiscated a live IED bomb with a timer attached to it. It was a timer similar to the one that is used in the Jama Masjid bomb. So, who is responsible? Those people are known Bajrang Dal activists. Why is the Maharashtra Government not imposing the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act? What is stopping the Maharashtra Government from imposing that Act on them? Why is the Government of Maharashtra not requesting for a CBI inquiry so that the truth comes out? I am very surprised. Who is going to pay the price? In Ghatkopar bomb blast, Gateway of India bomb blast, all the people have been exoneratedI am really surprised that some upper caste chocolate boys do the demonstration in Mumbai; police do lathi charge; and an inspector is suspended.What about Ghatgopar bomb blast incident? Accused were exonerated. What about Nanded bomb blast incident? How many police people have been suspended? It shows that there is no value for a Muslim life over here.The UPA Government was formed to stop the obscurantist forces. It was a verdict against the communal forces. My main grievance and grudge is with this Government. We know what RSS stands for? Maybe, the Sangh Parivar is celebrating the centenary celebrations of Golwarkar and to pay huge tribute to him, they are indulging in all these activities.In Mahasamud district of Chhattisgarh, on April 23, 2006, a mosque was demolished. In fact, burnt. Koran scriptures were burnt over there. Who is responsible? But for the Sikh community, nearly 20 families would have been killed over there.Not only that, in Rajasthan, in Pali Town, Saint Milad-Un-Nabi procession was attacked. On 11th of April, in Kandura in Madhya Pradesh, Milad-Un-Nabi procession was attaked. There is an end to it.I would like to bring it to the notice of the hon. Minister that in Karnataka, in Budkal, Jagannath Shetty Commission has come out with its Report. There is a huge tension over there. I am bringing this to the notice of the hon. Minister that the Government should take immediate steps to ensure that this tension does not lead to communal riots.I would demand from the Central Government that it should pay compensation to the victims of Baroda. This Government should immediately come to the rescue. I know that it is a State subject. But people are asking that when Sikhs were killed, three lakh rupees were given as compensation, why not to Muslims. What is stopping the Central Government in giving monetary compensation to the people? I think, it is a very important issue.Justice Srikrishna Report is there. Secular Government is there in Maharashtra. The same person who used to say that if Justice Srikrishna Commission Report is implemented, Mumbai would burn. That man is in your Congress Party. Why do you not implement the Justice Srikrishna Commission Report. Nanded incident led this Government to pressurise the State Government there. Let them ask for a CBI inquiry in the Nanded incident. Bajrang Dal activitists were involved. These same people have committed crimes in Parbani and Jalna. I had been to the mosque over there. Unless and until the lives and liberty of minorities are safeguarded, this country cannot progress. If the feeling of insecurity is there, Sir, it is very bad for the nation. I hope the Government will take some corrective action.
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