THE FALTER IN ISLAM - The RELIGION BRUISED NATIONALISM

I write this, with an unrelenting pain that is scathing my being ever since I saw the horrid picture of a youth, presumably a Muslim youngster, vandalising “Amar Jawan Jyoti Memorial" during the Mumbai riot.

 I have seen vandalism of different kinds:  breaking down of statues of political figures, burning effigies of parliamentarians,  sportsperson and celebrities for their insensitive remarks on certain issues or act that is the result of sensationalism and misquoting by Indian media. It has never affected me as much as this act of terror.

By this act, the young rioter pierced my national pride. It disturbed me like never before. Raising a leg against the symbol of 'sacrifice for the country' is unpardonable. It wrecked me. I wished every day that I never saw that picture. The martyrs and jawans have no relation with the political situation whatsoever.  What made these 'Muslim' boys took his rage on this memorial.

If a child in school is callous in his studies and does something wrong, the child behavior pattern is rectified through punishments, impositions, caring and giving extra attention. There is also this popular and effective practice of calling the "Parents" as they have moral responsibility for the child’s erratic behavior.  And when I look at such acts of terrorism, I find it very often points to the followers of Islam. So with the same logic, I strongly believe that community is answerable and that the community has a greater responsibility in stopping narrow mindedness of its followers and cannot wash their hands accepting that there are rogue elements within their community who are beyond their control.

I grew up in Cochin and my best friends were my neighbour Ameer and Amin who were Muslims. I have spent a good chunk of my school time with their family doing every possible childhood pranks together.  They learnt Arabic language in the nearby madrasa while I learnt carnatic music. We often shared what we learnt and it’s was truly not appeasing for our own likings nevertheless we appreciated each other’s acquired new language. They were equally patriotic and they never had ill feeling about me visiting temples or praying to idols. They never questioned it ever neither did I ask them about the difficulty in formlessness that they worship.  They took part in all our festivities like we did in theirs. There was never a need to display overtly any sense of mutual respect as it was just too obvious that we respected each others culture.

In time, they moved out to a place where it was only their community lived together. After 10 years, I met my friend eager to have a conversation with me.  He wanted me to exchange views on what are my views on brotherhood and humanism. While I was expressing about my idea of One World Family irrespective of their religion that they follow, he interrupted me with a question,  " What are my views on Dr Zakir Naik?" 

Without a slightest hesitation I intoned, first, he is no Dr - of any kind; second "He must be banished"

I took my chance and looked at him. Surprisingly, His silence seemed like he agreed with me.  Being a great friend that he is, broke the ice and narrated his life experience. His friends in the community introduced him to teachings of Zakir Naik and he got indoctrinate by his ideas. in time, He grew his beard, dressed up in the most orthodox way, and started adhering to the ways that has been laid before him.

  But his secular upbringing - during the time he grew up with us brought his mind into conflict with what was being imposed on him. Every day he had to fight his conscience against the kind of Morales that has been told by him to understand. Finally his conscience won and he left. He looked into my eyes and confided," It is impossible and impractical to be a true follower of Islam and its practices in this new world" The code and conduct of original Islam teachings doesn't allow for being loose about it. It’s an imposition that needs to be strictly adhered to else you are doomed.

I realised how important it is to grow up in a secular environment. During his early childhood, Ameer has grown up in a place that had Hindus and Christians. He studied in Chinmaya Vidyalaya for 10 years and that foundation could not be altered by any doctrines. He had an understanding of all the religions through his exposure with the society and not acquired through any books or muttering of gospels. He grew up with a broad sense of belonging and harmony and it is this exposure which made  him one amongst the secular Muslims of this country.

Unfortunately, a large population amongst the muslim community is denied this kind of exposure. A good number of uneducated Muslims stay in isolated pockets. They don’t intermingle and mix because of a misplaced sense of insecurity.  They grow up with people only with their community, they get educated in madrasas, they do their ancestors job.  They go as packs to Middle East in search of work; they stick together. Their brotherhood is confined to muslims. There is no scope of a universal doctrine that respects and accommodates anything outside the purview of the Holy Quran. Nationalism and patriotism is not infused into them. They are never brought up in a heterogeneous culture. Their vision and ideas strictly revolve around only in the circumference of their imams and maulivis who misquote often from the scripture.

They will do business in the busiest of towns, they interact with everybody yet their best friends are only from their community. Their circle of trust only lies within their own kind.  There is no scope for them to understand that essence of idol worship and how through the form, formless is worshipped. They stop at the idea that divine is formless. It has not been taught to them that the formless can take any form and symbols and practices stands much below values that religion preaches. They believe that their god will get angry at them for being with non believers.

It is obvious that fundamentalism grows in such pockets. Whether its colony of Jews or colony of hardcore rightwing Hindus or Islam followers, if there is homogenous exposure to young minds fundamentalism is bound to grow and to such an extent that the heroes of this land who laid down their lives for the country also hold no value in their minds.

In such people, Nationalism is kept in low regard and as a result basic mannerisms will then be kicked and broken down; literally and metaphorically.  What the country need is holistic education encompassing secularism, exposure to multi-cultural society, education that doesn’t homogenize and that imparts wisdom from all parts of the world.

Instead, Giving CBSE accreditation to madrasas, paying remuneration to Imams from taxpayer’s money, intentionally keeping Muslims backward to hoodwink their votes, giving them special land and giving them special allowance disregarding other minorities  or any move in that matter will break our nation more.  The community leader has a greater responsibility to educate them about acceptance and toleration.  They need to be taught that the India is secular only because of the majority of Hindus who believe ways of all religion as true.

In the name of vote bank politics, the spirit of our country men and the dignity of Jawans and our valiant soldiers should not be martyred any more.