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Opinion
Indian Muslims: Spiritualize the Radicals
by M. Rajaque Rahman
The toll in
the serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad needs to be counted beyond
the numbers of deaths and injured. If the bombings are the handiwork of
the Indian Mujaheeden as claimed by the outfit, then the biggest
casualty of the latest episodes of fanatical madness is India's ability
to tackle terrorism.
The impunity with which bombs were planted and set off confirms the
expanding reach of terror groups on Indian soil. This means that terror
groups have been able to convince more Indian Muslims to support them
and act as their sleeping cells. This needs to worry India as a nation.
More than the bombs, what threatens India is the increasing
radicalization and indoctrination of young professionals and the
educated. The unfolding details of the recent terror plots dispel the
perception that Islamic radicalism is a domain of the marginalized and
uneducated.
This begs the question: What is convincing these youths, many of them
with off-the-charts intelligence and family pedigree one should be proud
of, to leave this world as a "martyr" in the name of saving Islam.
There is no point seeking an answer from the so-called leaders of Indian
Muslims, both political and religious, as they have more or less
silently watched the swelling ranks of the radicalized youth. Nor does
the Indian political class have the answer; it is more keen to play to
the gallery than address this national calamity at its roots.
That the lack of spiritual education among Muslims is the main cause of
the spread of Islamic terrorism is borne by the fact that it has
coincided with the rise of Wahabism as the more vocal and dominant brand
of Islam. The ultra-conservative philosophy robbed Islam of its rich
spiritual facets and propagated a one-dimensional interpretation of the
Quran and Hadith. The Tablighi Jamaat, the Muslim revivalist movement,
is effectively the flag bearer of Wahabism in the Indian subcontinent.
More than the odd cases of terror suspects sharing some kind of Tablighi
pedigree, what must worry the anti-terror brigade is the narrow doctrine
of the Tablighis. For them the concept of jehad literally means fighting
against infidels. More spiritually-oriented sects of Islam interpret the
Quranic promise of heaven for one who performs jehad as a reward for a
struggle against one's soul (nafs).
This limited understanding has corrupted the minds of many. The time has
come for some serious sermons on peace and co-existence from the pulpit.
Spiritual education is also vital to channelise youth energy into
constructive pursuits. There is no doubt that Muslim youths are
anguished by the plight of Muslims the world over and the amount of
suffering in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine. It is natural for them to
feel guilty and want to do something to alleviate the suffering; there
is always an inner call to do something for those in need.
Islamic fundamentalists are exploiting this innate human nature by
offering jehadi potion to quench the inner quest.
If youth of today attain a multi-cultural, all-inclusive spiritual
education, they would not take to the barbaric tooth-for-a-tooth or
eye-for-an-eye response. The whole nation has to be involved in this
task of peace education. The role of the Muslim intelligentsia and
religious leaders cannot be overemphasized. Unless they stand up to be
counted in this national call of service, their bluff will be called
sooner than later.
I recall a huge public gathering in Bangalore where hardline Islamic
evangelist Zakir Naik dismissed the phenomenon of Islamic terrorism as
mere imaginations of the Indian media. Such trivializations should be
denounced not only as a desperate attempt at playing to communal
constituencies but also as a dangerous camouflage to mask the mujahideen.
Indian Muslims must now stand up and assert that they will not be fooled
by fanatical posturing of a few fundamentalists and the misguided. There
couldn't have been a better time to answer the call of the deen (faith)
to tell the world that Islam stands for peace, at least in India!
(M. Rajaque Rahman, a former journalist, now conducts spiritual
workshops for the Art of Living. He can be reached at rajaque@gmail.com)
July 28, 2008
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