HINDU MUSLIM RELATIONS

Muslims should be Muslim but Behave as Good Neighbours Who Care

Omar Afzal's Prescription for Muslim Relations with the Hindus

Islam is undoubtedly the most maligned religion today. The Western media has successfully created a bad image of the 'Muslims'. To paint them as the bad buys whose religion teaches them intolerance and bloodshed. In India, ignorance about Islam is fortified thanks to the projection of its image as an anti-national minority misusing the hospitality of an extremely tolerant Hindu majority.

The largest Muslim minority suffers from double jeopardy. The burden of the past history and their own inaction has created a mess. No more the myth of Muslim appeasement, the campaign is now against an "aggressive” minority threatening the very physical existence of the Hindu majority..

The mist of partition blinded the Muslims from seeking what lies ahead. Had they accepted the fact that in a secular democracy the authority to determine basic social policies at every level from a small village to the whole country resides in the representative bodies selected for limited terms by and ultimately accountable to, the electorate, they would have chosen a different course of action. There was no choice but to fully participate instead of standing on the sidelines or begging for mercy.

Vote bank politics and apathy led the Muslims to a disaster. The ruling party did little to help the Muslims. They suffered heavy losses of life, property and honour in worst communal riots, but the RSS-BJP combine portrayed them as having a death-wish by throwing the first one. They were anti-national elements who deserved to be punished. After Shah Bano the myth was created that the Muslims are getting undue share at the expense of patriotic Hindus. Nobody cares about how far the Muslims have fallen behind in education and commerce. They are more than 12 per cent of the population but their share in public and private sector jobs is not even two per cent. They are discriminated against at every level from getting admission to procuring loans and business contracts. They are in some cases legally barred from performing some of their religious rites. In any surcharged atmosphere their life and property are targets of mass frenzy.

The total impact of these factors is alienation and ignorance. A deep chasm separates the Muslims from other sections of the population. The open interaction with the non-Muslims is almost non-existent. A large part of the blame lies on the Muslims who have created a cocoon around themselves.

The two-nation theory, often blamed for the partition did not solve the 'identity' crisis either in India or in Pakistan.

In the last two decades Hindutva forces have slowly gained an upper hand not in the Hindi belt but have also captured the souls and minds of a major section of Indians by stressing the supremacy of 'Hindu' ideals, and discipline to court the 'alien'. Influences.

The 'secularists' (including the Muslims who sincerely believe that only a truly secular India can hold together) were unable to present their case forcefully.

Present electoral process appears to have foiled the plan of the 'Hindutva' forces to capture the power at the centre on their own and impose their pseudo-nationalist brand of 'Indianism'. However, they have not given it up. They will make their next move by electoral adjustments

Hindutva, aggressive or benign, cannot hold India together for long. Their 'Hindu India' will adopt repressive measures not only against the Muslims – their perceived arch rivals, but also against other religious, linguistic, cultural and regional minorities which do not share their vision. They will have to deal with the daunting task of 'equalising' the Hindus in both legal and 'social’ terms. In a 'democratic Hindu India', 55 per cent of the population of lower caste Hindus will demand political, economic, and social dominance which is totally unacceptable to the dominant upper class. Anti-Muslim passion now fired by the Hindutva forces among the masses to gain votes will result in uncontrollable flare-ups of communal clashes. Mass killing of the Muslims. Will certainly create a backlash among the younger Muslims. What if they lost hope of peaceful coexistence? Obviously. Muslims in India cannot be slaughtered or converted to Hinduism en masse. They cannot be forced to migrate to another Muslim country either. Any sane political observer will shudder to imagine the disastrous consequences of a small fraction of Indian Muslims taking to arms as the last resort.

The 'secularists' have to focus on their vision of an India which is big enough to all existing 'minorities'. By some very strange logic all those Indians who do not believe in Islam or Christianity are lumped together as’ Hindus' - a geographical and not a religious denomination. The term joins a large number of caste, social and linguistic’ minorities' into a string and declares them as the dominant’ religious' majority. Muslims must actively participate in creating a society of God-fearing individuals.

As citizens of the country they are equal partners in its survival, development and well-being. This requires untiring efforts to live as good citizens and make sure that the society functions properly at all levels from their own locality, the town, the state, and the country as a whole.

The baggage of past history weighs heavily against the Muslims. But it is not very difficult to shed this burden, if the Muslims decide to exchange their role from a rival to that of a neighbour.

If the Muslims wish to change their image, they don’t have to behave and look like the. Hindus. They will communicate better if they become conscious Muslims and behave as good neighbours who care. They must stop acting as antagonists, making unjust demands. Why shout slogans which create apprehension among your neighbours? (They should) not resist their legitimate or even occasionally unjustified demands. Their behaviour may hurt (their) feelings but it is better (for Muslims) to wait when (they) can talk some sense in them. Sometimes there is no harm in yielding than insisting on 'legal' rights. It creates a condition for intelligent dialogue. (They should) give more without expecting a lot in return. (They should) fully participate except where (they) have to cross the strict boundaries laid down by Islam.