This entire hullabaloo about the failed bombings at Glasgow and Indian muslims being implicated in the United Kingdom for the first time in connection with terror activities got me thinking yet again. I am sure a lot has been written and debated upon by the media around the world including the clerisy, not to forget the common man, where Islamic Fundamentalism is concerned and shall be continued to do so. All this while most of the public was under the misconception that only poor muslim youth take a recourse to such anti social activities ranging from suicide attacks to bombings as it is their way of attaining martyrdom[incidentally I read somewhere that Islam says such martyrs have 72 virgins waiting for them at the gates of heaven which reminded me of this post by Evil Spock :)] and after their death their families are given a lump some amount of money by the terrorist outfit they had been a part of. This is true till a large extent; poor kashmiri youth are lured by outfits like lashkar-e- toiba and on the pretext of fighting for Islam what takes place in the Madrasahs is a complete brainwash where any semblance of sanity is systematically removed from their minds and the main goal in the life of these youth is battle against the non believers or plain old Jihad. That is the tragedy of Kashmir where true peace and harmony is a dream. Ethnic cleansing has turned this state to a graveyard of the dead.
9/11 ofcourse didn't make the situation any better and now it seems that the last 6 years ever since that fateful day in September 2001 the world has been gripped by this fear of Islam popularly known as Islamophobia. Muslims are discriminated everywhere, be it in England where they come up with proposals like muslim women should choose not to wear the hijab or France which goes a step ahead and bans headscarves in schools altogether and not to forget dear old United States. George Bush the self proclaimed Big Daddy of the world and his faithful battery of followers take personal pleasure in inculcating the fear of Islam in the western world. He calls it " War against Terror" though by the likes of it , it seems it is " War against Islam". What happend at Glasgow and London last year was just an after effect and the result of a major portion of the world trying to alienate the followers of a particular religion and insisting of labelling them as fundamentalists and insurgents. Muslims are looked upon suspiciously everywhere in the western world. Try any busy international airport be it Heathrow, or JFK you'd see the world of difference in the way a white man is treated and the way a bearded muslim is treated. It is these small prejudices which could be one of the reasons why educated muslims like Sabeel and Kafeel Ahmed[brothers from Bangalore, one is a doctor and the other an engineer] resort to such drastic anti social activities like an attempt to bomb the Glasgow Airport. For them it is a vent out for all the frustration they feel towards the mass change of opinion this world has experienced after 9/11, it is a reaction for all the injustices done by the Americans and their allies in Iraq. Bush gets to carry out his agenda in Iraq, destroying the governmental machinery piece by piece and a certain section of the troops even indulge in perverted fun on the way[not to forget the incidents at the abu ghraib prison] to ravage and ruin a country which has already been wrecked by a three decade rule by an eccentric dictator.
We shouldn't blame Islam for all these mishaps, it is our own making, the fact that we did not raise our voices against all the injustices at the right time , the fact that America chose to bring Bush back to power even after the disaster in Iraq, the fact that we continue to be oblivious of what the true message in the Quran and very conveniently blame the religion for fostering terrorism. It is ironical that two men will be probably be put behind bars for the rest of their lives for failed car bombings which only caused harm to themselves at the end of it while Bush will continue to walk on this earth with his head held high proud of the fact that he carried out his " war against terror" successfully. This saga will continue, it'll be some other educated muslims expressing their anguish over the discrimination taking place and we humans will again and again choose the path of doom hurting none other than ourselves.
11 comments:
Ismlam is only coincidental. The fact is that the small terrorist gets eaten up. Always. Either by the bigger one or, when caught, by the police. The Biggest keeps surviving.
We mustn't forget that Christianity throughout history isn't without blood on their hands.
From the crusades, to the inquisition, the slaughter of indigenous persons in the Americas, and the collaboration of the Catholic Church with the Nazis in the Balkan States, and Christians who were terrorizing Abortion Clinics in the 80's and 90's, even killing doctors who did the procedure.
And we mustn't forget that George Bush speaks directly to God, so you can construe his war on the Middle East as a new Crusade. Christianity is hardly innocent.
Oh, and I've linked you. Thanks for putting up with my ranting!
Great post.
A columnist for the Sun-Times, one of the Chicago newspapers, Sydney Harris, stated:
"'Terrorism' is what we call the violence of the weak, and we condemn it;'War' is what we call the violence of the strong, and we glorify it."
Here in the United States, Christian fundamentalists are wielding a frightening amount of power and influence, affecting school curriculums, national and local laws and access to birth control. They've committed acts of violence. Yet, we don't seem to have a sense of urgency and emergency about it.
The "war against terror" is an Orwellian move to create a permanant war state here, justifying huge military expenditures and the squelching of civil liberties.
Doggerel Maker come to think of it religious bigotry is what should be blamed and not any particular religion. yeah u r right the bigger they are the more tyranny do they impose.
Evil Spock Christianity and Islam has always believed in spreading their religion thus you had christian missionaries going out all over the world to propagate christianity not to forget the crusades in the earlier times and ofcourse muslim invaders who'd occupy foreign lands and insist on forcefully converting the majority of population to Islam.
Oh I quite like your rantings so no thank you needed ;).
Johnny Yen thanks for visiting my blog.To be honest about it I had no idea that christian fundamentalists still exercise dominance on the thinking of people but I am not surprised. Oh and i read this little piece of news in the paper the other day that the American Senate opend with Hindu prayers asking for peace but ofcourse it had to be marred by protests by some christian fundamentalists. check out this link http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20070018732
Yes, I saw the clip too. It was painfully embarassing-- it reflected so poorly on us as a nation.
On the long drive to visit my parents, I pass by the "Creationism Museum," a museum Christian fundamentalists erected to promote their ludicrous alternative to evolution.
very good post :)
I just wish Muslims weren't that ignorant.
very true ...we live amongst hypocrites ...
"When you, yourself, are depraved within, then why blame the world?"
PS: Thanks for dropping by :-)
PSS: Oh by the way, that 'YOU' wasn't pointed at you, it's just being referred to general audience. I'm sure you got it, but still just clarifying the uncertain :)
hey backpakker hypocricy reigns supreme everywhere.
Raaji thank you.
Vik I am glad you dropped by. I thought you wouldn't considering we come from opposite sides of the border ;) heheh! kidding! yup i Know what you meant by depraved from within.
I'm lazy with my posts these days ;)
I think your posts are one of the best I've read in my blogspot days.
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