WITHER MUSLIMS? A ROADMAP
BY
DR NAFEES AHMAD*
EXORDIUM
Civilization is a method of living, an attitude of equal respect for all men, said Jane Addams (1860-1935) a social worker of US in his speech in Honolulu in 1933. The degree of a Nation’s civilization is marked by its disregard for the necessities of existence, once observed British novelist W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965). These two statements are sufficed to measure the socio-economic and lego-political standing and stature of Indian Muslims in the contemporary world. Indian civilization includes Muslims too because civilization goes beyond the regimes of religion and one of the unpardonable sins in the eyes of civilization is to leave any segment thereof deprived, demonized, dehumanized. No demonization is deviant to divinity on this planet can sustain without being claimed by every adherent of every religion. Muslims are not a herd of animals whom we owe compassion; they are also the creatures of emotions, equality, dignity, needs and wants etc. If the concept of religion has any sanctity, validity and certainty or relevance, it can only be make us larger, freer and more loving. If religion can not do this, let’s get rid of it.
Ever since India becomes ‘We, the People’, Muslims are being marginalized in a fashion that is incomprehensible and beyond the mandate of preambular propositions of the Constitution of India. The Platonian construction of the state is the greatest happiness of the whole, and not that of any one class. But Muslims are not enjoying socio-economic happiness at par Hindus. Prior to independence, the questions on the minds of Muslims were that what would be the position of the Muslim community in a free India? Muslims though a minority in its numerical strength but constitutes about 13% of the total population of the country and are distributed all over India in varying numbers. Will it be viable to keep Muslims out of mainstream of the nation? What will happen to united colours of India? What is the reality?
REALITY
Fundamentals, terrorists, anti-nationals, and barbarians and so on so forth are euphemisms Muslims are bestowed upon with owing to a well-orchestrated execution of an ideology, i.e. Tehalka expose of Gujarat genocide of Feb, 2002, which is primordial, parochial and pernicious in its content, current and contour and pervading in every nook and corner of the world. Muslims and their religion, race and entire way of life is ridiculed in the vilest verbosity not only in this part of the world but everywhere. There is a globalization of myths, misconceptions and mockeries against the Muslims founded upon hate, hatred, political opinion, religion, race, membership of a particular political outfit, ideology and Occidentalism incongruent to civilizational co-existence, cultural relativism, political pluralism, multiplicity of ideas and university of human rights beyond being human alone. This devil design is being institutionalized in the most mawkish manner which has left an indelible idée fixe and leaving its scars, stains and stigmas upon the pitched psyche of the Muslims across the spectrum of a socio-political process. Now, the knife has reached the bone and created a frightful situation which must be dismantled at the earliest.
Muslims and globalization go together in terms of their visibility and divinity but in terms of economics they are supremely suffering from the sense of alienation and to economic extravasations, obtuse opportunities and gawky globalization at national and supranational levels. The theology of globalization is being executed in such a fashion which has decorticated, denuded and desquamated the Muslims and got them brawled in a state of terra-incognita wherein economic viability, political participation and cozy co-existence among the comity of nation states is not a priority of the so-called moral majority of the unipolar world order. Consequently, they are morphed into challenges for others as perennial parasites, contumate communities and existential atrophy. On the other hand, Muslims are riding on the ebbs and tides of deprivation, dehumanization and demonization crowned with xenophobia in every geo-political entity across the globe deviant to equality, liberty and fraternity sanctified by the desideratum of human rights. Therefore, these challenges should be churned into opportunities by the Muslims themselves in tandem with the government through the gospel of globalization as it has basically originated from divine delineations and has been propounded in Holy Hindu scriptures as well as ordained in Holy Quranic injunctions which have made entire process congruent to globalization and ecclesiastical edifices.
It is extremely heart-wrenching for the post-independence generation of Muslims to be always subjected to suspicion, anti-nationalism and terrorism and they are in state of constant in terrorem and same has become their destiny and destination. The thrust of the argument is that will we ever be a civilization of people without any human hierarchy? Will there be any agenda which does not have religion and issues connected therewith in Indian politics? Will there be an India free from Hindu-Muslim revanchism or Muslims remain scullions for ever? Any answers of these questions? Even if no answers are there, We, the People of India have to re-prioritize, re-construct and re-draft an inclusive and growth-oriented agenda for the Indian state to make the present century truly an Indian one and collectively ferret out the answers for once and all.
SELF-INTROSPECTION
Muslims have fallen critically behind much of the modern world in intellectual achievement, scientific advancement and educational enrichment. There is a deep knowledge gap segregating the Muslims and the modern India from the process and progress of contemporary gospel of globalization. We are no more keeping pace with the advances of our era. It is, indeed, a gargantuan bid to catch up with modern India and the West that is sure to test the Muslims’ cultural and religious limits. This enterprise is directly at odds with the Muslims’ religious establishment in and around India which severely limits women’s rights, family planning, co-education and robust liberal inquiry as unthinkable. Although, it is Islam which ordained the concepts like gender and spousal equality, economic equality of sexes, family planning, compensatory jurisprudence, divorce (not triple divorce in one sitting) etc. But we are shirking away our responsibility of self-introspection and running away from controversial subjects such as casteism, race, evolution, men and women enter mosques, triple divorce, model Nikahnama acceptable to all sects, codification of Muslim law, modernization of Madarasas (religious seminaries), misuse of Fatwas (religious decrees), polygamy and population policies.
The old-world of values and traditions even seeped deep into our daily life deviant to ordinary prudence. But we are still plonking in the past platitudes of glory and governance while leaving aside the scientific advancement, art and architectural achievements and liberal inquiry of Mughal and Ottoman empires wherefrom originated modern nations like Turkey etc. The Ottoman Empire had a distinction of providing asylum even to jettisoned Jews. Muslims must adopt a proactive and focused approach on these issues along with concerns and conundrums visited by the Sachchar Committee. It is, indeed, the only gleam in gloom to begin with.
WAY AHEAD
It is a well-established reality that India can not maintain its pace of progress while leaving behind its second largest majority i. e. Muslims nor Muslims can afford to be deprived of economic progress and prosperity. Muslims have to be an integral part of this process. But it is distressing to note that Muslims allowed themselves to be pawn in the hands of political pontiffs and parties who mushroomed like parasites and drones in the last two decades of independent India. Moreover, the political class of the country is inventing a cure for which there is no disease and, unfortunately, Muslims are paying the price for it.
It is, primarily, the political democracy which ensures the economic democracy which provides participation in the political process. Muslims must be a part of a responsible, accountable and transparent political outfit because priorities, programmes and policies of a political party must reflect in its actions and initiatives not in individual whims and megrims. We must maintain a democratic distance from those political outfits that have become family fiefdoms and perpetuating an aura of individual cult. The bottom line, as far as Muslims are concerned, is Muslims forms part of the Indian nation and its system in perpetuity and can no more remain mere bystanders. Of course, India is shining but Muslims are in dark therefore this shining may be ephemeral.
Muslims should no more allow themselves to be confined to the issues and matters which are exclusively religious in nature nor they be swayed away by political rabble-rousing speeches and sentimental sabre-rattling at the hustings by the politically parochial and primordial tendencies who are hell bent to create emotional anarchy and solidify the status quo of Muslims in terms of economic status, political participation, educational and literacy level, representation in legislative bodies not proportionate to their population and rate of employment under the state. The forces of neo-liberalism and globalization looming large and becoming deeply entrenched in the planning process, budgetary baptistery and mercantile modalities, the development needs of Muslims are receiving scant attention and this keeps Muslims’ minds snagging. At the same time Muslims should not forget that there are good people in the majority community and they have been fighting for us since independence at different levels in and around the system. Thus, Muslims must rivet upon re-construction of an agenda agglutinatory to their development in every walk of life including matters relating to Muslim Personal and the same must reflect an haute monde precision and exactitude.
Therefore, Muslims must prepare a roadmap for their re-integration and rejuvenation in collaboration with political process and governance institutions for lasting peace, progress and prosperity in resurgent India. We have to create an environment where Muslims can connect to the outside world. Muslims can not work in isolation. Nobody wants to live in a ghetto, even a nice one, let’s make new India wedded with equal opportunity in diversity, affirmative action in human hierarchy and human rights with human dignity. It is the time for the great silent majority of India to stand up and be counted.
*LL.M, PhD, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, A.M.U.Aligarh-202002. Author teaches Human Rights Law & International Legal Studies. Visit him at < nafeestarana@gmail.com>
BY
DR NAFEES AHMAD*
EXORDIUM
Civilization is a method of living, an attitude of equal respect for all men, said Jane Addams (1860-1935) a social worker of US in his speech in Honolulu in 1933. The degree of a Nation’s civilization is marked by its disregard for the necessities of existence, once observed British novelist W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965). These two statements are sufficed to measure the socio-economic and lego-political standing and stature of Indian Muslims in the contemporary world. Indian civilization includes Muslims too because civilization goes beyond the regimes of religion and one of the unpardonable sins in the eyes of civilization is to leave any segment thereof deprived, demonized, dehumanized. No demonization is deviant to divinity on this planet can sustain without being claimed by every adherent of every religion. Muslims are not a herd of animals whom we owe compassion; they are also the creatures of emotions, equality, dignity, needs and wants etc. If the concept of religion has any sanctity, validity and certainty or relevance, it can only be make us larger, freer and more loving. If religion can not do this, let’s get rid of it.
Ever since India becomes ‘We, the People’, Muslims are being marginalized in a fashion that is incomprehensible and beyond the mandate of preambular propositions of the Constitution of India. The Platonian construction of the state is the greatest happiness of the whole, and not that of any one class. But Muslims are not enjoying socio-economic happiness at par Hindus. Prior to independence, the questions on the minds of Muslims were that what would be the position of the Muslim community in a free India? Muslims though a minority in its numerical strength but constitutes about 13% of the total population of the country and are distributed all over India in varying numbers. Will it be viable to keep Muslims out of mainstream of the nation? What will happen to united colours of India? What is the reality?
REALITY
Fundamentals, terrorists, anti-nationals, and barbarians and so on so forth are euphemisms Muslims are bestowed upon with owing to a well-orchestrated execution of an ideology, i.e. Tehalka expose of Gujarat genocide of Feb, 2002, which is primordial, parochial and pernicious in its content, current and contour and pervading in every nook and corner of the world. Muslims and their religion, race and entire way of life is ridiculed in the vilest verbosity not only in this part of the world but everywhere. There is a globalization of myths, misconceptions and mockeries against the Muslims founded upon hate, hatred, political opinion, religion, race, membership of a particular political outfit, ideology and Occidentalism incongruent to civilizational co-existence, cultural relativism, political pluralism, multiplicity of ideas and university of human rights beyond being human alone. This devil design is being institutionalized in the most mawkish manner which has left an indelible idée fixe and leaving its scars, stains and stigmas upon the pitched psyche of the Muslims across the spectrum of a socio-political process. Now, the knife has reached the bone and created a frightful situation which must be dismantled at the earliest.
Muslims and globalization go together in terms of their visibility and divinity but in terms of economics they are supremely suffering from the sense of alienation and to economic extravasations, obtuse opportunities and gawky globalization at national and supranational levels. The theology of globalization is being executed in such a fashion which has decorticated, denuded and desquamated the Muslims and got them brawled in a state of terra-incognita wherein economic viability, political participation and cozy co-existence among the comity of nation states is not a priority of the so-called moral majority of the unipolar world order. Consequently, they are morphed into challenges for others as perennial parasites, contumate communities and existential atrophy. On the other hand, Muslims are riding on the ebbs and tides of deprivation, dehumanization and demonization crowned with xenophobia in every geo-political entity across the globe deviant to equality, liberty and fraternity sanctified by the desideratum of human rights. Therefore, these challenges should be churned into opportunities by the Muslims themselves in tandem with the government through the gospel of globalization as it has basically originated from divine delineations and has been propounded in Holy Hindu scriptures as well as ordained in Holy Quranic injunctions which have made entire process congruent to globalization and ecclesiastical edifices.
It is extremely heart-wrenching for the post-independence generation of Muslims to be always subjected to suspicion, anti-nationalism and terrorism and they are in state of constant in terrorem and same has become their destiny and destination. The thrust of the argument is that will we ever be a civilization of people without any human hierarchy? Will there be any agenda which does not have religion and issues connected therewith in Indian politics? Will there be an India free from Hindu-Muslim revanchism or Muslims remain scullions for ever? Any answers of these questions? Even if no answers are there, We, the People of India have to re-prioritize, re-construct and re-draft an inclusive and growth-oriented agenda for the Indian state to make the present century truly an Indian one and collectively ferret out the answers for once and all.
SELF-INTROSPECTION
Muslims have fallen critically behind much of the modern world in intellectual achievement, scientific advancement and educational enrichment. There is a deep knowledge gap segregating the Muslims and the modern India from the process and progress of contemporary gospel of globalization. We are no more keeping pace with the advances of our era. It is, indeed, a gargantuan bid to catch up with modern India and the West that is sure to test the Muslims’ cultural and religious limits. This enterprise is directly at odds with the Muslims’ religious establishment in and around India which severely limits women’s rights, family planning, co-education and robust liberal inquiry as unthinkable. Although, it is Islam which ordained the concepts like gender and spousal equality, economic equality of sexes, family planning, compensatory jurisprudence, divorce (not triple divorce in one sitting) etc. But we are shirking away our responsibility of self-introspection and running away from controversial subjects such as casteism, race, evolution, men and women enter mosques, triple divorce, model Nikahnama acceptable to all sects, codification of Muslim law, modernization of Madarasas (religious seminaries), misuse of Fatwas (religious decrees), polygamy and population policies.
The old-world of values and traditions even seeped deep into our daily life deviant to ordinary prudence. But we are still plonking in the past platitudes of glory and governance while leaving aside the scientific advancement, art and architectural achievements and liberal inquiry of Mughal and Ottoman empires wherefrom originated modern nations like Turkey etc. The Ottoman Empire had a distinction of providing asylum even to jettisoned Jews. Muslims must adopt a proactive and focused approach on these issues along with concerns and conundrums visited by the Sachchar Committee. It is, indeed, the only gleam in gloom to begin with.
WAY AHEAD
It is a well-established reality that India can not maintain its pace of progress while leaving behind its second largest majority i. e. Muslims nor Muslims can afford to be deprived of economic progress and prosperity. Muslims have to be an integral part of this process. But it is distressing to note that Muslims allowed themselves to be pawn in the hands of political pontiffs and parties who mushroomed like parasites and drones in the last two decades of independent India. Moreover, the political class of the country is inventing a cure for which there is no disease and, unfortunately, Muslims are paying the price for it.
It is, primarily, the political democracy which ensures the economic democracy which provides participation in the political process. Muslims must be a part of a responsible, accountable and transparent political outfit because priorities, programmes and policies of a political party must reflect in its actions and initiatives not in individual whims and megrims. We must maintain a democratic distance from those political outfits that have become family fiefdoms and perpetuating an aura of individual cult. The bottom line, as far as Muslims are concerned, is Muslims forms part of the Indian nation and its system in perpetuity and can no more remain mere bystanders. Of course, India is shining but Muslims are in dark therefore this shining may be ephemeral.
Muslims should no more allow themselves to be confined to the issues and matters which are exclusively religious in nature nor they be swayed away by political rabble-rousing speeches and sentimental sabre-rattling at the hustings by the politically parochial and primordial tendencies who are hell bent to create emotional anarchy and solidify the status quo of Muslims in terms of economic status, political participation, educational and literacy level, representation in legislative bodies not proportionate to their population and rate of employment under the state. The forces of neo-liberalism and globalization looming large and becoming deeply entrenched in the planning process, budgetary baptistery and mercantile modalities, the development needs of Muslims are receiving scant attention and this keeps Muslims’ minds snagging. At the same time Muslims should not forget that there are good people in the majority community and they have been fighting for us since independence at different levels in and around the system. Thus, Muslims must rivet upon re-construction of an agenda agglutinatory to their development in every walk of life including matters relating to Muslim Personal and the same must reflect an haute monde precision and exactitude.
Therefore, Muslims must prepare a roadmap for their re-integration and rejuvenation in collaboration with political process and governance institutions for lasting peace, progress and prosperity in resurgent India. We have to create an environment where Muslims can connect to the outside world. Muslims can not work in isolation. Nobody wants to live in a ghetto, even a nice one, let’s make new India wedded with equal opportunity in diversity, affirmative action in human hierarchy and human rights with human dignity. It is the time for the great silent majority of India to stand up and be counted.
*LL.M, PhD, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, A.M.U.Aligarh-202002. Author teaches Human Rights Law & International Legal Studies. Visit him at < nafeestarana@gmail.com>
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