Is it a case of my-fundamentalists-are-better-than-your-fundamentalists? Unfortunately, a battle between religious-intolerance/fundamentalism versus tolerance is being reduced to one between Muslims and Hindus. Does India's main ruling party have the perspective to see further than this? Or is it a policy of blow-hot, blow-cold. One message in Ahmedabad, another in Panjim? FN
---------- Forwarded message ---------- India-Politics-BJP-Vajpayee (575 words) Vajpayee blames Muslim radicals for spreading terror by Deepshikha Ghosh, Indo-Asian News Service Panaji, Apr 12 (IANS) Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Friday blamed Islamic fundamentalists for attempting to grab the world and spread their views through terror and fear. "The world over, in countries where they are in large numbers, Muslim fundamentalists don't want to live in peace," Vajpayee declared at a public rally here. Vajpayee is in Goa for a three-day meeting of his Bharatiya Janata Party's national executive that began Friday. Vajpayee also took a clear stand, favouring Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who has been under fire for his handling of the sectarian violence in the state that has claimed at least 830 lives. "Had the innocent, unarmed train passengers of the Sabarmati Express not been burnt alive at Godhra, the communal crisis would have cooled down by now. "Investigations are on, intelligence agencies are still gathering evidence about the perpetrators of the Godhra attack. But when we talk of the ensuing communal killings, we should not forget who started it. Who started the fire? Who spread it?" the prime minister asked. Contending that countries the world over were waking up to the threat of Muslim fundamentalism, Vajpayee said: "We tell them that there are a large number of non-Hindus in our country but the Hindu tradition is believing in the equality and co-existence of all religious communities. "But countries where Muslims are in large concentrations fear terrorism and fundamentalism. We say: 'Give them proper, constructive education in madrassas (Islamic seminaries) but don't teach them to use weapons, teach them non-violence,'" Vajpayee said. In an oblique reference to the dispute over the ownership of the land in Ayodhya where the destroyed Babri mosque stood, Vajpayee said: "Hindu kings never plundered temples." Criticizing the main Opposition Congress party for suggesting that the country's secular fabric was threatened by the BJP's policies, Vajpayee said: "We believe in unity from Goa to Guwahati." Congress president Sonia Gandhi, addressing a party conclave in Guwahati Friday, contended that the violence in Gujarat "is the most dangerous assault on our secular polity and an India that is not secular will not survive." The prime minister referred to what he termed the "two faces of Islam. "One is the Islam that traverses the path of truth and compassion. But today's Islam often supports the slogan of jehad that wants to mould the entire world in its own beliefs. "Instead of peaceful propagation, they (Muslim fundamentalists) want to gain a hold over the world by using fear, threats and terrorism," Vajpayee said, adding that the world was "waking up" to this. He also referred to the arrest of 15-16 members of the Al Qaida terrorist group in Singapore, one of the countries he had visited during a two-nation tour that concluded Thursday. "Investigations are on in Singapore. In Indonesia and Malaysia and many other countries, it has been found that Muslim fundamentalists don't want peace. Now other countries are forming coalitions to fight against terror." Pointing out that India had been suffering Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir for years before the world woke up to the threat, he asserted: "Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India and will remain so. Some other country's dreams will not be fulfilled," he said in a reference to the 12-year insurgency in the state that India claims is backed by Pakistan. --Indo-Asian News Service =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-W-E-B---S-I-T-E-=-=-= To Subscribe/Unsubscribe from GoaNet | http://www.goacom.com/goanet =================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, Contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dont want so many e=mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead ! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Help support non-commercial projects in Goa by advertizing!! * * * * Your ad here !!
