February 27, 2010
The Anti-Islam Mentality
By Saeed Qureshi
I had posted an article on my blog and also circulated it through emails that I
do on weekly basis. Usually the response to such articles is mild and sober
even if someone disagrees with the entire or partial assertion and contents.
But of late, in response to my article, “My Perception of Islam” a Hindu
believer G. Vishvas wrote the following note and I quote,
“Such statements show the inability of Muslims to be honest. Indirectly he is
admitting that the Sharia is a gone-case. But he dares not say so explicitly.
This is how obscurantist Islamic fascism-totalitarianism has all Muslims (even
the so-called liberal Muslims) in grip. The words suitably modified and
phenomenally different world of today reveals that the Shariah is actually
passé. But like about the emperor's finest clothes (from Hans Anderson's
tales), no one (out of fear) dared say the emperor is naked. Islam compels
Muslims into an endless bout of hypocrisy and cowardice and arrogance.”
My Response,
“I would not go to the extent of reviling a religion, how unacceptable it
should be to me, as I can figure out from Vishvas’ above statement that he is
trying to malign a religion by using strongest invectives instead of using a
modest, analytical and logical language that is called for from intellectuals
like him.“I suspect Mr. Vishvas hardly has any basic understanding of religion
Islam otherwise he would have desisted from using slanderous hyperbole just to
denigrate a religion that he hardly understands. One can blame the Muslims but
not the creed, howsoever, it may be unfulfilling.With one black brush he has
painted all the Muslims with the above innuendos. I am sure he got a rare
opportunity to pour out venom against the Muslims for no cogent reason although
all the Muslims (even the liberals) may not be having such disqualifications
that he has chosen to attribute to them in one pent up breath. Let us be
rationale and sober while leading a
case, no matter how repugnant it might be to you because you simply belong to
another religion. Let us have the stomach and magnanimity to see other religion
existing and accord respect to them. Let us be decent at least as humans”.
Usually, I try to skip over even the most scathing comments that pour in from
time to time but this comment is as insidious and malicious as it is the
product of complete ignorance and uncanny bias against a religion that is
observed by over a billion people around the world. An individual no matter how
biased and antagonistic he tends to be, has no right to ruthlessly decry
another religion. After all it is a matter of faith and faith is so precious to
every faithful, no matter what religion he belongs. Now to decree imperiously,
insolently and rather arbitrarily that “Islam compels Muslims into an endless
bout of hypocrisy and cowardice and arrogance” speaks for the perverted
mentality of a person whose own religion does not tutor him to be respectful in
a sensitive matter of faith and embolden him to unleash slur on Islam.
Let me at the outset make a disclosure that from religious point of view I tend
to be a non conformist which means that all religions are divine and therefore,
should be allowed to be observed by their adherents. Moreover, religious bias
leads one to a lower level of human being the opposite of which every religion
teaches. It is in that vein that despite being an extreme liberal, I would not
watch any one deriding other religions simply because he is motivated to do so.
It in this spirit of religious freedom that I feel like explaining it more than
what I have already done.
If it is a question of finding faults with the religions and abusing them then
let it be so. Islam has enough defense against the vitriol that it has been
subjected to since its inception.
Islam tells of one supreme God. The prophet of Islam by his own conduct and
sublime message established a pious relationship between God and the human
beings. This should be appreciated rather than castigated. If Islam presents a
graphic, detailed map and comprehensive charter for the human beings to live in
a society as good, virtuous and peaceful individuals what is the harm in it?
If Islam ordains and emphasizes a host of values and virtues that govern the
lives and societies for peace and coexistence then how could one have the
audacity to decree that “Islam compels Muslims into an endless bout of
hypocrisy and cowardice and arrogance”? Let me stress that Islam’s first
principle is,” there is no compulsion in Islam”
Now If Islam goes in the wrong hands, it is not the creed that is to blame but
those did not heed it the way they should have. But even the totalitarian
dispensations in the Islamic countries, did not go as far as annihilating or
tormenting the population that professed a different faith. The example is in
Spain where Jews and Christian lived for 700
