STOP NATO: �NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- ListBot Sponsor -------------------------- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >From Mid-Day 2nd June- Race to power Ram Puniyani The recent fatwa by Taliban dictating the dress code to the minorities comes as yet another fanatic move in the name of Religion, in this case Islam. Just a few months ago the whole international community helplessly witnessed the insane destruction of Buddha statues in Bamiyan. The reaction to these insanities by Taliban has been mostly condemnatory but shades of the politics of those condemning this act, are too obvious to be ignored. Most of the liberals unconditionally denounced both these events on the grounds that in civil societies the individual freedom of dress and religion is non-negotiable. The Muslim community at large dissociated from the Taliban version of Islam to state that the Islam does permit the freedom of religion to believers of other faiths (for you your religion for me mine, Koran:109.6). Most of the shades of Muslim opinion was not only upset by the Taliban action, it also feared that vested interests will use this to further demonize Islam and Muslims, which is the order of the day. The Hindu Communal outfits RSS, VHP and Bajarang Dal are sure that it is because of the teachings of Islam that Taliban is behaving in this inhuman manner. They linked the medieval destruction of Hindu temples by Muslim Kings to the Bamiyan and now in the wake of the dress code the threat has been issued that if this code is implemented in Afghanistan then as a punitive measure the Muslim women in India will not be allowed to wear the burkha. On purpose they overlook the fact these Buddha statues have been in Afghanistan before the reign of Muslim rulers and they very much existed during the 14 centuries of rule of Muslim Kings in Afghanistan. The logic for the present threat seems to be that the Indian Muslims are responsible for the acts of Taliban in Afghanistan as much as they are responsible for the supposed destruction of Hindu temple by Babar and his tribe! Before understanding the acts of Taliban, acts done in the name of Islam here it will be pertinent to recapitulate some of the oppressive and inhuman acts committed by different set of people, belonging to different religions and races, destroying human norms in the name of their race or religion. Moorish Libraries were burnt, inquisitions were conducted, world heritage has been looted from civilized colonies to fill the museums of First world countries by sheer use of force and in the name of Christianity at times. Hitler in his phase of political ascendancy destroyed valuable works of arts and museums and unleashed holocaust for the 'honor' of Great German Race. LTTE has recklessly destroyed the places of worship of Buddhists, Muslims and Christians. In 1981 a library with rare manuscripts was bombed in Colombo. Jews despite having been at the receiving end of the tyranny of racial superiority so very recently, have been doing similar things in Palestine. For many years, while salvaging Jewish archaeology to establish Israeli claim to the land, Arab archaeology has been destroyed. In our own country we have seen anti-Muslim pogroms for last five decades or so. In the post independence riots the 12 and odd percent of Muslim population has been the major victim in the communal violence as 65% of the riot victims have been Muslims. In continuation with the anti-Muslim pogroms, from last four years the Christians Priests and nuns have been on the firing line along with the burning of churches and Bibles and even a Pastor who primarily was a leprosy worker, was done to death by burning in the most gruesome manner. The nadir of these acts in the name of religion of course remains the Babri demolition and the post demolition anti-Muslim pogroms. And all this in the name of Hinduism. Taliban has been propped up by the international powers funneling their resources through Pakistan for the control of oil wealth of the region. And Afghanistan has been facing sanctions for the violation of different Human rights due to excesses of Taliban committed against the Muslim and other population. It is only from last six years that they have come to control large part of Afghanistan and while the large populace is suffering and dying due to lack of food, warm clothes, medicines and other essential commodities the Taliban fire is directed to the Buddha statues. While the external manifestation of this rule are seen in Bamiyan and dress code, majority of Afghan people are suffering severe repression at the hands of Taliban, what to say of women who are special target for the 'religion based' policy: they had to discontinue their jobs and the girl children cannot have access to education. The complex story of sanctions, Osama bin laden and Opium trade further worsens the plight of the Afghan people. It is clear from different examples that it is not only in the name of Islam that destruction human heritage and values have taken place. It is not only in the name of Islam that suppression of human rights and other suppressions of minorities in their respective countries have taken place. The same Gazani who destroyed Somanth passed through the route where Bamiyan is located. The medieval temples destructions were done not only by Muslim kings, Hindu Kings had their own favorite targets in the temples and other holy places (Raja Harshdev of Kashmir looting temple in Kashmir, Maratha armies destroying temple in Shrirangpatanam, King Shashank cutting off Bodhi tree where Lord Gautama Buddha got Nirvana etc.). Muslim Kings also destroyed Mosques for the sake of power and wealth. If Islam is the only religion, which 'permits' such insanities than what was the religion of Hitler, which Religion does LTTE follows and which religion do the 'sons of Ram' who undertook to demolish Babri mosque with the slogan 'Baccha Baccha Ram ka Janm Bhumi ke Kaam ka' (We the children of Lord Ram are determined to build Ram Temple) follow? What is the religion of Sushama Swarja who off and has been passing the dictates about the dress code? What is the religion of those who intimidated college girls not to wear jeans? Taliban is no elected Govt. of Afghanistan; neither does it represent the aspirations of the Muslims of Afghanistan or any other country. It is an outfit, which is ruling in the name of religion. All the groups who rule or play politics in the name of religion or race indulge in Taliban like actions (Demolitions and dictates) not only in the years past but even today, though with different degree of intensity. We are witness to the similar actions from Jews in Israel, LTTE in Srilanka and to 'our' own Sangh Parivar in India. These political organizations, which do their politics in the name of religion or race are thoroughly anti democratic and capable of going to any length of cruelty to impose their agenda to gain or to retain political power. Democratic and pluralist norms are the first victim in these movements. And while condemning Taliban in no uncertain and uncompromising terms one needs to give a thought to the assault on the democratic values in the name of other religions and condemn this malady in whatever superficially appealing terms it is made. (Dr.Ram Puniyani is Secretary of EKTA, Committee for Communal Amity, Mumbai) ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
