I grew up reading books on the common good of the almighty one. All Gods were one and the ultimate aim of any religion was the goodness of man.
After 9/11 an anti-Muslim feeling swept across the globe. I sympathized with the plight of Muslim brethren. I argued with my dad who is a vehement anti-Muslim. I protested loudly against his clichéd attitudes. I took sides with liberals against the hypocrisy and double standards of the western media.
But today I am having serious doubts on my stand.
A teacher from Kerala faced severe ire from the Muslim community because he put a question paper that offended Prophet Mohammad. Kerala never had to experience senseless communal violence. Not many expected the incidents to take an ugly turn.
Prof. T.J. Joseph was stopped on his way home from church last Sunday. The attackers used an axe to hack off his hand. Kerala woke up to the shocking news on Monday. The comparatively moderately religious people of Kerala are opening their eyes to the neo-Taliban.
I happened to get the offensive question paper. The extract was from the novel of a Muslim writer. The extract had a conversation between a mad man and God. The Professor gave the mad man the name Mohammad, a common name in Kerala.
The mad man asks God, ‘How much pieces do I get when I hack a fish?’
‘Three, stupid’. How does this Insult religion?
The sickening part is the crime was carried out by a religious party with good number of followers. NDF or Popular Front is not a sidelined party. I knew my class mates who worked for it.
If such a divisive act is carried out by a populist party, we have something to be concerned about. Anti national activities is no longer confined to ghettos. It has spread to all strata of society and poverty is no longer the reason.
Liberals are no longer needed to prove this as an isolated incident. The Muslim community of
There was a time when Sufism preached about the great sacrifice of love. But thanks to the oil money from Saudi, Wahabbism has spread its tentacles all around the world. Any other version of Islam is ungodly today.
We Indians prided ourselves to the point of arrogance on ‘Unity’. How much longer will we use the word ‘
5 comments:
ask me we hardly use that term. The last time i read such a thing was yesterday,about muslim youth being tortured in police cells only to accept that they wre responsible for the mecca masjid blasts! Pathetic.
As always an interesting, thought provoking piece Jon.
My own religious views are odd - my mother was a Welsh Baptist, my father a practising Buddhist, I married a Catholic and my sister is married to a Muslim....
I'll have to write a post about it someday
I have been at the receving end of this for a long time...I am sure you would have read some of those posts...to be honest people have never understood religion...watever be the religion otherwise we wouldnt be talking about this....
@Shahid...yea I have read the post.
Surely We will not be able to justify action of any one. But as you said we have failed to understand the true meaning of relegion!
@MM yes...compared to others we are still a unified country. But the disive forces are huge and very strong
@MB...I am impressed. Here people take relegion very sensitively!!
I still believe 90% of muslims are good people...
the rest 10% is bringing immense disrepute to the rest ... In the name of their religion, they are only bringing about the downfall of their fellow believers..
its a pity that those behind this ugly incident are still at large!
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