My Response to the critics of my Article

By Syed Kamran Mirza

Syed_mirza@...

  My essay “Why Critique only Islam” brought deluge of responses from both sides: for and against. I heartily thank those who supported my thought and also thank those who disagreed with me. It seems to me many readers actually could not follow the message I wanted to portray, may be because of my poor English. The subject matters and theme of my essay was with the present day occurrences and not with the fossilized past happenings. But unfortunately most folks were comparing the presently burning Islamic scenarios with the past fossilized scenarios of other religions.

This essay of mine clearly identified the level of freethinkers in the MM. Many amongst us, though claim to be secularist/freethinkers, actually could not cross the border yet. They still possess myopic mindset due to which they failed to see the truth and preferred to play ostrich. They are the true examples of wishful thinkers with blind eyes and pretending to believe the dreamland rather than the practical world. Many supportive opinions did good job of refuting the accusation by those opponents, especially Aparthib,s masterpiece exegesis should clear the fogs from the minds of many. I will not try to respond to every questions raised by some readers, because those points, according to me, are too simplistic and senseless. However, I will respond to some critical points (points are in italic) below:  

(A) One doesn?t need to be a rocket scientist to understand that the American media is after Islam, more for political reason than anything else. Western world, as a whole, is after Islam because if the Arab countries get united, they would pose a direct threat to the West.  Besides, American media is mainly controlled by the Jews. All the main TV, radio, newspaper, magazines are owned by Jewish people. That?s why we hardly hear what the Christians did to the Jews and what Israel is doing to the Palestinians.

My Response:  

Yes, it should not take a rocket scientist to realize the truth; it only takes a clear vision instead of tunnel vision. This idea of blaming Media (though possessed by most Muslims) is too simplistic, ridiculous and totally incorrect. This is usually said so just to deny and hide the truth and reality. And this is just a flawed attempt to deny the guilt by some Muslims. Western media/American media are the most neutral, fair, open and unbiased media (nothing is 100%) exists in the whole world. No media of Third World country can come even close to the openness and fairness of western media today.  Please show me one country which has better (fair, free, unbiased, neutral etc.) media than American media. Don’t tell me that Arab Media or any media from Muslim countries in South East Asia are open, fair and unbiased than American media!

You must be kidding! It matters little whether the American Media is owned by Jews or Christian, majority employees are simply not a Jew. I do not see any discrepancy in the news broadcast at all. A media can not make some group a terrorist unless that group repeatedly commits terrorism. Damages done by Palestinian suicide bombers are broadcast every 15 minutes for several days; likewise damages done by Israeli retaliation to west bank or Gaza also broadcast every 15 minutes for several days without any exception. There are no biases that we can readily discern in the American Media. Even in the war time, American Media broadcast again and again the very saying/comments (even though that comment goes against the national interest and moral) made by American adversary. No country on earth will do that.

Please show me just one case scenario where—although the terrorists or perpetrators of an incident were Hindus or Christians, still American Media were continuously calling them Islamic terrorists. Or, even after the identification of the culprit as Hindus, American Media were relentlessly blaming Muslims. Please show me just one case! Of course, don’t try to jump on the one and only the Oklahoma scenario. Please listen to the real truth.

In the Oklahoma terrorism case—media initially suspected some Islamic/Arab terrorists, but immediately after the Timothy McVeigh’s arrest, no media ever mentioned about Islamic terrorists. The reason was very valid for that suspicion since just prior to few months or so in 1993, Islamic terrorists blasted bomb in the WTC. What’s wrong in that? Why should they not suspect Islamic terrorists when 98% cases for the past 30 years of world terrorism were involved Muslims? Now you will tell: why then media did not call Timothy McVeigh as Christian Terrorist? Why should they? Did McVeigh ever claim that he belonged to some Christian Jihadi organization? Did he say that he did it to save the Christian or to kill the enemy of Christian? McVeigh acted solely alone and this was an isolated, individual case by an insane crazy person having no definite objective or purpose. Was it a country-wide or world-wide phenomenon like al-Qaeda terrorists? Islamic terror cells are present globally today. Please go to any country, you will find some links with al-Qaeda terrorists. Can you deny that?

I am listening American Media for the last 27 years. I never found any gross discrepancy or fairness problem. For the last ten years, almost 98% cases of terrorism were involved directly people from Islamic origin. Quite naturally media does their first guess on Islamic terrorists. What’s wrong in that? What American media supposed to do, should they blame Hindus or Christian for the crime perpetrated by Muslims? Every time terrorism happens anywhere in the world these days, people arrested are solely Islamic origin. Most of the times (100%), some armed Jihadi Islamic group take the credit/responsibility for the crime. Not only that, they chant the Islamic slogan: “Allahu Akbar” when arrested; and even in the court they chant Islamic slogans. One hundred percent of times—these terrorists are the members/participants of some Islamic centers or Mosques. When these groups are interviewed secretly by some reporters—they chant Islamic slogans and they claim that they are doing it to fight the enemies of Islam. What media suppose to do? Why blame media unnecessarily.  Should the media remain silent when a terror act is perpetrated by some al-Qaeda terrorists?

 One erudite freethinker claimed: “Western world, as a whole, is after Islam because if the Arab countries get united, they would pose a direct threat to the West”

My response: This is a wishful lame excuse and completely tunnel vision. West is not after Islam, rather I find it is the Islam after the west due to their envy and own failure to cope with the modernity. If west was after Islam, then why west fought against Slavic Christians to save the Bosnian Muslims? This is simply a rubbish excuse to hide the failure of Muslims in general. Islamic unity? This is ridiculous indeed! All the Muslim countries together (United) can not even fight Israel alone. West is afraid of Islamic unity is a childish dream. Islam (general Muslims) poses no threat to the west, but Islamic terrorism (Islamists) really pose a great threat to the west and a challenging threat to the world’s civilization to day. It takes a great courage to admit the truth folks!

(B) I personally know hundreds of pious Muslims who seriously believe in secularism. My elder brother, a valiant Muktijoddha commander, is an example.  My grandfather was a very pious Muslim, but he never took part in any terrorist activities. Surely SKM can find many such examples if he looks for them without being prejudiced.

My response:

This statement is totally a misunderstanding and simpleton accusation by the commentators. My definition of pious muslims are not the same as yours. Your brother or grandfather was not the same pious Muslims I was talking about those al-Qaeda terrorists. Your grandfather may have prayed 5 times, kept beard, wore Tupi, recited Quran by not understanding a word of it and performed pilgrimage to Makka. But I can bet my bottom dollars—your grandfather never followed Quranic teachings of those hateful verses to harm any body. But al-Qaeda or any Jihadi brand of Islamic terrorists readily used that hateful scriptural spirit to harm infidels all over the world. My statement was only about the Islamists and not for any general innocent God fearing Muslims like your grandfather or brother.

(C) There are terrorists and radicals of other religion, e.g. the Irish Republican Army (IRA), the Jewish terrorist group Gush Emunim, the Hindu radicals of RSS and Shiv Shena in India, the anti-abortionist (who kill innocent doctors) and radical religious right groups of the USA (remember Oklahoma?), etc., etc

My response:

I never said that there could be no terrorists from any other religion or cast. Terrorism is a very ancient terminology and the people of various religions or creeds did acts of terrorism for centuries. But history did not record any such clear pattern of worldwide terrorism by any group or groups like the Islamists are doing for the last 50 years long.  It is undeniable fact that for the last 50 some years Muslims are in the core-center of terrorism. The word terrorism or terrorist has become a synonym with Islam today. How long can we deny the truth and play ostrich? Today, all over the world tens of thousands of peoples from Muslim origin are changing their names.  Many moderate Muslims are changing their faith silently. Question is why?

You can not compare Irish terrorists, Hindu radicals, or Jewish terrorists with the well-patterned Islamic terrorists. No Irish terrorists ever claimed that they are fighting the enemy of Christian, or ever said the slogans like: long-live Jesus or victory to Christianity or smite the neck of Muslims or Jews! They did it for their land’s right only. No Irish terrorists or Tamil terrorists ever came and blasted a deadly bomb to kill some innocent civilians in America , Asia or in Africa and chanted slogans in the name of God or Jesus. Hindu radicals, Jewish radicals or Irish terrorists never crossed the boundary of their own country. Please do not compare a giant watermelon with a small peanut.

Can we find Jihadi organization (Armed cadres) in any other religions such: Islamic Jihad, Hamas, Hizbullah, Horkut-ul- Jihad, Horkut-ul-mujahedin, Jaise Muhamad, Jihad-e-Muhammad, Tahrik-e-Nifaj-shariaat-e-Muhammad, Al-Hikhma, Al-badr-Mujaheddin, Jamah-e-Islamia, Hijb-e-Islamia, etc.  etc.??? We can find several dozens of Jihadi Islamic terrorist organizations exists in every Muslim country throughout the world. To day, Islamic terrorist groups’ al-Qaedas are present in 90 different countries including America . Islamic terrorists groups have become an inter-continental phenomenon today. Can we find such pattern of terrorist’s organizations in other religions? Please tell me with your honesty!

Simpleton comparing the terror acts of other religions is like comparing old-days diseases (like plague, cholera or small pox) with the deadly current disease like Aids. It is like asking: why blame Aids/Cancer only when plague or Cholera also killed millions of peoples? People do not think or talk about plague (though plague killed one-fourth of world’s total population several century ago) today, but people think, talk and fight the diseases like Aids or Cancers. Citing sporadic rare reoccurrence of ‘sati dah” is ridiculous. Sati-dah was banned century ago. This “sati-dah” occurrence is like sporadic occurrence of rare disease like TB or small pox, even though, these deadly diseases been controlled longtime ago. This is not a comparison with regular various vices of Muslims occurring presently throughout the world. Look around you, everywhere in the whole world, Muslims are at the center of the problem. Ask your own conscious, why it has to be always like this?

Islam is definitely a unique religion. Comparing dress codes of some Hindu Purohits,( Thakur), Christaian Nuns or Priests with the Hijabs and Burkhas wore by millions of general Muslim women is ridiculous. You only can say that you don’t care to wear hijab or Burkha while living in the western comforts. But can you say this when you are to live in Saudi Arabia or in any Islamic paradise like Iran or Afghanistan ?

 Only Islam has it’s own religious police (Muttawallees) to enforce Islamic ideals to the general public, although Islamists shamelessly claim that—Islam has no compulsion! What a ridiculous hypocrisy! Islam is the only religion which has a definite political agenda globally. And Islam is the only religion having draconian laws called “Sharia”. Please show me just one religion (other than Islam) in the whole world, which maintain theocratic police force to imposed religious ideals to the public. Or show me one religion having deadly uncivilized Sharia laws.

 (D) Vatican is ruled by the Bible. India is now ruled by the BJP who wants to establish a nation based on Hindu scriptures.

My response:

These are ridiculous and laughable comparison indeed. India is the largest democratic country in the world. BJP is just a Hindu conservative party ruling that democracy. BJP has no agenda to create India into a Hindu-scriptural nation. Hindu religion has no political agenda like Islam. If BJP have such agenda then tell me please how BJP can elect a Muslim as the president of India ? Bangladeshi Jamati Islam also ruling Bangladesh with BNP and that does not make Bangladesh an Islamic paradise yet.

Vatican is not a conventional nation, and Vatican is not rule by any Christian Sharia. How many cases of stoning death or beheadings of culprits you have encountered in Vatican ? Vatican is the Christian head-quarters—a religious base only. This is not a comparison with more than a dozen of strict Islamic (Sharia Paradise) countries like Iran Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia , Sudan etc? Are you kidding?

Conversion factor:

One erudite Muktomona member wrote me that Hindu religion does not have the provision of converting people of other faith into Hinduism. He also cautioned me not to write such opinion in Muktomona forum. I would like to ask him how much Mukto-Mona is he?  Yes, you are right in theory but wrong in practicality. Like Hinduism Judaism also does not have this conversion system. Yet many people did convert to Judaism through marriage or by other factors. Likewise, many people from the other faith have converted to Hinduism. Do not believe me? Take my word, thousands of American youths of pure Caucasian origin have converted to Hinduism in 60s and 70s and they are known as Horr-e-Krisno boys. I have seen them in the streets of New York , Chicago and Los Angeles . These boys I found very jolly and cheerful with Garruya Boshan (Yello clothed) singing and dancing with drums and kortal music.  By the way, unlike Muslim converts—(Johny walker Lindh and Padila who became Taliban and terrorists after the conversion to peaceful Islam), these Hindu converts never turned into any Taliban or Terrorists. Perhaps, these Hindu converts did not get the proper Jhadi lessons from Hinduism. What do you say?

Finally Some news paper headline stories:

If we look for newspaper headlines about terrorists/terrorism around the world just for one week-period, we can find thousands of stories linking Islamic folks. Here are some news only from one American daily “Washingtonpost”:

Jakarta , Indonesia , Sept. 19: Islamic extremist groups with roots in at least five Southeast Asian countries led by regional Al-Qaeda leader Riduan Isamuddin have forged an Islamic movement to establish single regional Islamic state.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 22: US officials have identified at least 80,000 suspected terrorists around the world and say an unknown number of Al Qaeda-trained soldiers have been trying for at least five years to infiltrate the United States and launch “spectacular” attacks , according to two congressional reports issued last week. “The terror network, led by Osama bin Laden, has created front companies on US soil for terrorist activities and has acted aggressively to establish ‘operative’ cells within US borders to launch bombings, hijackings and assassinations of government leaders, as well as attacks on landmarks, government buildings and tourist attractions,” the reports stated.

 An Inspiration for Muslims (Sept. 23, Jakarta )

Grenade Explodes near US Embassy in Jakarta , Indonesia (Sept 18).

Millitant Alliance in Asia is said to seek regional Islamic state ( Jakarta , Sept.22)

Arrest provide Indonesia with new Al-Qaeda leads ( Jakarta , Sept. 18)

German man suspect in a-Qaeda terrorist plots ( Jakarta , Sept.19)

Singapore Announces Arrest of 21 Militants ( Singapore , Sept. 21)

Slain suspect in Indonesia said to be a military informer ( Jakarta , Sept. 21)

Detainee called key Al-Qaeda figure in Southeast Asia

White house raises Al-Qaeda terrorism allert (Sept. 18)

Can we possibly see the real picture or pattern of terrorism today? Can anybody give us similar news headlines about any Hindu or Christian, Sheikh or Tamil terrorists today??

Conclusion:

My purpose of writing this self-critiquing essay was not to embarrass Islam, rather it was written to speak the truth and admit the truth only. Muslims can not afford to deny or hide the truth any more. We can not play ostrich or the broken record of “Islam is a religion of peace or “Islam was hijacked by Osama” any longer. Or, “Muslims are innocent, peaceful human beings; it is the western media making Muslims terrorists by false propaganda”. Truth can not be kept under the rug for eternity. This is clear like a day light to the entire mankind. Whole world is talking about it very loudly without a trace of hesitation. This is no time to blame only those Mullahs or party of Osama. Muslims should begin to identify the real source of terrorism.

Hinduism, Christianity and Judaism lost their poisonous fangs century ago, but not without deadly struggle! Several centuries ago—all these three religions were criticized/scrutinized vigorously and relentlessly by the freethinkers of those religions. Lots of life and bloods were shed and finally theocratic madness was defeated and subdued by the force of educated secular force. Unfortunately, fangs of peaceful Islam have rejuvenated, reorganized and ready to destroy our hard-earned civilization. And our Muslim freethinkers (Mukto-Mona) vowed to protect the fangs of Islam by putting blame to others. To day, mainstream Christians, Hindus or Jewish peoples will widely condemn any fanaticism perpetrated by their religion and their democratic Government will arrest them. But this is entirely a different story for Islam. Sadly to say—general Muslims will try to find any ludicrous excuse to cover-up the guilt and indirectly support those Islamic fanatics, and most Governments will never interfere with Islamic fanatics and many Government will protect those fanatics, by saying “this is not the real Islam”.

Muslims should try not to fight the symptoms, rather fight the cause of the symptoms. Islamic fanaticism is in epidemic proportion all over the world today. Please open your lazy eyes! It is high time for all of us (secularists/moderate Muslims) to speak in one voice to condemn Islamic fanatical terrorists. It is moderate Muslims (like the critics of my essay) unknowingly feeding those Islamic terrorists. Divisions amongst us will only strengthen Islamic fanaticism and Islamic terrorism. Result is ample sufferings and bad days ahead for us and our generation of the Muslim origin immigrants in the western world.  Choice is ours.